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DT Recruiting

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avicenna75

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I haven't really followed recruiting much during the season, so apologies if this has already been discussed. Both Norton and Mcintosh could leave after this year, leaving us pretty thin, or at least unproven, at the DT position.

Potential two deep next year could look like this: Tyreic Martin, Gerald Willis, Pat Bethel, Jonathan Ford

Would be nice if we can bring in at least 2 more in this class. Who are some of the top prospects we're after?
 

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That is not thin especially when you add the freshman being coached up by a guy like coach kool. Not to mention the guys who can slide inside ala djack who has the frame to get up to 290 or so
 
We have Nasty Nesta on board and he appears to be a 5 star talent under-rated by the scouting services.

We are the perceived leader for Dennis Briggs, a 3-4 star talent with huge upside and great production as a senior.

We are also on the radar of some big fish including Tyler Friday, Michael Thompson, Trevor Trout, and a handful of other high 4 star level recruits.
 
It seems like we're putting all our eggs in the Briggs basket. If we land Silvera and Briggs, great haul, but I hope we don't have another McFarland situation like last year. We need a minimum of 2 DTs this year, probably more like 3-4. I'd like to put the full court press on the local kid, Hawkins, and also make another run at Chatman, who's committed to Tennessee, but is probably not that solid given the coaching situation. I'd really like to take 3 this cycle.
 
avicenna75 said:
I haven't really followed recruiting much during the season, so apologies if this has already been discussed. Both Norton and Mcintosh could leave after this year, leaving us pretty thin, or at least unproven, at the DT position.

Potential two deep next year could look like this: Tyreic Martin, Gerald Willis, Pat Bethel, Jonathan Ford

Would be nice if we can bring in at least 2 more in this class. Who are some of the top prospects we're after?
Click to expand...

I doubt Martin sees the 2 deep here...until he's a senior or so.

Nesta is going to see minutes over Martin next year.
 
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Looks to me like we will bring in briggs and a JUCO DT maybe Goldwire to go along with Nasty Nesta. To me that is a great DT class to add to what we will have on the roster. Adding another guy like Friday, Thompson, Trout, etc would turn this into an Elite Class!!
 
Coach Kool already called Jon Ford a superstar to 247 so he’s getting significant burn...maybe even the guy who replaces Norton if he leaves, Nesta will probably get more burn later in the season since he’s a June enrollee, and a lot of people are forgetting we’re recruiting Jared Goldwire who might also come in and immediately replace Kendrick Norton.
 
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Willis/Ford/Bethel/Nesta is a decent rotation, but we need more depth. Fines and Martin would have to make huge off-season gains to get into the rotation.
 
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Djax and someone else may play dt on certain downs as well.
One thing I’ll say is, I have more confidence in this staff solving problems goin forward than the previous staffs.

We need a juco who can actually come in and play right away. Not necessarily start, but, be in the rotation with ford and bethel and Willis.
 
brock said:
That is not thin especially when you add the freshman being coached up by a guy like coach kool. Not to mention the guys who can slide inside ala djack who has the frame to get up to 290 or so
Click to expand...

Martin has yet to contribute and Ford (who's a true frosh) has already surpassed him on the depth chart. So far after 2 years, he's starting to stray more towards a guy that won't get meaningful snaps here. Nesta looks like the real deal at the collegiate level. But he's not an EE and that's concerning. I suspect he'll have the same impact that Ford has had this year, next season - which is playing snaps sparingly. One injury to either Willis, Bethel, Ford or Silvera would be a serious issue. You need depth in the trenches. Bringing Norton back (I think RJ's gone) is important.
 
More concerned about the fact that we only have DJax coming off what looks like a significant knee injury, Joe Jackson, Garvin, and DJ Johnson at DE. Rousseau isn't going to be ready physically year 1 and same for Chatfield if he comes in. Neither enroll early.

Maybe Patchan goes back to DE. But that's 3 guys at DE for the spring most likely. Maybe 5 ready for the season. Ideally you have 6 that can play and 7-8 on the roster that are healthy
 
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mjackson6 said:
More concerned about the fact that we only have DJax coming off what looks like a significant knee injury, Joe Jackson, Garvin, and DJ Johnson at DE. Rousseau isn't going to be ready physically year 1 and same for Chatfield if he comes in. Neither enroll early.

Maybe Patchan goes back to DE. But that's 3 guys at DE for the spring most likely. Maybe 5 ready for the season. Ideally you have 6 that can play and 7-8 on the roster that are healthy
Click to expand...

Agree 100%. Folks are not worried about the DE position but we lose our 2 deep on the left side. Not easy to replace. Sure, you can say that maybe we move over DJax, Garvin, etc to that side but how realistic is that? Right now, as of the spring, it's DJ and Patchan (if he returns) at LDE. That's not very good depth.
 
Trav said:
Willis/Ford/Bethel/Nesta is a decent rotation, but we need more depth. Fines and Martin would have to make huge off-season gains to get into the rotation.
Click to expand...

If this is how we roll into next season,it means we've signed only 2 Dts in the 17 and 18 classes(Ford and Nesta) and that will eventually bite us in the ***.
 
orange&green84 said:
brock said:
That is not thin especially when you add the freshman being coached up by a guy like coach kool. Not to mention the guys who can slide inside ala djack who has the frame to get up to 290 or so
Click to expand...

Martin has yet to contribute and Ford (who's a true frosh) has already surpassed him on the depth chart. So far after 2 years, he's starting to stray more towards a guy that won't get meaningful snaps here. Nesta looks like the real deal at the collegiate level. But he's not an EE and that's concerning. I suspect he'll have the same impact that Ford has had this year, next season - which is playing snaps sparingly. One injury to either Willis, Bethel, Ford or Silvera would be a serious issue. You need depth in the trenches. Bringing Norton back (I think RJ's gone) is important.
Click to expand...
I’m not even counting on martin beyond a 5th or 6thdt
Regardless
Willis
Bethel
Ford
Silvera
Plus whoever else we bring in
Fines/Marin
Combo de/dts on the roster(dj and djack)
We we will be more than fine period
 
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mjackson6 said:
More concerned about the fact that we only have DJax coming off what looks like a significant knee injury, Joe Jackson, Garvin, and DJ Johnson at DE. Rousseau isn't going to be ready physically year 1 and same for Chatfield if he comes in. Neither enroll early.

Maybe Patchan goes back to DE. But that's 3 guys at DE for the spring most likely. Maybe 5 ready for the season. Ideally you have 6 that can play and 7-8 on the roster that are healthy
Click to expand...
Defintiely can see patchan moving back to end with us losing chad and Trent
 
brock said:
That is not thin especially when you add the freshman being coached up by a guy like coach kool. Not to mention the guys who can slide inside ala djack who has the frame to get up to 290 or so
Click to expand...

Since we're talking about recruiting a "critical" position, DT is the position we need more "talent" at, especially if Norton and Big Mac leave. We know less about Martin than we do about life in North Korea and Willis' dedication and durability are questionable. Bethel has proven he can play the position, but he can use more weight and strength. We expect big things from Ford, but we still have to see. Nesta, though high caliber, will be a freshman and unproven against college men. We need at minimum 1/2 more top caliber freshman and at least 1 JC DT who can adapt fast if we want continue our acceleration as a top defensive team.
 
AUcane said:
mjackson6 said:
More concerned about the fact that we only have DJax coming off what looks like a significant knee injury, Joe Jackson, Garvin, and DJ Johnson at DE. Rousseau isn't going to be ready physically year 1 and same for Chatfield if he comes in. Neither enroll early.

Maybe Patchan goes back to DE. But that's 3 guys at DE for the spring most likely. Maybe 5 ready for the season. Ideally you have 6 that can play and 7-8 on the roster that are healthy
Click to expand...

Agree 100%. Folks are not worried about the DE position but we lose our 2 deep on the left side. Not easy to replace. Sure, you can say that maybe we move over DJax, Garvin, etc to that side but how realistic is that? Right now, as of the spring, it's DJ and Patchan (if he returns) at LDE. That's not very good depth.
Click to expand...

By the time the season rolls around next year
Joe jack, Garvin , rosseau
Djack, DJ Johnson , chatfield
Patchan move back to de?
Regardless people worrying about this too much right now regardless
Is good depth, outside of this year it’s the deepest we would have been easily in the last decade or so
 
brock said:
orange&green84 said:
brock said:
That is not thin especially when you add the freshman being coached up by a guy like coach kool. Not to mention the guys who can slide inside ala djack who has the frame to get up to 290 or so
Click to expand...

Martin has yet to contribute and Ford (who's a true frosh) has already surpassed him on the depth chart. So far after 2 years, he's starting to stray more towards a guy that won't get meaningful snaps here. Nesta looks like the real deal at the collegiate level. But he's not an EE and that's concerning. I suspect he'll have the same impact that Ford has had this year, next season - which is playing snaps sparingly. One injury to either Willis, Bethel, Ford or Silvera would be a serious issue. You need depth in the trenches. Bringing Norton back (I think RJ's gone) is important.
Click to expand...
I’m not even counting on martin beyond a 5th or 6thdt
Regardless
Willis
Bethel
Ford
Silvera
Plus whoever else we bring in
Fines/Marin
Combo de/dts on the roster(dj and djack)
We we will be more than fine period
Click to expand...

You're not accounting for injuries. Having true freshman in your 2-deep is not a recipe for success - regardless of Nesta is a potential 5-star talent. I've said it before and I'll say it again, our success this year has been predicated on the D-line; specifically our ability to disrupt in the middle with DTs. I've been on the bring a JUCO DT bandwagon for sometime and will stay on it; unless Norton and/or RJ decide to come back one more year.

If you move DJ and D-Jackson inside, that takes away depth on the ends. The defensive end depth looks like the following:

J Jackson
D Jackson
Garvin
Johnson
Rousseau (TF and likely RS candidate)
Chatfield* (if he commits)

Rousseau will need to RS and build up his body for the collegiate level. Chatfield could play his freshman year, but he's not even committed yet. Taking 2 of your players in the 2-deep is asking for trouble. Especially at a position where injuries tend to occur at a regular basis. We just had to move Patchan over from DE to TE and may have to move him back.

You know, there is no rule in place that says you can't be concerned about depth. You seem do be doubling down here.
 
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