Post Zuber Offensive Depth Chart

[ShotgunDawg]

Just curious to get you guys thoughts on what we do here.

Here is my best guess:

WR - Zuber - Probably our best WR. Not much competition for him to beat out so long as he catches the ball
WR - Guidry/Thomas - I think Guidry & Thomas split time unless Guidry has gotten significantly better at catching the ball.
WR- Osirus/Jason - Joe like Osirus so I'm assuming he keeps his spot. Would love for Jason to step up.

LT - Tyre Phillips backed up by K Johnson & Charles Cross. Will be interesting to see what we do with Cross this year.
LG - Parker/Story
C - Darryl Williams
RT - Reese - I'm excited about Reese at RT. It's him more natural position. Potential road grader here
RT - Eiland/K Johnson/Cross
TE - Green/Jones/Spivey/Cum-best - Green is reliable, but we really need Jones or Spivey to beat him out. TE could be huge this year considering Tommy is used to throwing to them.

RB - Kylin/Gibson - We good here.
QB - Tommy Stevens/KT

Is this the most talented offense we've had in years?

There are obviously unknowns with Stevens & Zuber as far as chemistry goes, but could it really be worse than last year?

As for the OL, we lost some talented guys, but this OL appears experienced & potentially deep that last year's?

Last year we averaged 28.5 points per game. Jake Wimberly always says that analytically you need to be scoring 30+ points per game to really have a chance. I think this roster can be a 31-32 points per game offense.

What say you?

[Coach007]

This will be the most complete team we have had.

Defense will be strong again. Kicking should be.

- defense top 15.
- offense top 30

[ShotgunDawg]

This will be the most complete team we have had.

Defense will be strong again. Kicking should be.

- defense top 15.
- offense top 30

While the defense doesn't have the super stars of last year's defense, there is an argument to be made that this team could be more balanced.

Not to mention that we have an experienced left footed punter this year. That will help our defense

[bulldawg28]

The team is definitely SEC quality. If it becomes a fundamentally sound team we could win 10 games.

[WSOPdawg]

J

Is this the most talented offense we've had in years?

Last year we averaged 28.5 points per game. Jake Wimberly always says that analytically you need to be scoring 30+ points per game to really have a chance. I think this roster can be a 31-32 points per game offense.

What say you?


This will be the most complete team we have had.


- offense top 30

While I love optimism, I just don't see how our team that averaged 19.5-points in SEC games (11.2-points in SEC games if you remove Arkansas and OM) will miraculously jump to 30+ points and top-30 overall. I'm just not feeling it, but hope I'm wrong.

[TrapGame]

The team is definitely SEC quality. If it becomes a fundamentally sound team we could win 10 games.

We can definitely win 9 games. We win 10 and Joe's up for COY.

[TrapGame]

While I love optimism, I just don't see how our team that averaged 19.5-points in SEC games (11.2-points in SEC games if you remove Arkansas and OM) will miraculously jump to 30+ points and top-30 overall. I'm just not feeling it, but hope I'm wrong.

Having a QB that doesn't throw flaming bricks is a big start. Nick was a terrible fit in this offense.

[bulldawg28]

We can definitely win 9 games. We win 10 and Joe's up for COY.

Agreed.

[MetEdDawg]

We can definitely win 9 games. We win 10 and Joe's up for COY.

This. I think OM, Kentucky, and Arkansas should be wins. Gets us to 7. Tennessee, Auburn, TAMU, and LSU. Can we go 2-2 in that? I think Tennessee and Auburn are the 2 most winnable. Don't see why we can't go 1-3 at worst through those games.

8-4 is my expectation. 9 is a possibility that I don't think is unreasonable.

[R2Dawg]

WR on paper has a chance to be one of best groups in MSU history. Paper and field have proven not to always be true. We have talent so we'll see what Joe can do in year 2.

[Leeshouldveflanked]

Any chance Mixon comes back? Don’t look like nobody had picked him up last time I checked.

[Coach007]

While I love optimism, I just don't see how our team that averaged 19.5-points in SEC games (11.2-points in SEC games if you remove Arkansas and OM) will miraculously jump to 30+ points and top-30 overall. I'm just not feeling it, but hope I'm wrong.

I get that. But here are some things for you to consider

- we ranked 110th in defense. The next year due to 1 coaching change, Grantham, we were ranked 10th. Last year 1st.

- last season we ranked 111th in passing offense and 20th in rushing. Combined we ranked 70th. We made massive changes in a qb and at Wr. It's more than plausible that we would have a top 30. Its not a huge jump

[AROB44]

While I love optimism, I just don't see how our team that averaged 19.5-points in SEC games (11.2-points in SEC games if you remove Arkansas and OM) will miraculously jump to 30+ points and top-30 overall. I'm just not feeling it, but hope I'm wrong.

Well...if we "remove" the teams we scored more against then we didn't win a game. ****

[msudawg1200]

I like this team. I’m telling you the Zuber pickup is huge. Our special teams should be dramatically better. Some people don’t understand how important that is. This team could, I’m saying could, go 9-3. The floor to me is definitely 7-5. We should win our 4 OOC games, and at least UK, ARK, and OM in the SEC. The key to the season is the AU, LSU, UT, and A&M games. A split could get us to 9-3. One win 8-4. None 7-5.

[ShotgunDawg]

While I love optimism, I just don't see how our team that averaged 19.5-points in SEC games (11.2-points in SEC games if you remove Arkansas and OM) will miraculously jump to 30+ points and top-30 overall. I'm just not feeling it, but hope I'm wrong.

The 30 points per game includes non- conference.

[Coach34]

WR on paper has a chance to be one of best groups in MSU history. Paper and field have proven not to always be true. We have talent so we'll see what Joe can do in year 2.

the WR transfer is huge- but before him our WR corps were one of the worst in the SEC. Zuber makes this group "not shitty" but in no way makes it "good". This guy caught 58 balls in a conference that doesnt play defense. He caught 2 balls for 11 yards against us last year. Let us not forget about KT hitting Guidry in the chest to open the Spring Game and he drops it as usual. Thats going to continue to happen with our QB transfer throwing it also.

This team has QB, WR, and DT issues. Lots of new faces at Safety that will not be as good as what we had last year. Injuries would hurt this D because it wont have near the depth 2018 had- so our top players will play more plays. Also means our ST's will have less talent and more youth on them. We have no TB depth and LB depth is unproven- that's another concern.

What many of you dont seem to realize is that SEC defenses- especially the good ones are going to continue to man up and force our WR's to beat them. They are going to take away the TB's on reads as well and force alot of QB's runs. That is what guys on D are doing to certain RPO's. I'm not expecting much improvement offensively. Will be very surprised if we end up in the top 50 in the country.

[WSOPdawg]

the WR transfer is huge- but before him our WR corps were one of the worst in the SEC. Zuber makes this group "not shitty" but in no way makes it "good". This guy caught 58 balls in a conference that doesnt play defense. He caught 2 balls for 11 yards against us last year. Let us not forget about KT hitting Guidry in the chest to open the Spring Game and he drops it as usual. Thats going to continue to happen with our QB transfer throwing it also.

This team has QB, WR, and DT issues. Lots of new faces at Safety that will not be as good as what we had last year. Injuries would hurt this D because it wont have near the depth 2018 had- so our top players will play more plays. Also means our ST's will have less talent and more youth on them. We have no TB depth and LB depth is unproven- that's another concern.

What many of you dont seem to realize is that SEC defenses- especially the good ones are going to continue to man up and force our WR's to beat them. They are going to take away the TB's on reads as well and force alot of QB's runs. That is what guys on D are going to certain RPO's. I'm not expecting much improvement offensively. Will be very surprised if we end up in the top 50 in the country.

Agree 100%. While we're definitely not of the Sly Croom offensive ineptness, I tend to think we're still outside the offensive top-50 until proven otherwise. I'm just not drinking the Morehead offensive guru Kool-aid after what I saw last year.

[Coach34]

oh- and he is JoeVester because of hardheadedness. Not lack of offensive coaching or knowledge

[gravedigger]

oh- and he is JoeVester because of hardheadedness. Not lack of offensive coaching or knowledge

hardheadedness.......like leaving the board over changing the world one cup of coffee at a time?

[ShotgunDawg]

the WR transfer is huge- but before him our WR corps were one of the worst in the SEC. Zuber makes this group "not shitty" but in no way makes it "good". This guy caught 58 balls in a conference that doesnt play defense. He caught 2 balls for 11 yards against us last year. Let us not forget about KT hitting Guidry in the chest to open the Spring Game and he drops it as usual. Thats going to continue to happen with our QB transfer throwing it also.

This team has QB, WR, and DT issues. Lots of new faces at Safety that will not be as good as what we had last year. Injuries would hurt this D because it wont have near the depth 2018 had- so our top players will play more plays. Also means our ST's will have less talent and more youth on them. We have no TB depth and LB depth is unproven- that's another concern.

What many of you dont seem to realize is that SEC defenses- especially the good ones are going to continue to man up and force our WR's to beat them. They are going to take away the TB's on reads as well and force alot of QB's runs. That is what guys on D are doing to certain RPO's. I'm not expecting much improvement offensively. Will be very surprised if we end up in the top 50 in the country.

Hey.... at least we have hope now brotha

At least there is now a path for a good season.

Hope goes a long way.

[msstate7]

Hey.... at least we have hope now brotha

At least there is now a path for a good season.

Hope goes a long way.
Talent goes farther and I think we're the 5th most talented team in the west

[gravedigger]

Talent goes farther and I think we're the 5th most talented team in the west

how do you feel about talent EVALUATION?

[Coach34]

hardheadedness.......like leaving the board over changing the world one cup of coffee at a time?

No- I left the board over a dispute with the other owners about the power of a moderator

[msstate7]

how do you feel about talent EVALUATION?

Not sure what you mean. You think we're more talented than LSU, Bama, auburn, or aTm?

[Coach34]

Talent goes farther and I think we're the 5th most talented team in the west

probably but match-ups also have an effect. Some teams match-up better than others in certain games.

[msstate7]

probably but match-ups also have an effect. Some teams match-up better than others in certain games.

Well the 4 teams I consider more talented: LSU, Bama, auburn, and aTm. All will exploit our weakness at DT bc they'll all be strong rushing teams. The talent level deficit is the most facing LSU and Bama, so I doubt home field will offset it. Auburn and aTm aren't vastly superior talent wise, but they do have an advantage, and they'll be the home team. I wish we could trade the 2 home games for the 2 road ones bc then we'd have a legitimate shot imo

[Coach34]

Well the 4 teams I consider more talented: LSU, Bama, auburn, and aTm. All will exploit our weakness at DT bc they'll all be strong rushing teams. The talent level deficit is the most facing LSU and Bama, so I doubt home field will offset it. Auburn and aTm aren't vastly superior talent wise, but they do have an advantage, and they'll be the home team. I wish we could trade the 2 home games for the 2 road ones bc then we'd have a legitimate shot imo

agreed- but LSU's conservatism wont let them run away with it. This could give us a chance to steal one but will be tough to do. Their QB play should be improved this year

[msbulldog]

Any chance Mixon comes back? Don?t look like nobody had picked him up last time I checked.

I think that ship has sailed.

[gravedigger]

Not sure what you mean. You think we're more talented than LSU, Bama, auburn, or aTm?

No. But I'm not saying we arent either.

What I'm saying is that below the top 3-5 football teams each year, there are a number of teams who had quite high rated levels of talent, if one focuses on recruiting sites, that crap the bed against teams that have supposedly much less talent.

The only conclusion I can come to is that either talent doesnt matter as much as we think it does (I think that's false), OR talent evaluation isnt as accurate as we give it credit for.

[AROB44]

oh- and he is JoeVester because of hardheadedness. Not lack of offensive coaching or knowledge

So he's not like that you.....open minded? *****

Edited to add: Name me a successful coach who isn't hardheaded. And I am taking about Power 5 coaches.....not wanta be Power 5 coaches.

[Coach007]

the WR transfer is huge- but before him our WR corps were one of the worst in the SEC. Zuber makes this group "not shitty" but in no way makes it "good". This guy caught 58 balls in a conference that doesnt play defense. He caught 2 balls for 11 yards against us last year. Let us not forget about KT hitting Guidry in the chest to open the Spring Game and he drops it as usual. Thats going to continue to happen with our QB transfer throwing it also.

This team has QB, WR, and DT issues. Lots of new faces at Safety that will not be as good as what we had last year. Injuries would hurt this D because it wont have near the depth 2018 had- so our top players will play more plays. Also means our ST's will have less talent and more youth on them. We have no TB depth and LB depth is unproven- that's another concern.

What many of you dont seem to realize is that SEC defenses- especially the good ones are going to continue to man up and force our WR's to beat them. They are going to take away the TB's on reads as well and force alot of QB's runs. That is what guys on D are doing to certain RPO's. I'm not expecting much improvement offensively. Will be very surprised if we end up in the top 50 in the country.

It's not a fair assessment to use the game against the best defense in the nation. The QB was 9 out of 21. The credit goes more towards our DL than the WRs not getting open or simeply being shut down.

We had 4 sacks, 7 QB Hurries.

[gravedigger]

probably but match-ups also have an effect. Some teams match-up better than others in certain games.

This is very true.

[bulldawg28]

the WR transfer is huge- but before him our WR corps were one of the worst in the SEC. Zuber makes this group "not shitty" but in no way makes it "good". This guy caught 58 balls in a conference that doesnt play defense. He caught 2 balls for 11 yards against us last year. Let us not forget about KT hitting Guidry in the chest to open the Spring Game and he drops it as usual. Thats going to continue to happen with our QB transfer throwing it also.

This team has QB, WR, and DT issues. Lots of new faces at Safety that will not be as good as what we had last year. Injuries would hurt this D because it wont have near the depth 2018 had- so our top players will play more plays. Also means our ST's will have less talent and more youth on them. We have no TB depth and LB depth is unproven- that's another concern.

What many of you dont seem to realize is that SEC defenses- especially the good ones are going to continue to man up and force our WR's to beat them. They are going to take away the TB's on reads as well and force alot of QB's runs. That is what guys on D are doing to certain RPO's. I'm not expecting much improvement offensively. Will be very surprised if we end up in the top 50 in the country.

I agree with the majority of this post. However, I think we have enough talent matchups that if we start utilizing the TE talent along with the WR talent we'll be a very efficient offense. Efficient even against the upper tier defenses. We have matchup nightmares at TE for a defense. Sprinkle that with these WR's and I see a top 50 offense easily.

[BuckyIsAB****]

Just curious to get you guys thoughts on what we do here.

Here is my best guess:

WR - Zuber - Probably our best WR. Not much competition for him to beat out so long as he catches the ball
WR - Guidry/Thomas - I think Guidry & Thomas split time unless Guidry has gotten significantly better at catching the ball.
WR- Osirus/Jason - Joe like Osirus so I'm assuming he keeps his spot. Would love for Jason to step up.

LT - Tyre Phillips backed up by K Johnson & Charles Cross. Will be interesting to see what we do with Cross this year.
LG - Parker/Story
C - Darryl Williams
RT - Reese - I'm excited about Reese at RT. It's him more natural position. Potential road grader here
RT - Eiland/K Johnson/Cross
TE - Green/Jones/Spivey/Cum-best - Green is reliable, but we really need Jones or Spivey to beat him out. TE could be huge this year considering Tommy is used to throwing to them.

RB - Kylin/Gibson - We good here.
QB - Tommy Stevens/KT

Is this the most talented offense we've had in years?

There are obviously unknowns with Stevens & Zuber as far as chemistry goes, but could it really be worse than last year?

As for the OL, we lost some talented guys, but this OL appears experienced & potentially deep that last year's?

Last year we averaged 28.5 points per game. Jake Wimberly always says that analytically you need to be scoring 30+ points per game to really have a chance. I think this roster can be a 31-32 points per game offense.

What say you?

Deddrick Thomas will start at Y barring an injury. Zuber could play in there some but those 2 aint bad. They can both beat man coverage and get seperation which is something we have struggled with for a long long time

[Jack Lambert]

While the defense doesn't have the super stars of last year's defense, there is an argument to be made that this team could be more balanced.

Not to mention that we have an experienced left footed punter this year. That will help our defense

We will have one of he tbest LB corp. DB's will be good and the D line will be good but not as deep as last season. Rivers might end up a 1st rounder.

[Coach34]

We will have one of he tbest LB corp. DB's will be good and the D line will be good but not as deep as last season. Rivers might end up a 1st rounder.

A) We are good at LB. No doubt- hell I expect Thompson and Gay to leave after this season to be drafted. However- our drop of talent at DT will affect their play this Fall- no way around that.

B) Rivers is very good and will be drafted. However he is not a top pass rusher- so he has no shot at the 1st Round. He is a 3rd-5th round player.

[PMDawg]

A) We are good at LB. No doubt- hell I expect Thompson and Gay to leave after this season to be drafted. However- our drop of talent at DT will affect their play this Fall- no way around that.

B) Rivers is very good and will be drafted. However he is not a top pass rusher- so he has no shot at the 1st Round. He is a 3rd-5th round player.

Correct. While our DL won't be devoid of talent, we lose our rush up the middle and our edge rush. We won't be getting the kind of pressure we did last year, unless there are some big leaps from players. Defense will be solid, not great.

Offense - meh. Don't expect much.

[justwin]

Just curious to get you guys thoughts on what we do here.

Here is my best guess:

WR - Zuber - Probably our best WR. Not much competition for him to beat out so long as he catches the ball
WR - Guidry/Thomas - I think Guidry & Thomas split time unless Guidry has gotten significantly better at catching the ball.
WR- Osirus/Jason - Joe like Osirus so I'm assuming he keeps his spot. Would love for Jason to step up.

LT - Tyre Phillips backed up by K Johnson & Charles Cross. Will be interesting to see what we do with Cross this year.
LG - Parker/Story
C - Darryl Williams
RT - Reese - I'm excited about Reese at RT. It's him more natural position. Potential road grader here
RT - Eiland/K Johnson/Cross
TE - Green/Jones/Spivey/Cum-best - Green is reliable, but we really need Jones or Spivey to beat him out. TE could be huge this year considering Tommy is used to throwing to them.

RB - Kylin/Gibson - We good here.
QB - Tommy Stevens/KT

Is this the most talented offense we've had in years?

There are obviously unknowns with Stevens & Zuber as far as chemistry goes, but could it really be worse than last year?

As for the OL, we lost some talented guys, but this OL appears experienced & potentially deep that last year's?

Last year we averaged 28.5 points per game. Jake Wimberly always says that analytically you need to be scoring 30+ points per game to really have a chance. I think this roster can be a 31-32 points per game offense.

What say you?

Whop needs to start game 1 and entire season. Do that, he catches 60 balls and 10 tds, easy. He is a guy with first 4 games of a ton of reps will make plays once SEC West season starts game 5. he is big, physical, good hands, swagger. Osirus & Guidry have gotten way more reps. Most importantly, the brighter the lights, better he plays.

[justwin]

Talent goes farther and I think we're the 5th most talented team in the west

I'm curious your comparison of us vs Aub / TXAM to get to 5th?

Auburn ~ who is their QB, RB, WR? Their D had alot of holes last year.
TXAM ~ Mond has flashed. They lost many O & D players that were just ok.

We beat LSU easily last year with a semi competent QB. We will have a semi competetn QB this regardless of Tommy or KT

[msstate7]

I'm curious your comparison of us vs Aub / TXAM to get to 5th?

Auburn ~ who is their QB, RB, WR? Their D had alot of holes last year.
TXAM ~ Mond has flashed. They lost many O & D players that were just ok.

We beat LSU easily last year with a semi competent QB. We will have a semi competetn QB this regardless of Tommy or KT

Schwartz and Williams are game changers on the outside for auburn. Look for Matthew hill to be a break out guy for them this season

Whitlow and Martin are back at RB.

I expect nix to win the qb job, and I also expect him to be an absolute stud. Even if nix doesn't win the job out the gate, Gatewood is a much better fit than stidham.

They return all 5 olinemen, and they're all seniors.

[Ari Gold]

The defense is going to be much better than some of you think ..
Shoop is really really good .. and there Is still NFL talent on that side of the ball ..

[bulldawg28]

The defense is going to be much better than some of you think ..
Shoop is really really good .. and there Is still NFL talent on that side of the ball ..

100% agreement with both. It's refreshing to see defensive adjustments and a well coached team that executes in the proper position.

[Jarius]

The defense is going to be much better than some of you think ..
Shoop is really really good .. and there Is still NFL talent on that side of the ball ..

I agree. We are going to be a better team than our fans think.

[BrunswickDawg]

Schwartz and Williams are game changers on the outside for auburn. Look for Matthew hill to be a break out guy for them this season

Whitlow and Martin are back at RB.

I expect nix to win the qb job, and I also expect him to be an absolute stud. Even if nix doesn't win the job out the gate, Gatewood is a much better fit than stidham.

They return all 5 olinemen, and they're all seniors.

That AU OL is also thin - they lost their 2 top rotation guys (a 5 star to transfer, a 4 star to ACL). And, as we have seen in our past, just because your OL brings back senior starters doesn't mean that they will dominate. They did improve over the course of last season, but it's a red flag to me when Gus is already pumping that his 2020 OL recruiting class is a huge focus - https://www.al.com/auburnfootball/2019/02/auburn-wants-largest-offensive-line-class-of-gus-malzahn-era-in-2020.html

[msstate7]

That AU OL is also thin - they lost their 2 top rotation guys (a 5 star to transfer, a 4 star to ACL). And, as we have seen in our past, just because your OL brings back senior starters doesn't mean that they will dominate. They did improve over the course of last season, but it's a red flag to me when Gus is already pumping that his 2020 OL recruiting class is a huge focus - https://www.al.com/auburnfootball/2019/02/auburn-wants-largest-offensive-line-class-of-gus-malzahn-era-in-2020.html

Of course it's a huge focus, they have 5 seniors on it. By your same measure, is our dline a huge red flag this season bc of the focus on it last cycle?

[BrunswickDawg]

Of course it's a huge focus, they have 5 seniors on it. By your same measure, is our dline a huge red flag this season bc of the focus on it last cycle?

I get that, but DL and OL have been an obvious emphasis since Joe arrived. And like our DL, AU's OL is talented but thin due to Gus pulling a Mullen and having had two OL classes in a row crap out at signing day. I recall a number of people on this board flipping out about our 2020 and 2021 OL during Joe's first class and how we were screwed (don't hear that talk anymore).

But you said a key thing - Joe was focusing on fixing a need he inherited (replacing large chunks of DL the last 2 cycles '18 and '19). Gus is, like Mullen was, 2 years behind the curve. He should have been fixing it then and not expecting the 2020 OL class to be able to fill spots as Freshmen.

[PMDawg]

The defense is going to be much better than some of you think ..
Shoop is really really good .. and there Is still NFL talent on that side of the ball ..

I'm with you for the most part. But having Simmons AND Sweat was a perfect rush combo and I just don't think we will duplicate it this year. We could get great pressure up the middle and/or on the edge. We may tackle better this year and be harder to run on, but we won't be living in the backfield like we were last year.

[bulldawg28]

I'm with you for the most part. But having Simmons AND Sweat was a perfect rush combo and I just don't think we will duplicate it this year. We could get great pressure up the middle and/or on the edge. We may tackle better this year and be harder to run on, but we won't be living in the backfield like we were last year.

The DL may not but the experience LB's will make up the difference.

[gravedigger]

I get that, but DL and OL have been an obvious emphasis since Joe arrived. And like our DL, AU's OL is talented but thin due to Gus pulling a Mullen and having had two OL classes in a row crap out at signing day. I recall a number of people on this board flipping out about our 2020 and 2021 OL during Joe's first class and how we were screwed (don't hear that talk anymore).

But you said a key thing - Joe was focusing on fixing a need he inherited (replacing large chunks of DL the last 2 cycles '18 and '19). Gus is, like Mullen was, 2 years behind the curve. He should have been fixing it then and not expecting the 2020 OL class to be able to fill spots as Freshmen.

I think many of us take for granted that a coaching staff can and should improve the units they have with the players they have. That is to say that just because we havent signed a Simmons or a Sweat doesnt mean we cant be very good on the DL. Just because we havent been decent at WR doesnt mean we cant be good at it this year. I dont expect miracles by any stretch. But everyone remembers a time when you were doing a job and the 'light came on' for you. Maybe it was repetition, maybe a coworker explained something different, whatever. I feel this will be the case this year.

Sure, Stevens will help in that regard. Zuber should too. But simply having that season behind us, and players KNOWING what to expect from the staff in practice and games will pay dividends. How much I dont know.

I'm sensing that it will have much more to do with the chemistry between the staff and players than any other thing. Stevens and Zuber's leadership though, could be bigger than we can measure now.

Now, if we dont, I think there is some cause for concern, but that will be along the lines of whether kids are 'getting' the offensive system. This is why the freshman qb is so important. Let Zuber catch a couple of TD's on TV in big games and we'll see our recruiting pickup there.

[HoopsDawg]

I'm worried teams are going to wear us out up the middle. We will have to commit extra to stopping the run and get beat over the top.

[Tbonewannabe]

We lose Sweat and Green but Rivers and Spencer are pretty damn good. The interior DL is where we will have a surprise (good or bad), we can't help but take a step back but how much determines if this is a top 15-25 defense. I think our secondary could even be better as long as no one gets injured. Our LBs should be better with experience.

The biggest hurdle is can we compete on the road for our normal toss up games like Auburn and A&M. Also can we continue to win Ark on the road and UK at home. We also need to win UM at home which we haven't done very well for a while.

[Tbonewannabe]

I'm worried teams are going to wear us out up the middle. We will have to commit extra to stopping the run and get beat over the top.

I think our secondary improves overall. Abram and Peters are losses but a lot of people said Cole was the best physically before he was injured. Landrews was pretty good before he was hurt also.

[Jack Lambert]

The defense is going to be much better than some of you think ..
Shoop is really really good .. and there Is still NFL talent on that side of the ball ..

Shoop could have found another DC job if he wanted. Apparently he see's some talent.

[sandwolf]

Edited to add: Name me a successful coach who isn't hardheaded. And I am taking about Power 5 coaches.....not wanta be Power 5 coaches.

Nick Saban has adapted his offense to his personnel (read option with Hurts vs. pass happy with Tua) and to general changes in approach (under center pro set type offense to shotgun spread type). Mullen did a great job of adapting to his personnel too (most of the time).

[Tbonewannabe]

Nick Saban has adapted his offense to his personnel (read option with Hurts vs. pass happy with Tua) and to general changes in approach (under center pro set type offense to shotgun spread type). Mullen did a great job of adapting to his personnel too (most of the time).

Holloway up the middle, Shumpert not quick enough, getting Perkins to beef up only to lose his quickness and speed. Mullen did a lot right but seems to now get a pass on what he did wrong even when EVERYONE saw it was wrong at the time.

[sandwolf]

Holloway up the middle, Shumpert not quick enough, getting Perkins to beef up only to lose his quickness and speed. Mullen did a lot right but seems to now get a pass on what he did wrong even when EVERYONE saw it was wrong at the time.

Holloway and Perkins were what lead to me adding in 'most of the time.'