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Thought I might get us back on ther subject of football. There have been many questions about redshirting in the past and I thought I might offer some perspective. As a qualifier, I will state that I was a redshirt at SMU and after injury coached the scout team during my junior and senior years. This was during the age of dinosaurs so many things may have changed, but I am sure most have stayed the same.

There is a great misconception as to the quality of performance that is gained by redshirting. That just is not true. The defensive redshirts, for instance remain with the rest of the defensive players. Thus, during the year of redshirt, defensive R/Ss are running offensive plays of the opposition during the week, not spending the day working on technique or even your own teams play book. You are week by week learning and executing the oppositions plays. Typically, a quarterback is "loaned" to the defensive so an actual position person can throw and emulate the opposing QB, but that is not even always the case. Many times you have, for instance, a linebacker playing QB in walk thru sessions.

The essence of redshirting is gaining a year of emotional and physical maturity. This is most needed for the lineman on both sides of the ball because of the competition they go up against. It is a year of training table and weight room to bulk up and also time to grasp the complex system of offensive and defensive line play during study sessions.

The skill postions are less important from a redshirt aspect. Yes it would always be nice to have them gain that year, but typically you are not going to get a lot faster or quicker during a redshirt year. Skill positions rely more on timing and technique. If a player shows the emotional ability to step up and play immediately, let him do it. Phillips, for instance, was not ready, but was forced into action due to a series of events with which we are all familiar. The training he received on the field was in no way comparable to what he was getting or would have gotten in a full redshirt year, nor will he gain anything better by redshirting this year. In fact, it would probably move him backwards in development. Is Phillips our starter...probably, but if not, as I have stated previously, he has to be at least #2 since he is the only QB on roster with experience at D-1 playing level. If he is not the starter, I will be very happy with whomever is since it would mean they had taken total control of the offense and were performing at a very high level.

In closing of this thesis, the general feeling, in my opinion, is that ALL lineman should redshirt if at all possible, and skill players should also, but only as long as there is an upper classman of equal or greater capability ahead of them. Depth on both lines is a major key to winning games, along with size, and experience. Redshirt the giants and play the speed.

This is one man's opinion.

make that two men's opinion.

I agree wholeheartedly. Now it's time to see whether all those linemen we've redshirted the past couple of years have matured into Division I footbal players. Those guys, along with last year's crop of RS linebackers, are going to be the key to whether we are more competitive in 2004.

Ditto. The only difference I see is that I think the use of offensive players on scount defenses (and vice versa) may be less than it was in years past. I made it to practice a couple of times last year, and I don't recall seeing redshirts playing on the opposite side of the ball (granted, I didn't see entire practices....) From what I saw, the redshirt guys on defense often were facing our first-team offense, and vice versa. And from what I recall, the following players looked good, and at times VERY good: Dominic Pryor, Cory Muse, Avery Cleveland, Zach Hall, Charles Akinyemi, Fred Turner, C.D. Moss, Justin Boren, Caleb Peveto, Foy Munlin, Richuel Massey, Cedric Dorsey .... and there were others. Are all of these guys going to be stars in 2004? Of course not. But there will be a noticable infusion of talent, size and speed. If we're going to make mistakes again, at least we'll make them at higher speeds, and with bigger guys. Froma basic athletic standpoint, this year's going to be more fun, if only because last year'ss redshirts add so much in the size and speed department. Now it's up to the coaches to get the needed production out of them.

The week before the Texas game my Fresh year, I ran at both sides of the wishbone back positions, fullback, guard and tight end (that’s right, the T4exas offense against our defense). As mrydel so eloquently put it, none of those positions were a direct benefit to my development. However, that year gave me time to adjust to a much more complex system of football and bigger, faster athletes. And to adjust to college life.

Redshirt is [deleted] those that want to play and that is good. We want those that are hungry to play. But it does allow for players that may be too small for Div IA to grow and mature.
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So guys like Justin Boren and Kenard Burley and Caleb Peveto are going to continue growing? That's a little frightening. But I like the idea!