Any spring football reports yet?

[Dawgowar]

I try to never overreact one way or the other with spring practice. Main hope is to have the newer guys learn and everyone stay healthy. However, any news about the defense and wr's would be appreciated.

[Dawgology]

It's been pretty quiet. Don't know what's up.

[msstate7]

Besides the tackles, I'm really interested in the TE position. Wanna know how jones and Roberson are looking, along with the progression of green and Johnson. I think TE could be a really nice position group this season.

[RougeDawg]

OL is only thing I'm interested in.

[GreenheadDawg]

Apparently we have a new center **

[SallyStansbury]

OL is only thing I'm interested in.

Guess what?
On Offense we are gonna shift Oline guys around in random positions, we will suck against most teams early because we have yet to "gel". Talent will be questioned, several players will look "raw" and have difficulty adapting to SEC speed. Danyouonlyknew will show up and tell us it is part of Hev's superior plan, don't worry about it; other supporters will agree with him and suggest these comments are too negative. Why would you expect anything other than what you have seen 7 out of the last 8 yrs.
On Defense we are gonna talk about how aggressive and attacking we will be but until I see otherwise, I expect Grantham will mysteriously play CB's well off the ball, D linemen will only rush straight ahead upfield and "take up space" engaging with Olinemen having difficulty shedding blocks, rarely stunt, rarely twist. We will be soft in the middle of the field, especially until the opposition gets into our Red Zone, then we will tighten up. I expect what we have always seen until shown otherwise.

My hope is that Grantham is getting paid enough to handle his own business and actually implement all the targeted aggression, attacking, etc....that we are now hearing about. Fingers crossed.

[msstate7]

Guess what?
On Offense we are gonna shift Oline guys around in random positions, we will suck against most teams early because we have yet to "gel". Talent will be questioned, several players will look "raw" and have difficulty adapting to SEC speed. Danyouonlyknew will show up and tell us it is part of Hev's superior plan, don't worry about it; other supporters will agree with him and suggest these comments are too negative. Why would you expect anything other than what you have seen 7 out of the last 8 yrs.
On Defense we are gonna talk about how aggressive and attacking we will be but until I see otherwise, I expect Grantham will mysteriously play CB's well off the ball, D linemen will only rush straight ahead upfield and "take up space" engaging with Olinemen having difficulty shedding blocks, rarely stunt, rarely twist. We will be soft in the middle of the field, especially until the opposition gets into our Red Zone, then we will tighten up. I expect what we have always seen until shown otherwise.

My hope is that Grantham is getting paid enough to handle his own business and actually implement all the targeted aggression, attacking, etc....that we are now hearing about. Fingers crossed.
Dude, why the shot at IYOK? He's a great poster

[SallyStansbury]

Dude, why the shot at IYOK? He's a great poster

I actually think he is one of the best posters on here too. Do you disagree with the comments?

[msstate7]

I actually think he is one of the best posters on here too. Do you disagree with the comments?

Yeah, I do. I think grantham will attack.

[SallyStansbury]

Yeah, I do. I think grantham will attack.

I hope Grantham will attack and bring a measure of unpredictability to our D. I expect he will do what I mentioned above. We will know which it is soon enough.

[tcdog70]

I heard that Key is looking really good.

[Ari Gold]

I will have something by Friday...

[msstate7]

I heard that Key is looking really good.

Excellent. Who is he throwing to while looking so good? I'm interested in receivers

[NCDawg]

Guess what?
On Offense we are gonna shift Oline guys around in random positions, we will suck against most teams early because we have yet to "gel". Talent will be questioned, several players will look "raw" and have difficulty adapting to SEC speed. Danyouonlyknew will show up and tell us it is part of Hev's superior plan, don't worry about it; other supporters will agree with him and suggest these comments are too negative. Why would you expect anything other than what you have seen 7 out of the last 8 yrs.
On Defense we are gonna talk about how aggressive and attacking we will be but until I see otherwise, I expect Grantham will mysteriously play CB's well off the ball, D linemen will only rush straight ahead upfield and "take up space" engaging with Olinemen having difficulty shedding blocks, rarely stunt, rarely twist. We will be soft in the middle of the field, especially until the opposition gets into our Red Zone, then we will tighten up. I expect what we have always seen until shown otherwise.

My hope is that Grantham is getting paid enough to handle his own business and actually implement all the targeted aggression, attacking, etc....that we are now hearing about. Fingers crossed.

Your comments about the OL are more than likely correct, and the OL will ultimately be our downfall as it has been for many years under Mullen. Mullen's contract extension should have been conditioned upon replacing Hevesy as OL coach.

[Tripp McNeely]

OL is only thing I'm interested in.

Don't expect anything of substance to be able to formulate a decent opinion...Calhoun, Jenkins, Story and Williams are all, either out for the spring or severely limited.

[msstate7]

Don't expect anything of substance to be able to formulate a decent opinion...Calhoun, Jenkins, Story and Williams are all, either out for the spring or severely limited.

Any timetable on these guys' returns?

[DanDority]

Guess what?
On Offense we are gonna shift Oline guys around in random positions, we will suck against most teams early because we have yet to "gel". Talent will be questioned, several players will look "raw" and have difficulty adapting to SEC speed. Danyouonlyknew will show up and tell us it is part of Hev's superior plan, don't worry about it; other supporters will agree with him and suggest these comments are too negative. Why would you expect anything other than what you have seen 7 out of the last 8 yrs.
On Defense we are gonna talk about how aggressive and attacking we will be but until I see otherwise, I expect Grantham will mysteriously play CB's well off the ball, D linemen will only rush straight ahead upfield and "take up space" engaging with Olinemen having difficulty shedding blocks, rarely stunt, rarely twist. We will be soft in the middle of the field, especially until the opposition gets into our Red Zone, then we will tighten up. I expect what we have always seen until shown otherwise.

My hope is that Grantham is getting paid enough to handle his own business and actually implement all the targeted aggression, attacking, etc....that we are now hearing about. Fingers crossed.
I agree with this 100%. I hope I'm wrong, just like you are, but until I see different. Your post is spot on, carry on.

[Tripp McNeely]

Any timetable on these guys' returns?

Great question...and no idea...just saw Paul Jones report that this morning.

[CadaverDawg]

Heard Peters was looking good at corner so far.

[Johnson85]

I hope Grantham will attack and bring a measure of unpredictability to our D. I expect he will do what I mentioned above. We will know which it is soon enough.

I expect that Grantham will do what Grantham wants to do. For all the complaints about Dan, he is still evolving and he's not an idiot even if he is stubborn on some things. I just don't think Mullen looked at what's happened on D lately and said, "you know, I've been getting hammered by turnover at the DC position and then hiring inexperienced guys that I dictate philosophy to. I know what would reduce turnover, spend a million plus a year to have an established DC that can go get a job somewhere else anytime he wants, and then dictate defensive philosophy to him. I'm sure that will be a way to keep a coach longer than a year. How could dictating philosophy to an established guy like that cause him to leave?"

Now granted, I have been wrong about how much growth Mullen has been having before, but I just can't believe Mullen would have offered or Grantham would have accepted the job without a discussion about control of the defense, and I can't imagine that Grantham would have wanted to come to state so that a younger offensive coach could tell him how to run his defense.

[Johnson85]

Heard Peters was looking good at corner so far.

Damn. Must mean our WRs suck**

[msstate7]

Heard Peters was looking good at corner so far.

If he plays at the level he did on stringfellow, we have an all sec type CB. Stringfellow is dang good and peters put the lock on him

[lamont]

They should look good going against our WR's

[HoopsDawg]

If he plays at the level he did on stringfellow, we have an all sec type CB. Stringfellow is dang good and peters put the lock on him

Somehow we need to matchup him up vs the stringfellow types and avoid the matchups vs the quicker guys. If he was playing D against us, he would need to cover Couch not Gray. Not sure if that's something we can do or if we still play the boundry-field positions.

[ShotgunDawg]

They should look good going against our WR's

This is the essence of why evaluating Spring football is difficult. Must compare players to what they were last year instead of "how they are doing"

Better questions: are Peters' hips more fluid? Does he appear more instinctual? Etc....

[lamont]

You can judge our OL a lot better going against our DL. Our DL will be pretty good

[Turfdawg67]

You can judge our OL a lot better going against our DL. Our DL will be pretty good

As will our QB, RBs, TEs, LBs and possibly our WRs & DBs.

[GTHOM]

Its going to come down to the OL. Period. Grantham wouldnt come here if Mullen was telling him what to do. Everything else is in place for us to be a good team, the JUCOs have to be ready as well.

[lamont]

As will our QB, RBs, TEs, LBs and possibly our WRs & DBs.


I agree on QB's, RB's, TE's...

we have questions at ILB- who replaces Whitey and do we have any depth there?

we have questions at CB- we werent good their last year at all. Cleveland is solid and Peters got better. Dantzler needs experience and will get abused some against LSU, Georgia, and Auburn. Durr needs to be better in Year 2

we arent good at WR- not at all. We are adequate at best. Myles, Gray, and Dear dont scare anybody.

I do think we will get the best Safety play we have had since Whitley teabagged HobbyLobby though. Bryant is an NFL talent, McLaurin should be more consistent, and we have some jucos coming in that can play. Much improved group most likely.

[bulldawg28]

I agree on QB's, RB's, TE's...

we have questions at ILB- who replaces Whitey and do we have any depth there?

we have questions at CB- we werent good their last year at all. Cleveland is solid and Peters got better. Dantzler needs experience and will get abused some against LSU, Georgia, and Auburn. Durr needs to be better in Year 2

we arent good at WR- not at all. We are adequate at best. Myles, Gray, and Dear dont scare anybody.

I do think we will get the best Safety play we have had since Whitley teabagged HobbyLobby though. Bryant is an NFL talent, McLaurin should be more consistent, and we have some jucos coming in that can play. Much improved group most likely.

With so many questions 8 wins shouldn't happen. Man up sir.

[Harrydawg]

I had a very well connected booster tell me last week that we have finally got a DC that will not be 17'd with.

We shall see.

[CadaverDawg]

Somehow we need to matchup him up vs the stringfellow types and avoid the matchups vs the quicker guys. If he was playing D against us, he would need to cover Couch not Gray. Not sure if that's something we can do or if we still play the boundry-field positions.

I agree...however he has been matched up with Gray the most from what I heard, so maybe that's a good sign that he is getting praise even being matched up vs a guy we don't think he matched up well with.

[SallyStansbury]

I just don't think Mullen looked at what's happened on D lately and said, "you know, I've been getting hammered by turnover at the DC position and then hiring inexperienced guys that I dictate philosophy to. I know what would reduce turnover, spend a million plus a year to have an established DC that can go get a job somewhere else anytime he wants, and then dictate defensive philosophy to him. I'm sure that will be a way to keep a coach longer than a year. How could dictating philosophy to an established guy like that cause him to leave?"
.

This is interesting and something I wonder about too. I hope that there is some self reflection going on here. Some of our D coaches sucked and couldn't successfully run Mullen's D philosophy. They had to be terminated. Two D coaches Diaz and Collins were good, but grew tired of being told how to do their job, and took laterals or upgraded depending upon how you look at it. I hope Dan can back away and let Grantham implement his own philosophy along with his own measure of risk and aggression. If he sucks, fire him and get another like we did this year. But to overmanage a guy we pay over a million would be an error. I hope Dan has either matured/grown to trust a guy like Grantham or has a boss unlike Loafers who can say, back off and let the man work. I think Coach Cohen could say that and mean it. Mullen might actually respect that coming from Coach Cohen? Here is to hoping?

[IMissJack]

There has to be an honest discussion about the OL situation sooner or later, if we are going to ever go the next level. OL and special teams has cost Mullen over 8 years.

[SallyStansbury]

For all the complaints about Dan, he is still evolving and he's not an idiot even if he is stubborn on some things. I just don't think Mullen looked at what's happened on D lately and said, "you know, I've been getting hammered by turnover at the DC position and then hiring inexperienced guys that I dictate philosophy to?

What if A.) Mullen refuses to admit that any failings of our prior Defenses were his? What if he stubbornly insists that the only failure lies at the hands of his incompetent coordinators? "They must do a better job of implementing his superior predictably passive philosophy?"

Our remaining hope is that B.) Cohen can help and/or that Dan matures and will delegate authority to Grantham. I remain optimistic and common sense suggests that B.) should certainly be the case.

[lamont]

Todd Grantham is not going to be micro-managed. He is going to run his shit.

We'll see how it turns out

[lamont]

With so many questions 8 wins shouldn't happen. Man up sir.

Our schedule dictates all that Sir.

We are not going to beat LSU, Georgia, Auburn, or Bama....BUT

We play BYU at home- advantage us
We play Kentucky at home- advantage us
We play A&M in late October- even though we havent won there- they do seem to swoon late in the season
We play UPig there- but have to replace some key guys. They are basically us heading into 2017. They could surprise or underwhelm
We play OM at home- they should be a dumpster fire by the Egg Bowl

Thats 5 toss-up games to get to 8-4. It's doable for sure- but will take alot to work out

[THE Bruce Dickinson]

Our schedule dictates all that Sir.

We are not going to beat LSU, Georgia, Auburn, or Bama....BUT

We play BYU at home- advantage us
We play Kentucky at home- advantage us
We play A&M in late October- even though we havent won there- they do seem to swoon late in the season
We play UPig there- but have to replace some key guys. They are basically us heading into 2017. They could surprise or underwhelm
We play OM at home- they should be a dumpster fire by the Egg Bowl

Thats 5 toss-up games to get to 8-4. It's doable for sure- but will take alot to work out

LSU has an idiot coaching their team, and Georgia was a 6-6 team last year. I am not saying we will certainly win those games but saying they are unwinnable is silly

[Todd4State]

There has to be an honest discussion about the OL situation sooner or later, if we are going to ever go the next level. OL and special teams has cost Mullen over 8 years.

It does seem like the MSU web site writers are kind of beating around the bush and avoiding that position group some after Rankin at center-gate.

[Todd4State]

I agree on QB's, RB's, TE's...

we have questions at ILB- who replaces Whitey and do we have any depth there?

we have questions at CB- we werent good their last year at all. Cleveland is solid and Peters got better. Dantzler needs experience and will get abused some against LSU, Georgia, and Auburn. Durr needs to be better in Year 2

we arent good at WR- not at all. We are adequate at best. Myles, Gray, and Dear dont scare anybody.

I do think we will get the best Safety play we have had since Whitley teabagged HobbyLobby though. Bryant is an NFL talent, McLaurin should be more consistent, and we have some jucos coming in that can play. Much improved group most likely.

I'll be honest- I've never been that impressed with Cleveland. And him coming off of an injury makes him a question mark to me as far as how much he will be able perform at his maximum potential.

And what about Graham at CB? He had several picks and is sort of like Peters without nearly as much upside and talent in that CB is a brand new position for him since he has been in college but he's starting year three.

[lamont]

LSU has an idiot coaching their team, and Georgia was a 6-6 team last year. I am not saying we will certainly win those games but saying they are unwinnable is silly

LSU has 2 damn good coordinators- and will be much better coached on the offensive side of the football in 2017. LSU is also better than us at almost every position on the field

Georgia was a very young team. They return all 11 starters on D and Smart will use that Saban gameplan on Mullen. Top 5 recruiting class. Talented QB, outstanding TB's. On the road for us. We arent beating Georgia

[dawgday166]

I'll be honest- I've never been that impressed with Cleveland. And him coming off of an injury makes him a question mark to me as far as how much he will be able perform at his maximum potential.

And what about Graham at CB? He had several picks and is sort of like Peters without nearly as much upside and talent in that CB is a brand new position for him since he has been in college but he's starting year three.

Me neither. I'm not buying Cleveland is solid or that good yet. He makes decent play, then totally screws up the next. Guys catch balls on him all the time and he's not stellar in run support either.

Peters has ton of talent. His problem to me is just knowing assignments each play and learning the position. When he makes mistakes it seems to be because of indecision more than anything else.

I think Graham may be similar to Peters in that his mistakes are more mental than anything else. He has the talent. He was showing some good flashes late last year I thought.

[THE Bruce Dickinson]

LSU has 2 damn good coordinators- and will be much better coached on the offensive side of the football in 2017. LSU is also better than us at almost every position on the field

Georgia was a very young team. They return all 11 starters on D and Smart will use that Saban gameplan on Mullen. Top 5 recruiting class. Talented QB, outstanding TB's. On the road for us. We arent beating Georgia

Coordinators don't mean anything if your head coach is a dumbass. Example- Chavis is a good D Coordinator, but it really doesn't matter as long as Sumlin is driving the boat. Just because he was standing on the sideline it didn't stop us carving them up last year. Also, it doesn't matter if Bill Walsh is calling the plays if your QB sucks.

Georgia will be a tough road game. Not saying we win it, but saying there is no chance is not right either. They have potential, yes, but they aren't going to be world beaters. Ole Miss beat their ass, and they lost to very mediocre Vandy and GT teams.

I think we will split between those two games.