Ole Miss and the running back position

[Entodawg]

Last year their offense wasn?t successful against power 5 teams until they started using Wilkins. He was a four star out of high school and measured 6?1? at the combine. They are replacing him with two running backs who are 5?9? and 5?7? and had no SEC offers. Going all in on Cam Akers really cost them. I predict that they will have to run Ta?amu more than last year, or they will have to convert Pellerin.

[somebodyshotmypaw]

Last year their offense wasn?t successful against power 5 teams until they started using Wilkins. He was a four star out of high school and measured 6?1? at the combine. They are replacing him with two running backs who are 5?9? and 5?7? and had no SEC offers. Going all in on Cam Akers really cost them. I predict that they will have to run Ta?amu more than last year, or they will have to convert Pellerin.

I think they can run it effectively. They can really spread you out with a good tight end and those wideouts. That will really open some running lanes. They have a very good offensive line. They will run effectively on draw plays and things of that nature. They will be tough to handle. But that Ole Miss defense is the issue.

[RocketDawg]

I think they can run it effectively. They can really spread you out with a good tight end and those wideouts. That will really open some running lanes. They have a very good offensive line. They will run effectively on draw plays and things of that nature. They will be tough to handle. But that Ole Miss defense is the issue.

Are you saying they won't have many "fins up" plays this year?

I'd forgotten about Wilkins, but yeah, he was pretty good. Was he a senior?

[somebodyshotmypaw]

Are you saying they won't have many "fins up" plays this year?

I think they may score 35 points in a game. And lose that game.

[Pit Bull]

I thought Wilkins was indeed a very good RB for them last year. I watched him a few times and he always looked good regardless of the blocking he got. The guy who seemed to hurt us a lot in previous years was that TE they had who is starting in the NFL now. That guy was big and strong enough to block as a TE and fast enough to spread out as a WR and beat corners down the field. Forgot his name?

[Dawgcentral]

Just let someone roll their QB’s lower leg sometime during the season and they’ll have no one to throw the ball for the rest of the year.

[TUSK]

I thought Wilkins was indeed a very good RB for them last year. I watched him a few times and he always looked good regardless of the blocking he got. The guy who seemed to hurt us a lot in previous years was that TE they had who is starting in the NFL now. That guy was big and strong enough to block as a TE and fast enough to spread out as a WR and beat corners down the field. Forgot his name?

Engram?

[FriarsPoint]

Engram?

That is who I would think. But Engram has been gone for ....2 years? I think.

[Captain Falcon]

They seem to think Scott Phillips will replace Wilkins no problem... I don’t really see that being the case. Wilkins was quietly the best back they’ve had since McCluster. Talented dude that always seemed to give us trouble. 1,000 yard rushers have been really rare for them. I think Wilkins should be getting a lot more credit for their late season success last year than he has been getting.

Their receivers are great, and I think Dawson Knox is a solid TE, but I don’t think Ta’amu is nearly as good as they seem to think he is. I think what they got from his last year was pretty much his ceiling. Even in the Egg Bowl I wasn’t particularly impressed with him. He completed less than 50% of his passes and the interception he threw was REALLY bad. That game just showed many of Grantham’s worst boom or bust tendencies, and we let 3-4 big plays absolutely kill us.

They will have some big games offensively, I have no doubt about that. I just wonder how much their late season resurgence had to do with who they were playing (several teams that fired their coaches, us after Mullen had phoned it in, and Kentucky) and the fact that nobody respected their running game at all or had any film on Ta’amu. They’ve all been crowing about how much better Ta’amu was than Shea, but Shea had to deal with the toughest part of their schedule and did light up the bad teams they played.

[somebodyshotmypaw]

They seem to think Scott Phillips will replace Wilkins no problem... I don’t really see that being the case. Wilkins was quietly the best back they’ve had since McCluster. Talented dude that always seemed to give us trouble. 1,000 yard rushers have been really rare for them. I think Wilkins should be getting a lot more credit for their late season success last year than he has been getting.

Their receivers are great, and I think Dawson Knox is a solid TE, but I don’t think Ta’amu is nearly as good as they seem to think he is. I think what they got from his last year was pretty much his ceiling. Even in the Egg Bowl I wasn’t particularly impressed with him. He completed less than 50% of his passes and the interception he threw was REALLY bad. That game just showed many of Grantham’s worst boom or bust tendencies, and we let 3-4 big plays absolutely kill us.

They will have some big games offensively, I have no doubt about that. I just wonder how much their late season resurgence had to do with who they were playing (several teams that fired their coaches, us after Mullen had phoned it in, and Kentucky) and the fact that nobody respected their running game at all or had any film on Ta’amu. They’ve all been crowing about how much better Ta’amu was than Shea, but Shea had to deal with the toughest part of their schedule and did light up the bad teams they played.

All good points. But the biggest problem is that AJ, DK, Lodge, Little, Patterson, Rawlings, Knox, and Ta'amu have no ability to play defense. Good luck landshark defense. You are gonna need it.

[Todd4State]

They seem to think Scott Phillips will replace Wilkins no problem... I don’t really see that being the case. Wilkins was quietly the best back they’ve had since McCluster. Talented dude that always seemed to give us trouble. 1,000 yard rushers have been really rare for them. I think Wilkins should be getting a lot more credit for their late season success last year than he has been getting.

Their receivers are great, and I think Dawson Knox is a solid TE, but I don’t think Ta’amu is nearly as good as they seem to think he is. I think what they got from his last year was pretty much his ceiling. Even in the Egg Bowl I wasn’t particularly impressed with him. He completed less than 50% of his passes and the interception he threw was REALLY bad. That game just showed many of Grantham’s worst boom or bust tendencies, and we let 3-4 big plays absolutely kill us.

They will have some big games offensively, I have no doubt about that. I just wonder how much their late season resurgence had to do with who they were playing (several teams that fired their coaches, us after Mullen had phoned it in, and Kentucky) and the fact that nobody respected their running game at all or had any film on Ta’amu. They’ve all been crowing about how much better Ta’amu was than Shea, but Shea had to deal with the toughest part of their schedule and did light up the bad teams they played.

I think you are right about Wilkins. Shea getting hurt helped their offense because it forced them to be more balanced.

[Pit Bull]

Engram?

Yeah that's it. Evan Engram. Very good ballplayer. Created a lot of mismatches for us.