Talent question

[DieHardDawg]

I know Croom's coaching ability has been the scapegoat this year, but how much talent do yall think we currently have?

Watching the egg bowl, I kept thinking about the talent gap in our two teams. As hard as it is for me to admit this, I didn't see many players in Maroon and White that would start or even contribute for Ole Miss. Pegues would probably start at Safety or Corner and Dixon would be in the RB rotation, but sadly thats about it.

Agree? Disagree?</p>

 

[UpTheMiddlex3Punt]

Jackie left Croom with something like 5 players who would go on to become draft picks. I can't think of any Croom is leaving behind for the next coach.

 

[821505]

Talent level? We got a walkon starting at QB. That should answer the Q. On the flip side you never know if we get the right coach, he might be able to do wonders with our talent.

 

[Shmuley]

has to say about the "alleged talent" level when he gets his first look. If the guy is being honest and forthright, he will be hard pressed to hide how appalled he is at the dearth of talent, especially on offense. He will have to play it carefully so as not to appear as though he's shitting on Croom, nor to appear as though he's making excuses. But I expect the lack of talent to be a topic of discourse on the rubber chicken circuit.

One good thing about it (if you can call it that) is that the new guy can truthfully tell recruits, "If you are a baller, you will see significant PT from day one."

Wanted: 3 JUCO OLs. Immediately. Start today.

 

[maroonmania]

that our program is in much better shape at Croom's departure than when he arrived. In some ways that's probably true (discipline, work ethic, etc.), but we have definitely gone backward in the talent department. This is the first year since Croom has been here that he's made any real progress in the recruiting department and year 6 is a little late. He told us when he got here that a lot of the recruits he would get would not be the top targets from the recruiting services or guys that were getting a lot of press. All I can say is, he certainly didn't disappoint on that statement. Even the one are of the team with some talent, defense, is going to take a severe hit after this year with graduation. Looking at what we have returning next year was probably another big factor in Croom deciding to go ahead and take the resignation route.

 

[dawgfan77]

This is a hard question to answer, becuase I am not sure the former staff got everything out of the talent. Example being Titus, he was a great pass rush end, but look at him now, playing LB in the NFL. Tim Baily was an under sized DE, but a prototypical LB. We have a guard playing tackle in Saulsberry, and a safty/corner not playing TB in Bonner.

Do I think there is some talent, yes, just not enough and not well coached

 

[KurtRambis4]

*MIGHT have some potential in a few spots (1 or 2) but they are simply atrocious right now</p>

 

[Todd4State]

I think it depends on what you are talking about in terms of better shape. I'll break it down:

Team- Plays harder and doesn't quit as easily. However, continue to make undisciplined penalties and little difference off the field in terms of discipline. We make fewer personal fouls, but that's about it. Small improvement here, but not enough,

Offense- Worse off in terms of talent. Have too many walk-ons and people playing out of position. Staff did not develop offensive talent at an acceptable level.

Defense- Better. Remember, Ron Cooper was the DC prior to Croom's arrival. Now we're the opposite than we were- horrible offense with decent defense.

ST's- Worse. It's like Croom never paid any attention to this part of the game.

Recruiting- Worse. But this was improving under Croom.

So, by my count that's three areas we are worse in and only one and a half that we are better.

 

[patdog]

Jackie also left Crxxm with at least 20 cancers that had to be excised. Crxxm will leave the new coach with very few, if any, cancers.

 

[slickdawg]

I've said it for the last few seasons, when WALKONS come in and take over starting positions, there's something really wrong in the recruiting talent. Tyson Lee, a walkon, better than anything Croom recruited in 4+ years. Jamayel Smith, Brandon McRae, the list goes on and on.

But, there's an instant improvement as McShank and Adam Swindoll are OUT OF ELIGIBILITY!!!!!

 

[omaha08]

I don't know how we won four games.

 

[FlabLoser]

Wasn't Croom supposed to have some killer OL class a couple years ago?

 

[OMlawdog]

And Im pretty sure Gene gave them that title.

 

[slickdawg]

Saulsbury is going to pan out - he held his own, and I really like the fact he followed up on every play. When the play was over, you saw 55 out there by the play instead of watching from the line of scrimmage. Sherrod is the real deal.

Now Looney & Jenkins - we'll see.

 

[maroonmania]

on that assessment except I'm really wondering if our defense is going to hold up for next year. I guess the other area that you can say is better now is we don't have the NCAA in our knickers trying to destroy our program by nailing us with chicken feed type violations. But of course, since Slive came in and decreed to get everyone off probation, it appears the entire SEC is free to do whatever without worrying about their fellow SEC brethren throwing them under the NCAA bus.

 

[slickdawg]

We will have Anthony Johnson back, but lose Douglas, Bowman, Bailey, Pegues, Fitzhugh, Glanton, Holmes, McRaney and O'Quinn.

 

[UpTheMiddlex3Punt]

The thing is Croom got rid of the cancers, but the cure was worse than the disease. He had enough talent for six wins in 04 and 05. The next coach is going to have to really coach up the current players to pull together six wins, or even five. Jackie left Croom with a 1996 version of Lance Armstrong. Croom is leaving the next coach with a healthy midget.

 

[maroonmania]

had to be excised? Yes, I'm sure there were some bad apples that were beyond hope and needed to go, but I have trouble believing that 20+ players had to be summarily dismissed and NONE of them could be worked with and convinced to buy into what Croom was selling. I almost got the feeling Croom came in with the attitude that I am going to show everyone who's in charge here and starting throwing out most anything and ANYONE that had JWS's name attached to it. Now obviously some did come through like Norwood, Stewart and Conner but not nearly enough.

 

[patdog]

It couldn't possibly be more obvious that that team was loaded with cancers. You could see it from the moment they stepped onto the field. And there was more there than just what we saw on the field. When Nick Turner got kicked off them for telling a coach to go 17 himself, he was just doing what had been done every week by several players in the latter part of the Sherrill era.

 

[Bulldog from Birth]

But we have more talent over the bottom 2/3's of the roster now as opposed to when Sherill left. The top 15 guys that Sherrill left Croom were very good (Culberson, Norwood, David Stewart, Delijuan, Andrew Powell, Omarr Conner, etc.). However, the roster as a whole had been decimated by some lousy recruiting efforts and a bust of a JUCO class. Most all of the roster beyond those best 15 guys were complete crap. And you can't have success in the SEC with only 15 guys who are SEC caliber. Croom had a very difficult job trying to patch a team together with all the crap that was left him. Croom leaves the new coach in an opposite position. There's little to no NFL talent on the roster. However, most positions (other than CB and WR) have a lot of depth and the potential to have some competent players. DL, LB, S, RB, TE, and OL all have some pieces in place to work with. And if Russell keeps his commitment, i think Carroll and Russell are quarterbacks you can work with your first two years. CB, WR, P, and K are the only areas with SWAC level deficiencies. And P and K can be solved very easily with one recruit at each spot.

BFB</p>