Jaleel Johnson - I think he plays...

[WinOneThisCentury]

I know it's early, but after watching the limited video available...I feel our DE's will be ok, but we are going to need big time improvement inside. Carl Davis just didn't seem to have any pop...and it could just be fatigue from 9 practices and no spring ball. He's also recovering from surgery, so its a little understandable. Cooper certainly flashed well and he's got some quickness. I think the OL pretty much manhandled everyone else inside, but Johnson. Granted, I didn't see him up against Ferentz and Blythe, but he looked like he belonged out there. He appeared to play with much better leverage than Davis. He came out low and was powerful.

It's going to be interesting, but if he can continue to improve over the next few weeks...I'd say the odds are better than 50/50 he makes the rotation inside. I know it's not good to rely on a true freshman that close to the ball, but this is a very unique year at DT.

 

[JonDMiller]

He was third team yesterday and was getting handled regularly by the third team OL.

 

[Billso]

He was third team yesterday and was getting handled regularly by the third team OL.

Ouch.

Of course, that's what you *expect* from a frosh DL, even a highly-touted one. There are guys in the NFL right now who were manhandled their first August of D1.

The flip side, and what I absolutely_love about college football, is that players can improve incredibly quickly.

 

[WinOneThisCentury]

Well...I stand corrected then. I saw the one on one tape in pass protection and he looked pretty good. I'm not sure who the OLineman was, but he walked him backward into the pocket pretty easily. Was Davis as lethargic as he looked on some of the video?

 

[cmhawks99]

Well...I stand corrected then. I saw the one on one tape in pass protection and he looked pretty good. I'm not sure who the OLineman was, but he walked him backward into the pocket pretty easily. Was Davis as lethargic as he looked on some of the video?

From what I have read and it is certainly possible the frosh improve more than anyone in the next 3 weeks. The consensus is that he and Faith are both quite a bit down the rotation. I’ve also read Davis looked decent and Cooper had his moments, but I saw one who suggested his explosion was not there yet. Which only shows that we all see things a little differently. Some probably more accurately than others, but not necessarily, sometimes we just focus on different things. I saw one suggest Bigach had improved his explosion and I personally thought he improved a bunch as the season progressed last year, yet he is currently running 2nd team, which is interesting at the least.

Also some serious love from multiple sources for Tinca-Passat and as you probably read BTN suggested he and Gags were our best pass rushers on that day. So with that said I’d guess Jaleel is quite a ways away right now, but that can certainly change. I don’t however think it’s a bad thing he doesn’t leap frog into the rotation. Rather I think it would suggest we had some talent to begin with.

I also read (as maybe you have) that in drills we got pushed around some, but live we were a handful. Which isn’t at all unusual in my mind. Live is what we want and in a sterile one on one setting, I’d expect our MUCH more experience OL to dominate some. Live, when scrappiness and speed make more of a difference, we looked that part.

Just my thoughts…

 

[BILLBUCKNER]

In the past it always seemed the Dline got the best of the oline. It's concerning ,hopefully the oline is very very good.

 

[cmhawks99]

In the past it always seemed the Dline got the best of the oline. It's concerning ,hopefully the oline is very very good.

That’s certainly true, but when you look at the stats (probably meaningless in these settings but still) no one had any significant long runs, no one had a very good average, and they got to the QB a lot, so maybe, just maybe, we should be concerned the OL didn’t dominate more…..it’s all how you slant it.

 

[sonofjim]

From what I've read Davis looked quite good. Guess it all depends who you ask. I also heard Jaleel was getting handled as John said. Makes you wonder about Jordan Diamond who was absolutely pancaked by Johnson head to head. Anyway, Jaleel and Faith will mature nicely and be animals. Meanwhile, this year I can see Alvis and Spears as the best ends and at DT Cooper, Davis and Trinca-Passat. Bigach and Gaglione will be great to add depth.