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Depth Chart Spring 2025 best guess

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I don't think Rodriguez starts over McCoy. And I think it's likely a portal LB to be named is in mix as starter or 2nd team. I'm also skeptical on Day starting at safety. Otherwise that's probably pretty close to what shakes out.
 
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The LBs on this team have me scratching my head. I'm sure a lot of it is that we're on DC #4 (Manny, Steele, CajunCoonA$s, Hetherman) over the last 4-5 years. So Chase Smith is a Manny guy (I believe), Wes is a Manny/Steele guy (I believe), Popo is a CajunCoon guy, Pruitt is a Cajun guy, Wiley is a Hetherman guy, etc. If all those DCs had the same schemes and philosophies, I don't think it would matter so much. However, I read that Hetherman wants big dudes (pause) at LB whereas some of the other coaches didn't care nearly as much about size (pause). As a result, we now have guys like Bobby Pruitt alongside dudes like Kellen Wiley and Adarius Hayes. I get that there's a ton of nuance I'm leaving out, but the point I'm trying to make is that the entire LB room seems to have an identity crisis. Anyone else sort of feel this way about our LB group?
 
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Memnon said:
Offense:

QB - Carsun Bext
RB - Elija Lofton
TE - Elija Lofton
WR - Elija Lofton
Slot - Elija Lofton
WR - Elija Lofton
LT - Market Bell
LG - Elija Lofton
C - James Brockermeyer
RG - Elija Lofton
RT - Francis Mauigoa
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Poor kid is going to have so much pressure because everyone is telling him he’s the best TE RB pass catcher gadget player overall talent and he’s got 9 catches for 150 yards as his results lol
 
BigDikDaddyFromCincinnati said:
The LBs on this team have me scratching my head. I'm sure a lot of it is that we're on DC #4 (Manny, Steele, CajunCoonA$s, Hetherman) over the last 4-5 years. So Chase Smith is a Manny guy (I believe), Wes is a Manny/Steele guy (I believe), Popo is a CajunCoon guy, Pruitt is a Cajun guy, Wiley is a Hetherman guy, etc. If all those DCs had the same schemes and philosophies, I don't think it would matter so much. However, I read that Hetherman wants big dudes (pause) at LB whereas some of the other coaches didn't care nearly as much about size (pause). As a result, we now have guys like Bobby Pruitt alongside dudes like Kellen Wiley and Adarius Hayes. I get that there's a ton of nuance I'm leaving out, but the point I'm trying to make is that the entire LB room seems to have an identity crisis. Anyone else sort of feel this way about our LB group?
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I think that's a great point and I think our new DC sees it too. I think that Hetherman is counting down the days till the portal opens.
 
FrancisSawyer said:
Just for fun...

Defense

DE Reuben Bain/Malik Bryant/Marquis Lightfoot/Booker Pickett/Elias Rudolph/Herbert Scroggins
DT David Blay/Josh Horton/Donta Simpson/Mykah Newton
DT Justin Scott/Ahmad Moten/Artavious Jones/Daylen Russell
DE Akheem Mesidor/Armando Blount/Hayden Lowe/Cole McConathy
LB Wes Bissainthe/Cam Pruitt/Kellen Wiley/*Bobby Washington
LB Popo Aguirre/Adarius Hayes/Kellen Wiley
LB Chase Smith/Jaylin Alderman/Ezekiel Marcellin
CB OJ Frederique/Ethan O’Connor/Ryan Mack/Jaboree Antoine
FS Zechariah Poyser/Markeith Williams/Amari Wallace
SS Dylan Day/Zaquan Patterson/*
Jadais Richard
N Charles Brantley/Damari Brown/Cam Pruitt
CB Xavier Lucas/Emmanuel Karnley/Damari Brown/Chris Ewald


Offense

QB Carson Beck/Emory Williams/Luke Nickel/Judd Anderson
FB/HB Elija Lofton/Mark Fletcher/SJ Alofaituli
RB Mark Fletcher/Jordan Lyle/Elija Lofton/Chris Wheatley Humphrey/Gerard Pringle
TE Elija Lofton/Alex Bauman/Luka Gilbert/Brock Schott/Jack Nickel/Owen Ruskovich/*Jackson Carver
LT Markel Bell/Samson Okunlola/Matt McCoy
LG Ryan Rodriguez/Matt McCoy/Max Buchanon/Demetrius Campbell
C. James Brockermeyer/Nino Francavilla/Ryan Rodriguez/SJ Alofaituli
RG Anez Cooper/Juan Minaya/Jaden Wilkinson/Deryc Plazz
RT Francis Mauigoa/Tommy Kinsler/Juan Minaya
WRX CJ Daniels/Josh Moore/Chance Robinson
WRY Ray Ray Joseph/Malachi Toney
WRZ Jojo Trader/Ny Carr/Daylin Upshaw

*=Out for Season

The first thing that really stands out to me is the significant increase in quality depth on both sides of the ball and in particular on the Offensive Line. The Defensive Line as well has seen a huge influx of talented depth yet most of that is at DE. We have improved at DT but this is an area where we must continue to focus our recruiting efforts going forward in addition to LB and at Safety.

I much prefer our current situation at DT to last year. We could be deeper here but overall I can't complain too much. I think we have a very good 3 man rotation in Blay, Scott and Moten. Now if we can get a significant contribution from one of Horton/Jones/Simpson then we will be in good shape.

We have a strange situation at LB in that there is talent there but to this point most have not been put in position to play to their strengths and there was no emphasis put on teaching or fundamentals. Consequently most have remained undeveloped or have fallen well short of their potential. I truly believe that Corey Hetherman and this new defensive staff will go a long way towards correcting this issue. We still need to acquire a "Tip of the spear", "Tackling machine" type of LB in the portal as we cannot afford the luxury of waiting until fall camp/the beginning of the season to see if the new scheme and new coaches have turned around one of the returning players.

You can't talk about this roster without talking about the incredible transformation of the secondary, particularly the Cornerback position. The infusion of talent here is undeniable. Xavier Lucas, Emmanuel Karnley, Ethan O’Connor and Charles Brantley add speed, length, athleticism and man coverage ability that was severely lacking last season. They join OJ Frederique, Damari Brown, Ryan Mack and true freshmen Chris Ewald and Jaboree Antoine. This group has tremendous depth and is unquestionably the best CB group in the ACC and among the best in the country. At Safety the addition of Zechariah Poyser alone gives us the type of range and explosive playmaking ability we haven't seen in years. Markeith Williams has had a good spring. He is an instinctive ballhawk who is on the skinny side and has struggled the physical aspect of the game. Dylan Day and Zaquan Patterson will continue to compete for the other Safety spot next to Poyser. Freshman Amari Wallace provides more depth. We need to acquire a starting caliber safety in the portal in my opinion.
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If we’re allowed to have 12 players on offense and defense, we definitely making the playoffs
 
P-Tizzle said:
If we’re allowed to have 12 players on offense and defense, we definitely making the playoffs
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Funny how when I was making this depth chart I wondered to myself if a few people would have a difficult time comprehending why it is written with 12 spots. I reasoned that this is a football board and surely everyone would understand that the extra spots represent starters in different personnel sets and not that we get to play with more than 11. I regret I was mistaken.
 
SaiyaMan305 said:
LB is concerning
DT is mid and no depth
SS is questionable
IOL has no depth


Everything else is passable give or take adding a WR1 and RB3
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I'm a little more optimistic about DT but I get what you are saying. I didn't get to the offense because I hit send and haven't gotten around to it yet but we absolutely need a #1 WR, a MLB, a SS another DT plus a RB. I would say QB but that will be tough to do as far as getting a guy to come just to be the backup just in case Beck gets hurt again.
 
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FrancisSawyer said:
Funny how when I was making this depth chart I wondered to myself if a few people would have a difficult time comprehending why it is written with 12 spots. I reasoned that this is a football board and surely everyone would understand that the extra spots represent starters in different personnel sets and not that we get to play with more than 11. I regret I was mistaken.
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Bored Blah Blah Blah GIF
 
SinisterCane said:
Fake news because we have a Elite Recruiter as HC
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I'm not trying to beat you up but I don't understand the purpose of even posting this. Your position on the LB position and most of the roster is clear. I don't understand why there is a need to go further with the cynical remarks about Mario's reputation as an elite recruiter. He is an elite recruiter but that doesn't necessarily make him an elite evaluator or developer of talent. Also its impossible to get everyone we want. Look at kids like Collin Simmons, Dylan Stewart, Anthony Hill and Jeremiah Smith. We recruited all of those kids heavily and were in the final 2 and barely missed Smith as well as being in the finalist group of the others like Stewart and Simmons. If we end up with the 4 above I would think it would radically change your outlook on things but Mario would still be the same guy.

Mario has his share of faults and I've been extremely critical of him many times before with good reason. However the man has his strengths as well and for better or worse we are stuck with him for the foreseeable future. I get giving the guy a hard time and busting on him from time to time but it doesn't have to be this constant 24/7 type of thing because at that point it's just overkill.
 
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