I'd say with the way he had that depth chart filled in, he isn't lying. Nor are they kidding about his Southern drawl and cowboy boots. He fits right in with Loeffler.
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I like what he has to say. The realist in me hopes that we have some plans in place for after this season though. No doubt if the line continues to improve that he will be asked to interview for some jobs.
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Like Grimes, Searels said he'll personally go to see every offensive line prospect the Hokies offer. ("You cant just do that off watching him on film one time," he said. "You can get fooled on film.") With a large group of seniors on the o-line this year, Virginia Tech expects to sign a significant number of linemen again.
The Hokies offered seven offensive linemen so far, with Austin Clark, Brian Chaffin, and Matthew Burrell all visiting the campus this past weekend. Donald Brown, who I am not sure if he has received an offer, could be a guard or a defensive tackle. He was on campus this weekend as well.
Most of the recruiting sites seem to think we are in good shape with Clark (an excellent tackle prospect from the same high school as Caleb Farris) and Chaffin (a mobile center from Charlotte.) Burrell has looked terrific on film during my review of Travon McMillian, so I hope that prognostications of him going out of state prove to be false.
I am in the midst of a major deep dive film review on Searels offensive lines at Texas, Georgia, and LSU. Once we complete our recruit film reviews and coverage of spring practice, we will do a major post on what to expect with Searels as an offensive line coach. I will say, he isn't a "system" guy. His offensive lines at LSU mirrored Nick Saban's zone philosophy. Texas did a bunch of veer blocking in their read option offense. Their offensive linemen pulled much more than VT's did under Grimes.
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1) Sobczak is a big kid, but he isn't just a road grader. He is a high school team mate of Vince Mihota, and Massaponax uses Sobczak as a defensive end in some 30 fronts. He has a very nice rip technique and his feet go with his upper body after he defeats a block.
2) Did I mention he is athletic? Massaponax uses Sobczak as a short yardage fullback. And, they do give him the football.
3) Have I said he is more athletic than you think he will be when reading the description? As soon as I think I am impressed, he beats a double team quickly to hit the fullback in the backfield. His feet look like the Road Runner. I love how he steps through his gap and then maintains his leverage.
To me, he looks like the exact kind of defensive tackle that Charley Wiles has liked to use over the last decade. He is a stocky guy who has a good first step, gets into his gap, and is strong enough to keep his gap fit. Worst case, he should be a solid depth player at Virginia Tech. Best case, the Hokies do need a big kid who can play leverage to compliment the smaller quicker tackles that they have in the pipeline like Nigel Williams, Woody Baron, and Ricky Walker. If he can be a productive guy in that role, this is a steal. Nobody else currently on the roster or verbally committed really fits that description. If they can get Nnadi, he will be the shining star, but Sobczak I think will surprise some folks.
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Awesome, thanks. To me he looks like a 290 lb Dadi Nicholas. Relentless and fast. I know Nnadi is much higher rated, but looking at the two on film, there's something about Sobczak that stands out.
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I really hope he works out well. I want to see us go back to running the football effectively.
I want to see pancakes. I want to see our line blow off the ball and have the defensive line five yards down the field before the RB even gets the handoff. I want our lineman to come in week in and week out and dominate their opponents.
Maybe it's just the Redskins fan in me, but I want them to be like the Hogs. "We're going to run it down your throat- and you can't stop us"
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Searels seems like a real good fit with the current Virginia Tech coaching staff - outgoing, enthusiastic, hard-working, and loves what he does for a living.
If Searels will stick around for a while, we will return to the days when opposing teams knew what we were going to do when we ran the ball, but they couldn't stop it.
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Comments
I like this mentality..I hope it works out!
Grimey seemed to use this philosophy, too. We want a formidable O-Line and robust rushing game once more!
I'd say with the way he had that depth chart filled in, he isn't lying. Nor are they kidding about his Southern drawl and cowboy boots. He fits right in with Loeffler.
I like what he has to say. The realist in me hopes that we have some plans in place for after this season though. No doubt if the line continues to improve that he will be asked to interview for some jobs.
Man crush....round #2.
Sounds like the right man for the job. Welcome aboard, Coach. Let's see what your guys can do.
Typo there Andy. Think you meant Searels
Thanks. I did that a couple times when I was writing it but thought I caught them all. Fixed it.
Better issue Mr. Bitter. Pie or Cake?
Like Grimes, Searels said he'll personally go to see every offensive line prospect the Hokies offer. ("You cant just do that off watching him on film one time," he said. "You can get fooled on film.") With a large group of seniors on the o-line this year, Virginia Tech expects to sign a significant number of linemen again.
The Hokies offered seven offensive linemen so far, with Austin Clark, Brian Chaffin, and Matthew Burrell all visiting the campus this past weekend. Donald Brown, who I am not sure if he has received an offer, could be a guard or a defensive tackle. He was on campus this weekend as well.
Most of the recruiting sites seem to think we are in good shape with Clark (an excellent tackle prospect from the same high school as Caleb Farris) and Chaffin (a mobile center from Charlotte.) Burrell has looked terrific on film during my review of Travon McMillian, so I hope that prognostications of him going out of state prove to be false.
I am in the midst of a major deep dive film review on Searels offensive lines at Texas, Georgia, and LSU. Once we complete our recruit film reviews and coverage of spring practice, we will do a major post on what to expect with Searels as an offensive line coach. I will say, he isn't a "system" guy. His offensive lines at LSU mirrored Nick Saban's zone philosophy. Texas did a bunch of veer blocking in their read option offense. Their offensive linemen pulled much more than VT's did under Grimes.
Speaking of the rest of the recruits film- Really interested in your take on Sobzcak... watched his film back to back with Nnadi this weekend...
From my reaction comment when he signed: http://www.thekeyplay.com/content/2013/november/25/dt-steve-sobczak-comm...
A couple of thoughts from watching his film:
1) Sobczak is a big kid, but he isn't just a road grader. He is a high school team mate of Vince Mihota, and Massaponax uses Sobczak as a defensive end in some 30 fronts. He has a very nice rip technique and his feet go with his upper body after he defeats a block.
2) Did I mention he is athletic? Massaponax uses Sobczak as a short yardage fullback. And, they do give him the football.
3) Have I said he is more athletic than you think he will be when reading the description? As soon as I think I am impressed, he beats a double team quickly to hit the fullback in the backfield. His feet look like the Road Runner. I love how he steps through his gap and then maintains his leverage.
To me, he looks like the exact kind of defensive tackle that Charley Wiles has liked to use over the last decade. He is a stocky guy who has a good first step, gets into his gap, and is strong enough to keep his gap fit. Worst case, he should be a solid depth player at Virginia Tech. Best case, the Hokies do need a big kid who can play leverage to compliment the smaller quicker tackles that they have in the pipeline like Nigel Williams, Woody Baron, and Ricky Walker. If he can be a productive guy in that role, this is a steal. Nobody else currently on the roster or verbally committed really fits that description. If they can get Nnadi, he will be the shining star, but Sobczak I think will surprise some folks.
Awesome, thanks. To me he looks like a 290 lb Dadi Nicholas. Relentless and fast. I know Nnadi is much higher rated, but looking at the two on film, there's something about Sobczak that stands out.
I really hope he works out well. I want to see us go back to running the football effectively.
I want to see pancakes. I want to see our line blow off the ball and have the defensive line five yards down the field before the RB even gets the handoff. I want our lineman to come in week in and week out and dominate their opponents.
Maybe it's just the Redskins fan in me, but I want them to be like the Hogs. "We're going to run it down your throat- and you can't stop us"
Searels gonna make these a common sight:
It'll definitely be a welcome change from the "sacksonsacksonsacksonsacks" mentality Newsome seemed to have.
Excited for the second year in a row of a new offensive hire!
Searels seems like a real good fit with the current Virginia Tech coaching staff - outgoing, enthusiastic, hard-working, and loves what he does for a living.
If Searels will stick around for a while, we will return to the days when opposing teams knew what we were going to do when we ran the ball, but they couldn't stop it.