'15 IN LB Darrin Kirkland Jr (UT Commit 12/15/14)

Does Bates best position project to be at MLB or OLB?

IMO he, like JRM, is perfectly suited to play WLB. But he is one of our more versatile LBs.

He has better size than JRM, so he could probably slide inside and do just fine. He could probably play SLB in a pinch as well. However, he'll need to add some serious bulk for that and work on beating blockers (which he understandably had some trouble with as a freshman).

If he can add some muscle and get up to around 235, I think he'll be one of those guys that the coaches teach every LB position and play him where he's most needed.
 
IMO he, like JRM, is perfectly suited to play WLB. But he is one of our more versatile LBs.

He has better size than JRM, so he could probably slide inside and do just fine. He could probably play SLB in a pinch as well. However, he'll need to add some serious bulk for that and work on beating blockers (which he understandably had some trouble with as a freshman).

If he can add some muscle and get up to around 235, I think he'll be one of those guys that the coaches teach every LB position and play him where he's most needed.

Agreed. He would be a very good WLB. That is where his skill set would be best used. We still have JRM, Cortez, Elliott Berry, and now Sapp who can all play WLB and do a very good job at it. I think out of all of those guys Bates would be the best in the middle. Hopefully Gavin Bryant can become what we hoped he would be.
 
Doug Matthews saying he's MLB

In an interview with Hyams after the Iowa game, Butch said Bates would get a look in the middle this spring. Also mentioned Jakob and Bynum as guys that would be in the mix. I don't remember Bryant being mentioned.
 
Yeah. Got to, though. Offenses want to play in space, have to have guys who can cover out there.

It's just tough because all of those are guys with a lot of upside I'd really like to see on the field. But we're not going to rotate 4-5 deep at WLB.

Hopefully at the least we'll be able to give JRM more breaks next season without much of a drop off.
 
This makes me wonder if this strength and conditioning coach knows what he is doing. We have had numerous shoulder injuries and now this.
 
This makes me wonder if this strength and conditioning coach knows what he is doing. We have had numerous shoulder injuries and now this.

Seriouslly? Now we are blaming shoulder injuries on strength staff? Lmao it's football. You hit with your shoulder. Shoulders are going to feet hurt
 
This makes me wonder if this strength and conditioning coach knows what he is doing. We have had numerous shoulder injuries and now this.

Isn't this the first one that didn't happen from football though?

Bates, JJ, and North all injured their shoulders in games/practice, didn't they? I know that Bates at least hurt his in the UGA game.
 
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Isn't this the first one that didn't happen from football though?

Bates, JJ, and North all injured their shoulders in games/practice, didn't they? I know that Bates at least hurt his in the UGA game.

Bates was definitely a game injury and North's was a lingering injury from high school.
 
This makes me wonder if this strength and conditioning coach knows what he is doing. We have had numerous shoulder injuries and now this.

I was with Thig yesterday and i asked this same question because i was wondering about lack of shoulder work. The response was no the s/c program is one of the best he's been around. He said DKJ was tryna show out and let the older guys know he's ready and can go or lift with them. He was showing out and that's how the injury occured. Also stated he'll be fine and as long as he gets the mental and walk through reps he'll be perfectly fine for the Fall.
 
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Isn't this the first one that didn't happen from football though?

Bates, JJ, and North all injured their shoulders in games/practice, didn't they? I know that Bates at least hurt his in the UGA game.

All the shoulder injuries were from ingame activity nothing ever came from off season or weight room training. I hv no clue why OP would say these occurringinjuries are a result of s/c program. I guess he forgot football is a contact sport.
 
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Don't forget the 2nd part, the conditioning. S&C is not just trying to lift more weight. I don't recall a program with as much emphasis on the later. First it improves flexibility, range and such, reducing the likelihood of injury. It also improves endurance. Look at how, as thin as we were in some places, the team played the entire game. Think South Carolina. No. The S&C program is a strength for us, not a problem.
 
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Don't forget the 2nd part, the conditioning. S&C is not just trying to lift more weight. I don't recall a program with as much emphasis on the later. First it improves flexibility, range and such, reducing the likelihood of injury. It also improves endurance. Look at how, as thin as we were in some places, the team played the entire game. Think South Carolina. No. The S&C program is a strength for us, not a problem.

Exactly, Lawson and his crew know what they are doing, I will add in the nutionists too. It could have happened any number of ways even while 'just' working out. Could have simply been doing bench and was putting the bar down/up, missed the supports and had to 'catch' the bar at an awkward angle. No worries on the s&c front.
 
I was spotting a guy who tore his pec while benching. Didn't warm up adequately. Sounded like a rubber and popping when stretched too far. So gross.

I know, cool story, bro.
 
I think unfortunately this is a simple case of a newby getting in and wanting to maybe do too much too quick, and even possibly trying to show out-- "naw man, I can do more than that, watch...." then "POP".....
 
It happens, you never know when a young tendon will pop. He maybe wasn't showing out. Maybe he was just going hard and a weight room injury happened. That's what I think happened.
 
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So as of right now, our only two healthy MLBs are Greg Bryant and Kenny Bynum.

With the wealth of options we have at OLB (JRM, Weatherd, Bates, Maggit (situationally), McDowell, Berry, and now Sapp and Smith), you've gotta think that Bates or another OLB gets some looks at MLB this spring.

And there's really now a major difference in the WLB and MLB positions, so it shouldn't be hard for one of them to slide over.
 
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