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Offensive Line Depth

CaneBear0207

CaneBear0207

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Like most of us, I think we'll be fine long-term on the O-line. But at the moment, we have only 16 scholarship O-linemen on the team, and that's including Issiah Walker and the two incoming freshmen who aren't here yet. There's one returning walk-on who played last year (Moose Griffth); the other one (Gavin Adams) might have left the program. Also, Jalen Rivers and John Campbell, both candidates to start, are limited for injuries.
What's the outlook here? We pick up a couple guys in the portal and ride out the year, stocking up in 2023? How many bodies are too few to get through a season?
 
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Expect coming & going from lineman via portal. We'll load up in this 2023 class. Hoping we pick up a starting RT so we keep Rivers at guard. Mirabal has stated he'll play the best 5 period. If we don't pick up a starter in the portal I'd go left to right: Zion, Campbell, Clark, Sagopolu, Rivers.
 
Damiencane86 said:
Expect coming & going from lineman via portal. We'll load up in this 2023 class. Hoping we pick up a starting RT so we keep Rivers at guard. Mirabal has stated he'll play the best 5 period. If we don't pick up a starter in t
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Damiencane86 said:
Expect coming & going from lineman via portal. We'll load up in this 2023 class. Hoping we pick up a starting RT so we keep Rivers at guard. Mirabal has stated he'll play the best 5 period. If we don't pick up a starter in the portal I'd go left to right: Zion, Campbell, Clark, Sagopolu, Rivers.
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Damiencane86 said:
Expect coming & going from lineman via portal. We'll load up in this 2023 class. Hoping we pick up a starting RT so we keep Rivers at guard. Mirabal has stated he'll play the best 5 period. If we don't pick up a starter in the portal I'd go left to right: Zion, Campbell, Clark, Sagopolu, Rivers.
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If we don't pickup a starting RT from the portal then i like your lineup except i would flip Clark and Sagopolu, Clark has played guard before and was very good when pulling he has quick feet and good movement and Sagpolu has much more strenght to hold down the center and get some push in short yardage carries
 
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CaneBear0207 said:
Like most of us, I think we'll be fine long-term on the O-line. But at the moment, we have only 16 scholarship O-linemen on the team, and that's including Issiah Walker and the two incoming freshmen who aren't here yet. There's one returning walk-on who played last year (Moose Griffth); the other one (Gavin Adams) might have left the program. Also, Jalen Rivers and John Campbell, both candidates to start, are limited for injuries.
What's the outlook here? We pick up a couple guys in the portal and ride out the year, stocking up in 2023? How many bodies are too few to get through a season?
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Depth here will take at least 2 recruiting classes. Still good enough to win the ACC IMO. I truly believe with the better coaching there'll be some surprise performances, like Campbell and McLaughlin. Is there still hope for Isaiah Walker, Big Baby and Chris Washington?
 
Billy D Williams said:
Depth here will take at least 2 recruiting classes. Still good enough to win the ACC IMO. I truly believe with the better coaching there'll be some surprise performances, like Campbell and McLaughlin. Is there still hope for Isaiah Walker, Big Baby and Chris Washington?
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***UPDATE*** The portal offers us the opportunity to upgrade our depth
 
16 total and 13 for spring are really healthy numbers. I imagine 2-3 will leave and 1-2 portal guys replace them. I think they’ll find a good starting 5. Not elite but good. Depth behind those 5 is the concern.
 
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561Cane said:
Only 16 scholarship? How many do you want as a percentage of your overall 85 then?

It’s not how many but the right many. A three deep OL is plenty when it’s the right bodies…
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It aint the right bodies, thats the point lol.

Atleast 5 of those guys have zero business at the University of Miami, and that number is probably generous. As the OP stated, long term we will be fine under these guys but this year, ehh lol.
 
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Damiencane86 said:
Expect coming & going from lineman via portal. We'll load up in this 2023 class. Hoping we pick up a starting RT so we keep Rivers at guard. Mirabal has stated he'll play the best 5 period. If we don't pick up a starter in the portal I'd go left to right: Zion, Campbell, Clark, Sagopolu, Rivers.
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Watched some practice drill clips and came away rather unimpressed with Sagopolu, fwiw. To the point, ball-park Cleveland Reed quickness/feet. Hopefully I'm wrong.
I would expect Oluwaseun and Scaife to factor in also. Scaife could still be our 2nd best T. I know, I know, but the disastrous results for him came at G.
Just drills, but liked what I saw from Oluwaseun from a size/quickness standpoint. Swing-guy with positional versatility? Really a crapshoot beyond Zion and a healthy Rivers.
 
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Billy D Williams said:
Depth here will take at least 2 recruiting classes. Still good enough to win the ACC IMO. I truly believe with the better coaching there'll be some surprise performances, like Campbell and McLaughlin. Is there still hope for Isaiah Walker, Big Baby and Chris Washington?
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plus an SEC S&C program as well..... no more weak sisters
 
LT - Zion Nelson/ Chris Washington
LG - Jalen Rivers/ Justice Oluwaseun/ Cleveland Reed
C - Jakai Clark/ Ryan Rodriguez
RG - Logan Sagapolu/ Ousman Traore
RT - John Campbell/ Delone Scaife/ Michael McLaughlin

Obviously, with Rivers & Campbell out for the Spring that’s not the current lineup, but once they’re all back come Fall camp that’s my guess for the starting 2-deep.

Scaife & Oluwaseun are both Hybrid Guards that can play Tackle, Scaife can play Center too.

Michael McLaughlin & Cleveland Reed are two guys who need to be solid depth this season.

Other than that, our depth is pretty much just hoping & praying guys who haven’t done much thus far just suddenly play above their means, which is really unrealistic even with Mario & Mirabal coaching them up.

Unless we hit the Portal for some more Linemen, our depth is really thin on paper. It simply boils down to how you view it, most will see it with Orange & Green colored homer glasses, but we’ll find out how rosie it actually is come September-October.
 
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Liberty City El said:
LT - Zion Johnson/ Chris Washington
LG - Jalen Rivers/ Justice Oluwaseun/ Cleveland Reed
C - Jakai Clark/ Ryan Rodriguez
RG - Logan Sagapolu/ Ousman Traore
RT - John Campbell/ Delone Scaife/ Michael McLaughlin

Obviously, with Rivers & Campbell out for the Spring that’s not the current lineup, but once they’re all back come Fall camp that’s my guess for the starting 2-deep.

Scaife & Oluwaseun are both Hybrid Guards that can play Tackle, Scaife can play Center too.

Michael McLaughlin & Cleveland Reed are two guys who need to be solid depth this season.

Other than that, our depth is pretty much just hoping & praying guys who haven’t done much thus far just suddenly play above their means, which is really unrealistic even with Mario & Mirabal coaching them up.

Unless we hit the Portal for some more Linemen, our depth is really thin on paper. It simply boils down to how you view it, most will see it with Orange & Green colored homer glasses, but we’ll find out how rosie it actually is come September-October.
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Gotten a look at Sagopolu yet?
 
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I think it all comes down to getting a quality RT. Nelson and Rivers are top ACC talent. Scaife did just fine at OG during ACC play last season, recognized as an All-ACC player though I’m not sure he was quite that good. I’d move him to C if possible because Clark is too small.

Then you just need to solve the right side. And Campbell, Justice, Traore, Clark, Sagapulo can all help there. So the RT is the key to making it all work.
 
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Liberty City El said:
LT - Zion Johnson/ Chris Washington
LG - Jalen Rivers/ Justice Oluwaseun/ Cleveland Reed
C - Jakai Clark/ Ryan Rodriguez
RG - Logan Sagapolu/ Ousman Traore
RT - John Campbell/ Delone Scaife/ Michael McLaughlin

Obviously, with Rivers & Campbell out for the Spring that’s not the current lineup, but once they’re all back come Fall camp that’s my guess for the starting 2-deep.

Scaife & Oluwaseun are both Hybrid Guards that can play Tackle, Scaife can play Center too.

Michael McLaughlin & Cleveland Reed are two guys who need to be solid depth this season.

Other than that, our depth is pretty much just hoping & praying guys who haven’t done much thus far just suddenly play above their means, which is really unrealistic even with Mario & Mirabal coaching them up.

Unless we hit the Portal for some more Linemen, our depth is really thin on paper. It simply boils down to how you view it, most will see it with Orange & Green colored homer glasses, but we’ll find out how rosie it actually is come September-October.
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Good post but who is this Zion Johnson you speak of?
 
htownkidd said:
It aint the right bodies, thats the point lol.

Atleast 5 of those guys have zero business at the University of Miami, and that number is probably generous. As the OP stated, long term we will be fine under these guys but this year, ehh lol.
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