2018 Roster

Probably better to say Texas has players that are out of touch with reality.

 

Maybe maybe not but they will be getting paid so it would make life a little easier.

 

Why would they want to play in the NFL for $ when they could play for Tom Herman for the price of a kiss and a hug?

 

I really don't want to start this debate again, but here goes anyway. They ARE paid by the Athletic Department. That scholarship is probably worth more than they will get from being on the practice squad, which is where at least two of them may end up.

 

A lot more fringe benefits too, if you know what I mean.

 

I have a handle full of friends that attended college on scholarship that can make you rethink some of that. Also I think practice squad guys make over 100k a year and and drafted players make around 400k at least

 

Strange choice of words. It implies to me that he's either transferring or experiencing unfair treatment.

 

Seemed to me like he was just saying he expects to make more plays like that next year.

 

Well, agree to disagree. Just seemed to say more considering he was mentioned as a possible transfer and lost his starting job.

 

You must love to make yourself miserable. Prodigal clearly has the correct interpretation.

 

Reads to me like it might be as simple as meeting with Hand and feels his approach is more condusive to his style as a runner.

 

I'm sure he's not content with his carries from last year, no question about that, and I have no doubt he thinks the coaches should have played him more. But the post just seems to be an expression that he's confident he'll win the opportunity to make more plays like that. I suspect he's right.

 

How would my thinking he’s hinting at leaving make me miserable? Have I come off as a Toneil Carter superfan? Just won’t be surprised if he isn’t here next year. Perhaps you missed my reasons for my opinion, I certainly missed yours. Add in the irony of saying I’m making myself miserable while making a miserable post that reeks of being miserable, and I say this has been a huge waste of time.

 

Ian Boyd took at crack at projecting the OL line up for 2018
It's close to mine except he does not think Vahe, as a senior, can be unseated whereas I see Grandy starting> He also puts Kerstetter at center. Boyd's argument for this is below

LT: Calvin Anderson, senior
Sam Cosmi, RS freshman
Reese Moore, freshman

LG: Patrick Vahe, senior
Pat Hudson, RS sophomore

C: Derek Kerstetter, sophomore
Zach Shackelford, junior

RG: Elijah Rodriguez, RS senior
Mikey Grandy, sophomore

RT: Casey Tucker, senior
Denzel Okafor, RS sophomore
Rafiti Ghirmai/Junior Angilau, freshman

" ..... Then there’s Derek Kerstetter, who was evaluated as a center out of high school and even took some snaps there last fall before ending up at tackle after Rodriguez went down. At 6-6 and likely 300 after this offseason he looks more like a tackle, but there are a few reasons he could end up inside. The first is obviously the addition of experienced tackles ahead of him in Anderson, Tucker, and Cosmi. Kerstetter is a staff favorite for the potential he showed last year and the way he battled in games but cracking the top two or three from that group is going to be a considerable challenge, particularly compared to beating out Shackelford.

Additionally there’s the fact that by moving to center Kerstetter could carve out a central role in the Texas OL for the next three years of his career and still be able to move out to tackle if they needed him there in a pinch. In 2018 Texas is loaded with guys that are capable of playing at tackle, in 2019 they’ll still have Cosmi and Okafor along with second year guys in Reese Moore, Junior Angilau, and Rafiti Ghirmai that could all factor in at tackle. If the staff loves Kerstetter and wants to guarantee that he’s involved for the next few years then he probably needs to move inside and there’s no spot that could benefit more than center.

Like anyone else, the fit depends on his ability to make good calls before the snap and then clean snaps and quick fits on a nose or blitzing LB coming right at him. You often see the 6-1, 290 pound intelligent and quick moving scrapper here because he’s quick and feisty enough to secure the point of attack before being rescued by a bigger guard. However, you’ll also often see schools like Alabama that don’t bother with tiny linemen moving big tackles inside to center (Barrett Jones, Bradley Bozeman) so that they can not only snap the ball and secure the point of attack from penetration but even hold their own without needed help from a guard, freeing up those players to advance. Kerstetter very much fits the profile of such a center..."​

http://insidetexas.com/2018-fits-signees-commits-remaining-targets/

 

Regardless of who starts at LG, Vahe and Grandy will both see a lot of playing time. Hudson will probably see quite a bit of time too.

 

He thinks Grandy is a RS candidate

 

I hope all those guys show up healthy next year.

 

how?

 

That's him not me saying that

"Pecking order at guard:
Patrick Vahe, senior
Pat Hudson, RS sophomore
Mikey Grandy, sophomore

Grandy played LT at the JUCO level but I don’t think he’s either quick enough or truly 6-5, so he probably starts inside. He also didn’t redshirt in junior college and may do so this year.

Plenty of people would probably like to see Vahe replaced after watching him serve as a solid cog in a substandard machine for each of the last three seasons. It’s possible he could be replaced but it’s usually pretty hard to unseat a senior. Hudson is a staff favorite and probably would have ended up starting much of 2017 had he not injured his knee in week two. If he’s healthy and ready to go next season we’ll probably see him....."

* * *

" ..... That leaves Vahe, Hudson, Grandy, and Kerstetter as potential upgrade options at center. Vahe has been a popular choice to move inside since he was in high school because center is a common place to put a < 6-3 mauler. However, none of the OL coaches at Texas have seemed to consider him too strongly for the center spot. Combined with his missteps in pass protection perhaps he’s not considered the most reliable guy for getting calls right.

Hudson is not moving to center, he has to get healthy before he does anything and it seems like the staff wants him to be able to get on the field and driving DL off the ball in as quick and uncomplicated a fashion as possible.

Since watching his JUCO tape and reading about his foray into MMA I’ve expected that Grandy may be a good fit at center for what his profile suggests about his ability to balance the challenges of reaching LBs when uncovered and grappling with nose tackles when challenged. That said, the addition of these transfer tackles frees up the roster more and may serve to allow him a redshirt year....."
​

 

Malcolm Roach

 

I love all the o line analysis. I think we all recognize it as our most important position to watch this off-season.

Just curious, does anyone on here grade out linemen or know a source online that does . I am hearing lots of praise for Kerstetter but I must admit I didn't pay much attention to him during games. I am curious how he graded out in the last few games

 

Kersetter was the one drawing the majority of the penalties on the o line, let’s leave him on the bench for now

 

Shackelford drew plenty of penalties too. I think Kerstetter has a lot more upside.

 

We are back on the Reggie Hemphill-Mapps intends to transfer thing


https://247sports.com/college/texas...-intends-to-transfer-out-of-program-114236389

 

We were forced to play Kerstetter as a true freshman which resulted in him playing underweight and over matched. Possibly out of position as well. Not surprising that he drew a lot holding penalties. It may be that he NOT committed those penalties, Covey might have been under center because Boo, Sam and Jerrod were in the hospital.

 

Of all of the receivers he should be the last one to transfer out as he received more playing time than he deserved in 2017.

 

I think, if it does happen, its purely a family thing.
Not about the program.