PonyFans.com feature: SMART MOVE

[Charleston Pony]

I guess I had assumed Odiari would fill that MLB spot at 250 lbs, but if Smart plays in the middle, is Odiari on the outside? LBs this size will help overcome the undersized DL we've been playing with for years

[kent dorfman]

So now we have a 240 MLB and a 260 LB/DE, Smart and Odiari, respectively. I like it a lot! Beats having 205lbs linebackers (who shall remain nameless) waiting to get trampled.

[OC Mustang]

I guess I had assumed Odiari would fill that MLB spot at 250 lbs, but if Smart plays in the middle, is Odiari on the outside? LBs this size will help overcome the undersized DL we've been playing with for years

This is just during the spring for now. Odiari hasn't come into the mix yet, has he?

[Casey]

Right - I don't think Odiari gets to SMU until the fall, or at least the summer.

We now have LBs with size and speed. Serious improvement.

[Stallion]

Smart may have size but his speed is very likely sub-average at LB especially at 240 which in this conference will kill you. He'll be back at DE next year.

[HorsePower]

Smart may have size but his speed is very likely sub-average at LB especially at 240 which in this conference will kill you. He'll be back at DE next year.

Middle linebackers don't have to be super-fast (see Zac Thomas, etc.) - just have a quick first step and head-cracking mentality, etc.

So without challenging your assessment, I'm curious about your thinking. Is it just your perception of his speed, or are there other things you see in his skill set that lead you to assume he'll be "sub-average" and will need to move back to DE?

[OC Mustang]

Smart may have size but his speed is very likely sub-average at LB especially at 240 which in this conference will kill you. He'll be back at DE next year.

Consistent 4.6 40-yard...don't know shuttle....
Played OLB in high school...so I think you are wrong.
If he can play OLB in 3-3-5 in 4A ball, I think he can play mike in standard 4-3.

[HorsePower]

There's a rumor swirling that the widespread use of the spread offense around C-USA means we'll use a lot of that same 3-3-5 formation.
We'll see.

[smupony]

So now we have a 240 MLB and a 260 LB/DE, Smart and Odiari, respectively. I like it a lot! Beats having 205lbs linebackers (who shall remain nameless) waiting to get trampled.

If that's a shot at McCray you don't know what you are talking about. We are going to miss him and his experience next year. He may have been light, but he was in on a bunch of tackles. Oh yeah, he was a four year starter. Bennett may have been a poor HC, but having a guy playing that position for all four years says a lot.

[kent dorfman]

So now we have a 240 MLB and a 260 LB/DE, Smart and Odiari, respectively. I like it a lot! Beats having 205lbs linebackers (who shall remain nameless) waiting to get trampled.

If that's a shot at McCray you don't know what you are talking about. We are going to miss him and his experience next year. He may have been light, but he was in on a bunch of tackles. Oh yeah, he was a four year starter. Bennett may have been a poor HC, but having a guy playing that position for all four years says a lot.

No I liked McCray so you can take a guess at whom I am talking about...

[smupony]

So now we have a 240 MLB and a 260 LB/DE, Smart and Odiari, respectively. I like it a lot! Beats having 205lbs linebackers (who shall remain nameless) waiting to get trampled.

If that's a shot at McCray you don't know what you are talking about. We are going to miss him and his experience next year. He may have been light, but he was in on a bunch of tackles. Oh yeah, he was a four year starter. Bennett may have been a poor HC, but having a guy playing that position for all four years says a lot.

No I liked McCray so you can take a guess at whom I am talking about...

Am I missing something here? The LB (who will remain nameless) was the team Defensive MVP and tied the team lead in tackles. Again, why are we so worried about measurables right now. Get me a kid who is at the right place and makes the play. Last time I checked, we had nothing else to throw out there and our LB in question did his job.

[kent dorfman]

So now we have a 240 MLB and a 260 LB/DE, Smart and Odiari, respectively. I like it a lot! Beats having 205lbs linebackers (who shall remain nameless) waiting to get trampled.

If that's a shot at McCray you don't know what you are talking about. We are going to miss him and his experience next year. He may have been light, but he was in on a bunch of tackles. Oh yeah, he was a four year starter. Bennett may have been a poor HC, but having a guy playing that position for all four years says a lot.

No I liked McCray so you can take a guess at whom I am talking about...

Am I missing something here? The LB (who will remain nameless) was the team Defensive MVP and tied the team lead in tackles. Again, why are we so worried about measurables right now. Get me a kid who is at the right place and makes the play. Last time I checked, we had nothing else to throw out there and our LB in question did his job.

MVP and leading tackler on our D doesn't exactly make him Ali Highsmith. I know we liked him because he tries his heart out and gets more out of his ability,etc,etc but he shouldn't be our best defender.

[smupony]

So now we have a 240 MLB and a 260 LB/DE, Smart and Odiari, respectively. I like it a lot! Beats having 205lbs linebackers (who shall remain nameless) waiting to get trampled.

If that's a shot at McCray you don't know what you are talking about. We are going to miss him and his experience next year. He may have been light, but he was in on a bunch of tackles. Oh yeah, he was a four year starter. Bennett may have been a poor HC, but having a guy playing that position for all four years says a lot.

No I liked McCray so you can take a guess at whom I am talking about...

Am I missing something here? The LB (who will remain nameless) was the team Defensive MVP and tied the team lead in tackles. Again, why are we so worried about measurables right now. Get me a kid who is at the right place and makes the play. Last time I checked, we had nothing else to throw out there and our LB in question did his job.

MVP and leading tackler on our D doesn't exactly make him Ali Highsmith. I know we liked him because he tries his heart out and gets more out of his ability,etc,etc but he shouldn't be our best defender.

Agreed. But he is what we have right now. The new caching staff will evaluate and make changes. If he is not there, we have someone better to take his spot. At this point, I could care less. Give me some capable players and lets win some games. Don't fault the LB in question for being given a chance and taking full advantage. He got a scholly out of it. He earned it.

[that's great raplh]

great story

[OC Mustang]

For the record, I wasn't ripping on anybody...Bonilla, Smart, Fleps, or past LBs like McCray. I'm not a coach, so I rely on my eyes and stats.

Chris Bordano weighed 190-200 lbs dripping wet with full gear and a full belly when he played his first season or two, and he'd hit guys bigger and heavier than him so hard that you could hear it in Ownby's cheap seats in the end zone.

That said, he also had back problems traceable directly back to those encounters early on. So perhaps there is something to weight. There is also something to having speed...tends to equalize the weight thing if there is strong tackling.

<edit> Oh, I just saw on another thread where Bonilla is pushing 225. I think that's heavy enough to play college OLB, so if anybody is still tweaked about weight, they should get over it. I think the defense is fine in that area.

I do have a question though...
DEFENSIVE LINE...What happened to DeGroat? He broke his leg, and all of sudden, nothing...is he still in the mix for interior lineman?