AB the important questions commenters on your blog and website will want to know: will Lawson get any POY votes? When will Lawson start? How is UNC recruiting so well with NCAA looming over their head? When will (fill in the blank) leave/be fired?
Log in or register to post comments about the Virginia Tech Hokies
No surprise here. How much work against the #1 d line will they get? Potential injury has to be a concern going into the opener. Who is the back up center? Chung?
Log in or register to post comments about the Virginia Tech Hokies
For the love of Bud, please let this OLine be decent. Every year seems to disappoint. Hopefully having another year with the same coordinator will improve things.
Log in or register to post comments about the Virginia Tech Hokies
I think it will.
Losing Grimes was painful, but adding Searels was an upgrade, IMHO.
Ain't nothin' magical about an offensive line: You need the right coach with the right scheme, the right players with the right work ethic, and then, patience.
I think we have all of those things in play, and this year I expect significant improvement in the line, and hence the offense.
It's about time, but the effects of the Newsome experiment are about gone.
Now, if we can close the deal on 2-3 more Oline recruits I will be a happy fellow.
Log in or register to post comments about the Virginia Tech Hokies
Oh, I agree, hard worker, great coach.
But his guys fit his system, and the system has changed a bit.
As French has well documented, Searels tries to get his group north-south more and looks for a bigger body.
Austin Clark was a big get for Searels, and Wyatt Teller likes Nijman's potential.
As an aside, looking back at French's Spring 2014 Oline article, it is very interesting to see what a difference a year has made to the O-line depth chart.
I honestly thin Grimes opened Franks eyes to what he had been missing. At least 2 of the guys Grimes recruited are in the 2 deep. It could because their is literally no other viable options but I choose to believe it is because they are able.
Log in or register to post comments about the Virginia Tech Hokies
AB nailed it. Tech's 3 year slump is directly related to the departure of 4 starting senior OL players after 2012 and the lack of OL recruiting that occurred in the 2 years prior. If VT had pulled 3-4 competent OL in each of those 2 years, we would not be talking about a 3 year slump in the program, IMO. I know that other factors contributed to the losses (RB recruiting, injuries, coaching turnover) but limited athleticism and inexperience on the OL have doomed the offense to its 3 year stretch of statistical futility.
On the flip side, the uptick in recruiting combined with improved OL coaching gives me great hope that Loeffler's offense this year will be a major improvement on the previous 2 years of work. While other factors could certainly combine to derail the offense this coming season, I don't expect the OL will be an Achilles' heel, unless the injury bug bites deeply.
My biggest OL concerns at this point are holding onto Coach Searels and bagging a minimum of 2 more recruits in the 2016 class. Failure to recruit at least 3 "big uglies" per class is what got us into this mess in the beginning.
In my book, the OL recruiting in 2016 is again the most critical need, way above WR, LB or any of the other previously identified needs.
Log in or register to post comments about the Virginia Tech Hokies
From 2012-14 the Hokies had three different o-line coaches, going from Curt Newsome to Jeff Grimes to Stacy Searels. That's three different coaching styles to adjust to, making continuity difficult.
Andy is being amazingly generous calling whatever Newsome was doing a "coaching style".
Log in or register to post comments about the Virginia Tech Hokies
Comments
AB the important questions commenters on your blog and website will want to know: will Lawson get any POY votes? When will Lawson start? How is UNC recruiting so well with NCAA looming over their head? When will (fill in the blank) leave/be fired?
No surprise here. How much work against the #1 d line will they get? Potential injury has to be a concern going into the opener. Who is the back up center? Chung?
For the love of Bud, please let this OLine be decent. Every year seems to disappoint. Hopefully having another year with the same coordinator will improve things.
I think it will.
Losing Grimes was painful, but adding Searels was an upgrade, IMHO.
Ain't nothin' magical about an offensive line: You need the right coach with the right scheme, the right players with the right work ethic, and then, patience.
I think we have all of those things in play, and this year I expect significant improvement in the line, and hence the offense.
It's about time, but the effects of the Newsome experiment are about gone.
Now, if we can close the deal on 2-3 more Oline recruits I will be a happy fellow.
Grimes was a good recruiter. I think Searels knows his stuff, though, so I think having him around a few years is going to help a lot.
Oh, I agree, hard worker, great coach.
But his guys fit his system, and the system has changed a bit.
As French has well documented, Searels tries to get his group north-south more and looks for a bigger body.
Austin Clark was a big get for Searels, and Wyatt Teller likes Nijman's potential.
As an aside, looking back at French's Spring 2014 Oline article, it is very interesting to see what a difference a year has made to the O-line depth chart.
2014 Spring Football Lookahead: Offensive Line
If Wyatt teller something something, then it's true!
I honestly thin Grimes opened Franks eyes to what he had been missing. At least 2 of the guys Grimes recruited are in the 2 deep. It could because their is literally no other viable options but I choose to believe it is because they are able.
It all starts with the big uglies, hopefully they can stay mean and hungry all season!
AB nailed it. Tech's 3 year slump is directly related to the departure of 4 starting senior OL players after 2012 and the lack of OL recruiting that occurred in the 2 years prior. If VT had pulled 3-4 competent OL in each of those 2 years, we would not be talking about a 3 year slump in the program, IMO. I know that other factors contributed to the losses (RB recruiting, injuries, coaching turnover) but limited athleticism and inexperience on the OL have doomed the offense to its 3 year stretch of statistical futility.
On the flip side, the uptick in recruiting combined with improved OL coaching gives me great hope that Loeffler's offense this year will be a major improvement on the previous 2 years of work. While other factors could certainly combine to derail the offense this coming season, I don't expect the OL will be an Achilles' heel, unless the injury bug bites deeply.
My biggest OL concerns at this point are holding onto Coach Searels and bagging a minimum of 2 more recruits in the 2016 class. Failure to recruit at least 3 "big uglies" per class is what got us into this mess in the beginning.
In my book, the OL recruiting in 2016 is again the most critical need, way above WR, LB or any of the other previously identified needs.
Andy is being amazingly generous calling whatever Newsome was doing a "coaching style".
He's even more generous calling Newsome a "coach."