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Spring Game Thoughts

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Quick thoughts on my concerns, post-spring, in order of importance:

1. Edge group in the run game. Bain and Mesi were as good as I can ever remember anyone being here at setting the edge in the run game. Who can come close to replicating that? Wilson and Lightfoot are elite pass rushers, I don’t trust either to do what 3 and 4 did (not that I expect them to exactly, but we need to be able to hold up there). But can they be OK? Can the other kids fill some gaps when they’re in the game?

2. Weak side backer and the overall depth. 31 wasn’t incredible, but he was solid. Can chase smith play the same way? I’m not sold. We need 1-2 more kids to step up.

3. Center. It’s an incredibly integral position in this offense (and most offenses). We’ve been spoiled. Lee, Carpenter, Brockermeyer the last 3 years. Again, no Outland trophy winners here, but coming into the last 3 years, we had a kid who we knew would be, at least, solid. We don’t this year. Where will Rodriguez fit in on that lineage?

4. The OL in general. We know the deal here. We lost 4 starters. Will we take a step back? It’s probably a favorite that we do, but if so, how much? Can it still be a Top 20 line?

5. The kicker. Davis was good, till he wasn’t. And it almost cost us the A&M game (yeah, it was windy). He melted down late in the year. We know a game is going to be at least partially decided, if not totally decided, by a kick. A Borregales brother ain’t walking thru that door. Who can hang their nuts out and make a kick?

1 is a MAJOR concern. Again, doesn’t mean we automatically blow. But it’s my main question. 2 and 3 are big. 4….i trust Mario and Alex. I know we’ll be good. The ceiling of the offense is predicated on how good, however. 5 is important but if this offense is as good as I think it is, we’ll be ok.

My reasons for extreme optimism:

1. Literally every other **** thing. Sweet ******** of god is this team loaded. Yes, I am firmly in the camp that this will be a better overall football team. We. Are. Absurdly. Loaded. Does that mean we are 40 yards from a natty on the last drive of the season? No. Football is a crazy game. Crazy **** happens. But I am fully convinced, on a snap to snap basis on both sides, this is one of the 5 best teams in the country. The offense is ******* disgusting. The defense is oozing talent, especially if we can get leads and make teams one-dimensional. The coordinator is a very likely serial murderer. Mario’s in-game coaching is markedly improved. The depth is the best it’s ever been. 5 years ago a kid like Mallory or Wingo would’ve been heavy rotational players and possibly starters. Now they’re gonna get most of their action squeezing water bottles during timeouts. Armondo Blount starts for every single ACC team…except here. Same with O’Conner. What even is this running back room? It’s a joke how deep and talented it is. I can go on for 20 mins. We have a very favorable schedule, especially early, when we need to gel. The ceiling here is a natty, full-stop. The talent is that good.

If we can fill some gaps on my concerns above and just make those good areas (they don’t have to be great), we are losing, at most, 1 game and just prison raping this league.

2023 was better than 2022. 2024 was better than 2023. 2025 was better than 2024. Those are literal facts. I don’t expect that trend to change in the least bit. This staff is assembling a monster, and we have coordinator continuity. The ceiling is truly the roof. Buckle in boys, we are gonna have a TON of fun this fall. Can’t wait.
 
OrangeBowlMagic said:
Quick thoughts on my concerns, post-spring, in order of importance:

1. Edge group in the run game. Bain and Mesi were as good as I can ever remember anyone being here at setting the edge in the run game. Who can come close to replicating that? Wilson and Lightfoot are elite pass rushers, I don’t trust either to do what 3 and 4 did (not that I expect them to exactly, but we need to be able to hold up there). But can they be OK? Can the other kids fill some gaps when they’re in the game?

2. Weak side backer and the overall depth. 31 wasn’t incredible, but he was solid. Can chase smith play the same way? I’m not sold. We need 1-2 more kids to step up.

3. Center. It’s an incredibly integral position in this offense (and most offenses). We’ve been spoiled. Lee, Carpenter, Brockermeyer the last 3 years. Again, no Outland trophy winners here, but coming into the last 3 years, we had a kid who we knew would be, at least, solid. We don’t this year. Where will Rodriguez fit in on that lineage?

4. The OL in general. We know the deal here. We lost 4 starters. Will we take a step back? It’s probably a favorite that we do, but if so, how much? Can it still be a Top 20 line?

5. The kicker. Davis was good, till he wasn’t. And it almost cost us the A&M game (yeah, it was windy). He melted down late in the year. We know a game is going to be at least partially decided, if not totally decided, by a kick. A Borregales brother ain’t walking thru that door. Who can hang their nuts out and make a kick?

1 is a MAJOR concern. Again, doesn’t mean we automatically blow. But it’s my main question. 2 and 3 are big. 4….i trust Mario and Alex. I know we’ll be good. The ceiling of the offense is predicated on how good, however. 5 is important but if this offense is as good as I think it is, we’ll be ok.

My reasons for extreme optimism:

1. Literally every other **** thing. Sweet ******** of god is this team loaded. Yes, I am firmly in the camp that this will be a better overall football team. We. Are. Absurdly. Loaded. Does that mean we are 40 yards from a natty on the last drive of the season? No. Football is a crazy game. Crazy **** happens. But I am fully convinced, on a snap to snap basis on both sides, this is one of the 5 best teams in the country. The offense is ******* disgusting. The defense is oozing talent, especially if we can get leads and make teams one-dimensional. The coordinator is a very likely serial murderer. Mario’s in-game coaching is markedly improved. The depth is the best it’s ever been. 5 years ago a kid like Mallory or Wingo would’ve been heavy rotational players and possibly starters. Now they’re gonna get most of their action squeezing water bottles during timeouts. Armondo Blount starts for every single ACC team…except here. Same with O’Conner. What even is this running back room? It’s a joke how deep and talented it is. I can go on for 20 mins. We have a very favorable schedule, especially early, when we need to gel. The ceiling here is a natty, full-stop. The talent is that good.

If we can fill some gaps on my concerns above and just make those good areas (they don’t have to be great), we are losing, at most, 1 game and just prison raping this league.

2023 was better than 2022. 2024 was better than 2023. 2025 was better than 2024. Those are literal facts. I don’t expect that trend to change in the least bit. This staff is assembling a monster, and we have coordinator continuity. The ceiling is truly the roof. Buckle in boys, we are gonna have a TON of fun this fall. Can’t wait.
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I expect Blount to start at DE to help out the run D and kick inside in pass rush situations
 
252cane said:
I expect Blount to start at DE to help out the run D and kick inside in pass rush situations
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I don’t really care who “starts”…for me it’s snap percentage. 3 and 4 both played over 90% on the snaps, I’d guess without the numbers in front of me. I agree, on obvious run downs, Blount will be in the game. And I don’t think he’s some liability in pass rush or anything. But Wilson and Lightfoot are your best edge rushers, until further notice. So they’ll be in the game the most, imo.
 
OrangeBowlMagic said:
252cane said:
I expect Blount to start at DE to help out the run D and kick inside in pass rush situations
Click to expand...

I don’t really care who “starts”…for me it’s snap percentage. 3 and 4 both played over 90% on the snaps, I’d guess without the numbers in front of me. I agree, on obvious run downs, Blount will be in the game. And I don’t think he’s some liability in pass rush or anything. But Wilson and Lightfoot are your best edge rushers, until further notice. So they’ll be in the game the most, imo.
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All 3 going to play a ton. Blount primarily played inside last year on passing downs. I expect a lot more rotation this year because Bain and Messidor didn’t want to come out the game. And if the offense ends up being what I think it is I don’t think teams will be running much
 
252cane said:
All 3 going to play a ton. Blount primarily played inside last year on passing downs. I expect a lot more rotation this year because Bain and Messidor didn’t want to come out the game. And if the offense ends up being what I think it is I don’t think teams will be running much
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We’re definitely going to rotate plenty. Way more than last year because of what you said. We know Moten, Blount, Scott, Wilson, and Lightfoot are all playing major minutes. Who are the next 2-3? And can those kids hold up on the edge. I don’t think I need to remind you or anyone else what it looks like when we get mauled there. We can’t have a repeat of what we saw in 2024 out there.
 
“The most impressive player on the field may have been JJ Dunnigan” dude I love the info and what you’re doing but what are we even doing here
 
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Jedi Master Cane said:
Yeah, I think we've all been sleeping on Upshaw. The thing is we are so loaded at receiver that it's easy to overlook one of these guys....but it's going to be impossible to keep Upshaw off the field. He's already got good chemistry with Mensah.
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Get ready for the Menshaw show!
 
bobbydigius said:
I just don’t think we have the personnel to do that this year, all the while we are built to open it up in the passing game. Last year we had a monster OL built to push people around and even then we didnt hit our stride til later in the season. If we choose to be a power running team this year, we will find ourselves in close games whereas if we just sling it sprung with Mensah we probably run everyone but ND out the stadium every week.
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I don’t disagree but I look to his first year as an example… felt like he was trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.

He wanted a certain identity… rather than taking what he had and trying to make the best of it he was **** bent on them being what he envisions.

Positives and negatives with that. I think with the first 4 games being Stanford, FAMU, Wake Forest and Central Michigan he’s willing to roll the dice of force feeding the run game to build that young OLine up.

I think the thing that most people miss or forget is that practicing that kind of run game makes your DL better in defending that aspect of the game
 
FuriousStyles said:
I don’t disagree but I look to his first year as an example… felt like he was trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.

He wanted a certain identity… rather than taking what he had and trying to make the best of it he was **** bent on them being what he envisions.

Positives and negatives with that. I think with the first 4 games being Stanford, FAMU, Wake Forest and Central Michigan he’s willing to roll the dice of force feeding the run game to build that young OLine up.

I think the thing that most people miss or forget is that practicing that kind of run game makes your DL better in defending that aspect of the game
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Think we are a very good team as a physical run first offense but I believe we are one of the favorites to win it all if we air it out. This will be 24 but with an elite DL and secondary.
 
Pikes1000 said:
They need to get rid of him. He has been injured 3 straight years. Absolutely worthless. Waste of money and a scholarship
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The investment has already been made & this is his last year so you save nothing "getting rid of him" . We should take advantage of every minute he is healthy, because when he is, he's our best db.
 
thebutcher said:
“The most impressive player on the field may have been JJ Dunnigan” dude I love the info and what you’re doing but what are we even doing here
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To be fair…we did kind of feel that way about Mali this time last year when we were getting these updates.

Frédérique the year before too.
 
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