Will O-line Gel?

#1

Vol Main

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#1
Coach Pruitt's comment on having eight or ten offensive linemen in the rotation gave me pause. He says eight or ten guys are earning playing time, so they will get it. That seems like good news, to have a high level of competition and ability. But what about the cohesiveness of five starters working together and knowing each other?

“I think we’ll probably play eight to 10 guys. I really do. I think there are going to be that many guys that deserve to play. I think we’re going to need to play that many guys, so we’ll keep working them that way. It’s good for competition. Nobody’s going to get complacent. Just go out there and work. Whoever performs the best every day will be with the [first string]. It’s a production-based industry, so we just do it that way. Can be a good thing.”
 
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#6
#6
OP - your point is well taken. It seems in years past that UT's best lines were a solid 5 that played most downs except for a sub or two. When a sub did come in, a guard might shift out to man the tackle position until the starter returned. They "jelled" nicely and communicated well with blocking patterns, picking up blitzes, etc. However, the game has changed since then and perhaps adding more moving parts is a good idea - although it seems counter-intuitive.
 
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#7
#7
We need to be two deep with starter caliber players...we may or may not be there but coach isn’t gonna demotivate the second team guys two weeks before the season.
 
#9
#9
OP - your point is well taken. It seems in years past that UT's best lines were a solid 5 that played most downs except for a sub or two. When a sub did come in, a guard might shift out to man the tackle position until the starter returned. They "jelled" nicely and communicated well with blocking patterns, picking up blitzes, etc. However, the game has changed since then and perhaps adding more moving parts is a good idea - although it seems counter-intuitive.
Maybe.
If you have ten skilled guys that know the schemes it should work. They have to trust the man beside and behind them and the trust has to be well placed. When our lines were dominant in the past, there was a lot of rotation. Depth should make us stouter in the 4th quarter to finish strong for a change.
 
#11
#11
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#17
#17
Well we really dont even know who the starting 5 are. Thats concerning. Our best OL will not be playing. We still have an undersized guy (Jahmir Johnson). Will Friend has yet to prove he can coach anything. Will the OL finally come together and play like they should? It seems like we have beenasking this same question for at least the past 5 years. And what has the answer been?

Its hard for me to be optimistic about the OL. I fully expect Georgia State to get multiple sacks and stifle our running game. It just seems like we cannot filed an OL unit thats even average. IMO, I think the OL will be slightly better than last year but still a LONG way from being a very good SEC caliber unit.
 
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#18
#18
CJP's statement sheds light on what has gone on with our OL's since, well forever; not to mention all other college football teams around the country. Think about it, CJM and CPF rotated OL often, using 7 to 8 players each game but not changing the entire "1's" out for the "2's" unless it was a complete blow-out.

We see and read what the media sees and reports during the open portion of practice, typically just the individual and unit drills . . . what we don't know are the rotations AFTER the media leave when they are 11 on 11, 7 on 7, etc. , which is the way it should be.

GBO
 
#19
#19
Props to Marcus Tatum for sticking around and trying to turn things around!
FYP the rest was unnecessary and unfair. Guys that medically retired deserve just as much if not more credit than the ones that stuck around. These guys literally were putting their bodies on the line. they didn't quit they were forced to make a life decision and they made the correct one. I dunno, I think every guy that showed up and tried whether they transferred,, retired or "quit" deserve some respect. Its easy for us to put shade on a kid because he transfers or quits the team not knowing how hard that choice is for these kids to make. 99% of the people on these boards passing judgement on these kids has ever had to make choices of the scope these kids have to make daily.

Think about waking up knowing that whether or not you decide to show up to practice or light a blunt can affect millions of people. I mean down to the kickers and long snappers. That's a lot of weight on a kids shoulders. I think it takes more to be able to walk away from that than just stick around for the sake of saving face.
 
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#20
#20
FYP the rest was unnecessary and unfair. Guys that medically retired deserve just as much if not more credit than the ones that stuck around. These guys literally were putting their bodies on the line. they didn't quit they were forced to make a life decision and they made the correct one. I dunno, I think every guy that showed up and tried whether they transferred,, retired or "quit" deserve some respect. Its easy for us to put shade on a kid because he transfers or quits the team not knowing how hard that choice is for these kids to make. 99% of the people on these boards passing judgement on these kids has ever had to make choices of the scope these kids have to make daily.

Think about waking up knowing that whether or not you decide to show up to practice or light a blunt can affect millions of people. I mean down to the kickers and long snappers. That's a lot of weight on a kids shoulders. I think it takes more to be able to walk away from that than just stick around for the sake of saving face.

Learn to read! Your post is unnecessary! I didnt say that those who medically retired were quitters. I said there were multiple reasons why others who were once a part of the Offensive Line are no longer part of the program. Regardless, Tatum has overcome them all and has persevered. It would have been easy for him to move on, but he hasnt. Good on him.
 
#21
#21
Learn to read! Your post is unnecessary! I didnt say that those who medically retired were quitters. I said there were multiple reasons why others who were once a part of the Offensive Line are no longer part of the program. Regardless, Tatum has overcome them all and has persevered. It would have been easy for him to move on, but he hasn't. Good on him.
You put them all in the same group. Tatum sticking around is laudable and that fact should stand on its own. I felt adding in that others left the team for various other reasons cheapens the statement and puts them in a negative light unjustly. This is purely my opinion if you don't share it so be it. We are both free to express our thoughts in a civil manner. That being said if you feel I misrepresented your post, then I apologize. I explained my take, you explained yours. Done deal? Lets both look forward to the fact that soon we see the product on the field and we can put all the off-season bickering and theorycraft to bed and start the in-season theorycrafting and bickering.
 
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#22
#22
You put them all in the same group. Tatum sticking around is laudable and that fact should stand on its own. I felt adding in that others left the team for various other reasons cheapens the statement and puts them in a negative light unjustly. This is purely my opinion if you don't share it so be it. We are both free to express our thoughts in a civil manner. That being said if you feel I misrepresented your post, then I apologize. I explained my take, you explained yours. Done deal? Lets both look forward to the fact that soon we see the product on the field and we can put all the off-season bickering and theorycraft to bed and start the in-season theorycrafting and bickering.

Tatum continuing to be here means even more though because everyone around him has left, regardless of the reason.Everyone who came in with him on O line and even after is gone. They've gotten injured, have burned out, etc..doesn't matter. Point is it would be easy for Tatum to lose interest, give up, and move on. He has been here to see the coach that recruited him and that whole staff get canned. Hes endured a winless year in the SEC and worst season in program history. He and everyone with him has been the main focal point to blane... yet he is the only one left standing. That isn't coincidence. It is will and determination. It is perseverance. And yes it means more because everyone else seemingly was unable to make it through like he has
 
#23
#23
Well we really dont even know who the starting 5 are. Thats concerning. Our best OL will not be playing. We still have an undersized guy (Jahmir Johnson). Will Friend has yet to prove he can coach anything. Will the OL finally come together and play like they should? It seems like we have beenasking this same question for at least the past 5 years. And what has the answer been?

Its hard for me to be optimistic about the OL. I fully expect Georgia State to get multiple sacks and stifle our running game. It just seems like we cannot filed an OL unit thats even average. IMO, I think the OL will be slightly better than last year but still a LONG way from being a very good SEC caliber unit.

I've been expecting us to improve for so many years in a row now, that I refuse to this year. Even tho I think we'll see improvement this year. 🙄 Oh well.
 
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#24
#24
Tatum continuing to be here means even more though because everyone around him has left, regardless of the reason.Everyone who came in with him on O line and even after is gone. They've gotten injured, have burned out, etc..doesn't matter. Point is it would be easy for Tatum to lose interest, give up, and move on. He has been here to see the coach that recruited him and that whole staff get canned. Hes endured a winless year in the SEC and worst season in program history. He and everyone with him has been the main focal point to blane... yet he is the only one left standing. That isn't coincidence. It is will and determination. It is perseverance. And yes it means more because everyone else seemingly was unable to make it through like he has
Just because we both started on a road and you got to the end but I didn't does not always mean you did better or were better. Sometimes one person got the right breaks and the other didn't. I don't want to make the thing about Tatum because we all know he went through some serious injuries and came out the other side. But so did other guys but they maybe got hurt in ways they could not recover from. I don't like comparing because it cheapens both sides is all i'm saying. I just think all these kids that signed on should get some respect. I get the point of giving shine to the guys still here because end of day they are still here. You've made it clear you didn't mean to disparage those who had bad situations that ended their journey as Vols and I respect that. so lets just agree to disagree on the rest?
 
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