Recent Comments

Sorry to resurrect this thread, I've been trying to get caught up to current threads for a couple days (mostly just skimming looking for green comments and occasionally getting sucked into a thread) and have tried to avoid commenting on stuff, but I wanted to comment on this:

We haven't had real LBers since Adibi and Hall. When your best players continue to be walkons there's a big problem and I don't see how he could suddenly change

I've seen this sentiment before and one of the previous times I went back through our linebacker recruiting, I didn't quite make it back to Adibi and Hall, but I did cover 10 recruiting classes including the current one. These are all of the Linebacker recruits (or other recruits that I, from memory, knew eventually played/practiced extensively at one of our linebacker spots) from the 2007 class to the 2016 class as listed by 247 (which is why Huelskamp is on the list despite being a walk-on) along with their 247 composite rating. I bolded players that I knew started at one of the linebacker spots and struck-through players that either left the program or moved to offense. A lot of this is from memory, so feel free to correct any mistakes you see:

2007
Hunter Owens-OLB-0.8759
Quillie Odom-ILB-0.8475 went to Hargrave, re-signs next year
Barquell Rivers-OLB-0.8475
Alonzo Tweedy-OLB-0.8019

2008
Quillie Odom-OLB-0.8926
Bruce Taylor-ILB-0.8729
Allen Stephens-OLB-0.8567
Jake Johnson-OLB-0.8444 Lost starting job to Gibson, was moved to DE over Spring, and transferred after.
Lyndell Gibson-ILB-0.8444
Jeron Gouveia Winslow-OLB-0.8229

2009
Tariq Edwards-OLB-0.8567
Telvion Clark-ILB-0.8558

2010
Brian Laiti-OLB-0.86210
Chase Williams-ILB-0.8600

Current roster comes from these years

2011
Ronny VanDyke-S-0.8755

2012
Trey Edmunds-OLB-0.8898 Has spent entire career at RB
Deon Clarke-OLB-0.8849
Devin VanDyke-OLB-0.8817 Gave up football after multiple injuries (shoulder?) French was very high on him during Spring practices, if healthy likely to have challenged Williams for Starting Mike spot and to have started over Motuapuaka this year.
Dahman McKinnon-OLB-0.8655
Quinton Taylor-ATH-not rated

2013
Holland Fisher-S-0.9722 Went to Fork Union, re-signs next year
Andrew Motuapuaka-OLB-0.8532
Anthony Shegog-S-0.8344
Jamieon Moss-OLB-0.8247
Sean Huelskamp-OLB-not rated Started in relief of injured Motuapuaka

2014
Holland Fisher-S-0.9461
Raymon Minor-ATH-0.9041

2015
Tremaine Edmunds-OLB-0.8760 Started over Clarke, likely for disciplinary reasons
Carson Lydon-OLB-0.8454 Started in relief of injured Motuapuaka and Huelskamp (targeting)

Others LBs on current roster:
Drew Burns-rJR LB
Johnathan Galante-rSO OLB
Josh Eberly-rJR LB
Trent young-rFR LB
Zach Tresser-FR LB
Joe Koshuta-FR LB
Matt Reinhart-FR LB

Future Linebackers
2016
Emmanuel Belmar-OLB-0.8467
Tavante Beckett-OLB-0.8430
Victor Greene-OLB-0.8151

I post all of this because it shows that the vast majority of our linebackers have been recruited, not walk ons (and most of our walk-on starters I believe have been invited walk-ons, which is a world of difference from a student that tries out for the team). The only walk-ons to start at a Linebacker position (unless I'm forgetting someone) over this period are Jack Tyler (I don't think anyone has any complaints about him beating out Williams for the starting spot) and Sean Huelscamp (Due to Motuapuaka being injured) at the MIKE spot and Derek Di Nardo at Whip (was able to take the spot because RVD was often injured). So that's three starters over 9 years and two of them started in large part due to injury. Over those 9 years, 15 of 27 commits have started at least one game at a Linebacker spot and I believe that Raymon Minor is likely to start in the future (In line to be #2 Whip next year which puts him an injury away from starting and he was the highest rated LB recruit on roster so he is likely a better fit than some of the current starters if we have a different DC in the post Beamer era.)

Edit: Also since you specifically mentioned Adibi and Hall, here are their 247 composite ratings:
Xavier Adibi-OLB-0.8667
Vince Hall-ILB-0.9000
Adibi was basically rated about where most of our LBs have been rated, mid-high 3 star. Hall was rated higher than all of our starters have been, but he was still a very low rated 4 star recruit and not as highly rated as Raymon Minor was coming out of high school.

He only thought it was the wall.
It was the sidewalk. Somebody tilted the earth while he was at TOTS.

Well....this is not how I had hoped things would start out.

Here at the game, Hamilton reminds me of Nerlens Noel(prob just the flattop). Idk about Blackshear, he looks a little lost and maybe a bit out of shape?

Free throws are going to be the death of this team.

LeDay looking good again.

Henry makes a great move to get to the basket, then completely air balls it. Just, ugh.

Still missing FTs

Thanks for the write up on the opposition. I saw last Saturday's game in person, so it'll be good to drink a beer and scream at the ESPN3 feed with you guys and gals tonight. Just like last season....except hopefully with a W and less terrible defense.

It's pronounced "Fuente".

I hope that clears it up.

I don't have a cable or satellite subscription. I thought you had to have one to access it.

Edit: I was able to sign in with my Sling tv subscription and will be watching. Thanks for the idea Rob!