SJ Alofaituli- season stats, other interesting stats. Mensah is saving the line

[EudocimusAlbus]

The thought process of "We have a lot of season left for the line to get better" doesn't work if this line gets Mensah hurt.

If he's out, we're done.

Yea this is my shock to all those mentioning they need more time. He got lit a few times already, we don't want this guy playing scared and/or getting hurt.

 

[Pearson704]

He's an inexperienced player with physical limitations at guard. I projected him to start based on info, but I view him as a center longterm. The surprise to me is that he's struggled with teams like Wake and Stanford. I thought he'd be adequate there until the playoff-caliber opponents.

One thing I'd say about both SJ and Buchanan- they are young players, too. I expect them both to improve.

But what did your eyes tell you?

I could see a 'bridge-to-youth' angle that provides low-stakes reps to develop more talented guys. I could also see SJ 'earning the opportunity to play' based on his commitment to the program and being coachable.

That said, he (individually & in combination) jeopardizes everything and simply can't be trusted at guard. If i'm the opposing team I'm mugging, blitzing and stunting on SJ all game long.

 

[SinisterCane]

When you got guys that aren’t physical specimens they better be well coached. Ryan plays to high and that kicks in his roller skates while SJ looks like he is playing the game on a slip and slide covered in oil and always puts himself in bad situations or he’s just missing his guy.

We got one trash game left before we kick into the meat of our schedule and I’m not seeing anything that says we are getting better each week in the interior.

We have no trash games left

 

[Pearson704]

If we move a tackle it’s likely McCoy to guard, and then Cantwell takes his lumps at RT. We’ve done similar things before: Frances in ‘23 and we threw Bell right into the fire when he really wasn’t “ready” and Rivers was already one of the best tackles in the ACC. I’d rather deal with edge pressure especially now that our TEs actually appear able to block, than have to worry about interior blow up destroying most of the plays they occur on.

Whether we’ll do that here remains to be seen. The staff may look at it through the prism that we have one of the best tackle situations in the country and they’d rather square peg/round hole their way at guard than “rock the boat” at tackle. No clue, we’ll see.

One thing I KNOW is that we’re stuck with Rodriguez at center. Personally I think the staff should have gone to the portal again there instead of letting themselves fall in love with him, but we’ve made our bed there and now we have to sleep in it. My real concern with RR is more in the run game, like against some team’s really good 1-tech or nose in the playoffs on a “4th and 1 and a half” type situation.

I THINK Buchanan is going to be ok even though he’s had some rough moments too. Needs to get stronger (but that’s a year over year thing though). I’m guessing he’s going to continue to get opportunities there.

So it’s probably going to come down to what they decide to do about LG. Going to be interesting to see the combos they use against CMU.

Goes without saying, but everything needs to be on the table.

For the record, I don't see SJ's issues being of a physical nature; the moment just looks too big for him right now.

It was FAMU, but Woodrow and Meriweather looked solid (shoulders over hips, knees bent, anchoring and engaging defenders).

 

[ssvir]

Of course. @ssvir made that up and then pivoted.

I told you SJ would start. We were the first to say that. He is starting. Would you like me to tell you he's not going to play?

As for Buchanan, I actually thought Cantwell/Congdon would start because they took most of the first-team RG reps in camp. But at the end of camp, I noted Buchanan was surging in reps and could possibly take a spot. He did.





Cantwell started every practice at LT in spring. I thought he did well. Most people who watched the spring game agreed. There is a long thread about it.

I admitted I got too excited about Cantwell's early success. Samson came back from injury and won the LT job. He previously struggled at T, which is why he didn't compete for a spot there his first three years. He improved. That's football. Cantwell had to move to guard and is not as comfortable there right now.

Every single insider, writer, podcaster said that OL was the biggest question mark on the team. I said it repeatedly. Nobody said it was as good as last year. People like you are rewriting history because you're frustrated and want to point fingers.

I'm hopeful the OL will improve, because young players with elite coaching usually do. But we'll see. It's a long season.

Once an attorney always an attorney.

Spin, spin, and more spin, and then when that gets tired move to deflection, whataboutisms, and "everyone saw the same thing".

Your OL takes have been as bad as the interior OL play this year.

You went out on a limb with some predictions and they were wrong. It's fine. Just admit it and move on instead of digging your heels in on a losing position (ie: Lofton).

 

[JG14]

Havent gone through the 9 pages, but SJ looks like the gif of that blind kid trying to play. Its pathetic

And I'll add he was not impressive when he came in to play FB last year either. He consistently missed blocks

 

[supacane]

I dont wanna dump on him. For some reason Mirabal and Cristobal see something in him, that i haven't seen yet. But eventually they wil have to make an adjustment because having Mensah get hit may eventually cost us the biggest. Its not even about him being overpowered because of size its running by people he supposed to block, or just totally whiffing.

 

[Calinative]

The reality is staff ****ed this from the jump by not just leaving Cantwell at OT and ever Playing SJ at Guard period. SJ is and will only ever be a center. It's a complete waste of his time and removes all development reps from actual potential long-term starters at guard.

None of the people at practice were literally even reporting SJ was practicing at Center. It's insane.

I could actually be convinced our best possible line is
Samson - Congdon - Buchanan - McCoy - Cantwell.

But regardless it seems staff went into this season guaranteeing Rodriguez a job. And once they moved both Samson and McCoy to OT it appears they are saying they wont move no matter what now....

The entire OLine gameplan has been pretty bungled.

 

[hoops156]

Memnon said SJ isn't a P4 guard; I'd go further and say he isn't a G6 offensive lineman at this point and may never be if he doesn't learn how to snap.

he cant be a center if he cant snap the ball.

 

[skyman]

The reality is staff ****ed this from the jump by not just leaving Cantwell at OT and ever Playing SJ at Guard period. SJ is and will only ever be a center. It's a complete waste of his time and removes all development reps from actual potential long-term starters at guard.

None of the people at practice were literally even reporting SJ was practicing at Center. It's insane.

I could actually be convinced our best possible line is
Samson - Congdon - Buchanan - McCoy - Cantwell.

But regardless it seems staff went into this season guaranteeing Rodriguez a job. And once they moved both Samson and McCoy to OT it appears they are saying they wont move no matter what now....

The entire OLine gameplan has been pretty bungled.

Idk whats soo hard for many of you guys to understand, he is not at center because he cant snap.. He didnt snap in high school and he obviously said ya I can do it and couldnt, got his scholarship, NIL and he is starting at guard without it.. he is gucci..

 

[PIPO]

he cant be a center if he cant snap the ball.

You can’t be a center if you’re too dumb to not know how to snap a ball.

 

[hoops156]

The reality is staff ****ed this from the jump by not just leaving Cantwell at OT and ever Playing SJ at Guard period. SJ is and will only ever be a center. It's a complete waste of his time and removes all development reps from actual potential long-term starters at guard.

None of the people at practice were literally even reporting SJ was practicing at Center. It's insane.

I could actually be convinced our best possible line is
Samson - Congdon - Buchanan - McCoy - Cantwell.

But regardless it seems staff went into this season guaranteeing Rodriguez a job. And once they moved both Samson and McCoy to OT it appears they are saying they wont move no matter what now....

The entire OLine gameplan has been pretty bungled.

SJ isnt a center if he cant snp.

 

[Calinative]

SJ isnt a center if he cant snp.

but if he isn't practicing there and forced to do it because staff always has him at guard, how is he supposed to actually develop that skill. Its a self fulfilling prophecy. He has no future except at center, and it was obvious from the day he stepped on campus given his size.

 

[Calinative]

Idk whats soo hard for many of you guys to understand, he is not at center because he cant snap.. He didnt snap in high school and he obviously said ya I can do it and couldnt, got his scholarship, NIL and he is starting at guard without it.. he is gucci..

He shouldn't be on this roster next yr if he isn't getting forced to be center.
He shouldn't even have been on the roster this year if staff wasn't exclusively forcing him to compete with Rodriguez.

I said this all offseason...

 

[CaneMutiny06]

He shouldn't be on this roster next yr

Well if he gets benched, there’s a good possibility that’s what happens.

 

[jheat9]

I’m not an X’s and O’s guy at all and know next to nothing about line play. In fact I don’t even watch the line during a game. But SJ’s play was so glaring- the way he just whiffs on plays is something I don’t remember seeing in a football game. Plus he’s so small it really is somewhat comical watching him play. So I decided to look at his stats on PFF.

According to PFF, in the power 4, 307 players have played a snap at guard this season. That’s 67 teams so and this includes a host of substitutes who have played 1-2 snaps.

Of the 307 players, SJ ranks 278th.

When you factor in the players who actually play significant snaps he’s the 8th worst graded guard out of at least 134 players- 2 guards a team.

And that’s without playing anyone.

The only thing saving us is that Mensah ranks 2nd in time in the pocket- basically how fast you get it out. The crazy thing is it’s not dink and dunk either. He’s 10th in passing depth.


I know that PFF has its flaws- last year some of the guards seemed underrated in pass blocking meanwhile Beck had forever to throw but to be behind 124 power 4 guards is quite an accomplishment.

And yet we will trot him out there to start again again and again, from “THE BEST OL GURUS IN THE COUNTRY”.

We are trying to win a chip but won’t spend another $m to grab a starting OL in portal lol

Invested it on Cantwell. He will be great just not yet