forums

Pro football focus

Cribby said:
Possible. Lb is the heart of this defense , instincts and smarts are very important. Especially at Mike. That’s why mccloud at Mike and brooks outside is best fit.

Against Clemson I’d like to see more of Frierson and smith together on the field.
Click to expand...

lol at mcCloud at mike because of instincts. Instincts is what buddy has the least amount of. Should have been a d-end here lol
 
Advertisement
Zion was never the issue. Starting Zion as a true freshman at left tackle while he was still adjusting to being 50 pounds heavier in a year was the issue. The kid was super athletic but a major project, much more so than Chris Washington coming out of high school, for example. Zion was raw clay. He honestly shouldn't have needed to see the field except in mop-up time at a program like Miami until his 3rd year as a redshirted sophomore. I expected Zion to have a shot at major playing time, just not until 2021.

My fear with Zion this season was that I saw no reason to believe he could go from the worst OT in the ACC to even middle-of-the-pack mediocre, no matter how big a step he took. I honestly don't understand how he could have gotten so much better. I want to see more film on him against other opponents.

But Cribby, if you're right and this kid is ready to play at this level for the rest of the season, I honestly don't remember a turnaround this dramatic in 30 years of following the Canes. We've had breakthrough moments before. Guys like Hankerson or Walford or Redwine went from disappointments to bigtime players. But worst-in-the-ACC to shut-down LT? That's something.
 
Just imagine walking around with a 10 pound weight on your back. The next month twenty. The next thirty...and so on til you've got 50 on you.

No matter what your frame is it's got to be almost impossible for a kid to get that big, adjust to it, then stop a borderline NFL player nearly every single week.

Kid never got the chance to properly grow into his own body.
 
Zion probably slides to RT for 2021.

2021 OL:
RT - Zion
RG - Rivers
C - Gaynor
LG - Clarke/Traore
LT - Campbell

Alot of experience on that line next year. OL need to be grown men, and this line gets us there.

Anybody heard anything about El-Gammal? Big dude, but I never hear him mentioned.
 
Last edited:
Sabetta said:
I’ve been saying this since the first drive of the UAB game. Jennings offers nothing to this defense other than an occasional big hit. Mcloud’s not much better. We’ve been lucky so far. If we don’t make a change, we will not be so lucky vs Clemson.
Click to expand...
Jennings offers something. It is the lure of his little brother. I may be waaaay off base on this but he is getting PT to sway his brother. Just my opinion. This absolutely does happen in recruiting.
 
Advertisement
grover said:
Zion was never the issue. Starting Zion as a true freshman at left tackle while he was still adjusting to being 50 pounds heavier in a year was the issue. The kid was super athletic but a major project, much more so than Chris Washington coming out of high school, for example. Zion was raw clay. He honestly shouldn't have needed to see the field except in mop-up time at a program like Miami until his 3rd year as a redshirted sophomore. I expected Zion to have a shot at major playing time, just not until 2021.

My fear with Zion this season was that I saw no reason to believe he could go from the worst OT in the ACC to even middle-of-the-pack mediocre, no matter how big a step he took. I honestly don't understand how he could have gotten so much better. I want to see more film on him against other opponents.

But Cribby, if you're right and this kid is ready to play at this level for the rest of the season, I honestly don't remember a turnaround this dramatic in 30 years of following the Canes. We've had breakthrough moments before. Guys like Hankerson or Walford or Redwine went from disappointments to bigtime players. But worst-in-the-ACC to shut-down LT? That's something.
Click to expand...
We remember all the bad and there was plenty of it. But the good moments he did have you kinda knew something was there. In all of those moments good or bad he was always fighting to win his rep, he never stopped believing in himself. In my personal opinion it wasn’t hard to see what a kid that athletic with that kinda fight in him lol as going to do with a new scheme and a great coach
 
SouthParkCane said:
In my personal opinion it wasn’t hard to see what a kid that athletic with that kinda fight in him lol as going to do with a new scheme and a great coach
Click to expand...

I saw what you saw. It was still hard for me to imagine this type of improvement. From worst to shutdown in 9 months is stunning. And Campbell, too.

Not taking anything away from either kid or Justice or Lashlee. But if these OL ever get to the NFL, they need to give King an agent cut. That kid makes his line look a lot better. He is so **** elusive and quick. Williams and Perry sat back in that pocket and often ran right into the pressure.
 
Go Canes!! said:
Just imagine walking around with a 10 pound weight on your back. The next month twenty. The next thirty...and so on til you've got 50 on you.

No matter what your frame is it's got to be almost impossible for a kid to get that big, adjust to it, then stop a borderline NFL player nearly every single week.

Kid never got the chance to properly grow into his own body.
Click to expand...
Ding ding ding! The kid was beaten as soon as the ball was snapped last year. It takes time to get used to the that much added weight. Add to that his inexperience and lack of positional strength and the kid didn't stand a chance. Watching him struggle last year after being put in a position he should've been put in had me sick.
 
Advertisement
Cribby said:
Zion has the highest grade of the ol and one of the best OT grades in acc. Fifty three pass plays,zero pressures. Props to the kid, Shame on some of y’all for how you ridiculed a kid being thrown in a position he had no place being in.

Jennings continues to struggle especially against the pass. Against FSU he was in the 38 range which is atrocious and 34 against pass. He gave up three catches for forty yards. Which brings me to the point of the thread , lb play. The staff has to figure something out especially with pass defense , Jennings can’t keep getting this much burn. Brooks has to play or maybe cave. There has to be an answer. Clemson will pick on these guys in coverage.

I know pff has flaws but both of these players film match up with their rankings and it’s obvious.
Click to expand...
Our receivers need to be called out as well for poor play and horrible grade thus far. Pope, Harley especially need to step up against Clemson.

After the first quarter the coaches need to make the decisive decision to replace or keep them in according to their productivity. Seniors and Juniors need to be held more accountable for their play then the freshmen.

I think it’s time to turn the page on Pope and Harley. Letting them come off the bench and playing X. Payton, Redding and Smith might light a fire in these guys to step up their game. Both lack mental toughness and concentration to fully execute the play called on.

Maybe their slight in size make them more focused on not getting hit and hurt. After 4 yrs in the S/C training they still haven’t gained an once of weight. JMO!
 
Cribby said:
Possible. Lb is the heart of this defense , instincts and smarts are very important. Especially at Mike. That’s why mccloud at Mike and brooks outside is best fit.

Against Clemson I’d like to see more of Frierson and smith together on the field.
Click to expand...

My concern with lining up 2 strikers along with McCloud or even McCloud/Brooks/Gil is Clemson's ability to power run against us. They would steam roll us up the middle unless our DTs play monstrous. No?
 
jjjrcanes said:
Our receivers need to be called out as well for poor play and horrible grade thus far. Pope, Harley especially need to step up against Clemson.

After the first quarter the coaches need to make the decisive decision to replace or keep them in according to their productivity. Seniors and Juniors need to be held more accountable for their play then the freshmen.

I think it’s time to turn the page on Pope and Harley. Letting them come off the bench and playing X. Payton, Redding and Smith might light a fire in these guys to step up their game. Both lack mental toughness and concentration to fully execute the play called on.

Maybe their slight in size make them more focused on not getting hit and hurt. After 4 yrs in the S/C training they still haven’t gained an once of weight. JMO!
Click to expand...
I’ve been ripping the wr’s since week one. The youngsters need more burn if these days keep putting the ball on the ground.
 
Advertisement
AUcane said:
My concern with lining up 2 strikers along with McCloud or even McCloud/Brooks/Gil is Clemson's ability to power run against us. They would steam roll us up the middle unless our DTs play monstrous. No?
Click to expand...
You gotta choose your poison sometimes. You can always bring one safety down and have one deep to make up for the size. The pass is what scares me and all the misdirection , not getting mashed off tackle. Speed going side yo side could be an issue.
 
AUcane said:
My concern with lining up 2 strikers along with McCloud or even McCloud/Brooks/Gil is Clemson's ability to power run against us. They would steam roll us up the middle unless our DTs play monstrous. No?
Click to expand...
Miami’s strength has always being in numbers. Even though they lack in size they will have multiple guys attacking the ball carrier because of their speed and ability to get to the ball.

If we’re getting good play from our DTs playing faster and smaller could benefit us in this game.
 
This thread is great.

Canes fan: "Zion struggled last year because he was forced into action too early. He should have redshirted and they should have played a more experienced guy at tackle."

Also Canes fan: "We need to get the freshmen linebackers on the field as fast as possible whether they're ready or not".
 
Advertisement
As maligned as he was last year, I'm absolutely thrilled to see Zion succeed. You can tell from the muscle he's put on that he takes this seriously.
 
PatrickCane said:
Zion probably slides to RT for 2021.

2021 OL:
RT - Zion
RG - Rivers
C - Gaynor
LG - Clarke/Traore
LT - Campbell

Alot of experience on that line next year. OL need to be grown men, and this line gets us there.

Anybody heard anything about El-Gammal? Big dude, but I never hear him mentioned.
Click to expand...
Don’t forget about Walker
 
grover said:
Zion was never the issue. Starting Zion as a true freshman at left tackle while he was still adjusting to being 50 pounds heavier in a year was the issue. The kid was super athletic but a major project, much more so than Chris Washington coming out of high school, for example. Zion was raw clay. He honestly shouldn't have needed to see the field except in mop-up time at a program like Miami until his 3rd year as a redshirted sophomore. I expected Zion to have a shot at major playing time, just not until 2021.

My fear with Zion this season was that I saw no reason to believe he could go from the worst OT in the ACC to even middle-of-the-pack mediocre, no matter how big a step he took. I honestly don't understand how he could have gotten so much better. I want to see more film on him against other opponents.

But Cribby, if you're right and this kid is ready to play at this level for the rest of the season, I honestly don't remember a turnaround this dramatic in 30 years of following the Canes. We've had breakthrough moments before. Guys like Hankerson or Walford or Redwine went from disappointments to bigtime players. But worst-in-the-ACC to shut-down LT? That's something.
Click to expand...

agreed. that kid could should have been on campus for 2 full years before even sniffing turf.

nice turnaround for him. good attitude and good coaching.
 
Advertisement
Back
Top