Help is coming for the OL (2015 class), but...

#27
#27
This class will have us set at the guard position, but where are the tackles?
 
#29
#29
CA_Vol said:
Isn't Mahoney basically a zero on their recruiting front as well?
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VOLorNuttin said:
He's 100% responsible for having "Chicken Shi!te," then.

4* - Austin Sanders (Bench)
4* - Dontavius Blair (Bench)

Instead, he's playing two 3* OL that are true freshman. One was recruited as a DT and converted toward the end of fall camp.

It's THEIR job to either recruit chickens, rather than chicken shiite, or develop chicklings into chickens.
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The big thing here is that this isn't a surprise to anyone. Coaches and fans and players and even half the cheerleaders knew we had NO returning offensive linemen! WHY??? wasn't an effort made to do something about it! We picked up 1 JUCO OL and he can't play. Surely there is some that are serviceable enough to get us over our rough patch. This is someone's job...just do it!
 
#30
#30
I know the OL coach at Oakland High in Murfreesboro, and have asked him a few times about Jack Jones. He says he doesn't think Jack will start next year, but is positive he is better than what is on the field in Knoxville right now. He has added about 15 lbs of muscle in the past 2 months and is working with a personal trainer to improve his already stellar footwork. I think he is still a little under sized, but have no reason to doubt the man's opinion. We definitely need quality help and depth.
 
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#31
#31
SGMVols said:
This class will have us set at the guard position, but where are the tackles?
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Zach Stewart will probably be the LT next season, if Blair doesn't fix what has him in the dog house, currently. He's pretty much an Eric Fisher (Butch's former player at Cent. Mich., who was the 1st pick in the 2013 draft) clone, in terms of size/build...and he's done pretty well in camp circuits. You hate to have to play a true freshman, but Stewart and Jack Jones are both better talents than what we have on the roster. Stewart already has the physique to play in the SEC, right now (6'4" 320lbs), and no bad weight.

Boulware will provide good depth at OG, and I expect Charles Mosley to take over at RG in the Spring, since he should be recovered from his injuries by then. He should be a road grader at 6'5" 370lbs.
 
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#32
#32
LibertyVolance said:
At this point, I don't know why Butch won't take up Downs on his offer to block for him. Downs said he knew he didn't have good hands for an end, but would be glad to block. He has the size and he couldn't much more intimidated at playing OT as anyone else out there. We need willing volunteers. Maybe our defensive linemen can volunteer to play both ways like old one platoon football days of the 50s.
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I thought about that earlier too. Downs or one of the other TE's could be converted to OT... but it is probably too late in the season now. That would have been a possibility earlier.
 
#33
#33
CA_Vol said:
Isn't Mahoney basically a zero on their recruiting front as well?
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247 rates Mahoney as the 191 recruiter in the nation so if they are right then yes a zero. I don't think it's a coincidence that our best coaches and recruiters have SEC experience save for Stripling however he did coach the defensive line at Michigan and Michigan State.
 
#34
#34
VOLorNuttin said:
He's 100% responsible for having "Chicken Shi!te," then.

4* - Austin Sanders (Bench)
4* - Dontavius Blair (Bench)

Instead, he's playing two 3* OL that are true freshman. One was recruited as a DT and converted toward the end of fall camp.

It's THEIR job to either recruit chickens, rather than chicken shiite, or develop chicklings into chickens.
Click to expand...

Sanders was never a play right away guy. He's a
good kid but, he needs a couple of years in weight program. He was just bigger than everyone he played against in high school.

Blair came in soft and very out of shape. He is the starting left tackle the next two years. We weren't going to win more than 6 to 8 games with whomever this year. Blair redshirts and you now have two years for another tackle to get better.

We have a chance to do some big things next couple of years and Blair is a big piece of that,
 
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#36
#36
I saw some really good comments in this post and a lot of you guys are right on. I taped the game and really looked at the Oline play. Don't like to call anyone out but the RT has terrible feet. Doesn't move well at all. It looks like he is standing still when players go right around him. He didn't even engage with the DE? He is not good at using his hands. You have to at least touch the guy coming in. It is really painful to watch. I agree with the Downs comment, let him line up with the DE probably about the same size. Heck I would even put Croom over there. He could move his feet and at least get in the way and engage. When the DE did a spin move why doesn't the OL just drop down and cut his legs when he is spun around backwards. the DE will not even know what hit him. The OTs need good feet and our OTs definitely do not have that talent in that area.

One more thing. Mahoney says our backups are getting better. what does that mean exactly? Do they have talent or not. I want a grade from 1-10. Every body gets better as you play. We are really lacking. People on here say they will get better. Did M Pair get better? The talent is not there yet and because of it some of our OL are playing out of position.
 
#37
#37
rickyyrs said:
Not Mahoney fault. He is playing what was here when he got the job. Dooley did a p?ss poor job recruiting O-linemen. When you have to replace the entire O-line from the year before.
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It is absolutely Mahoney's fault. This was game 6, against an FCS opponent. And our OL looks worse than it did in the opener. There is no excuse whatsoever for not being able to run the ball or protect the QB against this opponent.
 
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#39
#39
CountVolcula said:
A recurring theme here is to blame players for poor coaching
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The majority has blamed coaching for poor players....I don't think it's that either though....we just have guys playing right now that are out of position or should not be playing it. We need to have patience as the only way to fix our issues is through recruiting and gaining experience.
 
#40
#40
LibertyVolance said:
At this point, I don't know why Butch won't take up Downs on his offer to block for him. Downs said he knew he didn't have good hands for an end, but would be glad to block. He has the size and he couldn't much more intimidated at playing OT as anyone else out there. We need willing volunteers. Maybe our defensive linemen can volunteer to play both ways like old one platoon football days of the 50s.
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Huh???
 
#41
#41
sjt18 said:
I thought about that earlier too. Downs or one of the other TE's could be converted to OT... but it is probably too late in the season now. That would have been a possibility earlier.
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Downs weighs 240 lbs. It was never a possibility imo.
 
#45
#45
valoisvol said:
I saw some really good comments in this post and a lot of you guys are right on. I taped the game and really looked at the Oline play. Don't like to call anyone out but the RT has terrible feet. Doesn't move well at all. It looks like he is standing still when players go right around him. He didn't even engage with the DE? He is not good at using his hands. You have to at least touch the guy coming in. It is really painful to watch. I agree with the Downs comment, let him line up with the DE probably about the same size. Heck I would even put Croom over there. He could move his feet and at least get in the way and engage. When the DE did a spin move why doesn't the OL just drop down and cut his legs when he is spun around backwards. the DE will not even know what hit him. The OTs need good feet and our OTs definitely do not have that talent in that area.

One more thing. Mahoney says our backups are getting better. what does that mean exactly? Do they have talent or not. I want a grade from 1-10. Every body gets better as you play. We are really lacking. People on here say they will get better. Did M Pair get better? The talent is not there yet and because of it some of our OL are playing out of position.
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The most glaring comment I heard yesterday was in the 3rd quarter one of the announcers said he has seen this line all year, and said the most disturbing thing was seeing a lot of bad habits early on becoming permanent with this group. That falls directly back on to coaching. As spoor as our tackles are, I am shocked that we don't have TE's chipping or crashing down on the DE's on their way out on a pass route. These guys need that help. That is on the OC and HC and game plan.
 
#46
#46
Jones should have brought in not one but three JUCO offensive linemen. That said, I've noticed that /many/ juco linemen are overweight and not at all fit when they arrive. Many of them are not much if any strength and fitness training, which perhaps is not surprising given that the junior colleges poor facilities and very little money. The kids seem do just enough to get their grades up and do a lot of eating.
 
#47
#47
Mosley is 370? That sounds too heavy to me. We've had a lot of BIG offensive linemen over the years who were not good because they had zero athleticism. The best offensive linemen are /agile/, not just big.
 
#48
#48
Definitely agree that they should be doing some chipping with the TE's, something to help those OT's.

The long term issue is recruiting. Seems there are few if any true OT's committed currently, although the injured Chance Hall is being recruited as OT. They're doing a tremendous job recruiting most positions and athletes but offensive line is lagging, a lot of guard and center prospects but not many potential SEC OT's.

Eric Fisher was a converted TE.

The current weakness- offensive line- is not being addressed by the otherwise strong recruiting classes. The class of '16 has one good Nashville kid, Ryan Johnson, but that's about it for '15 and '16 so far.

Butch needs to get cracking on OT prospects.
 
#49
#49
VOLorNuttin said:
He's 100% responsible for having "Chicken Shi!te," then.

4* - Austin Sanders (Bench)
4* - Dontavius Blair (Bench)

Instead, he's playing two 3* OL that are true freshman. One was recruited as a DT and converted toward the end of fall camp.

It's THEIR job to either recruit chickens, rather than chicken shiite, or develop chicklings into chickens.
Click to expand...

This is not a player issue IMO, our OL is below average on talent and size, however this is the worst OL I have ever seen. Not too mention we had 5/6 draft guys last year and still sucked
 
#50
#50
OH-Vol said:
This is not a player issue IMO, our OL is below average on talent and size, however this is the worst OL I have ever seen. Not too mention we had 5/6 draft guys last year and still sucked
Click to expand...

Does seem like a pattern of suckage with the O line
 
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