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Samson Okunlola (is not hurt)

edge said:
I got to come in here and take my L. Two years ago I went to the Ville game. We waited outside at the team buses to see the players. Samson was the first guy on the bus by a good 5 minutes. He looked unhappy, depressed, just did not look like a guy that wanted to be there. When I saw that there was no doubt in my mind he would portal out. And I made that statement. Now maybe that was the case at the time and Mario talked to him. I never had a doubt he would become a great player. He just seemed like he did not want to be on this team. So happy I was wrong and I will take that L all day. He is an amazing player and I love watching him! Props big man!
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I had that same feeling about him transferring when I saw him get on the bus after the Cal game in 2024.
 
skyman said:
Only thing could nitpick is working on his anchor.. Also in the oline all 22 breakdown was pointed out he has trouble on screens and such blocking 2nd level moving targets..
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I think he has trouble with the speed to power rush. His anchor si the thing you're right but he does have to meet him a bit.
He seems almost TOO athletic sometimes haha.

He's kick step is a vertical kick step and sometimes he need to have a bit of an angle, but he was coached that way and I believe him since you never know what you're getting.

Going to back to PFF grades, on Clemson DE. See below:

[td]Will Heldt[/td][td]DE[/td][td]45[/td][td]76.3[/td] [td]Jahiem Lawson[/td][td]DE[/td][td]34[/td][td]79.2[/td] [td]London Merritt[/td][td]DE[/td][td]42[/td][td]62.9[/td] [td]Caden Story[/td][td]DE[/td][td]15[/td][td]60.6[/td]

For background number 14 is London Merritt, the one Landon Tengwell was just blasting saying he was complete garbage vs us, whether it was vs a TE McCoy or Okulola, mainly McCoy though.

60 is considered average. If our ends played like they did and we said they played average.... Just imagine.... The door to the portal is to your left.
 
OldhamA said:
If Cantwell can only play LT, could we move Okunlola to RT and McCoy to RG?
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If Cantwell can’t handle RT now, what makes you think we should replace our best OL with him to protect Mensah’s blindside?

Black Widow Marvel GIF
 
Cantwell made a point to announce on twitter that he's back at LT. He looked better playing 16 snaps at LT vs Central Michigan than anyone may have expected. I urge you all to revisit the tape from that game to see how natural he looks playing LT. If he can play that one position at a level that is anywhere near very good then he should certainly be considered for that role while Okunlola returns to LG.

I know we like to believe that Okunlola is "the best LT in the nation," because anytime a player of ours excels at his position he automatically becomes "the best ____ in the nation," but Cantwell was thought to be a shoo-in at LT before camp, and there's no better time than now to see what we've got there. That's no slight to Okunlola and the job he's done in 2026, but it's about fielding the best combination in Buchanan's absence imo.
 
I think the OL coaches have a certain position about freshmen starting....

Cogdon is the perfect example. It took SJ completely embarrassing himself and the coaches before allowing Cogdon to start at LG.

Makes me wonder who else could be developed into a starter with quality reps.
 
OT: didn’t we lose our freshman LT in Berlin’s last year when Herbie and others had us penciled in the national championship game? Little brain fog over here
 
rok said:
Cantwell made a point to announce on twitter that he's back at LT. He looked better playing 16 snaps at LT vs Central Michigan than anyone may have expected. I urge you all to revisit the tape from that game to see how natural he looks playing LT. If he can play that one position at a level that is anywhere near very good then he should certainly be considered for that role while Okunlola returns to LG.

I know we like to believe that Okunlola is "the best LT in the nation," because anytime a player of ours excels at his position he automatically becomes "the best ____ in the nation," but Cantwell was thought to be a shoo-in at LT before camp, and there's no better time than now to see what we've got there. That's no slight to Okunlola and the job he's done in 2026, but it's about fielding the best combination in Buchanan's absence imo.
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Almost got rork'd :ibis-roflmao-sm3:
 
Pearson704 said:
I think the OL coaches have a certain position about freshmen starting....

Cogdon is the perfect example. It took SJ completely embarrassing himself and the coaches before allowing Cogdon to start at LG.

Makes me wonder who else could be developed into a starter with quality reps.
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And yet this is completely debunked by Mauigoa starting day one.
 
skyman said:
Almost got rork'd :ibis-roflmao-sm3:
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Oh, I am deadly serious.

Of course it's risky moving Okunlola off LT, but his backup just happens to be the Gatorade National POY. I believe Cantwell would do just fine at LT and it might elevate the rest of the unit, but I'll slink back now and watch the SJ vs Meriweather debate unfold.
 
rok said:
Oh, I am deadly serious.

Of course it's risky moving Okunlola off LT, but his backup just happens to be the Gatorade National POY. I believe Cantwell would do just fine at LT and it might elevate the rest of the unit, but I'll slink back now and watch the SJ vs Meriweather debate unfold.
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If Cantwell is who he and everyone think he is, he needs to take a mindset of Cici and say Im gonna get one of those 5 spots or he can sit behind vet and say Im a LT only and suck everywhere else but since I suck everywhere else play me only at LT? Im not tracking..

Get on the field and do something is the motto.. too much talking on the net is not
 
I could see him playing tackle, guard or even center at the next level. I think guard is the safest spot
 
mirvin88 said:
And yet this is completely debunked by Mauigoa starting day one.
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I thought about that, but not really when you consider those were desperate times back then. I think this version of Cantwell would have had a starting spot on the OL during the '22 season and that stage of program development as well. SJ probably would have also.

I think Mauigoa has a unique combination of size, strength and athleticism, but starting him at that time was also out of necessity in Mario's first season. He was a cornerstone of the rebuild along with Bain.

5 years later the pecking order is different and it's not clear what a true freshman (Cogdon) has to do in order to start now, but having superior size, strength, athleticism, and football IQ (by comparison to SJ) clearly isn't enough.
 
skyman said:
If Cantwell is who he and everyone think he is, he needs to take a mindset of Cici and say Im gonna get one of those 5 spots or he can sit behind vet and say Im a LT only and suck everywhere else but since I suck everywhere else play me only at LT? Im not tracking..

Get on the field and do something is the motto.. too much talking on the net is not
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Don't disagree at all in theory, but we don't appear to have that luxury with Cantwell. They gave him a look at LG, RG, RT and it didn't take for whatever reason. But I don't believe his inability to learn a new position on the fly should detract from his potential at his natural position of LT.

I mean just look at him and tell me you can see him playing anywhere but LT. He moved back to LT probably after the FAMU game and has taken all the LT2 reps ever since. No one can be sure that he's ready, and it would be a major risk allowing him to assume LT duties full-time, but if they do the Bell/Rivers thing with he and Samson against FSU to test the waters then it may open up some more options.
 
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