FINALLY some good news on a f'n lineman. ****! It's about time. ...

[Shmuley]

Kyron Samuels (yes, Chris Samuels cousin, which doesn't mean ****, except he can probably get the money to go walk on at AU). From Montgomery. Center. Undersized at 6 feet. Will not get a Bama offer. Probably won't get a AU offer. Has continued to keep Mississippi and Kentucky warm as options, but looks like we want him and he wants us.

“Pretty much it’s Alabama, Mississippi State and Auburn,” Samuels said at the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic. “Ole Miss, Kentucky and Louisville are up there as well.”

Though Auburn and Alabama have yet to offer, Samuels has gotten plenty of indication that an offer is still possible in the future.

“I’ve had visits from both schools in the last two weeks at school and I have an in-home visit next week with all three schools,” he said.

Both Alabama and Auburn have already communicated with Samuels regarding the things that need to fall in place for a scholarship offer to come.

“Alabama is waiting for other guys to pan out,” he said. “They haven’t offered any interior guys but they’ve got like 20 or 21 commits and 10 offers still out that they’re considering so they’re trying to see how that shakes out.

“Auburn is very similar but their deal is that they have like 18 or 19 guys committed but a lot of them are decommitting or switching schools. I don’t know if that has anything to do with the season or their success or anything but they’re still in the hunt for me as well.

“It’s a waiting game but I know my ability is not the reason I haven’t been offered so I’m going to sit back and make the best decision for me.”

Out of his top three, Mississippi State is the one program that has offered Samuels and he had plenty of good things to say about the Bulldogs.

“I love Mississippi State,” he said. “Every time I go up there I feel like it’s home. That’s cheesy and everybody says it but everybody wants that feeling when they go somewhere and that’s the feeling I get. I love the coaches.

“Coach (John) Hevesy, the O-line coach, Coach (Les) Koenning the offensive coordinator and Coach (Dan) Mullen the head coach. He made a big impression on me because he’s an old school coach in some ways but he knows how to get his players to play for him and he knows how to be up to date with everything and still have that old school mentality and I love that about him. And I love that type of offense that he runs.”

 

[missouridawg]

to play for the in-state schools first.

If Auburn offers, he's gone to them. We're his fallback plan.

 

[mstatefan88]

I imagine the long term plan is to move Desper to guard because of is size. He's listed at 6' 5'' 295. But Samuels is listed on Scout and Rivalsat 6' 2'' 295, so I don't think that's terribly undersized, for a center. I think that would be a very good get for us because he seems like a solid center.

 

[Shmuley]

who is seriously considering us, even if we're his third option. Damn, we need OLs BAD!!!

 

[Irondawg]

He's Plan C at best - he came to camp here in the summer, we evaulated him and have yet to offer. Then we watched him during the season and yet to offer him.

We're keeping him warm, but its pretty clear he's not very high up our board. (or Auburn or Bama's either)

 

[57stratdawg]

We need two JUCO OTs like the world depends on it.

 

[maroonmania]

we are at least decent with interior linemen but we are hurting at Tackle. We need to get at LEAST one JUCO Tackle and we HAVE to hold onto Cole Carter who should be a very good future Tackle.

 

[FISHDAWG]

... would love to have another JC over the ball</p>

 

[chew1095]

and Beard may be the other. Siddoway is taking one last visit this weekend to Pitt, but he wants to play in the SEC (per Paul Jones). We are Siddoway's only SEC offer, but he did have a Bama offer out of high school when he signed with Cal. I get the sense Beard was flying under the radar until very recently and we led over Houston. Now, Arkansas and UGA have offered and I am not sure where things stand. Both Siddoway and Beard would be nice additions to go with Holley and true up the numbers on the OL.

I only really care about two positions for the remaining spots, a JUCO LT and a DE than can get to the damn QB, whether that is Autry or Ward.

 

[Todd4State]

is for Holley to be the center, and then Desper will take over. I suspect we'll redshirt Desper and allow him to get stronger, adjust to SEC football, and etc.

 

[Foronce]

what does our 2 deep line project as next year

 

[maroonmania]

If Tobias can't get back I would project:

C - D. Holley, S. Watts or J. Trapp
LG - G. Jackson, T. Hardy
RG - D. Day, D. Robinson
LT - B. Clausell, D. Knox or J. Malone
RT - JUCO T (Siddoway/Beard?), A. Muniz

If Tobias does get back then I would assume he starts and Day becomes top backup for C or G positions. We have a lot of young guys available next year that we haven't seen play any significant minutes so backups are hard to project (Muniz, Trapp (JUCO RS), Robinson, Knox, Malone, Maiden, Lawson). Also, Hardy and Watts could easily be passed as backups by some of the oncoming younger guys.

 

[Foronce]

don't think he rs'ed

if c is the key position on the line why did we move saulsberry to g and let a rs fr take over ...to next year move him to g
or is it more of I expect Holley to be better at C than Day forcing day to play somewhere else and become backup C

 

[maroonmania]

He wasn't listed in our 2 deep all year and I had no idea he even saw the field this season much less played in 10 games but I don't really know so I'll defer. On the other topic everything I've heard is that we are bringing Holley into be our starting Center so Day can move to his more natural position of Guard. I guess we'll see in the Spring. Certainly if Smith is back with Jackson then Day may stay a starting center over Holley if he remains the better option of the two.

 

[chew1095]

Saulsberry was a better G than C. So is Day, but Day was a better C than Saulsberry, so Day played C. Day did a good job this year considering he was a RFR, but I believe he will be a very good G going forward. I have never seen Holley play, but those that have emphatically think he will be our starting C next year. Steve Campbell apparently said that Holley was the best OL he has ever coached. If thats the case, Holley should be able to contribute significantly next year.

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

Sounds like our depth is improving but we are still a year or two away from starting RF on the line.

When we get there, watch out.

 

[chew1095]

had talked to Daniel Knox's dad and his dad said Knox is being groomed into a LT.

I am real curious to hear some of the reports from bowl practices since they are going to be open to the public. It seemed Mullen did a good job during bowl practices last year trying out some different things and getting the younger guys more reps...in addition to preparing our team to beat down MeeeChaGan. I expect a similar beat down of the Deamon Deaks this year as well.

 

[jcbully]

Looks like Holley is our guy at Center with Day backing him up, then you have Jackson and Day starting with Robinson and Tobias Smith(if he comes back healthy, like others have said). That's 5 guys for 3 spots if Smith is healthy. I don't think Smith will ever be the 12 game starter for us. He's just not made to take the grind of a season, but I think in spots, he can provide great depth and experience over the next 2 years(assuming he gets/wants a med RS for this past year). At tackle is where things get a little shaky. Some have expressed their lack of faith in Clausell as our long term LT, but he has all the tools to be a really good player for us. He's long and athletic with great flexibility. He needs some more weight and strength, but that will come. He got some great experience this year, and should be much better next year with some Balis time. From there at Tackle, I have no clue how is shakes out. We obviously have to pick up AT LEAST one JuCo tackle, Siddoway perferably bc of his pedigree/size. Muniz and Lawson aren't ready and may never be. Lawson is too slow and Muniz doesn't have great size for a tackle. I have heard really good things about Justin Malone, that he has lost a lot of fat and gone to work in the weight room. I don't know if he is a left or right tackle, but he has a lot of upside. I think Redmond probably ends up at guard, and Knox was a project as well coming in at 250 or so. I would prolly set the Tackle depth chart at LT: Clausell, Malone, RT: JuCo(Siddoway), Muniz/Knox. I would love to add another JuCo tackle to kind of be our swing guy behind Siddoway/Clausell if one were to get injured or underperforms because, like I said, I don't think Muniz/Lawson/Malone/Knox are ready yet.