Let's talk about our offensive line

[Astcloud11]

My predictions:

-OG spots are easily won by Darling and Donaldson, I don't feel comfortable in quality depth behind them.
-Center and RT has the most competitive position battles. I think Gauthier wins, but Linder won't give it up easy. Same for Odogwu getting his spot back (if health) over St Louis. I think Louis really wants to make some money and will push to keep the spot.
-LT will have alot of bodies competing, but I'm sure everyone agrees that none of the returning upperclassman are the "True LT" types. Hillery/Herbert could get there, but don't think it happens this year. Position will be a hard battle with about 3-4 players pushing hard for it, but I still think we need up with a serviceable, but not entirely dependable starter. Whether it is McDermott or Brown.

 

[demcanes26]

I can tell you from Coach Rick interview with Joe Rose that Gaynor isn't redshirting.

 

[DTP]

You settling for mediocrity. Thats not Canes football. We dont have a sensitive to the player for doing his best mentality. The best line proven in spring, s&c, film room, and grind in camp should play. I could make a highlight reel of mcdormatt getting abused or penalized often just from one season. This is all bout the U, we not settling for "good enough" anymore...this is freakin weak of our fanbase to even list Linder & McDermott on a 2 deep list. Our standards is higher than that, thats why great players have came thru the U. If those incoming guys bring that thump and that dog to the field, f*ck redshirt, play'em. I think we have 3 newbies in starting lineup by 6/7th game. Set the expectations high for each of our groups and especially the oline

Do you really think the coaches are going to purposely play the weaker players? You don't redshirt a guy just to do it. You redshirt players who aren't ready to play right away. You're assuming that an incoming freshman will already be able to play and play better than an incumbent. Based on what? A four star recruiting ranking? McDermott was a 4 star tackle prospect too when he came here. The reason you're seeing Linder and McDermott listed on peoples' two deep is because none of the incoming players have proven jack **** yet. Once some of these guys get out there in practice, the coaches will decide which combination is the best.

 

[streetja]

I think DMoney said on Pete's podcast that they like Gauthier at G.

The thing I want to see is body type changes. Lot's of sloppy looking OL outside of Sunny.

[MENTION=2]DMoney[/MENTION] is that really the case? Who starts at C besides him, Linder?!?

 

[streetja]

The revisionist history on this board is setting everyone up for disappointment next season -- we could barely run the ball all year. And even in a game like NCST, we only started to be able to run the ball with about 5 mins left in the third quarter. This team goes way too long throughout games without being able to run and I hope we've improved markedly from last year.

 

[404CANES]

I'm going to predict the fall position battles. Bold is who I think will win.

Starting Left Tackle:
McDermott, Brown, St Louis, Herbert, Hillery (I think they will allow him to compete, but red shirt him if he doesn't win starting job).
Backup LT:
Darling, Brown, Herbert, Tre Johnson, St Louis
Starting Left Guard:
Darling, Milo, Mahoney, Linder, Ryan Fines
Backup Left Guard:
Milo, Mahoney, Linder, Tre Johnson, Zach Dykstra, Ryan Fines ( I think Dykstra could see rotational play at OG if he develops enough over the spring, will most likely redshirt though)

Starting Center:
Gauthier, Linder, Gaynor, Milo
Backup Center:
Linder, Gaynor, Milo, Mahoney

Starting Right Guard:
Mahoney, Donaldson, Jahair Jones, Milo, Ryan Fines
Backup Right Guard:
St Louis, Mahoney, Milo, Jones, Dykstra, Ryan Fines

Starting Right Tackle:
Odogwu, St Louis, Donaldson
Backup Right Tackle:
St Louis or Odogwu


TL;DR

Starters:
LT: McDermott
LG: Darling
OC: Gauthier
RG: Donaldson
RT: Odogwu (If 100% healthy)

Rotational players:
LT: Brown
OC: Linder
RT: St Louis

This year we used a 7-man rotation, I think we use an 8 man rotation this year, with all the freshman OL except Donaldson red shirting.

If mcdormatt is the best we can do at LT we're in trouble. I trust that our coaches know how to evaluate talent better than posters. This guy is just not "canes worthy." i guess im just not one for settling with mediocrity but you really trust him in the lineup with a new qb(possibly a freshmen)

 

[rok]

I think DMoney said on Pete's podcast that they like Gauthier at G.

The thing I want to see is body type changes. Lot's of sloppy looking OL outside of Sunny.

[MENTION=2]DMoney[/MENTION] is that really the case? Who starts at C besides him, Linder?!?

Who else is going to play center this spring? That's what I'd like to know.

 

[Tee3000]

I hope the OL plays better but I'm just not sold on the guy coaching them.

I hope I'm wrong.

 

[DMoney]

I think DMoney said on Pete's podcast that they like Gauthier at G.

The thing I want to see is body type changes. Lot's of sloppy looking OL outside of Sunny.

@DMoney is that really the case? Who starts at C besides him, Linder?!?

That was just my personal opinion.

 

[Astcloud11]

I'm going to predict the fall position battles. Bold is who I think will win.
TL;DR

Starters:
LT: McDermott
LG: Darling
OC: Gauthier
RG: Donaldson
RT: Odogwu (If 100% healthy)

Rotational players:
LT: Brown
OC: Linder
RT: St Louis

This year we used a 7-man rotation, I think we use an 8 man rotation this year, with all the freshman OL except Donaldson red shirting.

If mcdormatt is the best we can do at LT we're in trouble. I trust that our coaches know how to evaluate talent better than posters. This guy is just not "canes worthy." i guess im just not one for settling with mediocrity but you really trust him in the lineup with a new qb(possibly a freshmen)

McDermott improved more and more towards the end of the year. If he wins the starting job, we won't know if that is a totally bad thing until Week 3. I trust him at the position more than I trust George Brown....that's not because I think Brown isn't as good, it's because I simply haven't seen Brown play, and from what I understand...he was a 3rd string OT at LSU. So the staff is going to do their best to develop him into a starter, but I am not going to immediately assume that the 3rd string LT from LSU is better than any Tackle we have on our roster. If he does well in the spring game I could change my opinion. But if Brown starts and people think "we are saved", I'm still going to be skeptical until about week 4, because things may be worse than I initially thought if someone riding the bench at LSU comes in and snatches the 3rd most important position on the field.

Again, I'm not saying I'm comfortable with McDermott a LT going up against elite DE's, or that he is going to be a good LT. Just simply saying I think he wins the competition at LT over the rest of the players that doesn't belong at that position.

 

[teddywestside]

I'm going to predict the fall position battles. Bold is who I think will win.
TL;DR

Starters:
LT: McDermott
LG: Darling
OC: Gauthier
RG: Donaldson
RT: Odogwu (If 100% healthy)

Rotational players:
LT: Brown
OC: Linder
RT: St Louis

This year we used a 7-man rotation, I think we use an 8 man rotation this year, with all the freshman OL except Donaldson red shirting.

If mcdormatt is the best we can do at LT we're in trouble. I trust that our coaches know how to evaluate talent better than posters. This guy is just not "canes worthy." i guess im just not one for settling with mediocrity but you really trust him in the lineup with a new qb(possibly a freshmen)

McDermott improved more and more towards the end of the year. If he wins the starting job, we won't know if that is a totally bad thing until Week 3. I trust him at the position more than I trust George Brown....that's not because I think Brown isn't as good, it's because I simply haven't seen Brown play, and from what I understand...he was a 3rd string OT at LSU. So the staff is going to do their best to develop him into a starter, but I am not going to immediately assume that the 3rd string LT from LSU is better than any Tackle we have on our roster. If he does well in the spring game I could change my opinion. But if Brown starts and people think "we are saved", I'm still going to be skeptical until about week 4, because things may be worse than I initially thought if someone riding the bench at LSU comes in and snatches the 3rd most important position on the field.

Again, I'm not saying I'm comfortable with McDermott a LT going up against elite DE's, or that he is going to be a good LT. Just simply saying I think he wins the competition at LT over the rest of the players that doesn't belong at that position.

Brown was 3rd string because he was undersized. If he gains weight, he'll be the starter.

 

[252cane]

Lol. These dudes could not get any push vs west virginia d-line and they have nobody that stands out on there. They struggle to get push. Most of walton yards came on cutbacks or plays he bounced it outside. You rarely saw him get yards because the o-line was actually moving people.

Thats why the running game struggled vs fsu and vt. The o-line couldnt move them and they have the athletes at LB and DB to not allow walton to bounce anything or get anything off cutbacks.

 

[jw410]

The OL was unfairly crucified last year. When you have a completely stationary QB, who can't even slide around in the pocket and had a tendency to stare at the pass rush, you have to be almost perfect as an OL. And that's never going to happen in today's football. The fact that they kept the sack numbers as low as they did is a testament to them and Searels.

Things drastically improved when they moved Linder out too. He's simply way too small and weak and was a total liability. Look at the ND game where he was being tossed around like a midget at my New Year's Eve party. The DT lined up over him was destroying our offense singlehandedly because Linder couldn't impede him. In fact, Linder looked like a catapult in that game. Jones would step on him and launch into the backfield like a giant boulder at an ancient castle.

Take a look at the NC game. If Kaaya was Clemson QB in that game with the same Clemson OL he would have been sacked 14 times, and Clemson would have been blown out. Kaaya has some excellent traits when he has a perfect pocket. Perfect pockets against good teams are super rare.

Look at Mayfield. He's running for his life constantly, but he makes plays by extending plays so no one trashes OU's OL.

I'll give them a pass for struggling to protect Kaaya (a statue) but LINDER couldn't run block against any team with a pulse last year besides NCSt.

fIfY

Too many times I saw him singlehandedly mess up well blocked plays.

That's why we looked better against a stout run defense in NC state. We took his bum *** out.

One weak link ruins the group.


The Pats exposed the Falcons RG and blew open a comeback because of one sorry *** player.

Was that Chris "Butter Soft" Chester

 

[jw410]

I'm going to predict the fall position battles. Bold is who I think will win.

Starting Left Tackle:
McDermott, Brown, St Louis, Herbert, Hillery (I think they will allow him to compete, but red shirt him if he doesn't win starting job).
Backup LT:
Darling, Brown, Herbert, Tre Johnson, St Louis
Starting Left Guard:
Darling, Milo, Mahoney, Linder, Ryan Fines
Backup Left Guard:
Milo, Mahoney, Linder, Tre Johnson, Zach Dykstra, Ryan Fines ( I think Dykstra could see rotational play at OG if he develops enough over the spring, will most likely redshirt though)

Starting Center:
Gauthier, Linder, Gaynor, Milo
Backup Center:
Linder, Gaynor, Milo, Mahoney

Starting Right Guard:
Mahoney, Donaldson, Jahair Jones, Milo, Ryan Fines
Backup Right Guard:
St Louis, Mahoney, Milo, Jones, Dykstra, Ryan Fines

Starting Right Tackle:
Odogwu, St Louis, Donaldson
Backup Right Tackle:
St Louis or Odogwu


TL;DR

Starters:
LT: McDermott
LG: Darling
OC: Gauthier
RG: Donaldson
RT: Odogwu (If 100% healthy)

Rotational players:
LT: Brown
OC: Linder
RT: St Louis

This year we used a 7-man rotation, I think we use an 8 man rotation this year, with all the freshman OL except Donaldson red shirting.

No way Sunny of St. Louis

 

[Cribby]

I can tell you from Coach Rick interview with Joe Rose that Gaynor isn't redshirting.

He'll be in the two deep at center

 

[88]

All I remember is McDoughnut getting thrown around like a cabbage patch doll by that notre dame DT. I think he actually did better at tackle where were set. Please keep off the field.

That was Linder actually

It's was both of them. McDermott was pegged as McDoormat after that game.

 

[arinand1]

All I remember is McDoughnut getting thrown around like a cabbage patch doll by that notre dame DT. I think he actually did better at tackle where were set. Please keep off the field.

That was Linder actually

It's was both of them. McDermott was pegged as McDoormat after that game.

This. If McDermott is starting at LT like everyone on this board seems to think, then we are in serious trouble. Not to mention all his **** penalties.

 

[rok]

Was McDermott starting at LT a problem while we won five straight to close out the season?

 

[Anonymous274945958675743]

LT- McDermott, Brown, Herbert
LG- Darling, McDermott/Milo/Gaynor
C- Linder, Gaynor, Gauthier
RG- Gauthier, Donaldson/Gaynor
RT-Donaldson, St. Louis, Odogwu

Utility- St. Louis

 

[Anonymous274945958675743]

Was McDermott starting at LT a problem while we won five straight to close out the season?

For some of it. Yes. He started the bowl game. Gotta check again but I think he was in in the second half too