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McCloud

I wish Zach McCloud was better at football because I love everything he stands for as a person and leader.

I mean that sincerely. Having players that consistently make good choices off the field and seeing players improve are highly correlated. So I'll give McCloud credit for likely having a net positive effect on those around him. He's a huge asset to our program for all but about 3 hours/week in the fall.
 
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I don’t think younger players seeing sorry players play over them bc of seniority help the program or have anything to do with an underclassmen deciding If they want to come back for their senior year or not.
 
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McCloud should be playing. He is not stellar and has a ceiling because of his lack of instincts but nobody has been lights out and Brooks cannot play entire games without getting beat up. These boards think it is fine to "play favorites" as long as its the guy they want. When some guy they don't like is playing then the coach is "playing favorites." As much as I don't like McCloud I have not seen a linebacker on this team who should command all the snaps. Jennings is more of a liability than McCloud. McCloud is up and down but he hasn't been so poor that he should be out of the rotation.
 
Huff must be completely lost. The lone 4-star LB recruit since 2016 and he can't sniff the field smh.

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bocacane said:
Come on... do you think Nick Saban would play a guy to not hurt his feelings or even consider the locker room view?!?!? Is McCloud the best option to win a game... if yes, play him... othewise SIT HIS ***. This is big boy football. Play to win.
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Didn't Saban play that game a little bit with Hurts during Tua's first 2 seasons?
 
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D-anon said:
Something that crossed my mind in regards to McCloud and his starting role makes me think that this decision by Manny to continue to play him was not made irrationally, that the long term benefits outweighed the short term costs. Now here me out.

The question I pose to the board is this; How does it look to the locker room if you benched a team captain who returned to school for his senior season?

We complain about our juniors turning pro when it is obvious that they should come back for their senior seasons. We all see that McCloud is bad, **** the coaches see it as well. But what potential impact does benching McCloud now have on players who are draft eligible, players like Gurvan Hall, Gilbert Frierson, and Nesta Silvera.

I believe Manny and the coaches have to be delicate in how they approach this situation. McCloud won’t be benched, neither will Jennings. What I believe will happen is, Brooks and Flagg will continue to split reps with them. The coaches, now armed with a plethora of recent draft fails, and Zach McCloud’s senior year starting role as examples to help convince those juniors who need to, stay for their senior seasons.

Manny always talks about culture and it is important that the culture is set by the head coach. By keeping McCloud as a starter, yet splitting the reps, he is able to preach loyalty and that the best players will play.

It is a balancing act that can potentially pay off down the line. I believe that is what Manny is betting on.
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Play the best players and roll with it. McCloud is owed NOTHING
 
Pennmed Canefan said:
McCloud should be playing. He is not stellar and has a ceiling because of his lack of instincts but nobody has been lights out and Brooks cannot play entire games without getting beat up. These boards think it is fine to "play favorites" as long as its the guy they want. When some guy they don't like is playing then the coach is "playing favorites." As much as I don't like McCloud I have not seen a linebacker on this team who should command all the snaps. Jennings is more of a liability than McCloud. McCloud is up and down but he hasn't been so poor that he should be out of the rotation.
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It’s not this board. It’s every board... and every analyst, talk show host, pundit, ticket taker, beer vendor, parking lot attendant and... well, u get the idea.

The younger guys don’t just have more upside, they’ve also performed better. They need more snaps.
 
I’m not sure if you’ve ever played competitive sports before. Playing guys bc they are older creates way more locker room disfunction than, playing the best player. Him coming back to get benched would light a fire under the older guys, knowing that if they don’t perform they won’t play either.

You should always make decisions that you can explain to your next employer. Saying I played a guy or hired a guy bc he had more experience vs the younger more talented/productive guy is an indefensible decision.
 
My rhetorical question is "Would the Canes LB core be equal or worst if McCloud didn't return
 
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You have a rational point which is rare on some sides, but as a coach your primary responsibility is to win games. Your best chance to do that is to play your Best players. To counter your point, team members know the best players and take a very negative view of coaches that play lesser players for some obscure reason like being a returning senior. Also recruits may reject a school because the coach(s) play lesser lettermen over more skilled underclassmen.
 
Canemang said:
Play the best players, regardless of the situation. Great, he came back for a 5th year, was given a starting position and has proceeded to sh*t the bed.

If players want guaranteed starting positions regardless of how they’re playing and the trade off is them returning for a 4th/5th year, then see ya.
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Obviously you miss the wisdom inherent in the rhetorical question: Do you play your best eleven or do you play your eleven best?
 
KingB02 said:
Da fug!? Players don’t care if you a senior or a captain! You a bum your teammates know it. They see the bad reads and the missed tackles on film. They definitely want the best guys playing so they can win. The young guys definitely not trying to sit while this bum plays! This that participation trophy culture I be talking about. McClost HAD to come back for a 5th year because he was not going to get drafted. We changed the defense because this dude was trash and we gave him all the chances to be the striker and he could not do it. I said when seeing his HS film he should have stayed a DE!
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He's not a DE though. He's just like Chickillo. He needs to be a strong side 3-4 LB where all he does is rush or play the run.
 
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Ironmanfootball said:
DIaz needs to create a culture that the best (not most talented, the best fit for program culture that also have ACC talent) players play. You want five-stars to sign? They have to know they're going to play early and often. You don't really want seniors to stay, that means they've more than likely (exceptions to every rule) sucked so far. You want juniors to stay? Prove that you can actually develop them for the NFL (position coaching, S&C). If guys don't see themselves getting better in your development program, why stay?
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Well, Etienne stayed. There were a couple 1st rounders that stayed at Clemson. Yet we have udfas leaving early.

in the case of McCloud, the two guys ahead of you were hearing they were day 2 draft picks. He wasn’t going to see enough time ahead of them so he chose to come back. He obviously thinks he can play so he wanted to come back. Diaz was ok with it, it just hasn’t worked out great. But Diaz did his due diligence of allowing him the opportunity to be a leader and get PT. But he’s done nothing with it and he’s obviously being phased out.
 
Just wanted to chime in to raise the possiblity that McCloud is just playing out of position. I don't think this defense has a position group for a guy with his skillset. They're asking a traditional Sam to play Will. Otherwise, what OP states brings about a fair conversation.
 
D-anon said:
Something that crossed my mind in regards to McCloud and his starting role makes me think that this decision by Manny to continue to play him was not made irrationally, that the long term benefits outweighed the short term costs. Now here me out.

The question I pose to the board is this; How does it look to the locker room if you benched a team captain who returned to school for his senior season?

We complain about our juniors turning pro when it is obvious that they should come back for their senior seasons. We all see that McCloud is bad, **** the coaches see it as well. But what potential impact does benching McCloud now have on players who are draft eligible, players like Gurvan Hall, Gilbert Frierson, and Nesta Silvera.

I believe Manny and the coaches have to be delicate in how they approach this situation. McCloud won’t be benched, neither will Jennings. What I believe will happen is, Brooks and Flagg will continue to split reps with them. The coaches, now armed with a plethora of recent draft fails, and Zach McCloud’s senior year starting role as examples to help convince those juniors who need to, stay for their senior seasons.

Manny always talks about culture and it is important that the culture is set by the head coach. By keeping McCloud as a starter, yet splitting the reps, he is able to preach loyalty and that the best players will play.

It is a balancing act that can potentially pay off down the line. I believe that is what Manny is betting on.
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Here's the flaw in your logic. You are assuming McCloud was gonna get picked up by a team and there was no way in heck he was going to make a team based off of his film or lack there of. The other guys that left early were all contributing starters. The culture of leaving early at the "U" has everything to do with nothing to come back for. The team has been reched for over a decade. Coaching staff has been mehh as well. Why in the world would any of these juniors come back to this? Guys come back because they not only think they can win a Chip, but they also can improve their drat rankings. Thank you for coming back McCloud, as if he had some place to go, but i think you send the wrong message by promising a position to someone when they clearly are not the best guy at that position on the team. That would hurt recruiting.
 
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