2012 LB's Redshirting??
So by almost any estimation the defense and specifically the LB's have done very well this year and much better than expected. With that being said we return a host of good to pretty good and still developing LB's. I cant remember a LB group coming in that has this much hype and talent. The question then becomes who redshirts??
Royce - 4 star and should be enrolling early I thought
Bolden - 4 star
Ross - 4 star
Ringer - 3 star but lost out on the 4th because of injury this year.
I guess depending on how Ringers knee heals he would be the obvious, but I would think there will be more. Demens stays and the coaches love Morgan. Jake Ryan has played well especially against the run, and it has been stated on this board mutiple times that Mattison loves Poole he just needed to get bigger. Hawthorne has been great in spots and would figure in somewhere, and lets not forget Cam Gordon was a penciled in starter to most before the injury. Evans is supposed to be a 6th year qualifier as well, with Mike Jones and I. Bell figuring to be the odd ones out. Dont get me wrong this is exactly the problem that we need to have with talent overload and all, but just curious how the staff plans to balance this one out.
Thoughts?
November 17th, 2011 at 1:35 PM ^
I just love the talent we have coming in. Nice to be excited for the future as we keep winning games with a top rated class.
November 17th, 2011 at 1:56 PM ^
transfers aside...I anticipate next year's depth chart at LB to be something like this.
SAM - Jake Ryan, Cam Gordon, Brennen Beyer
MIKE - Kenny Demens, Mike Jones, Joe Bolden
WILL - Desmond Morgan, Brandin Hawthorne, Antonio Poole
Kind of up in the air if the rest of the frosh LB's are redshirted. Early enrollees are usually rewarded w/ at least special teams action. (Bolden and Ringer are both likely to enroll early)
Also, something to look for is if Jake Ryan and Brennen Beyer actually stay at SAM. As RVB, MM, and WIll H. depart, there are some big spots to fill on the DLine. Could easily see Jake Ryan and/or Brennen Beyer adding more weight and playing w/ their hand in the dirt more often. Which would make room for Cam Gordon to see more action (since the coaches apparently loved him before the injury).
November 17th, 2011 at 2:13 PM ^
The gaping holes in our D-Line for next year are in the interior and SDE - not at WDE where Beyer or Ryan could help. WDE is in good shape with Roh, Black and Clark (and maybe Beyer?). SDE, NT and DT.... not so much.
November 17th, 2011 at 2:18 PM ^
I would be very surprised if Black and/or Roh don't move to SDE. You've got to get your best eleven on the field.
November 17th, 2011 at 2:30 PM ^
November 17th, 2011 at 2:42 PM ^
Does anyone know what the injury status of Gordon is??
November 17th, 2011 at 3:55 PM ^
I doubt ALL of them will RS. They're going to just be too good to not get on the field. With guys like Fitzgerald, Herron, Evans leaving, I see at least RJS getting PT. Although at SLB we have Ryan and Cam, and at WLB we have Morgan and Hawthorne.
November 17th, 2011 at 4:15 PM ^
There's approximately a 0% chance that all of them will redshirt. Linebackers are used a lot on special teams, and several special teamers will be gone after this season (Zac Johnson, JB Fitzgerald, McColgan, etc.). Even if they only see time on special teams, it's a near certainty that at least one of these guys will play.
November 17th, 2011 at 7:12 PM ^
Agreed - no chance they all redshirt. My guess would be that two redshirt, and the two I would guess are Ringer and RJS. Bolden seems polished already plus he's enrolling early and Ross just seems too good. Additionally, Ringer is coming off of a knee injury, so it might be in his best interest to take a year off, and RJS is coming in a little raw (and a bit undersized) so he'd benefit from a RS as well.
November 17th, 2011 at 10:01 PM ^
There was a brief time (wish i kept a screenshot) that the mothership had J.B. listed as a RS Junior. He's back to being a senior now. I wonder if they tried to get him one of those retroactive redshirt thingamabobbers.
November 17th, 2011 at 4:24 PM ^
With Ringer and Bolden entering early, they are most likely to play. Bolden especially, because I think he is the most ready of the four.
I get the feeling Hoke will always give every kid the chance to play, even if it burns their redshirt, if they are the best player on the team at the position. I still think other than Bolden, everyone is apt to be redshirted.
November 17th, 2011 at 7:19 PM ^
He may be used more as a rush LB/DE but he looks physically ready to dominate once he gets technique down.
November 17th, 2011 at 7:27 PM ^
Eh, he looks like a DE all the way. And with all the bodies we'll have at LB, he won't be needed there either.