My issue is...
WHY ARE GUYS NOT GETTING BETTER?
You can attribute it to whatever you like: development, recruiting, complacency, culture, S&C, whatever.
The fact is, several players have come to Miami and looked like sure-fire early round draft picks their freshman year but never got better the following 2 seasons. Chad Thomas, Joe Jackson and Jonathan Garvin are the first ones off the top my head, probably cause I'm a DL junkie. Those guys NEVER developed their game from freshman to junior year. Matter of fact, not a single guy on our DL possessed good technique and that includes Norton, Willis and McIntosh. (all of whom were one-trick ponies, if their swim/penetration didn't work at the snap they got mauled) Joe Jackson never learned a pass-rush move in three years, just tried to overpower everybody. Garvin is still trying the same rip move today that he did his freshman year. Neither of them ever developed a counter move.
And it ain't like these guys were athletically inferior. IMO they weren't developed.
Most of this statement is not wrong at all especially with the lack of moves the dline players have shown outside of 1 or 2 moves however it’s a fact that chad Thomas looked like anything but a early draft pick his first 2 seasons at Miami. He didn’t do anything until the new system which was his junior year and he did end up being an early round draft pick at the top of the 3rd round which was like 2 picks back from being a 2nd round pick.
I’m still confused on the discrepancy in some cases. Yes it’s true joe Jackson tested well below thresholds for draftable edge defenders and he dropped to the 5th round primarily due to that. But in that same vein it didn’t affect a player like Clelin Ferrell nearly as much who joe Jackson was pretty similar to in terms of size , production and playstyle. Ferrell’s athletic numbers were on par with Jackson coming out of last draft too but he ended up going #4 overall in the draft while Jackson went I think #166 overall 5th round. Why is that? Is that due to overall program performance and exposure that Clemson had garnered in that time frame? Who knows
In garvins case he’s the best athlete out of jackson, himself and Thomas for sure and not close in that department however he played lazy This year also wasn’t nearly as productive as Jackson has been in recent years or shown as much pass rushing productivity in his career at Miami.
these aren’t flawless prospects
THOMAS
Size - check
Athleticism check
Production overall- mostly checked
Sack production- marginal at best
Motor- good
Draft? - early round draft pick mid day 2 selection- 3rd round pick. 2 spots from 2nd round.
JACKSON
Size- check
Athleticism- tested as a non draft able edge guy
Production overall- elite in tackles for loss and sacks
sack production- great
motor- very good
Draft -mid day 3 pick- 5th round
GARVIN
Size - check
Athleticism- great
Production overall- good not elite
Sack production- not good considering his athletic gifts
Motor- lacking, player lazy senior year
draft? Who knows but I can See him going round 4 or 5. With better play this season he would have been a day 2 pick for sure.
scouts notice all of this stuff and on some teams you won’t be on teams boards if you don’t meet certain athletic thresholds especially as an edge rusher.
