5 Fall Camp Questions on both sides of the ball

No one will have a Dan Morgan type senior season. I wish, but I just can't see it. Morgan was everywhere.

Those are the right questions.

ThomasM said:

No one will have a Dan Morgan type senior season. I wish, but I just can't see it. Morgan was everywhere.

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If Webster had come back in 2000, not sure Morgan would have made such a big leap.

As for our guys, there's another gear. I hope we see it.

The money stat for me for our offense is whoever plays QB to have 60% completions. If we do that I don’t see a way we don’t have a successful season. Completing that many passes keeps our Offense on the field, wears down the opposing D, rests our D, and with our playmakers, they’re gonna break a few.

Compare that to 50% the last 2 years and assume we throw it 30 times a game - that is 3 more completions a game. I would argue that if we had 3 more completions against UVA, Duke, GT, and possibly even BC that we don’t lose any of those games.

Obviously still question marks as to people stepping up at certain positions but its been a trend with this staff on D. Someone always steps up at DT, every Safety Banda has coached got drafted except for Jamal Carter and he went on to be a good NFL Safety. Rumph has developed far less talented guys than Blades and Ivey into draft picks (Jackson and Colbert).

Everything else will fall into place if we hit that money stat of 60%... which Enos has proven to do everywhere he’s been. I expect nothing less

6. How many times will I yell “ WHAT THE **** ARE YOU DOING KNOWLES?” During the course of the season...

It's gotta be Nesta at DT. He's our most talented guy on paper and he's nasty AF. If he wants to talk **** and be the alpha, he needs to show up with the lights on. I think he can be dominant, but time will tell. We got our **** pushed in against Wisconsin without Willis

LuCane said:

If Webster had come back in 2000, not sure Morgan would have made such a big leap.

As for our guys, there's another gear. I hope we see it.

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Morgan was a stud from the beginning. He was a tackling machine from day one. Heck, if anything having Webster back would have taken some of the load off DM.

For the record, I really, really wanted Webster to come back.

LuCane said:

Offense

1. QB: Will whoever is selected at QB, assuming Enos' effectiveness and a more varied attack, give us a significant leap from Malik Rosier version 2017?
2. OL: Who will solidify themselves as the best Tackle combination and spark a domino effect for remainder of the OL? (Zion/Scaife, Scaife/Herbert, etc.)
3. RB: Will Harris or Lingard make a sophomore leap into superstardom. I'm not talking about natural progression or Travis Homer's leap in 2017. I'm talking Clinton Portis flashes when he made the leap.
4. WR: Will JT and Pope be used as they should - being moved around, jet sweeps, option routes, etc.? This alone can change 3rd down conversion %.
5. TE: Will the TEs be used in a way to dictate defensive coverage? Another enormous factor in the transformation of 3rd down conversion %.

Defense

1. DT: My second biggest question on the team in terms of the committee approach we seem to be heading toward. Who will disrupt 3rd down pockets? Who will consistently collapse plays to get teams behind schedule, as per Manny's previous system requires. I'm fine with getting it from a committee, but someone needs to leap.
2. S: My third biggest question on the team is whether our young Safeties will be adequate or surprise in comparison to two experienced, NFL-level Safeties who'd played in our defensive system that places a lot of pressure on Safeties.
3. DE: Will Hill be healthy, Rousseau make a leap and Garvin show out in his contract year to the level of what I've called the best pass rushing trio in the country? The numbers would have to show 35+ TFLs between them, if healthy.
4. LB: Will Pinck or Shaq have a Dan Morgan-type senior year?
5. CB: Will the second corner (Ivey?) make a leap like Michael Jackson in 2017?

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1. Yes
2. Scaife/Herbert
3. Not quite
4. Depends on how much Pope has grown
5. Yes

1. Jon Ford
2. Yes. Carter & Hall will be ready the way Jaquan and Redwine were in 2017
3. Yes
4. Not quite
5. Yes

Nothing wrong with a Homer type leap from 2017.
If both Cam and Lorenzo play like that they will be one of the best tandems in the Nation.

the two big ones for me are this:

1. if the offensive line is bad vs the gators, can butch berry get the unit to move past it and grow into a line that doesn't hamstring the offense for the entire season? we're opening the season in a big game and hostile environment with a new coach, new OC, new center, new players all over the line and potentially a new QB versus the best defense we'll face in the regular season. it wouldn't surprise me if the o line flops in game 1, but it can't drag down the whole season.

2. both our current depth chart and recent recruiting lean heavily towards blurring the lines between safety, nickel corner, and outside linebacker... do we see an evolution in manny's defense to mitigate our complete lack of depth at LB and address the shape of our defensive roster going forward? is someone like amari carter a safety, or a sort of positionless back 7 player who moves around the field and can help mask whatever deficiencies we might have at LB after the 3 seniors? and is this where players like gilbert frierson, derrick smith, keyshawn washington etc are headed? another way of putting this question is like this: is manny looking at a future of football where you don't have one "striker" on the field but 2 or 3 or 4?

1. Yes
2. Zion/Scaife
3. No. Harris is a very good back though and won't leave fans wanting more.
4. Yes
5. Probably not but they will be involved. It's rare you see college offenses build around a TE. Tyler Eifert is the last one I can remember.

1. Nnoruka. Other guys will control their gap or push the pocket a bit. Nesta is a cleanup guy. Maybe Rousseau kicks inside sometimes.
2. Redwine is replaceable. #4 is not.
3. I expect big things but OSU, Syracuse, Clemson and others can contest that title.
4. No that's a bar they can't reach. Shaq should have a career year though.
5. Yes. I expect Blades to do it as well.

just need a running back to be like Clinton portis and an LB to be like dan morgan. No problem!

LuCane said:

If Webster had come back in 2000, not sure Morgan would have made such a big leap.

As for our guys, there's another gear. I hope we see it.

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Dan wouldn't have come close to those numbers.

What was 4th biggest question?

Offense

1. QB: Will whoever is selected at QB, assuming Enos' effectiveness and a more varied attack, give us a significant leap from Malik Rosier version 2017?
I will be incredibly disappointed if there is not a significant jump from Rosier 2017. While he was much better than Rosier 2018, he was still an incredibly limited player. All 3 of Miami's QBs were 4-star, highly regarded recruits, I believe each in the top 150 in the country. Rosier was a 2-star baseball player. If Enos cannot squeeze more out of 1 of the 3 kids he has than Richt was able to out of Rosier, I can't put into words how disappointed I'll be.

2. OL: Who will solidify themselves as the best Tackle combination and spark a domino effect for remainder of the OL? (Zion/Scaife, Scaife/Herbert, etc.)
IMO the biggest question mark on this team. I am confident in Donaldson and Scaife to, at worst, not suck. I'm fairly confident on Gaynor as well. But who, most importantly, takes that 2nd tackle position, and will we be able to count on him. IMO this is bigger than QB, because I'm confident Enos will at least be able to turn 1 of the 3 into a competent player. The OL is a bigger concern, especially that tackle spot. This will have all my attention in camp.

3. RB: Will Harris or Lingard make a sophomore leap into superstardom. I'm not talking about natural progression or Travis Homer's leap in 2017. I'm talking Clinton Portis flashes when he made the leap.
IMO, no. I think both will be solid college football players. You saw the potential in Harris. But I do not think Lingard lives up to his true 5-star billing, although both of these kids would start on probably 80% of the teams in the country by the time they both get healthy and into this and next year. But I don't see either as stud NFL backs, like CP was.

4. WR: Will JT and Pope be used as they should - being moved around, jet sweeps, option routes, etc.? This alone can change 3rd down conversion %
Absolutely. We finally have a competent, intelligent, experienced, and creative coordinator. I think what we'll see on offense is literal night and day to what we've seen the last 3 years. Enos has already publicly stated his intention to get the ball to Thomas a lot more than previous years.

5. TE: Will the TEs be used in a way to dictate defensive coverage? Another enormous factor in the transformation of 3rd down conversion %.
I had a post about this the other day....I'm downright giddy about the potential that the versatility of the skill position kids can bring someone as smart as Enos. And beyond coverages, I'm talking personnel decisions too. You can look like you're in 12 in the huddle and come out in empty. You can look like you're in 21 and come out in 3X1. With the versatility of the backs and tight ends, you can really keep DCs guessing.

Defense

1. DT: My second biggest question on the team in terms of the committee approach we seem to be heading toward. Who will disrupt 3rd down pockets? Who will consistently collapse plays to get teams behind schedule, as per Manny's previous system requires. I'm fine with getting it from a committee, but someone needs to leap.
I think the DL is incredibly balanced, although I've been on record saying the defense takes a small step back this year because I don't see anyone as disruptive on this roster as Willis was last year. But at both edge and inside, you've got a really nice mix of experience, youth, size, quickness, and potential. Plus, a lot of these kids are playing for the bag this year. Chigozie and Hill, this is it. Garvin is playing for the league. Ford is trying to get on the radar. Patchan is solid. Bethel is solid. Jade looks like he's going to be a problem. Then the freshmen, most notably Harvey, who looks incredible. Throw Rousseau in the mix, who has legit first round potential. The blend here is very exciting and this rotation should be great. But your concern is valid...someone will need to rise above everyone else, and I'm not sure who that is yet.

2. S: My third biggest question on the team is whether our young Safeties will be adequate or surprise in comparison to two experienced, NFL-level Safeties who'd played in our defensive system that places a lot of pressure on Safeties.
Losing the 2 kids we lost will hurt, no question. Quan was just an incredible player for us. The only thing I'm hanging my hat on here is that the athleticism has a chance to increase, but I'm admittedly very nervous, especially early in the year, about busts and missed tackles from this group. Quan NEVER missed a **** tackle. And he made a **** of a lot of them (led the team the last 2 seasons). I'll be very interested to see how Carter, Hall, and *gulp* Knowles gel early in the year, and then how Bubba and Smith fill in.

3. DE: Will Hill be healthy, Rousseau make a leap and Garvin show out in his contract year to the level of what I've called the best pass rushing trio in the country? The numbers would have to show 35+ TFLs between them, if healthy.
All signs point to yes here. If you're going to be excited about something aside from 55 & 56 in this defense, look no further than the edge talent.

4. LB: Will Pinck or Shaq have a Dan Morgan-type senior year?
IMO, no. And no knock on those kids, they're both excellent football players. But IMO neither are at Dan Morgan-type level. Dan was a mid to low 4.5 kid IIRC, and was a top 15 pick. I just don't see either of these 2 kids reaching that apex. But they're the best duo in the ACC without a doubt and possibly the country. But that's a high bar for comparison. Morgan was the best backer in the country his senior year and swept **** near every award a linebacker can win. I don't see that happening here.

5. CB: Will the second corner (Ivey?) make a leap like Michael Jackson in 2017?
Another great question, and my money is on Ivey as well. I think it'd be foolish to bet against Rumph in this dept (recruiting shall remain without comment), but he has shown he can coach up talent. And Ivey seems to be an excellent prospect. Lean, long, smart, rangy....and he just got a much needed year to sit back and learn. It'd sure make me feel better about the aforementioned Safety concerns if we had 2 corners we knew we could count on to make the right play every single snap.

ThomasM said:

Morgan was a stud from the beginning. He was a tackling machine from day one. Heck, if anything having Webster back would have taken some of the load off DM.

For the record, I really, really wanted Webster to come back.

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Absolutely was a stud. None of that changes what I said. Webster was also a tackling machine. Better or worse, taking him off the field created opportunities for (and more pressure on) Morgan. He was great as a junior. He was a freakshow as a senior.

LuCane said:

5. CB: Will the second corner (Ivey?) make a leap like Michael Jackson in 2017?

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Prediction: Ivey will end up being better than Michael Jackson this year.

cway313 said:

What was 4th biggest question?

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Ha. If you're serious, it's our OT combination. But the big three stand out for me: QB, DT, Safety. OT combo may initially seem bigger than S because of our hole at one spot, but as a team, we're reliant on having at least a formidable defense. And, in Diaz's system, that just doesn't work well without adequate Safety play.

For me the two biggest question marks behind QB are the OL and Safeties. Personally, I trust Jon Ford to make that leap @ DT. Without a functioning OL, our entire offense will implode.