position question
I was never a coach, so this may be a dumb question...
Is it unthinkable to use a person trained in one position at another place? I mean every one talks about the nightmare of depth on the D, can't we switch some players up and train them - in case something happens?
We have an abundance of WR, can they be trained and used as safeties?
And with the new emphasis on speed and strength of the offensive line (instead of just strength and weight), if some of these guys can be shifted around to the defense in some capacity if we need to?
We have to have some extra people at some positions, right?
Thanks in advance...
But a lot of training is needed at the D1 level to play another position. Switching underclassmen WRs to the secondary, RBs and FBs to LBs, and linemen over (and vice versa) is not uncommon. However players need to learn schemes and whatnot so it would take an offseason (at least summer) to train someone enough to play semi-regularly on defense if they are a WR for example.
The biggest problem isn't physical. It's mental.
Defense requires a much different mindset than offense. It requires more awareness of the whole field than any offensive position does (save QB). As a safety, you have to recognize run vs. pass, route combinations, the deepest man in your zone, what the guys underneath you are doing, where the weak spots in the defense are, etc. You also have to work on tackling and hitting, which isn't easy to pick up if you've been avoiding tackles for the last few years.
Is it possible to switch guys from offense to defense or vice versa? Yes. But the majority of those guys a) will never be stars at their new position and b) probably aren't great athletes, anyway.
Great athletes can be successful [almost] anywhere. If you put Charles Woodson at WR, S, CB, or maybe even RB, he would have been good. If you put Laterryal Savoy at WR, S, CB, or RB...he would probably still be mediocre.
^^this^^
when it is done relatively early in the player's college career (i.e. their red-shirt year) so that they have time to fully develop into their new role and put their old position behind them. Say what you want about Morgan Trent, but he was a converted wide receiver that started at cornerback for 3 years. Obi Ezeh is another example, switching from a RB in high school to MLB. In these two cases, both players were pretty much coached into the new position right away (Trent might have been at receiver for one year) and not moved back and forth between positions or switched mid-college, both of which I believe are detriments to the process.
Yeah, Trent switched during bowl practices of his freshman year.
Interesting question - I’ve been a part of this conversation before. Trying to put in perspective, think of your job (assuming your out of school) where you have been trained and assume a needed job responsibility. Using me as an example, I have worked my way up to department head within a development company. My skill set is in technology, with limited knowledge of accounting, development and asset management. It would take a lot of time and effort to learn all of the nuances of the other departments. Plus it would have to be something I wanted to do in order to have a level of success.
So, to answer your question. Yes, it's possible for some to move into different positions only if they have the mindset and abilities to do so.
By the way, to answer your other question...no, I don't think we have extra bodies anywhere, really. We're short at most positions. If we took a WR, for example, and switched him to S, we'd be kind of short on WRs (this year, at least). If we took a TE and switched him to defense, we'd be short on TEs.
Once we get those scholarship numbers back up, I think that might change and we'll have more flexibility.
This is true. We have a number of young guys at every position, so switching almost anyone of use would leave us relying on very inexperienced guys at some position.
Helmuth is one instance of these experiments that I am curious to see the outcome of. This guy was recruited as one of the top two fullbacks in the country and is now at D line. They have beefed him up tremendously, and I am wondering if he is going to be a factor at that thin position.
from what Coach Rod said in February, Hellmuth beefed himself up tremendously through the Gittleson diet, and the coaching staff was not too pleased by it.
it appears that most of the changes from offense to defense or vise versa are the result of needing depth and not a result of changing positions to get a starter. Rogers was a CB, now a 3rd-tier WR; Watson a TE who is now in his Redshirt So. year as a "Spinner" DE; Babb moved from CB to WR and then transferred; Crisswell moved 3 times during his career (FB/TE, DE, DT); and now it looks like Ferrera will be burried on the bench as a Guard when we could use his depth at DT.
If I remember correctly, Ezeh was recruited as a FB but was used at MLB right away.
I could be wrong, but I think Michigan wanted Ezeh as a LB all the way.
Also, Ferrara isn't necessarily buried on the bench. This will be Moosman's last year, so there will be an open guard position in 2010.
Ezeh tried out different positions (as promised) such as TE, RB, FB, and LB. Apparently Lloyd liked him as a LB.