My observation on LB depth

#1
tennesseeduke

tennesseeduke

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#1
2012-2016 LB Recruited

2012
Kenny Bynum

2013
JRM
Corey Vereen (Now DE)

2014
Dillon Bates
Gavin Bryant
Chris Weatherd (gone)
Jakob Johnson (Now TE)
Elliot Berry

2015
DK Jr.
Austin Smith
Quart'e Sapp

2016
Daniel Bituli
Ja'Quan Blakely

Now having listed these guys, 1 thing is really obvious. CBJ or Shoop at this point, only play players basically where they are recruited. They're only 2 Vereen and J. Johnson that are not playing LB anymore and note it doesn't seem anyone else has moved into the slot.

Fulmer use to recruit LB's and make running backs moved to LB. We are not doing that now for some reason. Most RB's are LB size or grow into fast LB's with size. That use to be a pathway to the NFL for those guys.

Thoughts VN?

:hi:

Tennesseeduke
 
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#2
#2
JRM was a safety out of highschool. Converted to lb. If I'm not mistaken.

I believe we'll convert more like this.
 
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#4
#4
Not recruiting more LB prospects in the 2015 and 2016 classes is going to turn out to be a big mistake for Butch, especially since Bituli has been practicing with the D-line.

May not be as bad as Dooley not recruiting any OL that one year but it is in that ballpark. I mean it has led to us starting Colton Jumper on the #15 team in the nation for !@#$'s sake.
 
#6
#6
Reeves-Maybin was an all-state LB as a junior and senior @ Northeast HS. He also started at QB for 3 years.

McDowell was a safety/WR at Locust Grove.

Keep in mind that Austin Smith is also now a DE.

FWIW, the 2014 trio of Bates, Berry & Bryant have combined for a total of just 12 tackles in their careers thus far.
 
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#8
#8
The question is, with all of the LBs in the group, and especially with the guys that have been in the program 2+ years, what the hell are the coaches using as criteria to evaluate? Is it that the higher percentage of players cannot and will not have the intellectual capacity to grasp the defense? Is it that they are not physically capable of playing? If you keep evaluating every year and coming up with the same decisions for certain players, then freaking give some of the younger guys at least an opportunity to succeed or fail.
 
#9
#9
TD- It probably depends on what you're overall defensive philosophy is going to be. If you're expecting your LBs to take on lots blocks by OLs, you're going to need bigger and often slower kids at those positions, it's how Saban runs his 3-4 D, those backers are always big and due to recruiting often have elite speed as well. But their kids even talk about hw fast our Offensive players are to give you insight. On the other hand, when you see backers in that 220 to 240 lb range, like JRM you're going to see a lot of kids that played QB in high school bulk up and play. High school QBs are usually the best athletes on the team. It seems we at UT are now in the swifter smaller LB mode rather than the bigger slower more damaging monster LB mode. That also fits with how Shoop has had to run his Ds at places with lesser talent as well.
 
#11
#11
I really don't understand Gavin Bryant not being able to get on the field! His Hudl videos in High School, he was a head hunter. Who Knows...may not be good in pass coverage.
 
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#13
#13
Nationdom said:
We need to throw them out there against OHio and see how they do in a game situation. If it's worse than jumper, that's on Butch Jones.
Click to expand...

Definitely agree. Get Bryant, Bates, Sapp and Berry all involved in the second half (as long as we've got a good cushion) and see what happens. Fingers crossed.
 
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#14
#14
ALLVOL 4LIFE said:
I really don't understand Gavin Bryant not being able to get on the field! His Hudl videos in High School, he was a head hunter. Who Knows...may not be good in pass coverage.
Click to expand...

It is easier to be a head hunter in high school for the most part. Some of these players were probably bigger and faster than most folks they lined up against in high school.

In college they end up going against others that were also like that and some just don't make it.
 
#15
#15
tennesseeduke said:
2012-2016 LB Recruited

2012
Kenny Bynum

2013
JRM
Corey Vereen (Now DE)

2014
Dillon Bates
Gavin Bryant
Chris Weatherd (gone)
Jakob Johnson (Now TE)
Elliot Berry

2015
DK Jr.
Austin Smith
Quart'e Sapp

2016
Daniel Bituli
Ja'Quan Blakely

Now having listed these guys, 1 thing is really obvious. CBJ or Shoop at this point, only play players basically where they are recruited. They're only 2 Vereen and J. Johnson that are not playing LB anymore and note it doesn't seem anyone else has moved into the slot.

Fulmer use to recruit LB's and make running backs moved to LB. We are not doing that now for some reason. Most RB's are LB size or grow into fast LB's with size. That use to be a pathway to the NFL for those guys.

Thoughts VN?

:hi:

Tennesseeduke
Click to expand...

Smith has moved to defensive end. Bituli has gotten looks at DE the last 10 days and it may be permanent
 
#16
#16
TNsnyper20 said:
JRM was a safety out of highschool. Converted to lb. If I'm not mistaken.

I believe we'll convert more like this.
Click to expand...

He was never going to be anything but a linebacker. Cortez McDowell was more iffy...but pretty much the same. Hell, TKjr was on conversion watch before he even showed up on campus!
 
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