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The Bank (scrimmage edition)

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Astcloud11 said:
Ironically...Alabama had a "good QB" and still lost because of poor receiver play after losing their top 2. Yet people think it's ok to go into the season with a big *** question mark at WR but still predicting 11 wins lol.
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Who’s predicting 11 wins? Most are predicting an appearance in the ACC championship game, not the national championship game.
 
KrazyCane said:
Once Chaney and the staff moves on from last years injury he’s taking the #1 spot easy.
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The reports of Chaney running well are very encouraging.

I'm not sure if Chaney "easily" takes the #1 spot, but I definitely think the staff prefers a bigger RB to be higher than our #3 guy.

I can't see Knighton/Parrish finishing the year 1/2 in carries. IMO - finding the right rotation will be more difficult than people think.
 
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Citizens' injury is why we need 5 RBs. Let's please not try to run off Thad. We will need those horses in the backfield.

On Offense, just please Jesus keep the OL healthy. Love our first 7-8, but we are thin after that. Not worried about the WRs. A good QB makes any WR look good, and we've got enough talent out wide to be productive.

On Defense, it's all about our Front 7. If they can be disciplined, play stout, physical, tackle well and most importantly quit giving up those stupid *** Manny Diaz mid-level gash specials then we'll be more than fine.
 
call me crazy, but I think the OL is the make or break unit. (not WR)

Depth / injury / run blocking / sustained drives / keeping blitzes of TVD = all reasons for concern,

WR - will be average, X go to guy, no one steps up as number #1,
Gattis will use conflict / latter scheming to get WR/TE/RB open, and then take top off like he did at the school up north.
 
scrantoncane said:
Seems like we are one OL injury away from a bad situation.

A healthy Zion gives us 7. That is the minimum IF no one gets injured.

OL will still be an issue, which is to be expected.

Would like to hear more about the CBs if anyone has info.
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I believe better coaching at OL could offset our depth issue somewhat
 
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There was little indication that Rambo would have that record breaking season from Fall practice. His surprising season had a lot to do with TVD giving him the motivation to run those routes full speed full go. When you have a QB that can get it to anyone on any given play then the WR room is elevated (no plays off). To say that no one will step up, is to say that TVD won’t have an outstanding season. The two are mutually exclusive. If TVD is the goods, then he’ll have a WR that will stand out, whether that’s Restrepo or not, he’ll have a stand out WR.
 
Good job @DMoney !
Pretty close to the write-up I was thinking about making, almost verbatim. You did a much better job of watching the front-7 than I did though.




Per T-Rob, I heard the same stuff.
To be fair though, he could've simply been teaching what Manny wanted him to. It's already been confirmed multiple times within the building that Manny had no clue how to run a defense. I also heard T-Rob and Manny got into an altercation about it, so I can't really strike T-Rob too much for our DB's technique. (that could've been on Manny)

I'm just glad that we have a real defensive staff now. The DB play is light years better. So is the tackling.
You can teach tackling until you're blue in the face, but it still comes down to one major thing - GETTING MORE HATS TO THE BALL.
Less one-on-one tackling situations = less misses.
That was Manny's biggest issue with his scheme. When you leave zones/receivers open, allowing easy catches, then you're asking defenders to close full speed and make open field tackles on ball carriers. Steele's scheme is more press, less spot-dropping, better eye disciplines, etc...thus you have more hats on ball carriers/receivers.
Mostly everything the offense does is contested.
The DB play on the outside is very stingy. Most of the positive offensive plays I saw Saturday came from the inside. (truth be told, usually from X routing up people)

One staff member seems to think that they have a long way to go. I told'em I've been around GreenTree a long time and we already look better than anything I've seen in recent years. LOL
From a tempo and organization standpoint definitely. Tackling, intensity, work ethic, scheme, technique, etc...are all much improved as well.
But you have to love his line of thinking anyway.

And I'm not sugar coating this - X was out there killin' people.
He forced a PI on one play. Then on the very next play they go to him again, and he makes a big catch. He was pretty much unguardable.
When TVD really needs a completion, that's where he's going. I expect him to have a huge year.
Anybody who thinks Brashard Smith takes his spot is either Dade County biased, racially biased, or smokin' good dope. (maybe even all 3 lol)
He's up to 205lbs, so he's a RB playing WR. I'd like to see him drop about 10lbs though. He's massive, and there's no reason to be that heavy at slot. I don't want him to lose any quickness. That's his main advantage.

Rooster is 190lbs on the dot. Said he loves Coach Smith and Gattis.
Smith is extremely detailed in his teaching and has been working on Rooster with his patience, how to set-up rooms, etc.
Rooster talked about how tough our defense is right now, and I've heard X elude to this as well.
Like I said, **** is being contested now and our defense isn't Swiss cheese. You have to earn your yards and catches versus this group.

I spoke about this during last year's off-season and people on this board thought I was trippin'.
When our offense was giving Manny's defense **** in practice, I referenced all the QB's high completion percentages, even our back-ups.
I got told that I was overreacting and it's "just practice".
My argument was that, if our defense is giving up easy completions in practice, then our offense wouldn't be prepared for a defense that contests things.
Welp, fast forward and we saw how that turned out during the season. (Macho was right, as usual)
Our current defense is doing a good job of preparing our offense for the season. It's finally a REAL competition out there on GreenTree.
Defense is nowhere near where they want to be yet, but as they add talent you can rest assure that our offense probably won't see tougher defenses during the year.

We definitely need an infusion of talent at certain spots but I'm pleased with the overall product on the field.
Rome wasn't built in a day, but we're definitely on our way to being elite. I have no doubt about that. And I never felt that way with the previous products I've seen on GreenTree.
 
There are 3 SEC interior DL on the top 10, and 4 ACC interior DL that look like SEC DT's!! 😂😂
 

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HarrietTubmanCane said:
There was little indication that Rambo would have that record breaking season from Fall practice. His surprising season had a lot to do with TVD giving him the motivation to run those routes full speed full go. When you have a QB that can get it to anyone on any given play then the WR room is elevated (no plays off). To say that no one will step up, is to say that TVD won’t have an outstanding season. The two are mutually exclusive. If TVD is the goods, then he’ll have a WR that will stand out, whether that’s Restrepo or not, he’ll have a stand out WR.
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I am keeping my fingers crossed, but . . .

We didn't hear anything about Rambo tearing it up during camp, but that was also with King as QB1. (He obviously flourished under TVD.)

TVD has been working as QB1 since the season ended and we haven't heard anything about any particular WR elevating his game or matching TVD's brilliance. That is somewhat disappointing. The situations aren't really alike.
 
Doseman said:
call me crazy, but I think the OL is the make or break unit. (not WR)

Depth / injury / run blocking / sustained drives / keeping blitzes of TVD = all reasons for concern,

WR - will be average, X go to guy, no one steps up as number #1,
Gattis will use conflict / latter scheming to get WR/TE/RB open, and then take top off like he did at the school up north.
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You're not crazy. Good luck being physical & running the ball if the OL isn't significant upgrade over recent years.
 
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gacaneaddict said:
There are 3 SEC interior DL on the top 10, and 4 ACC interior DL that look like SEC DT's!! 😂😂
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Mesidor is thought of extremely high by many in media it seems.. Thats some high praise, excited to see him play and interested to see how we use him
 
DMoney said:
The Bank is open on Sundays. Below is a position-by-position deep dive on yesterday's scrimmage based on numerous conversations with sources.

QB

Tyler Van Dyke has complete mental command of the offense. He knows where he is going with the ball on every play, which makes him difficult to blitz (he hit a short TD pass to Keyshawn Smith on the first drive facing heavy pressure). He also made a spectacular throw rolling right driving the ball to Xavier Restrepo on third down. I have no doubt he will be very efficient this year. The next step is unlocking the explosive passing game he excelled in last year. That will be a focus the remainder of camp. Jake Garcia had moments with the second team, including a read-option TD and a nice read on a TD pass to Don Chaney in the flats. He is the clear #2. Jacurri Brown showed off his legs on a long TD run that would have been a score in full-contact. He also floated a pretty pass under pressure up the seam to Isaiah Horton, who made a nice adjustment to the ball. He also hit Colbie Young deep between two defenders. Jacurri's consistency is still a serious issue (along with the relative talent on the third-team offense), but you see flashes.

RB

At this point in camp, the clear top two tailbacks are Jaylan Knighton and Henry Parrish. They receive the majority of the first team carries and have the most proven production on tape. The battle for the big back spot remains open. As has been widely reported, TreVonte' Citizen got nicked up early. This gave plenty of opportunities for Don Chaney and Thad Franklin. Both showed flashes, with Chaney catching a TD and Franklin making a couple nice chunk runs (including one where he reversed field and made the backside DE miss). That will be a battle to watch as camp continues- there was no definitive statement yesterday. Injuries are always dicey to report on, but at least one source was optimistic Citizen only suffered a hyperextended knee.

TE

This position was relatively quiet by their standards. Jaleel Skinner routed up Keyshawn Washington for a TD from Brown in 7on7. Dominic Mamarrelli had the lead block to spring Brown on his TD run. Kahlil Brantley has some uncharacteristic drops but got snaps with the 1s.

WR

This battle continues. Restrepo and TVD are good friends and he is clearly the go-to guy on third down. He made various conversions, and his 200+ RB build gives him an after-the-catch dimension that is different than Mike Harley and Braxton Berrios as a slot receiver. Keyshawn Smith has had some strong practices lately (including a long TD in Thursday's padded practice) but was relatively quiet. Mike Redding continues to get some first-team burn. The twitchiest WR is still Romello Brinson. His ability to separate stands out, and he drew a PI in the end zone against Tyrique Stevenson.

OL

Something to keep in mind when reading reports about the OL: the second and third team DL are far ahead of the second and third team OL. Injuries have something to do with that. So while the DL's dominance can blow up the offense at times, it's not always against the 6-8 OL who are actually going to play. It could be a walk-on going against a blue-chipper. The DL will play a lot more players, so it's a good thing they have that depth.

With that said, the DL won the day and made it particularly tough on the second and third team offense. Left tackle continues to be a battle between John Campbell and Jalen Rivers. Both show talent and Rivers in particular flashes tremendous progress. The LG is Justice Oluwasean, the C is Jakai Clark, the RG is Logan Sagapolu and the RT is DJ Scaife. Injuries to Zion Nelson and Michael McClaughlin have opened up second-team opportunities at RT for Anez Cooper and Matthew McCoy. Both show flashes but Cooper has particularly interesting upside. He has a long way to go with pad level and technique, but he is absolutely massive and has surprisingly good feet to reach wide rushers and recover when he is out of position. He ragdolled Jabari Ishmael several yards on one dropback.

DL

As mentioned on the CanesInSight Podcast, this group is three units deep. It would take too long to name all of the players standing out here, so I will focus on a few who created a lot of buzz on Saturday. Akheem Mesidor was all over the field at DE and made multiple plays in the backfield. He brings a unique combination of slipperiness, instincts (high school LB) and overall motor. Jared Harrison-Hunte might be the top interior DL right now. He looks to have gained 15-20 pounds and is still an athletic terror on passing downs. He blew up multiple drives by himself. Darrell Jackson is a load on running plays and generates consistent knockback with long arms to extend.

A lot of guys made plays against the second and third team OL. Elijah Roberts in particular lived in the backfield as a DE. He's making a case for more playing time. Jake Lichtenstein had a few pressures. Allan Haye, Ahmad Moten and Jabari Ishmael all had moments. Moten looks the part physically of an SEC-type DT and had an explosive TFL.

LB

Good overall day behind a destructive DL. Waynmon Steed and Corey Flagg started and showed strong instincts. Caleb Johnson had a series where he made multiple tackles sideline to sideline and has the look of a starter by camp's end. Wesley Bissainthe and Chase Smith both flew off the edge for short-yardage tackles, with Bissainthe making consecutive goalline tackles on Chaney. Thomas Davis did most of his damage as a third-down edge rusher and is tough to deal with in that role.

DB

This group was strong as usual. Kam Kinchens had an INT on TVD under heavy pressure. Two upperclassmen defensive backs have separately praised Markeith Williams. He almost jumped a Jacurri pass. The corners were strong in coverage all night and usually won their battles. Isaiah Dunson made a beautiful open-field tackle on Knighton. Chris Graves also made a couple strong tackles.

Overall, every source commented on the physicality and improved tackling. This appears to be a stronger, tougher team than last year. The key will be tightening up the execution and identifying our playmakers. Someone like Charleston Rambo didn't really emerge until the third game. That will be the story the rest of camp.
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Appreciate the report. Stoked to learn about Akheem Mesidor
DMoney said:
The Bank is open on Sundays. Below is a position-by-position deep dive on yesterday's scrimmage based on numerous conversations with sources.

QB

Tyler Van Dyke has complete mental command of the offense. He knows where he is going with the ball on every play, which makes him difficult to blitz (he hit a short TD pass to Keyshawn Smith on the first drive facing heavy pressure). He also made a spectacular throw rolling right driving the ball to Xavier Restrepo on third down. I have no doubt he will be very efficient this year. The next step is unlocking the explosive passing game he excelled in last year. That will be a focus the remainder of camp. Jake Garcia had moments with the second team, including a read-option TD and a nice read on a TD pass to Don Chaney in the flats. He is the clear #2. Jacurri Brown showed off his legs on a long TD run that would have been a score in full-contact. He also floated a pretty pass under pressure up the seam to Isaiah Horton, who made a nice adjustment to the ball. He also hit Colbie Young deep between two defenders. Jacurri's consistency is still a serious issue (along with the relative talent on the third-team offense), but you see flashes.

RB

At this point in camp, the clear top two tailbacks are Jaylan Knighton and Henry Parrish. They receive the majority of the first team carries and have the most proven production on tape. The battle for the big back spot remains open. As has been widely reported, TreVonte' Citizen got nicked up early. This gave plenty of opportunities for Don Chaney and Thad Franklin. Both showed flashes, with Chaney catching a TD and Franklin making a couple nice chunk runs (including one where he reversed field and made the backside DE miss). That will be a battle to watch as camp continues- there was no definitive statement yesterday. Injuries are always dicey to report on, but at least one source was optimistic Citizen only suffered a hyperextended knee.

TE

This position was relatively quiet by their standards. Jaleel Skinner routed up Keyshawn Washington for a TD from Brown in 7on7. Dominic Mamarrelli had the lead block to spring Brown on his TD run. Kahlil Brantley has some uncharacteristic drops but got snaps with the 1s.

WR

This battle continues. Restrepo and TVD are good friends and he is clearly the go-to guy on third down. He made various conversions, and his 200+ RB build gives him an after-the-catch dimension that is different than Mike Harley and Braxton Berrios as a slot receiver. Keyshawn Smith has had some strong practices lately (including a long TD in Thursday's padded practice) but was relatively quiet. Mike Redding continues to get some first-team burn. The twitchiest WR is still Romello Brinson. His ability to separate stands out, and he drew a PI in the end zone against Tyrique Stevenson.

OL

Something to keep in mind when reading reports about the OL: the second and third team DL are far ahead of the second and third team OL. Injuries have something to do with that. So while the DL's dominance can blow up the offense at times, it's not always against the 6-8 OL who are actually going to play. It could be a walk-on going against a blue-chipper. The DL will play a lot more players, so it's a good thing they have that depth.

With that said, the DL won the day and made it particularly tough on the second and third team offense. Left tackle continues to be a battle between John Campbell and Jalen Rivers. Both show talent and Rivers in particular flashes tremendous progress. The LG is Justice Oluwasean, the C is Jakai Clark, the RG is Logan Sagapolu and the RT is DJ Scaife. Injuries to Zion Nelson and Michael McClaughlin have opened up second-team opportunities at RT for Anez Cooper and Matthew McCoy. Both show flashes but Cooper has particularly interesting upside. He has a long way to go with pad level and technique, but he is absolutely massive and has surprisingly good feet to reach wide rushers and recover when he is out of position. He ragdolled Jabari Ishmael several yards on one dropback.

DL

As mentioned on the CanesInSight Podcast, this group is three units deep. It would take too long to name all of the players standing out here, so I will focus on a few who created a lot of buzz on Saturday. Akheem Mesidor was all over the field at DE and made multiple plays in the backfield. He brings a unique combination of slipperiness, instincts (high school LB) and overall motor. Jared Harrison-Hunte might be the top interior DL right now. He looks to have gained 15-20 pounds and is still an athletic terror on passing downs. He blew up multiple drives by himself. Darrell Jackson is a load on running plays and generates consistent knockback with long arms to extend.

A lot of guys made plays against the second and third team OL. Elijah Roberts in particular lived in the backfield as a DE. He's making a case for more playing time. Jake Lichtenstein had a few pressures. Allan Haye, Ahmad Moten and Jabari Ishmael all had moments. Moten looks the part physically of an SEC-type DT and had an explosive TFL.

LB

Good overall day behind a destructive DL. Waynmon Steed and Corey Flagg started and showed strong instincts. Caleb Johnson had a series where he made multiple tackles sideline to sideline and has the look of a starter by camp's end. Wesley Bissainthe and Chase Smith both flew off the edge for short-yardage tackles, with Bissainthe making consecutive goalline tackles on Chaney. Thomas Davis did most of his damage as a third-down edge rusher and is tough to deal with in that role.

DB

This group was strong as usual. Kam Kinchens had an INT on TVD under heavy pressure. Two upperclassmen defensive backs have separately praised Markeith Williams. He almost jumped a Jacurri pass. The corners were strong in coverage all night and usually won their battles. Isaiah Dunson made a beautiful open-field tackle on Knighton. Chris Graves also made a couple strong tackles.

Overall, every source commented on the physicality and improved tackling. This appears to be a stronger, tougher team than last year. The key will be tightening up the execution and identifying our playmakers. Someone like Charleston Rambo didn't really emerge until the third game. That will be the story the rest of camp.
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Thanks for the report. Really stoked to see Akheem Mesidor & Jared Harrison-Hunte killing it!
Better tackling too!
 
I think defenses are going to play us the way they did towards the end of 2020 when DK was the qb. Get physical with the outside WRs and leave them one on one. Focus on the slot, TEs & middle of the field plus coming up on the run game. Make those outside guys beat you and put a majority of resources on suffocating everything else until they do.
 
AlexCane said:
I am keeping my fingers crossed, but . . .

We didn't hear anything about Rambo tearing it up during camp, but that was also with King as QB1. (He obviously flourished under TVD.)

TVD has been working as QB1 since the season ended and we haven't heard anything about any particular WR elevating his game or matching TVD's brilliance. That is somewhat disappointing. The situations aren't really alike.
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Media watches 15-30 minutes of practice. In that little bit of time they’ve said KeyShawn Smith and Restrepo are standing out. If TVD is elite then he’ll help to develop a stand out WR option for himself, it’s already happening.
 
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