Could be, Lovie strikes me as a high integrity Guy and the articles where players are let go leave me with the impression that the players weren’t bought in or were causing problems in the locker room. Granted, with the number we let go, I’m sure some wanted to stay but were asked to leave. But I get the sense that the culture is vastly different this year than most of the last several years
Illini Football 2018
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Could be, Lovie strikes me as a high integrity Guy and the articles where players are let go leave me with the impression that the players weren’t bought in or were causing problems in the locker room. Granted, with the number we let go, I’m sure some wanted to stay but were asked to leave. But I get the sense that the culture is vastly different this year than most of the last several years
If you went into a lab and wanted to create what a perfect Left Tackle looks like. It would look like Vederian Lowe. I'm not sure it means anything, but the guy certainly looks the part.
https://247sports.com/college/illin...tball-training-camp-practice-No-11-120710020/
https://247sports.com/college/illin...tball-training-camp-practice-No-11-120710020/
For us last year, it was penalties and turnovers.
If you need a bazillion assistant coaches for recruiting, then fine, fill the position. But over quite a few years I have had to shake my head at NCAA and NFL staff bloat. Just on the field you have CB's vs Safeties, Inside LB's vs Outside LB's, etc. How hard can it be to just have a defensive backs coach and a linebackers coach for this example. You act like it is neuroscience for Gil Byrd to coach all the CBs and Safeties. You backpedal, then go to the ball. Done.
ILL in IA
- Iowa City
Kids these days. With all these coaches and camera phones. Get off my lawn!
Couple questions for people who have more insight than I do:
1) What's the word on Avery and Verdis Brown? I haven't heard much about how they look in practice yet. Is it just assumed that they still need at least a year to get caught up?
2) I haven't heard anything more about these 8 players that are supposedly suspended for the first couple games? Has that been confirmed or refuted or anything yet?
Thanks!
1) What's the word on Avery and Verdis Brown? I haven't heard much about how they look in practice yet. Is it just assumed that they still need at least a year to get caught up?
2) I haven't heard anything more about these 8 players that are supposedly suspended for the first couple games? Has that been confirmed or refuted or anything yet?
Thanks!
blackdog
- Champaign
If only it was actually that easy we might have a few more interceptions over the just couple years.
FeelYourPaign
- So Cal
As a guy who never played, it does seem a bit too micro to have some of those divisions. Don't they also need to work as a unit? Again, never played, so probably an idiot
FT35
- Naperville
1) They probably both need to RS. The injury to Milan may force Avery into action a bit early but he still may RS with the new 4 game rule if Milan can return soon enough.
2) The staff isn't going to confirm or deny anything publicly. We probably won't find out until the Kent State game who is suspended. If you remember the starting OL for the Ball State game, it was quite different than what any of us were expecting. Some guys were suspended for a Quarter while other guys were suspended for multiple games. The only one we know for sure is suspended is Boyd. After that, it's all speculation. However, there are some guys who you'd expect to be getting 1st team reps who aren't really getting 1st team reps at camp right now. This could be for motivational reasons or it could be because they have to prepare other guys to be ready to play against Kent State. I doubt anyone here (except maybe Mike55) knows for sure what is going on.
TownieMatt
CU Expat
- Chicago
Haven't been plugged in to football season much yet, but I've got a question for the knowledgeable folks on here. With AJ Bush and a stable of promising freshman coming in, has there been any talk of Cam Thomas changing positions? To my untrained eye, he looks like prototypical wide receiver with his body-type and athleticism.
I mean, at this point, it's about competing for that starting QB spot for him. The door has not closed on him being a 4-year starter for an Illini renaissance, and as long as that's a reasonable possibility, that should be the focus.
But if Bush wins the job this year and next year at camp Thomas finds himself behind Isaiah Williams and one or more of our current true freshman, yeah, then it becomes position change or transfer time, and I do hope it's the former because you're right, the raw athletic ability is there for Thomas to make an impact as a skill position player. He's a better prospect to do that than Eddie McGee and Miles Osei were, and both of those guys did fairly well.
In my opinion, the depth chart should be: 1. Bush 2. Robinson 3. Thomas. I don't think Cam Thomas can pass up Robinson with how good he has looked. I personally think he should just start preparing for a position change or a transfer
FT35
- Naperville
It's way too soon to even be discussing this.
Robinson comes from a rich family and has benefited greatly from many years of private coaching. The other non-5th year Seniors are just going to look like normal guys in comparison. These things tend to even out as camp and the season goes on. MJ Rivers wasn't even a QB until his Junior year of High School.
Seeing as how we have been down to our 3rd String QB the last two years (4th against tOSU last year), I would pump the breaks on any discussions that involve our QBs changing positions or transferring. I would just let the year play out and see what we have after the season.
While you'd hope Cam would clearly be #2 at this point considering he had Spring practices under R. Smith, I wouldn't count him out yet. R. Smith's offense is heavily dependent on a great running QB and Cam is the best of the bunch in terms of running the ball. This gives him an inherent advantage over the rest of the group.
Also, let's pump the breaks a bit on who has or hasn't looked good in camp. Whitmer looked great in 2010 until the live scrimmages when he had to worry about getting blind sided by defensive ends. Some guys just look better when they can hang in the pocket without having to worry about getting hit.
We also don't know how any of these guys, except Cam and to a lesser extent Bush, look in games. Dustin Ward looked great in practice but was a disaster in games.
Yeah, and these two things are directly related.
All the situations that are advantageous to the QB best able to be elusive with his feet still lie ahead.
My guess would be that if healthy AJ Bush is the full-time starter all year, barring a late switch to get younger guys more reps if we're out of bowl contention. But that is far, far from set in stone after 10 days of practice.
Now that I think about it you're fair in calling me out on that. I'm too impatient when it comes to things like this lol. Also had no clue about Robinson's background thank you for sharing
This is a complete guess but I'm thinking 5 wins and showing some real competitiveness without any major blowouts. The team is still extremely young so the upside is there. If we can pull that off I think we see these fellas in Orange and Blue. I drink lots of kool aid, I'm thinking between 5 and 7 wins this year.
I can see us winning anywhere between 2 and 7 games. The only games we should win are Kent State and Western. Of course, Maryland could easily enter that realm. USF might be there. Purdue, Minny, and maybe Nebraska are games we have a non-insignificant chance in. To win any other game, we would have to obtain quite a bit of luck.
You're getting warmer.
They both already know whether or not they are coming. Now, this season whatever they want to see they will see. We could win 2 games, the staff will spin why it’s improvement and the two will choose.
SampsonRelpenk
- Edwardsville, IL
Just saw on twitter that it's #BlackCatAppreciationDay!
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How in the hell is there not a "dynamite drop in Monty" gif out there! Well a pic is gonna have to do...
Illwinsagain
- Cary, IL
Wow, that was fun, watching relevant Illini football.
I was at that game. Freaking awesome and a bright spot in a rough season. (That was the 3-9 season right?)
Me too! And yeah, that was 2009. Probably the Zook-era talent peak of the program, NFL players all over the field.
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