The Bottom Line for 2024

[Number1CanesFan]

LG and C are a downgrade from last year. There is no doubt there. Maybe some1 surprises at the guard spot.

If Martinez goes down who’s up? Fletcher has been out since the bowl game as rumors swirl of Lisfranc injury. Behind him we have an average back in Allen, two very slight build RBs and Lyle who is a summer 1 enrollee. Looking into the future, but there will be 2 RBs transferring out.

Like I said, it's talented inexperience. There's this consistent need to always have experience at any position. How did Fletcher become Fletcher? He played. It's hypocritical to have True freshman play like Bain, Fletcher, Mauigoa, and Brown, but be afraid to play others. The same thing with Bisanthe. He played early as a freshmen, but now we somehow can't even play the 2nd year LBs.

This is all based off of fear. A fear of failure in a year where there's a desperation for winning. The coaches and fans are operating with a mindset of only playing experienced players. A lot of teams don't have that luxury and I think it's bad for the program overall. You have to integrate your young talent. So, Johnson Jr., Lyles, and Wheatley-Humphrey all need to get snaps so they're ready to take on a bigger role if needed. If Martinez goes down, you adapt. I get so frustrated because Mario wants to only play smash mouth football with a big back. Chris Johnson Jr. is a completely different back. He's just a change of pace back here, but could be featured in a different offense. If Johnson needed to be the starter this year, you run more stretch plays instead of dives. With 10 lbs more of weight, CJJ would be playing at the same weight as Duke Johnson.

If only experienced players get snaps, when do the highly talented young players get experience. We'll have highly talented LBs that won't get snaps until year 3. Next year, coaches and fans will be saying the same thing, "We need to get portal LBs. We don't have any experience."

Mario has put himself in a hole. He's going to be in this vicious cycle of needing the transfer portal because only a few of the young talent are playing. He'll do the same thing next year because again, the young talent won't have experience. The truth is, he's relied on the portal just as much as Norvell, who everyone likes to criticize for his use of the portal. Mario has brought in a lot of high school talent. Many are not playing and will transfer at some point. What's the point of recruiting top high school talent, then bring in transfers with experience over them? We're talking about guys in their 2nd year moving down the depth chart because they bring in someone at the end of Spring. These guys sitting would be starters at a lot of P4 schools. They're sitting because they don't have experience, but are more talented than the guys transferring in.

 

[pacusmc]

Put the Kool Aid down!!!

 

[pacusmc]

Like I said, it's talented inexperience. There's this consistent need to always have experience at any position. How did Fletcher become Fletcher? He played. It's hypocritical to have True freshman play like Bain, Fletcher, Mauigoa, and Brown, but be afraid to play others. The same thing with Bisanthe. He played early as a freshmen, but now we somehow can't even play the 2nd year LBs.

This is all based off of fear. A fear of failure in a year where there's a desperation for winning. The coaches and fans are operating with a mindset of only playing experienced players. A lot of teams don't have that luxury and I think it's bad for the program overall. You have to integrate your young talent. So, Johnson Jr., Lyles, and Wheatley-Humphrey all need to get snaps so they're ready to take on a bigger role if needed. If Martinez goes down, you adapt. I get so frustrated because Mario wants to only play smash mouth football with a big back. Chris Johnson Jr. is a completely different back. He's just a change of pace back here, but could be featured in a different offense. If Johnson needed to be the starter this year, you run more stretch plays instead of dives. With 10 lbs more of weight, CJJ would be playing at the same weight as Duke Johnson.

If only experienced players get snaps, when do the highly talented young players get experience. We'll have highly talented LBs that won't get snaps until year 3. Next year, coaches and fans will be saying the same thing, "We need to get portal LBs. We don't have any experience."

Mario has put himself in a hole. He's going to be in this vicious cycle of needing the transfer portal because only a few of the young talent are playing. He'll do the same thing next year because again, the young talent won't have experience. The truth is, he's relied on the portal just as much as Norvell, who everyone likes to criticize for his use of the portal. Mario has brought in a lot of high school talent. Many are not playing and will transfer at some point. What's the point of recruiting top high school talent, then bring in transfers with experience over them? We're talking about guys in their 2nd year moving down the depth chart because they bring in someone at the end of Spring. These guys sitting would be starters at a lot of P4 schools. They're sitting because they don't have experience, but are more talented than the guys transferring in.

I remember when we were complaining about Pope not getting reps.
Just cause someone is a 5 star and a green tree all American doesn’t mean they can ball on Saturdays.
I remember waiting all season for Romello Brinson to be let loose and ball.
Maybe there is a reason these dudes are either not playing or leaving.

 

[chris2183l]

3 losses means you probably lost to FSU and the gator. Or you beat one/both of them and then lost some head scratchers.

Wouldn’t be ‘OK’ for me. Considering we were a knee away from 8-4 last year, that would mean going all in yielded 1 additional W.

As you said, 10-2 (or better) or bust.

Agreed. Schedule is too easy in 2024. Even 10-2 feels someone disappointing if the team stays healthy bc the schedule doesn't seem too bad but it's miami so you can't really count on them to do better until they actually prove they are capable of it...

 

[Number1CanesFan]

I remember when we were complaining about Pope not getting reps.
Just cause someone is a 5 star and a green tree all American doesn’t mean they can ball on Saturdays.
I remember waiting all season for Romello Brinson to be let loose and ball..
Maybe there is a reason these dudes are either not playing or leaving.

I hear what your saying, but no WR except Horton played and non of the LBs played until the last 2 games.

Do you realize how many good young LBs we have and we basically played none of them last year. Understandable, they were freshmen. However, they're about to repeat the same thing this year bringing in an experienced Louisville LB again from the portal. That's snaps at least one of the young LBs doesn't get. Bissainthe got snaps as freshman and last year as a sophomore despite making plenty of mistakes. Are the young 2nd year LBs not ready?

The issue I have is you're trading a guy with 3-4 years of eligibility with more upside who leaves for a 1-year rental. Maybe more than one leaves. Now, you're in the same rinse-repeat cycle of recruiting another young LB, not playing him, and bringing in transfers with experience. Unless they taper down the transfers, they will never get out of this cycle. It weakens the depth of your roster in the long run because you lose young players you fought so hard to recruit and your 1-year rental is gone. You can't assume you'll get better players from the portal no matter how much money you have.

There will be fewer talented bodies in the transfer portal next year as this is the last year of the Covid seniors. That means all the teams will be fighting for a smaller pool of talented experienced players.