Zion is projected s a 1st rounder? Not calling you out, just wanting it to be true. Do you have a link?Do you know what makes OL good beyond just coaching and size... experience. OL is where you need the most experience. The problem with Miami's OL is that we've been playing more young guys than older one, and they lack playing together experience. Look at all the other programs with good OL, not only do they have size, but they're JRs, SRs or 5th year SRs. I believe Miami's OL will be a top 10 OL next year. We definitely have the size and a good coach... now they have the experience. But with that being said, this who I think should be our starters.
LT - Zion Nelson 6-5 315 (A projected first rounder)
LG - Navaughn Donaldson 6-6 335
C - Corey Gaynor 6-4 310
RG - DJ Scaife 6-3 315
RT - Jarrid Williams 6'6 320
That's size!! Also, I'm factoring a projected training camp weight lol.
ND better drop a good 50 by then.Pass blocking was night and day better we just need to get better with the run. Very inconsistent. Rivers snd ND would help.
I would say can't get much worse but year before last was worse. Justice has got to figure out why we can't run block. They really have improved in their pass blocking but we really suck at run blocking....solid this coming season. By all accounts, Justice is legit. We've actually recruited a number of highly rated OL. and we have quite a bit of age coming back to the OL this season. AND we get a Spring this time.
Hey, I'm an optimist. "On paper" we really should have a 10 win season coming up, and the OL, if that happens, will have to be solid. And, the leader, if he's interested in an NFL career, should be #55.
I hope you are right!No more guaranteed than anything in this life, but we just went through an entire CFB season with the pandemic as we stumbled along and tried to figure out how to do things. At this point, I'll be shocked if we don't have Spring training. Now, will some of the players catch C19 and have to sit out for some/all of it? I can see that happening.
Amazing how great of a hole ND opened up for CamPass blocking was night and day better we just need to get better with the run. Very inconsistent. Rivers snd ND would help.
Yep. The latest 2022 Mock draft by Walterfootball. They had him at 12 I believe at one point. Also, other sources have rated him at the number 4 best OT for 2022, and if he continues to progress and stay until his senior season... he can be a top 10. Imagine that. A kid who was a TE and switch to T, came to Miami at 243 and now looking in the NFL at T one day.Zion is projected s a 1st rounder? Not calling you out, just wanting it to be true. Do you have a link?
We've recruited plenty of 'solidly rated' OL over the years who were terrible. Herbert was highly rated. Bar Milo was, too....solid this coming season. By all accounts, Justice is legit. We've actually recruited a number of highly rated OL. and we have quite a bit of age coming back to the OL this season. AND we get a Spring this time.
Hey, I'm an optimist. "On paper" we really should have a 10 win season coming up, and the OL, if that happens, will have to be solid. And, the leader, if he's interested in an NFL career, should be #55.
Sometimes in life you have to make choices. Miami is a loooong way from the Left Coast and longer from Asia. The idea that we should be recruiting Samoans seems like the kind of thing fans think of, but fortunately coaches don't seem to bother with.I wish Miami would put some effort into building the "polynesian pipeline." We're always missing out on some extremely talented kids. As has been said before, it's not like normal recruiting of HS prospects, you need to have other polynesian players and/or staff (or at least someone who knows the culture well. Penei Sewell, who was a 4 star out of Utah, turned out to be PFF's highest graded OL ever. And he's 19 years old! There are ridiculously talented, underrated polynesian players like him all over the country but you have zero chance if you don't have a polynesian connection. Even Notre Dame figured this out a long time ago.
Just to drive the point home- Sewell got offers from dozens of schools but made only 5 visits. Here's Sewell's visit list from 247 and primary recruiter and/or connection
Bama- Tosh Lupoi + polynesian players
Oregon- Joe Salave'a + polynesian players
Nevada- several polynesian players and Vai Taua as assistant coach (director of recruiting at time)
USC- obvious filled with polynesian players and staff
Utah- obvious likewise
Someone might need to ask The Rock to start putting in a good word.
I'd like to have signed that Linebacker from Hawaii, the one that committed to Nebraska? Supposedly he has never visited Lincoln, NB. A kid from the Tropics going to a frozen wasteland like that. I think he should talk to some those Miami kids who signed there and 6 or 7 months later transferred out and have all returned home.I wish Miami would put some effort into building the "polynesian pipeline." We're always missing out on some extremely talented kids. As has been said before, it's not like normal recruiting of HS prospects, you need to have other polynesian players and/or staff (or at least someone who knows the culture well. Penei Sewell, who was a 4 star out of Utah, turned out to be PFF's highest graded OL ever. And he's 19 years old! There are ridiculously talented, underrated polynesian players like him all over the country but you have zero chance if you don't have a polynesian connection. Even Notre Dame figured this out a long time ago.
Just to drive the point home- Sewell got offers from dozens of schools but made only 5 visits. Here's Sewell's visit list from 247 and primary recruiter and/or connection
Bama- Tosh Lupoi + polynesian players
Oregon- Joe Salave'a + polynesian players
Nevada- several polynesian players and Vai Taua as assistant coach (director of recruiting at time)
USC- obvious filled with polynesian players and staff
Utah- obvious likewise
Someone might need to ask The Rock to start putting in a good word.
Sometimes in life you have to make choices. Miami is a loooong way from the Left Coast and longer from Asia. The idea that we should be recruiting Samoans seems like the kind of thing fans think of, but fortunately coaches don't seem to bother with.
We'd do better to lock down the Haitian and Bahamian pipelines.
Alabama is in a different world than we are recruiting-wise.They go all the way from the west coast to Bama and Notre Dame all the time. Now Florida is too far away? And these kids aren't coming out of Pago Pago. They are in Utah and California.
LT - Zion
LG- Donaldson
C- Gaynor
RG- Campbell / Scaife
RT- Rivers / Walker
my guess
If Zion plays in the NFL, someone some day will start a thread and claim we had a good OL in '19 and point to Zion as proof.I saw the same mock draft stuff about Zion and I was dumbfounded lol just to keep things in perspective Brad Kayaa was also projected to go first round at this point before his junior year.
With that being said, Zion was infinitely better this year and if he takes the same leap forward this upcoming season it’s not crazy to think he can be an all acc caliber T. 21’ should be our best Oline in a long time but that’s not saying much lol