If you aren't reading these you should. Seems to be the only info I can find now that Mack has locked down the practices and keeps the media out for the most part. practice report 1 practice report 2 Practice Report 3 Best I can tell here are some of the guys that could end up being starters: QB Gilbert, 6-4, 218 QB Ash, 6-3, 215 RB Whittaker, 5-10, 198 RB Brown, 6-0, 215 RB Bergeron, 6-1, 220 RB Shead, 6-2, 218 FB Johnson, 5-11, 250 *Monroe, Hills used 3rd down or situational WR Davis, 6-2, 186 WR Shipley, 6-1, 183 WR White, 6-3, 200 (my guess right now) *Must remember that Kirkendoll, Goodwin, Chiles, and Now Williams are all gone from last year. Younger players are getting great shot at starting spots LT Allen, 6-4, 310 LG Hopkins, 6-4, 290 OC Snow, 6-4, 295 RG Ashcraft, 6-5, 310 RT Walters, 6-6, 305 DE Jeffcoat, 6-5, 253 DT Randall, 6-5, 295 DT Jackson, 6-1, 280....really quick and hard to block DE Okafor, 6-4, 260 *DE Wilson, 6-3, 252 *DT Bible, 6-3, 310 *DT Dorsey, 6-2, 295 LB Hicks, 6-2, 228 LB Acho, 6-2, 240 LB Robinson, 6-3, 235 DB Diggs, 5-10, 192 (plays physical) DB Thompson, 6-2, 183 (fluid and great hips) DB Phillips, 5-11, 199 DB Byndom, 6-0, 175 DB White, 6-0, 175 *DB Evans, 6-0, 185 *DB Turner, 6-0, 175 *DB Scott, 5-10, 187 Safety Gideon, 6-1, 205 Safety Vaccaro, 6-1, 214
Many thanks for the post. I need all the fixes I can get at this point. I've heard a lot of good buzz about Desmond Jackson, which is nice since that's one of the greatest areas of concern for me this year.
Glad to see Walters at tackle, although I didn't envision Allen also there... hasn't played LT since his freshman year. We're kind of "guard heavy" right now, so it makes a ton of sense to put the guy with the most upside against the strong side of the opponent.
If our starting skill positions are Ash, Davis, Shipley and Brown, that is a pretty damn green team. Obviously unlikely, but regardless we are going to have a ton of frosh and sophs in the 2-deep at our skill positions. The upper classes in those areas really didn't pan out well at all.
I agree zona. There were many busts from the 06 and 07 classes. You can also add in Malcolm Brown possibly as one of those skill guys. Or one of the young TE's perhaps. This is something we are all going to realize quickly when the season starts. This is a young team that is learning an entirely new system on offense and defense.
barkingcarnival.fantake.com/2011/08/09/practice-tidbits-number-4-from-the-asset/ Practice report 4 "The Asset reports that Ash stands tall in the pocket, delivers the ball on time, and has the best combination of arm strength, accuracy, and physical ability of any QB on campus. And it’s becoming more obvious with every practice that Ash is going to see the field early and often this season. " "If Ash is the biggest surprise, then Joe Bergeron might be the second biggest. Bergeron, by the Asset’s count, trucked at least four guys tonight in both team and drill work. Nasty and mean were descriptors used in describing Bergeron’s running style in today’s workouts. Smart money says he will get carries alongside Malcolm Brown and the upperclassmen this season, especially if tonight was any indication." More good things about Jackson at DT. He is just so explosive and quick off the line that he is going to be hard to block. He is going to be a guy that teams either double or run away from. Teams are going to have a hard time deciding on who to double on the DL. 3 out of the 4 there are elite pass rushers.
I'm always leery when all I see is sunshine pumping. We're completely retooling both our offense and defense. I would have more faith in these reports if the overwhelming exuberance was tempered with some realistic areas of concern.
If things continue the way they have been in practices, Gilbert should be the starter. I am ok with that. That said, I don't want to waste any of Ash. So, unless he has total command of the offense and will see substantial PT, I'd like for him to redshirt. One of McCoy or Ash has to redshirt this season, no?
WashU brings up a sticky situation, both playing and recruiting issues. Mack admits that he wasted a year by not RS McCoy last year. If Gilbert is the guy from the start and they shirt McCoy, Ash will need to see meaningful consistent playing time or the perception on the recruiting trail will be "if you are a QB, don't go to Texas as they will screw you out of a year." On the other hand, if Ash is the next guy (until Brewer proves he can take a snap and be consistently productive in college) he should be #2 now with McCoy either RS or moving on with Wood. Ash will then need to be given consistent playing time with increasing responsibilities and pushing Gilbert to #2 in 2012.
Every single tidbit I hear about Ash confirms more and more that he's the QB of the future. I wouldn't doubt that Wood will eventually transfer. If Ash is as productive in real games as he is in practice, we'll have found our new QB. Sounds like a leader, too. Word is he's more vocal than GG in practice.
I really really hope Gilbert has put in an extraordinary amount of time in the film room and has improved his vision and anticipation. Just saw footage from the ISU game and threw up. Gilbert was god awful in that game. Just about every throw was ill-advised and should have been thrown elsewhere. Even some of the 5 yard outs are thrown to the wrong receiver when another receiver was wide open and well within the field of vision. That game is BY FAR the worst I have ever seen out of a QB in burnt orange. I really hope the coddling has stopped and that Gilbert has been told that he filled his quota of mistakes. Throw to the right guy, play mistake free ball or you are out.
If Ash is a starter or gets considerable playing time, I think it's going to be a long year. Not because I'm not believing the second or third-hand practice reports where the players are still playing against each other in shorts. But more because Garrett Gilbert wasn't good enough to win the job over a true freshman, a redshirt freshman, and a true sophomore who attempted all of one pass last year.
Not that I blame him, but Case has gotta be looking to transfer after this season if Gilbert and Ash are the guys. Tulsa, maybe?
Case looked the best in the spring. Of course he looked better to me than Gilbert last spring/summer, but that didn't seem to matter.
No doubt Gilbert will be the starter. 13 games worth of experience earns that. The question is who will be #2, and if not McCoy, does he join Wood in the transfer column?
Thanks for the picture link. One question on picture #2 - since Cobbs has the ball with Davis chasing him, who threw the INT?
Reading between the lines from various interviews and reports it sounds like Gilbert will likely be the starter but that Ash could work his way into the #2 spot. The coaches will play him and they will pull Gilbert if he isn't producing. Thus Ash will get his shot this year and if he has the goods then the job could be his somewhere down the line this season. In the end it will be the best QB on the field that has earned the job by midseason. That works for me.
gdu, do the players favor one QB over another? In other words, do they show the same enthusiasm for Gilbert as much as the other guys?
