Siap, but applies here as well:
I've said it several times over the past few months, but we, as a fan base, have been conditioned over the past sevral years to think that if a guy that's highly rated comes in and doesn't turn out to be good to great from the jump, then he's a bust.
and there's good precedents there to back up why we feel that way....that shouldn't be overlooked here lol. cause we most certainly have had our fair share of "busts".
but that's still the exception not the rule...imagine if guys like Kmac, Tuttle, bates, barnett, phillips, hall, jack jones...etc, etc, etc...came in here w/out HAVING to be contributors...significant contributors....starting on day 1, and were allowed the opportunity to develop some?
i'd wager that not all of them would have left here with some of the percepitons they left with, as far as being a bust, or not having lived up to the hype.
we have a few guys on the roster right now...Emerson, Peterson are two that come to mind...that have already been given this label. and the reality is they're both very YOUNG, and do have plenty of time to be very good players here.
and as good as we think kids like HT, crouch, wright, Morris, Mcollough, keyton etc, etc are, they all have had certain expectations already placed on them as true freshmen.
we'll be back when we finally don't HAVE to count on the incoming class to be the most talented players on the team....
Tuttle was on his way to being a stud lineman but his career was cut short by a total cheap shot by that Georgia lineman that he was whipping that day. He just never got healthy again.