Earnest Thomas III questions
Have we offered Earnest Thomas III and did he ever visit in the last few weeks? He included us in his top 5 yesterday (http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=4859069&name=Midwest…) and I haven't seen anyone mention him in a few weeks.
Are we still in the running for him and if so do we even want him?
January 27th, 2010 at 8:10 PM ^
We have not offered him, and he has not visited us. If we offered, he would commit. It is unlikely that we offer.
January 27th, 2010 at 8:16 PM ^
I highly doubt any of the backup plans on the board (Thomas, Mike Dorsey, etc) get offered. We'll take 1/2 of Parker/Dorsey/Knight and call it a class.
January 27th, 2010 at 8:19 PM ^
Thanks guys. I was thinking he might be a backup plan if we really feel we need another safety or we get an unexpected de-commit or two.
January 27th, 2010 at 8:47 PM ^
I think he's more of a linebacker than a safety, anyway.
January 27th, 2010 at 9:15 PM ^
Hes kinda thick.
Why was Mouton moved from safety? Speed?
January 27th, 2010 at 9:46 PM ^
They thought he was a bit slow to play safety and he was already about 225-230.
January 27th, 2010 at 8:24 PM ^
Of the Parker/Dorsey/Knight trio, would the decision of one affect the others? It seems like they all would play strong safety (i.e., the deep safety in GERG's defense).
January 27th, 2010 at 9:38 PM ^
I believe that Parker plays in the box.
January 27th, 2010 at 11:25 PM ^
Did you get rejected by him or something?
January 27th, 2010 at 9:47 PM ^
Rivals says Parker is a SS, Knight is a FS, and Dorsey is a SS/CB.
January 27th, 2010 at 10:07 PM ^
Is that already translating what a SS and FS are in GERG's defense or using the traditional meaning of those terms?
January 27th, 2010 at 10:11 PM ^
Yes. I always try to use the most accurate terms in the hopes that eventually we'll all be on the same page...
January 27th, 2010 at 10:14 PM ^
Thanks, Magnus. I was going to go back and edit to say "nevermind" after seeing that you clarified in the other thread.
January 27th, 2010 at 10:28 PM ^
I have a hard time seeing Parker sticking at SS with 4.6 speed. He is a great hitter and a pretty solidly built kid (who bullied Lombard on a blitz in the USAAA game) and I am convinced he will eventually play FS here. While Parker will no doubt be an upgrade at SS from Kovacs and Williams, I think a guy with elite speed like Dorsey would be a much better fit. Hopefully we land both so we can have that flexibility!!
January 27th, 2010 at 10:47 PM ^
Do you live in a land where a 4.6 is slow?
January 28th, 2010 at 5:06 PM ^
4.6 speed is far from ideal when you have to cover center field. Parker's make-up speed is was the biggest knock against him in the USAAA practices where he struggled against the faster WRs. Parker has much better football instincts and won't be caught out of position nearly as much as Kovacs or Williams but his speed exposes him to unfavorable matchups when he is covering the 4.4 and lower receivers he will face in the college game. Parker isn't tall or long armed either so he needs to be in the receivers hip pocket if he is going to make a play on the ball. While he doesn't have the football instincts to outplay Parker right now Demar Dorsey is a much better fit at SS IMHO. Parker's best fit in this D is at FS where he has vastly superior athleticism to Kovacs and Williams and has plenty of strength and hitting ability to play in the box when he needs to.
At this point I am not sure we have an ideal SS prospect after Woolfolk leaves unless Cullen or JT Turner switch (highly unliky for a couple of years until depth at CB improves). Vlad's speed is less than ideal for SS, Carvin and Marvin are destined for the SAM (or even WILL if they fill out a bit more) spot even if Marvin is being told he will come in as a FS, and I am not sure Vinopal is a Michigan caliber recruit (I will withhold final judgment till I see him in action live). Courtney Avery is a legitimate 5'10" now so I could see him making the switch if they decide depth is good enough at CB in the future but one kid does not an appealing depth chart make. This is why I think Dorsey is a more important recruit for us right now even if Parker is and likely will be a better pure football player. I would take Sean in a heartbeat, Dorsey is just 1a with Parker at 1b on my list of wants right now.
January 28th, 2010 at 10:34 PM ^
...but at least you're a good speller.
January 29th, 2010 at 7:38 AM ^
Thank you for adding to the conversation, maybe you can create some sort of intelligent discourse where you explain why I don't know what I am talking about. Your witty one liners do nothing but illustrate the irony of your signature.
January 27th, 2010 at 9:48 PM ^
Out of Parker/Dorsey/Knight one of those guys is getting cut in half? That's hardcore.
January 27th, 2010 at 10:30 PM ^
The Team, The Team, The Team.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnSOwvj24M0
January 29th, 2010 at 12:32 AM ^
Dorsey with one leg is still faster than me
January 29th, 2010 at 9:10 AM ^
I've added plenty to the conversation. I just didn't think it was necessary to reiterate what has been said - by me and by others - a thousand times on this board.
A 4.6 forty yard dash is not slow. You can't trust forty times for high school recruits. If it's accurate, he's only .05 slower than Pat White, who would be plenty fast enough to play SS. And even if it's not accurate, he'll get faster in college because that's what college strength and conditioning coaches do. Furthermore, the guys who run sub-4.4 forties that you were talking about...they don't exist.
Anyway, Carvin Johnson and Marvin Robinson are both being brought in to play free safety. While there's a possibility that one or the other could eventually play SAM, the idea that both are headed for linebacker is somewhat ridiculous, especially when you consider that the starter at FS last year was Kovacs. Honestly, do you think they'll move both Johnson and Robinson to SAM and let Kovacs retain the FS position? Not a chance.
So...you're wrong. On many levels.
Now, I do agree that Dorsey is probably a better athlete and might be a better SS than Parker in this defense. But that point is probably moot, since Sam Webb is saying they want Dorsey to play cornerback.
January 29th, 2010 at 1:09 PM ^
Carvin and Marvin may start out at the FS position but there is no way they stay there if we land kids like Parker, Dorsey, and frankly even Rashad Knight. They are both already big kids with great frames to add weight that have plenty of experience in HS with coverage situations close to the LOS like they will deal with at the SAM position. Neither would be a bad FS (like Kovacs or Williams), they just would be better SAMs. Frankly I haven't seen anyone other than maybe Brandin Hawthorne (a big unknown) who has the athleticism to replace Stevie Brown at SAM. IF we land kids like Sean Parker and Rashad Knight our Depth at FS (Emilien, Parker, Knight, Vinopal), while young, is much better than our depth at SAM ( and as such I believe we will see Marvin (initially) and Carvin (definite RS) move before the end of the season.
The whole thing about Parker's 40 time is that he never even ran a timed one at a camp so we have to go off of film and in person reports. Every single piece of film and in person reports I have read on both premium sites says he lacks ideal speed for center field but he has excellent football instincts and is a vicious hitter from the traditional SS position. I am tired of having receivers and even TEs consistently get behind our coverage and I think Dorsey provides the best defense against that once Woolfolk is gone.
When Sam says they are recruiting Dorsey to play CB that doesn't mean they expect him to end up there. He has said in chat many times that the coaches will recruit a kid at whatever position the kid prefers with the expectation that they will get a "chance" there but will likely end up playing whichever position they fit best in. He has referred to this situation in regards to Carvin, Marvin, Dorsey, and even Knight. Some examples of this last year were Roh (recruited as a DE, ended up at the Quick), Cameron Gordon (recruited as a WR, will be an LB in the spring), Mike Jones (recruited as a SAM/FS, now practicing with the ILBs) and Isaiah Bell (recruited as a SAM/FS now practicing with the ILBs).
Stop trying to act like your opinion is somehow more valid than mine, it is just obnoxious. I have given you my opinion with my logic behind it and you can either back your opinion up with your logical argument (which you finally did), or a smug one liner. The former reflects much more positively on you.
January 29th, 2010 at 1:23 PM ^
It's not about opinions. Both Robinson and Johnson have been recruited to play FS. That is a fact. That position was manned by Jordan Kovacs, who is a former walk-on. Therefore, he almost certainly be surpassed - sooner or later - by additions in this class, whether it's Johnson or Robinson (or Knight).
The coaches seem to think Furman is athletic enough to play SAM, which is why they recruited him to play that position.
If it's impossible to determine Parker's speed by his forty time, then why did you use it as evidence in the first place? You're the one who originally brought up his 4.6 time and now you're telling me that it's irrelevant.
There are just a lot of inconsistencies and illogical parts of your argument.