Grades
Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2017 9:48 amThere are so many unknowns with the transfers, etc, but I thought it'd be fun to grade each area of our team as we move into Fall Camp and then look back and re-grade at the end of the year. Plus, I'd rather do this than work so what the hell:
OFFENSE (overall grade: A-, great skill, some unknowns on the OL)
WR: A++ (best trio we've had in a very very long time -- possibly ever, can be that special . . . Sutton/Quinn/Proche. And some good depth too in Thomas/Benson/Honey)
RB: A++ (best group and depth we've had post DP IMHO in Jones/Freeman/West/Thomas).
OL: B- (hard to know with all the RS FR and transfers - really depends on how good the Oregon St transfer will be and how well Kadarius and Todora play - I know that Brown and Pursley will be rock solid and Saena has plenty of PT but outside of that I don't know. I have high hopes so that's why such a high grade here even with all the unknowns, have some depth also in Natour/Webb/Hyder/Wilds/Barton in a pinch . . . assuming all the, very good, FR RS).
QB: B (with this skill, we just need someone who can make the throws and get the ball into the hands of the playmakers/make good decisions/and possibly run every once in a while). I have confidence, though, that whomever plays will have earned it and thus will at least play at a "B" level.
TE: B (big question mark here, but we have good depth - hope Epps can bring it and guys like Rau and Becker can step up - also don't forget about Mitchell Kaufman - I like him as a solid role/utility type player).
DEFENSE: (overall a C, still not enough depth on the interior and too much youth elsewhere)
DE: A- (Lawler is probably the best player on the defensive side and I think we'll be okay on the other side with either Badejo/Mixon/Neals/Scott plenty of good depth there, heck even Thedford . . . probably best shape position-wise on the defensive side of the ball . . . if I knew how good Mixon will be I'd maybe bump this up, but not sure but depth makes up for the unknown there IMHO).
DT: C+ (too many unknowns but we have some ok depth here at least for the first time in forever in Gentry/Gary/Williams/Biggurs/Jones (hopefully)/McLaurin (hopefully) ... assume Gipson/Loveless/Ndkuwe all redshirt - they need to)
LB: C- (ok, here is where it starts kinda falling apart - IF Spears can be the real deal this could bump up quite a bit. Rhone is experienced and great attitude, just limited ability ... Ward is an unknown, Dukes is intriguing but unknown and Mitchell and Williams have experience now at the star, McQueen is also intriguing but unknown ... some potential here but I'm not expecting this group to be very good . . . another reason why we needed Moore to play RIGHT AWAY, that guy is a stud. oh well).
CB: C+ (I'm somewhat hopeful here in Wyatt and Sutton holding it down, but I might be over confident - Sutton is an unknown. We have others also like K Johnson and C Davis who are interesting but not sure quite yet about how good they are/can be. Jeanlys is kind of a nonfactor IMHO and it's a damn shame I'm not hearing more about Lancaster, who I personally think could be very good here.)
Safety: C (there is a lot of potential here in Onu, who I think can be very good but he's still kind of unknown being so young. Clemons has experience now, but I don't think he's all that great. Maybe Michael Clark rises to the occasion or one of the other Star positions shine and we can put McQueen at safety where he might thrive more).
SPECIAL TEAMS:
Grade: C- (can't get any worse, can it? and we have a new kicker I think who can challenge for some PT which is always a good thing IMHO. given another year in the system I hope we can improve here).
OFFENSE (overall grade: A-, great skill, some unknowns on the OL)
WR: A++ (best trio we've had in a very very long time -- possibly ever, can be that special . . . Sutton/Quinn/Proche. And some good depth too in Thomas/Benson/Honey)
RB: A++ (best group and depth we've had post DP IMHO in Jones/Freeman/West/Thomas).
OL: B- (hard to know with all the RS FR and transfers - really depends on how good the Oregon St transfer will be and how well Kadarius and Todora play - I know that Brown and Pursley will be rock solid and Saena has plenty of PT but outside of that I don't know. I have high hopes so that's why such a high grade here even with all the unknowns, have some depth also in Natour/Webb/Hyder/Wilds/Barton in a pinch . . . assuming all the, very good, FR RS).
QB: B (with this skill, we just need someone who can make the throws and get the ball into the hands of the playmakers/make good decisions/and possibly run every once in a while). I have confidence, though, that whomever plays will have earned it and thus will at least play at a "B" level.
TE: B (big question mark here, but we have good depth - hope Epps can bring it and guys like Rau and Becker can step up - also don't forget about Mitchell Kaufman - I like him as a solid role/utility type player).
DEFENSE: (overall a C, still not enough depth on the interior and too much youth elsewhere)
DE: A- (Lawler is probably the best player on the defensive side and I think we'll be okay on the other side with either Badejo/Mixon/Neals/Scott plenty of good depth there, heck even Thedford . . . probably best shape position-wise on the defensive side of the ball . . . if I knew how good Mixon will be I'd maybe bump this up, but not sure but depth makes up for the unknown there IMHO).
DT: C+ (too many unknowns but we have some ok depth here at least for the first time in forever in Gentry/Gary/Williams/Biggurs/Jones (hopefully)/McLaurin (hopefully) ... assume Gipson/Loveless/Ndkuwe all redshirt - they need to)
LB: C- (ok, here is where it starts kinda falling apart - IF Spears can be the real deal this could bump up quite a bit. Rhone is experienced and great attitude, just limited ability ... Ward is an unknown, Dukes is intriguing but unknown and Mitchell and Williams have experience now at the star, McQueen is also intriguing but unknown ... some potential here but I'm not expecting this group to be very good . . . another reason why we needed Moore to play RIGHT AWAY, that guy is a stud. oh well).
CB: C+ (I'm somewhat hopeful here in Wyatt and Sutton holding it down, but I might be over confident - Sutton is an unknown. We have others also like K Johnson and C Davis who are interesting but not sure quite yet about how good they are/can be. Jeanlys is kind of a nonfactor IMHO and it's a damn shame I'm not hearing more about Lancaster, who I personally think could be very good here.)
Safety: C (there is a lot of potential here in Onu, who I think can be very good but he's still kind of unknown being so young. Clemons has experience now, but I don't think he's all that great. Maybe Michael Clark rises to the occasion or one of the other Star positions shine and we can put McQueen at safety where he might thrive more).
SPECIAL TEAMS:
Grade: C- (can't get any worse, can it? and we have a new kicker I think who can challenge for some PT which is always a good thing IMHO. given another year in the system I hope we can improve here).
