Thank You Greg McElroy- nailed it

[Coach34]

Just watched the SECN Summer special on us and McElroy nailed it. Absolutely nailed it. He said:

1. State has to find depth on the DL and in the Secondary
2. State wont have any dropoff at LB- a very talented group
3. State is a very talented group and a very confident group


"Its no longer can they win in Starkville- but how much they will win"

[messageboardsuperhero]

Greg McElroy and Marcus Spears are the two best analysts on SECN.

[TrapGame]

Greg McElroy and Marcus Spears are the two best analysts on SECN.

Wut?! No love for The Booger?!!****


I think Greg and Marcus were the only ones picking us to beat both A&M and AU last yr.

[Goldendawg]

I thought that Greg picked us to lose against AU last year.

[maroonmania]

Just watched the SECN Summer special on us and McElroy nailed it. Absolutely nailed it. He said:

1. State has to find depth on the DL and in the Secondary
2. State wont have any dropoff at LB- a very talented group
3. State is a very talented group and a very confident group


"Its no longer can they win in Starkville- but how much they will win"

Speaking of depth on the DL, I wasn't expecting much from him but I actually thought Braxton Hoyett looked pretty good in the Spring game. I know its just a Spring game but maybe he can give us another guy that can play a few snaps per game at DT.

[maroonmania]

Just watched the SECN Summer special on us and McElroy nailed it. Absolutely nailed it. He said:

1. State has to find depth on the DL and in the Secondary
2. State wont have any dropoff at LB- a very talented group
3. State is a very talented group and a very confident group


"Its no longer can they win in Starkville- but how much they will win"

That's actually pretty kind in the secondary. Right now we have to find some SEC quality STARTERS at Safety. Hopefully between Coman, Bryant and Market (depending on his recovery) we have 2 that are solid SEC starters but its a big question mark at the moment. CB should be solid though. Is Cleveland going to be a safety or a corner come fall camp?

[thf24]

On the subject of DL depth, just curious about Nick James; we've heard over the past year that he's made huge strides on his attitude and physical shape, but then lately that he still won't be an every-down player, possibly not more than a few plays at a time. Is the light bulb still not on as brightly as some have led us to believe, or is it a body type or health issue that there's not much more that can be done about?

[Coach34]

Everything I've heard on Nick is how much better shape he is in and how much better he is because of it

[thf24]

Everything I've heard on Nick is how much better shape he is in and how much better he is because of it

That's what I've mostly heard, but I think even Bob mentioned on the blog recently that he'll still be very limited in how long he can stay on the field.

[FISHDAWG]

Wut?! No love for The Booger?!!****


I think Greg and Marcus were the only ones picking us to beat both A&M and AU last yr.

I think Corso picked us against Auburn on Gameday

[FISHDAWG]

That's what I've mostly heard, but I think even Bob mentioned on the blog recently that he'll still be very limited in how long he can stay on the field.

but Prophet-34 has predicted him to the NFL after this season**

[Jack Lambert]

I would rather hear him say we need to find debth vs saying we need to replace.

[maroonmania]

but Prophet-34 has predicted him to the NFL after this season**

If Nick James tries to go to the NFL after this season it will likely only be because he hates being in college.

[Coach34]

If Nick James tries to go to the NFL after this season it will likely only be because he hates being in college.

The NFL has quite a few fat run-stoppers that only play on run downs.

[SDDawg]

High motor run stoppers that come in for specific packages are in demand at the college and pro levels. If Nick is not an every down player, but wreaks havoc when he is on the field, I have zero concerns about that. We need every bit of disruption we can possibly get from him and I think he's going to have a big year for us.

[maroonmania]

High motor run stoppers that come in for specific packages are in demand at the college and pro levels. If Nick is not an every down player, but wreaks havoc when he is on the field, I have zero concerns about that. We need every bit of disruption we can possibly get from him and I think he's going to have a big year for us.

OK, I'll change my mind when I see Nick "wreak havoc". I haven't witnessed that yet.

[Coach34]

OK, I'll change my mind when I see Nick "wreak havoc". I haven't witnessed that yet.


one of the holding penalties in the Spring Game was Nick being held. He is going to have a good year

[Schultzy]

No one ever talks about Nelson Adams who is quality and there were many years when Thomas would not have redshirted like he did last year - we have depth.

I also think Will Coleman will improve our pass rush from the end position.

[maroonmania]

No one ever talks about Nelson Adams who is quality and there were many years when Thomas would not have redshirted like he did last year - we have depth.

I also think Will Coleman will improve our pass rush from the end position.

I agree, I'm currently much more worried about getting solid play in the secondary from our safeties than I am about our DL.

[Coach34]

No one ever talks about Nelson Adams who is quality and there were many years when Thomas would not have redshirted like he did last year - we have depth.

I also think Will Coleman will improve our pass rush from the end position.

Adams, Thomas, and whomever joins them on the 2nd group are the key to our season. Good DL play makes your whole D better. And in today's football- you have to have 2 groups. That 2nd group will factor in heavily in the 2nd half on Sept 12th.

[Dawgcentral]

I think A.J. Is going to blow it up this year, so much that people are going to be asking why Chris Jones isn't getting the highlights.

I believe Nick is going to play a big role, maybe unheralded.

You can't double Jones, A.J., AND Nick. Plus, you're going to have an unexpected linebacker shooting gaps, which is what Manny does very well, seemingly at the perfect time. Just about any QB can read a blitz from the outside and throw in that direction because someone is in isolated coverage. Manny will make the most of the front seven.

[Vinsanity]

On the subject of DL depth, just curious about Nick James; we've heard over the past year that he's made huge strides on his attitude and physical shape, but then lately that he still won't be an every-down player, possibly not more than a few plays at a time. Is the light bulb still not on as brightly as some have led us to believe, or is it a body type or health issue that there's not much more that can be done about?

Nick will be just fine. He works hard in the weight room and at practice. He's going to shock some people this season.

[Coach34]

I think A.J. Is going to blow it up this year, so much that people are going to be asking why Chris Jones isn't getting the highlights.

AJ is a badass against the run. He has work to do on his pass rush

[MSUDawg4Life]

I think our entire starting DL is going to surprise folks this year. I expect them all to play well. The question is the guys behind them. I'm not worried about Nelson Adams. I think he's going to play well too. I think we need two more DTs and two DEs to step up. It's going to be interesting to see who does and how well they will play.

[Schultzy]

And back to the original post... When we are assessing what people are saying about MSU football I think it's helpful to consider the source.

People have long held McElroy as highly cerebral. The thing I like about him is he actually seems to research what he is talking about on a given subject.

I noticed this about him last preseason when he did a segment on Malcolm Johnson when discussing our offense.

[NCDawg]

OK, I'll change my mind when I see Nick "wreak havoc". I haven't witnessed that yet.

I haven't either. The times I focused on James, I haven't seen him dominate anybody. Hopefully he will this year.

[War Machine Dawg]

one of the holding penalties in the Spring Game was Nick being held. He is going to have a good year

They apparently didn't see aTm and Auburn struggling to stop him with double teams last season, either. Nick may never been an "every down" DL, but he's seriously disruptive when he's in the game.