Good post on Genesage from practice with freshmen...Discuss

[dawgstudent]

1) If we get Cam Newton there will be no QB controversy or two QB system. He will be the clear-cut starter.

2) Russell isn't close to being ready. He throws the ball great, but he still has a ways to go mentally. During the young guys scrimmage, Russell never seemed to really be in command of the huddle or take charge on the field. Passing isn't a problem for him, but he restricted the playbook some because we didn't run any option plays with him in there. Russell did a good job of taking what the defense gave him and not forcing throws. He never got a chance to go downfield with the ball.

3) Even though Stegall doesn't pass as well, the offense moved the ball better with him in the game due to his ability to run the ball. Stegall also seemed far more confident running the offense. He audibled a couple of times and was more vocal. Stegall's arm strength isn't the best, but he is tough and runs the ball well. Threw a great touchdown pass to Ricco. Stegall reminds me of a Wes Carroll who hasn't played ball in a long time.

3) The coaches need to go ahead and move Thames to safety. His hands are too inconsistent to be a WR, and he just doesn't seem to be a natural fit at the position. I have been to several practices, and he just never strikes me as a WR.

4) You don't hit Montrell Conner. Choo-Choo hits you. Conner only played on one drive, but he got tough yards between the tackles. He didn't appear to be overly quick, but it was hard to get a read on his speed and quickness. He doesn't go backward when he is hit.

5) Perkins has the physical ability, but he still has a lot to learn. Perkins got most of the carries in the scrimmage, and Knox was constantly getting on to him about hitting the correct hole and pass blocking better.

6) Phillip Freeman has nightmares about Jonathon McKenzie. McKenzie is relentless and is going to be in the rotation next year. The guy can flat out play, and he will be aggravating opposing DCs for a long time.

7) Deonte Skinner was pretty active on the defensive side. He will be a good special teamer and will get some snaps at LB next year.

Cameron Lawrence and Nickoe Whitley have their work cut out for them if they want to contribute at safety next year. Both are physical, but I have attended several practices and haven't seen either one do much against the pass.

9) Didn't watch Gabe Jackson much.

10) Ricco Sanders had a pretty good limp, but I liked what I saw from him. Sanders isn't tall, but he is pretty thick and showed his strength at times. Sanders looked extremely slow due to the limp, but he showed good hands and had the play of the scrimmage when he caught a 30 something yard touchdown pass from Stegall.

11) Charles Bailey will not be here next year. He didn't even get to practice with the WRs in any of the WR drills. Had one catch in the scrimmage.

12) Chris Smith looked good today. He caught the ball well in the scrimmage and when playing with the number one offense, and he ran pretty good routes.

13) One of these days McCardell is going to be a pass rushing terror. It might be another year or two, but when he is big enough and gets his technique down he will be a terror off of the edge. His speed sets him apart from the other DEs.

14) Stigers continues to progress. He has played more as of late, and the proverbial light seems to have come on.

15) Shumpert was missing assignments and drew the ire of Knox quite often.

16) In the the DL was dominating the OL. This was too be expected though as the DL had more talent and experience.

17) I never saw Chaney at practice. Not sure where he was.

The best part of the scrimmage was watching the difference in the coaches when they were coaching the young guys in the scrimmage and when regular practice was underway. They were much more accepting of mistakes (except for Hevesy), and really seemed to be trying to teach the young guys. After practice they talked to them and offered plenty of encourgement.

If you dislike strong language then I would recommend not listening to Hevesy in practice. He is demanding to say the least. It is easy to see why Brigone said they have a different demeanor last year.

 

[dawgstudent]

1) If we get Cam Newton there will be no QB controversy or two QB system. He will be the clear-cut starter.

2) Russell isn't close to being ready. He throws the ball great, but he still has a ways to go mentally. During the young guys scrimmage, Russell never seemed to really be in command of the huddle or take charge on the field. Passing isn't a problem for him, but he restricted the playbook some because we didn't run any option plays with him in there. Russell did a good job of taking what the defense gave him and not forcing throws. He never got a chance to go downfield with the ball.

3) Even though Stegall doesn't pass as well, the offense moved the ball better with him in the game due to his ability to run the ball. Stegall also seemed far more confident running the offense. He audibled a couple of times and was more vocal. Stegall's arm strength isn't the best, but he is tough and runs the ball well. Threw a great touchdown pass to Ricco. Stegall reminds me of a Wes Carroll who hasn't played ball in a long time.

3) The coaches need to go ahead and move Thames to safety. His hands are too inconsistent to be a WR, and he just doesn't seem to be a natural fit at the position. I have been to several practices, and he just never strikes me as a WR.

4) You don't hit Montrell Conner. Choo-Choo hits you. Conner only played on one drive, but he got tough yards between the tackles. He didn't appear to be overly quick, but it was hard to get a read on his speed and quickness. He doesn't go backward when he is hit.

5) Perkins has the physical ability, but he still has a lot to learn. Perkins got most of the carries in the scrimmage, and Knox was constantly getting on to him about hitting the correct hole and pass blocking better.

6) Phillip Freeman has nightmares about Jonathon McKenzie. McKenzie is relentless and is going to be in the rotation next year. The guy can flat out play, and he will be aggravating opposing DCs for a long time.

7) Deonte Skinner was pretty active on the defensive side. He will be a good special teamer and will get some snaps at LB next year.

Cameron Lawrence and Nickoe Whitley have their work cut out for them if they want to contribute at safety next year. Both are physical, but I have attended several practices and haven't seen either one do much against the pass.

9) Didn't watch Gabe Jackson much.

10) Ricco Sanders had a pretty good limp, but I liked what I saw from him. Sanders isn't tall, but he is pretty thick and showed his strength at times. Sanders looked extremely slow due to the limp, but he showed good hands and had the play of the scrimmage when he caught a 30 something yard touchdown pass from Stegall.

11) Charles Bailey will not be here next year. He didn't even get to practice with the WRs in any of the WR drills. Had one catch in the scrimmage.

12) Chris Smith looked good today. He caught the ball well in the scrimmage and when playing with the number one offense, and he ran pretty good routes.

13) One of these days McCardell is going to be a pass rushing terror. It might be another year or two, but when he is big enough and gets his technique down he will be a terror off of the edge. His speed sets him apart from the other DEs.

14) Stigers continues to progress. He has played more as of late, and the proverbial light seems to have come on.

15) Shumpert was missing assignments and drew the ire of Knox quite often.

16) In the the DL was dominating the OL. This was too be expected though as the DL had more talent and experience.

17) I never saw Chaney at practice. Not sure where he was.

The best part of the scrimmage was watching the difference in the coaches when they were coaching the young guys in the scrimmage and when regular practice was underway. They were much more accepting of mistakes (except for Hevesy), and really seemed to be trying to teach the young guys. After practice they talked to them and offered plenty of encourgement.

If you dislike strong language then I would recommend not listening to Hevesy in practice. He is demanding to say the least. It is easy to see why Brigone said they have a different demeanor last year.

 

[gtowndawg]

nm

 

[Columbus Dawg]

1) We are going to go from one of the shortest QB's in the country to one of the biggest.
2) Russell will have 2 more years to get it figured out.
3) I think Thames could compete for 1st team nickel.
4) Perkins didn't hit many holes in high school. His running style is similar to a poor man's Barry Sanders. The spread really calls for you to get it and go downhill. I think Ballard is going to get most of the carries next year
5) The coaches seem to think that Gabe Jackson might take Jenkins' spot at RG next year.
6) I've seen a lot of video on Ricco Sanders and I have yet to see that game breaking speed that I hoped for. We are looking to bring in about 5 WR's this year.
7) McCardell has gotten pressure in his limited chances

</p>

 

[Shmuley]

1. He bad-mouthed the second coming of Tebow;
2. He kept the sunshine ******** to a minimum;
3. He confirmed our coaches use foul language.

Shameful.

DS, who was the poster? He needs to be here if not already.

 

[GBryne4Heisman]

13) One of these days McCardell is going to be a pass rushing terror. It might be another year or two, but when he is big enough and gets his technique down he will be a terror off of the edge. His speed sets him apart from the other DEs.

So all he lacks is size and ability?

 

[gtowndawg]

Would Tobias Smith not take that position back? Or, would he move to another position? Or heck do they think he's always going to have health problems?

 

[dawgstudent]

[No message]

 

[Irondawg]

Great report.

I think Lawrence ends up moving to LB before he's done and I think Thames ends up on defense as well. Seems like we have a ton of guys that project at safeties, including some of the big recruits. But that's a pretty important position with so many teams going to the spread so you always need at least 3 good ones.

Everytime we hear anything about McKenzie it's full of high praise. Everyone seems to think this guy is going to be a beast on the DL for us for the next 4 years.

I keep hearing about McCardell's speed and how it sets him apart. Then why isn't he on the field on every 3rd and 15 we have to just rush the passer?

 

[dogfan96]

= crushed by SEC tackles (maybe not Sowell)

 

[FQDawg]

Everytime we hear anything about McKenzie it's full of high praise. Everyone seems to think this guy is going to be a beast on the DL for us for the next 4 years.

Is that Duncan McKenzie's son that everyone was pissed that we gave a scholarship to?

 

[graddawg]

***

 

[patdog]

I never understood why the backlash against signing him.

 

[whistlerdog]

1. academy ball and 2. suspected nepotism.

 

[Buford T. Justice]

Irondawg, I agree about Cameron Lawrence. He is too aggressive and too slow to play safety in the SEC. I think he plays special teams only until he grows into a linebacker spot.

McKenzie looks like a big dude standing on the sidelines. Several of the OL and DL say he is a badass with a nonstop motor (nonstop motor? I sound like Mel Kiper).

Tobias Smith takes Jenkins spot if he is healthy. I figure the coaches don't feel like they can count on him being healthy, so they are looking elsewhere. If Smith is healthy, then that is just a bonus.

 

[Buford T. Justice]

Aaron Feld discussing McKenzie prior to season - "McKenzie, the guy from Starkville Academy. He is unbelievable. His effort, his desire is unbelievable. The kid never stops; he's a machine. I've never seen him play football, but based on seeing him run and seeing him work out, he doesn't stop."

Charles Burns discussing McKenzie during practice - "Jonathan McKenzie is a freak of nature. He's a big guy who goes hard and never stops. All he needs is to learn the basic fundamentals of football; why he's doing what he's doing. Once he gets that down he's going to be a monster."

These are published quotes from scout.com articles

 

[Columbus Dawg]

Yeah, Tobias would probably take it if he could stay healthy, but all indications are that he can't. It will probably come down to Tobias, Gabe, Hardy and Melichar.

 

[615dawg]

He was a great HS player on a bad team. My questions about him were was he really great or was the competition bad. I think its a little of both.

The difference is that the guy could have gone to Princeton. He's smart and has a good head on his shoulders - he'll learn and be a decent player for us. Is he an NFL-caliber defensive linemen? No. But he has the ability to be pretty good.

The only explanation for the backlash I can think of is related to Croom. Of course, he was recruiting his buddy's kid in Hamilton, Alabama the whole time

 

[maroonmania]

"Stegall reminds me of a Wes Carroll who hasn't played ball in a long time."

I sure hope that wasn't suppose to be a compliment. I mean Carroll is the guy with the weak arm that lost his starting job to Lee who everyone wants to complain about now. And added to that, he's also the guy that wouldn't hang around with a new coach coming in to try and win his starting job back. If Stegall equals a rusty Carroll then I'm writing him off right now.

 

[gtowndawg]

nm

 

[AROB44]

Would Tobias Smith not take that position back? Or, would he move to another position? Or heck do they think <font style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" color="#FF0000">he's always going to have health problems</font>?

That's what I think, but I'm not a "they".

 

[Beretta.sixpack]

Carroll never had that 'it' to him....I think what little success he had was luck......I don't think he is faring to well at Fla. International if what I heard is true..

 

[studentdawg87]

"Stegall reminds me of a Wes Carroll who hasn't played ball in a long time."

I sure hope that wasn't suppose to be a compliment. I mean Carroll is the guy with the weak arm that lost his starting job to Lee who everyone wants to complain about now. And added to that, he's also the guy that wouldn't hang around with a new coach coming in to try and win his starting job back. If Stegall equals a rusty Carroll then I'm writing him off right now.

I posted that on Genespage and it wasn't meant to be a compliment or an insult. They are just somewhat similar. Like Carroll, Stegall makes good reads when running the option, but he lacks arm strength. He floats most of his passes. Stegall is tough though. He had one run where he lowered his shoulder and ran over a DB. He still needs a lot of work in the passing game before he is ready to play much.

 

[Coach34]

"1) If we get Cam Newton there will be no QB controversy or two QB system. He will be the clear-cut starter.

2) Russell isn't close to being ready. He throws the ball great, but he still has a ways to go mentally. During the young guys scrimmage, Russell never seemed to really be in command of the huddle or take charge on the field. Passing isn't a problem for him, but he restricted the playbook some because we didn't run any option plays with him in there. Russell did a good job of taking what the defense gave him and not forcing throws. He never got a chance to go downfield with the ball."

Seems like I've seen this somewhere...hmmmm...oh yeah, I 17'ing typed it quite a few times......one day you ignorant 17's will listen

 

[Dawg in a pile]

Carroll never had that 'it' to him....I think what little success he had was luck......I don't think he is faring to well at Fla. International if what I heard is true..

Actually the only thing he had was that 'it'. He wasn't a great passer, was a pretty decent runner, but we won games with him as QB. Croom screwed him over and we have what we have now. I would take Carroll's luck over the shittiness that is Tyson Lee all day long.

 

[dogfan96]

we could've won games with a lot of guys at QB with the philosophy we had on offense (run the ball and don't give the QB a chance to screw it up). Carroll wasn't screwed over. He was lucky he ever set foot on an SEC football field, let alone got to start a bunch of games for a bowl team.

 

[markymark.sixpack]

wow. one other person agrees with you. congratulations. yeah, now i give up. a random guy agrees with you. that seals the deal.

my main contention is the "IF" we get cam newton. most of you stupid 17s act like he already has the starting job and he hasn't even announced his comittment yet. i definitely want him, but i'm not into deciding who our starting QB will be based on speculation. i'll let the coaches decide that. i've said it before, i don't care who starts next year as long as he earns the job and is actually good (unlike mini-lee). My OPINION just happens to be that it will be russell. i don't have any skin in that game and don't really care if i'm wrong. again, it's just my opinion. i just hate morons who post an opinion like it's a fact.

 

[GoState05]

Carroll was screwed over by a ****** QB coach. He was actually decent his freshman season, and could have improved tremendously with a good coach.

 

[chewgumm]

this guy.You wills tasrt. You know, we know it,the American people know it. Welcome aboard...son.

 

[patdog]

I've never seen such a bad QB be worshiped by so many. I've posted his stats from his freshman year before. You should go look at them and take a second to realize just how bad they were. As much hell as Tyson Lee gets for sucking, remember this. HE BEAT WES CARROLL OUT. If he thought he had a snowball's chance in hell of seeing any playing time under Mullen, he never would have transferred. But he saw the writing on the wall and got the hell out. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if he never starts a game for FIU.

 

[DerHntr]

</p>play that fiddle oh mulleted one

 

[GoState05]

I see where you are coming from, but you seem to be forgetting that those stats, which weren't that much worse than Lee's (as a junior), were accumulated Carroll's FRESHMAN year. His true freshman year at that. His stats as a freshman were much better than his stats as a sophomore. That's why he was beaten out by Lee. He got worse, primarily because of coaching. There were times when he was a sophomore that, when in the previous year he would run for it and occasionally get a few yards, he would stand in the pocket as it collapsed and take a sack. It was obvious that he had been coached to do this.

That said, all of this would be moot if Josh Riddell never transferred after his injury.

 

[dogfan96]

he was finally given the opportunity to play QB instead of just "manage the game".. and we found that he's not capable at this level. That pass that Lee threw to O'Neal Wilder Saturday... Wes Carroll couldn't make that throw if you gave him 30 tries.

 

[KennyPowers]

Was partly due to the fact that we had a very good defense that year. The defense put us in positions to win those games. All wes had to do was not lose them for us.

 

[Coach34]

send that to me please...i'll just start posting that instead of typing a bunch of ****

 

[Dawg in a pile]

he was finally given the opportunity to play QB instead of just "manage the game".. and we found that he's not capable at this level. That pass that Lee threw to O'Neal Wilder Saturday... Wes Carroll couldn't make that throw if you gave him 30 tries.

Carroll could make that throw 1 out of 30 times, and so could Lee. He finally made it. How many times has Lee thrown it up longer than 20 yards and had the ball land anywhere near the receiver? It's normally an interception. The fact is, Lee sucks in an amazing way. Carroll sucks a little less and we would be better off with him rather than the walking cluster<17> that is our starting QB.

 

[dogfan96]

Tyson Lee is much better than Wes Carroll is.. Wes Carroll is a maybe a slightly better runner but other than that, there's nothing he does better than Tyson Lee.. he's just a little taller</p>

 

[Todd4State]

Croom just simply liked Lee better. It had more to do with Wes Carroll going against his wishes on the QB option play in the Liberty Bowl- even though it worked- than anything else. One thing about Lee- he is more subserviant than Carroll. If Lee was the QB in 2007, there is no way he would have gone against Croom and his play calling.

And if you don't think Croom would do something like this- ask Josh Riddell, Tony Burks, and Co-Eric Riley. Croom was bad about playing favorites.

 

[MaroonDawg1985]

markymark wrote: i just hate morons who post an opinion like its a fact.

you do realize its an internet message board

 

[wbc40]

That way we can post it, since you're usually way too much of a coward to admit being wrong. I think I can guess which one will be in heavier rotation on the sixpack airwaves.