The Bank (11/8)

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These are 3 of the top projected OT's for the 2025 draft.

None of them have given up a Sack or hardly any pressures all season.

Has Bell played that well this year?

If not, how does he go from wherever he is now, to playing in the realm of not giving up a Sack or any pressures?

If yall can answer that, then I'll change my mind & join in on the Bell 1st rounder parade.

This is nitpicking but Banks gave up 2 sacks 1-on-1 to Georgia. Walker for 1 and I believe Mykel Williams for another. The announcers even mentioned how those were the first sacks he had given up.

Now, Banks is light years ahead of Bell. But once again, PFF’s stats are wrong.
 
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This is nitpicking but Banks gave up 2 sacks 1-on-1 to Georgia. Walker for 1 and I believe Mykel Williams for another. The announcers even mentioned how those were the first sacks he had given up.

Now, Banks is light years ahead of Bell. But once again, PFF’s stats are wrong.
The date of that tweet was before they played UGA.
 
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We always overhype our players. The only certain first rounder IMO on this team is Cam Ward. Cici has a good shot, maybe Bain. After that, I don't see one. There's a lot of quality talent. Arroyo, Rivers, X, etc. But one of the best 32 in all of college football good?
 
No.

I could be 100% wrong, but Idk how anyone can watch Bell play & see a 1st rounder.





https://athlonsports.com/nfl/2025-n...pdated-will-campbell-kelvin-banks-emery-jones

In the last two drafts, 13 OT's have been taken in the 1st round;

1. Paris Johnson Jr - Oh ST
2. Darnell Wright - Tennessee
3. Peter Skoronski - Northwestern
4. Broderick Jones - UGA
5. Anton Harrison - Oklahoma

2024
1. Joe Alt - Notre Dame
2. JC Latham - Bama
3. Olu Fashanu - Penn ST
4. Taliese Fuaga - Oregon ST
5. Amarius Mims - UGA
6. Troy Fautana - Washington
7. Jordan Morgan - Arizona
8. Tyler Guyton - Oklahoma

All I can say is, if you watch those guys play, then watch the 2025 1st round projected OT's play, then watch Markel Bell play, it would be nothing short of a prodigious cosmic level evolution for him to be a 1st rounder by 2026.

He'd have to essentially go from being a borderline 6th man on the OL to being a 1st team National All-American that gives up 0 sacks & 0 pressures in just one offseason.

Is it possible?... Well, anything is possible.
Is it likely?... Idk, you tell me?

He has the size and presumably arm length that is coveted. We will see about the athleticism, that is a big factor that can make or break a 1st round OT that doesn't have like the best actual game grades. If you've shown pure ability, that can get you there.

The best comp from those players you listed imo is definitely Tyler Guyton.
Tyler Guyton had a 63.7 grade in 2023 by PFF which is basically exactly what Bell currently is graded at. Guyton was very inconsistent but he had flashes where he looked like an elite player. Idk if we'd say Bell has shown anything like that yet, but the dude also was a 3yr Big12 starter. Bell has "experience" but not against the type of EDGEs he's currently going against. But what solidified Guyton as a fringe 1st guy was his Combine performance which was good-great athletically combined with his prototypical size. And Guytons worst game was against Texas, where you'd think that'd be held against him significantly..

I don't think it's crazy that the staff sees the guy every day, knows how much work he puts in and have seen his progress (maybe his current performance is vastly better than this summer and they're projecting that same trend?), knows he has insane size, likely have actual numbers to put to his athleticism and know where he'd stack up in a draft class, and therefore view him as a POTENTIAL 1st rounder. I think it's unlikely he will be, because as you're saying that means he'd have to develop into a top 10-15 OT in college next year (not all top 10 are eligible yearly). And he would also be competing against Mauigoa too given he'd be eligible. I think if he had 2 more years of eligibility it would be more understandable, but he only has 1. So imo I think the better hope is just that he is a 1st or 2nd team All-ACC OT next year. Which I think that is absolutely possible, and doesn't take some wild projection.

I do agree speed rushers appear to give him the biggest problem right now. BUT maybe the staff also sees that and thinks A) his size will mean that once he gets on the speed guys he can eliminate them, and B) maybe they think fixing that aspect of his game is easier than say fixing a guy at his size who isn't run blocking or showing enough power/anchor or strong hand/placement...
 
We always overhype our players. The only certain first rounder IMO on this team is Cam Ward. Cici has a good shot, maybe Bain. After that, I don't see one. There's a lot of quality talent. Arroyo, Rivers, X, etc. But one of the best 32 in all of college football good?
Cam Ward is a lock for 1st round

Cici has the best shot as it stands now

Bain, I think they’re going to need to move him inside to be a DT next year, he’s too slow with his added mass now to be an elite DE
 
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trainwreck GIF
 
"Christian Clemente (Auburn 247 mod) and I are hearing the Tigers are in a really good spot for USC cornerback commit Shamar Arnoux.

Feel great about Auburn's chances here.”
I take this as a positive. With our current commits, if we picked up Arnoux, I believe that signifies that either Hanks or Pickett are not realistic flip candidates.
 
What if we don't flip any of them? I'll remain cautiously optimistic, but we don't have much time left. If we go undefeated and go to the playoffs and end up outside of the top 10 in recruiting, then that is a big fail by Mario and staff in year three
Elmer Fudd much?
 
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Mario has not not disappointed yet why you you THINK he would after a successful season.
Thinking Think GIF by Rodney Dangerfield
Moping is a way of life. They don't know how to cope with all of this success so they're having to fabricate scenarios for their dopamine hit.
 
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This is nitpicking but Banks gave up 2 sacks 1-on-1 to Georgia. Walker for 1 and I believe Mykel Williams for another. The announcers even mentioned how those were the first sacks he had given up.

Now, Banks is light years ahead of Bell. But once again, PFF’s stats are wrong.
Ive always said PFF is the laziest way to say you know what you're talking about where most don't know who's making these stats/rankings but ppl believe it because" it looks smart". With that said there's been a good amount of T taken in the first round that have been raw but have incredible physical traits like Amarius Mims, Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Broderick Jones, Anton Harrison, Austin Jackson, etc. With that said his hype is projection based just like thr preseason Heisman hype it doesn't matter unless fans want to obsess over it
 
"Potential qb"

**** they better go get a starting QB in the portal. Period.
Pretty sure the staff would never come out and blatantly say this mid season. That would probably **** off Emory, judd, and reese. With that said, I do expect us to get a transfer QB next year. I believe Mario is wanting to do what Kirby has done and have year 3 and 4 guys inside the program who know the system inside and out who develop not only mentally , but physically as well.
 
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