Illini Football 2020

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#53      
Another stellar take from you.
If you really think a QB room of IW, Coran Taylor, Brandon Peters, Deuce Spann and Matt Robinson isn't a huge upgrade from AJ Bush, Fr Coran Taylor, Fr Robinson and Fr Mj Rivers then i got a bag of magic beans to sell to you. And a "feature" back doesn't even work in rod's offense. Plus i would say chase brown and reggie love are a upgrade from the talent in here before. In fact if you wanna be critical say that he hasn't been able to recruit the right slot or big play receivers. And its funny how your critical of lovie's hiring are bust while giving credit on the transfers to the very people he hired. So wouldn't that mean he did a good job of hiring people to land these type of players??
So you're comparing Lovie's QB players for 2020 with Lovie's QB players for 2019 instead of previous coaches QBs? That's the old argument "he could do worse, and HAS"lol. Doesn't work, sneak.

I'm sure you know this, but Rod's offense needs a "home run hitter" as a feature back, and I don't see that we have one let alone the few we need to get through a season. Our OL just doesn't make those gaping holes regularly that can make a decent back good and a good back great. He needs a breakaway runner who can break tackles and I just don't see that from next year's guys. The threat of a big run keeps DBs and LBs home and opens up the WRs and TEs for potential big plays.

If you think Rod doesn't need a breakaway speed back who can make that first defender miss and break a long one to make his offense work, I'd be disappointed in you. You know that getting stopped at 3-5 yards play after play and needing 20+ play scoring drives just won't cut it.

He also needs that feature back in the red zone. Someone strong enough to scare the defenders on the inside and pick up critical first downs and make them defend the outside leaving receivers in single coverage. A back without the muscle to break that first LB/safety tackle and get into the end zone or outrun a DB to the outside is invaluable.

I can't criticize what Peters brought the team last year...we're probably 3-9 if we had to go with the other QBs on our roster. Even though he' a warrior who runs with everything he's got. he's concussion prone and should limit that. Rod NEEDED to recruit a QB with those talents, and hasn't been able to, at least so far, and it's critical to building the program.

The problem is that we need the kind of assistants that can recruit that kind of player. We don't have any now, with the possible exception of Hayes Stoker and Patterson. That's simply not enough to compete in P5.
 
#54      
I like Bell i think he's a upgrade from shobongo. Could maybe have a nice role as a 3rd down pass rusher. Exactly what we needed.
I hope so, Sneak. I don't think we'll know what we have until he gets here this summer. He's not the athlete Wole is, but maybe he plays smarter to be at least as effective. I haven't seen anything on the field last year that made me think we've got any Duane Smoots or Carroll Phillips here, and that's what we need to be at least decent on D. I'm actually more concerned with the DTs. Ward is undersized and gets injured a lot and Avery is an enigma not getting in shape. Not much behind them on the roster, unless the recruits are better than expected or we bring in an outstanding grad transfer...
 
#55      
Another stellar take from you.
If you really think a QB room of IW, Coran Taylor, Brandon Peters, Deuce Spann and Matt Robinson isn't a huge upgrade from AJ Bush, Fr Coran Taylor, Fr Robinson and Fr Mj Rivers then i got a bag of magic beans to sell to you. And a "feature" back doesn't even work in rod's offense. Plus i would say chase brown and reggie love are a upgrade from the talent in here before. In fact if you wanna be critical say that he hasn't been able to recruit the right slot or big play receivers. And its funny how your critical of lovie's hiring are bust while giving credit on the transfers to the very people he hired. So wouldn't that mean he did a good job of hiring people to land these type of players??
Sneaky, the one who recruited Wole is gone, and Hudson hasn't shown he can recruit any more than what he got last year, at least not yet. We'll see how Smith works out at safety. That's about all he could get to play next year. I was really expecting him to do better attracting DBs from Florida and SoCal...
 
#56      

Deleted member 654622

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Arizona Bob, post
So you're comparing Lovie's QB players for 2020 with Lovie's QB players for 2019 instead of previous coaches QBs? That's the old argument "he could do worse, and HAS"lol. Doesn't work, sneak. - Has the QB significantly been upgraded? Yes it has

I'm sure you know this, but Rod's offense needs a "home run hitter" as a feature back, and I don't see that we have one let alone the few we need to get through a season. Our OL just doesn't make those gaping holes regularly that can make a decent back good and a good back great. He needs a breakaway runner who can break tackles and I just don't see that from next year's guys. The threat of a big run keeps DBs and LBs home and opens up the WRs and TEs for potential big plays. - Our OL just doesn't make gaping holes? Bro there is a reason Dre was more successful last year than Reggie. Dre followed his blocks, hit the hole and was successful while Reggie kept trying to bounce everything to the outside. Yes our OL is more than adequate for a power running game

If you think Rod doesn't need a breakaway speed back who can make that first defender miss and break a long one to make his offense work, I'd be disappointed in you. You know that getting stopped at 3-5 yards play after play and needing 20+ play scoring drives just won't cut it. - WHAT? getting 3-5yrds per play wont cut it? Actually it will work every time. That means your getting a first down every third play. So your scoring. And killing the clock. While your defense, (which ours isn't talented enough yet) gets needed rest

He also needs that feature back in the red zone. Someone strong enough to scare the defenders on the inside and pick up critical first downs and make them defend the outside leaving receivers in single coverage. A back without the muscle to break that first LB/safety tackle and get into the end zone or outrun a DB to the outside is invaluable. - Who was Arizona's featured back when he was in Arizona? No one knows and no one cares because they had Khalil Tate. That is what Rod needs in his offense. We have two developing in the QB room right now, IW and Deuce Spann

I can't criticize what Peters brought the team last year...we're probably 3-9 if we had to go with the other QBs on our roster. Even though he' a warrior who runs with everything he's got. he's concussion prone and should limit that. Rod NEEDED to recruit a QB with those talents, and hasn't been able to, at least so far, and it's critical to building the program. - Yes I would rather Peters slide more. NEEDED to recruit a QB....again IW in year two and Deuce Spann in year 3, Samir Collier next year. I would say he IS recruiting that type of player. IS

The problem is that we need the kind of assistants that can recruit that kind of player. We don't have any now, with the possible exception of Hayes Stoker and Patterson. That's simply not enough to compete in P5. - Mike Bellamy is a great recruiter. He just happens to be dealing with the Chicago kids. Unless your throwing some money at these boys, only winning is going to bring them back[/QUOTE]
 
#57      
So you're comparing Lovie's QB players for 2020 with Lovie's QB players for 2019 instead of previous coaches QBs? That's the old argument "he could do worse, and HAS"lol. Doesn't work, sneak.

I'm sure you know this, but Rod's offense needs a "home run hitter" as a feature back, and I don't see that we have one let alone the few we need to get through a season. Our OL just doesn't make those gaping holes regularly that can make a decent back good and a good back great. He needs a breakaway runner who can break tackles and I just don't see that from next year's guys. The threat of a big run keeps DBs and LBs home and opens up the WRs and TEs for potential big plays.

If you think Rod doesn't need a breakaway speed back who can make that first defender miss and break a long one to make his offense work, I'd be disappointed in you. You know that getting stopped at 3-5 yards play after play and needing 20+ play scoring drives just won't cut it.

He also needs that feature back in the red zone. Someone strong enough to scare the defenders on the inside and pick up critical first downs and make them defend the outside leaving receivers in single coverage. A back without the muscle to break that first LB/safety tackle and get into the end zone or outrun a DB to the outside is invaluable.

I can't criticize what Peters brought the team last year...we're probably 3-9 if we had to go with the other QBs on our roster. Even though he' a warrior who runs with everything he's got. he's concussion prone and should limit that. Rod NEEDED to recruit a QB with those talents, and hasn't been able to, at least so far, and it's critical to building the program.

The problem is that we need the kind of assistants that can recruit that kind of player. We don't have any now, with the possible exception of Hayes Stoker and Patterson. That's simply not enough to compete in P5.
Duece Spann and IW are the best QB prospects we've had since aaron bailey. I literally don't understand how the hell you can think we haven't upgraded the QB room. Rod's offense needs speed regardless of the position. And our OL is fine, just need the RB to follow blocks. "Feature Backs" are declining in general. Running back by committee is the way more teams are doing it and in Rod's offense they mean literally nothing. And now you onto critiquing the other staffs abilities?
 
#58      
Sneaky, the one who recruited Wole is gone, and Hudson hasn't shown he can recruit any more than what he got last year, at least not yet. We'll see how Smith works out at safety. That's about all he could get to play next year. I was really expecting him to do better attracting DBs from Florida and SoCal...
Hudson was in on Newton, Spann, Riggins, the USC boys and found a gem like witherspoon. I would say that he has more than shown he can recruit. He literally found a starter that was under-ranked as a freshman. But by all means judge his ability after 1 year.
 
#59      
I'm just as bored as the rest of you and my work is shut down for 2 weeks so i created this. If you have any differences please let me know and i can change it! I think it would be fun to see how accurate we are when the season starts.

QBRBWRWRWRTELTLGCRGRTLS
StarterPetersBrownSmallingImatorbhebheSidneyFordLoweGreenKramerBrownPalczewskiTabel
2ndWilliamsEpsteinWashingtonCampbellNavarroBarkerCerneySlaughterTylerKirtsPearlHall
3rdRobinson BonnerSandyCarterCumby MooreGriffinIngoldEngelSparksPlohrReagin
4thTaylorNorwoodHolmesThomasFrenchieReimanPihlstromCronin
5thSpannSimsLindenman
6thBeethamLoveHickey
7thFedanzoBickle
8thLilligMetclaf
9thBobak
WDENTDTSDESLBMLBWLBCBCBSSFSKP
StarterGay AveryWoodsCarneyEiflerHansenCooperAdamsHobbsBrownD SmithMcCourtHayes
2ndBellPateShiptonRandolphTolsonBarnesDegrootBeasonWitherspoonWareMartinGriffinMcCourt
3rdColemanOkpalaNewtonMondesirKnightCoghlan GardnerWalkerNicholsonMarcheseJoeseph
4thDavisMcCoyRigginsHolmesDi LorioMeadMcEachernWyattLeitzseyK SmithThompson
5thBarnesRoundtreeSchultzBobak
Seniors
27​
StartersSeniorsJuniorsSophmoresFreshman
Juniors
22​
Offense
7​
1​
3​
0​
Sophmores
19​
Defense
6​
4​
0​
1​
Freshman
20​
Redshirt FR
21​
109​
 
#60      
I'm just as bored as the rest of you and my work is shut down for 2 weeks so i created this. If you have any differences please let me know and i can change it! I think it would be fun to see how accurate we are when the season starts.

QBRBWRWRWRTELTLGCRGRTLS
StarterPetersBrownSmallingImatorbhebheSidneyFordLoweGreenKramerBrownPalczewskiTabel
2ndWilliamsEpsteinWashingtonCampbellNavarroBarkerCerneySlaughterTylerKirtsPearlHall
3rdRobinson BonnerSandyCarterCumby MooreGriffinIngoldEngelSparksPlohrReagin
4thTaylorNorwoodHolmesThomasFrenchieReimanPihlstromCronin
5thSpannSimsLindenman
6thBeethamLoveHickey
7thFedanzoBickle
8thLilligMetclaf
9thBobak
WDENTDTSDESLBMLBWLBCBCBSSFSKP
StarterGay AveryWoodsCarneyEiflerHansenCooperAdamsHobbsBrownD SmithMcCourtHayes
2ndBellPateShiptonRandolphTolsonBarnesDegrootBeasonWitherspoonWareMartinGriffinMcCourt
3rdColemanOkpalaNewtonMondesirKnightCoghlan GardnerWalkerNicholsonMarcheseJoeseph
4thDavisMcCoyRigginsHolmesDi LorioMeadMcEachernWyattLeitzseyK SmithThompson
5thBarnesRoundtreeSchultzBobak
Seniors
27​
StartersSeniorsJuniorsSophmoresFreshman
Juniors
22​
Offense
7​
1​
3​
0​
Sophmores
19​
Defense
6​
4​
0​
1​
Freshman
20​
Redshirt FR
21​
109​

This is cool. I hope Verdis wins guard spot, but unless we get a Grad I think it will be Cerny or Slaughter. I think a healthy Epstein starts. Have a feeling Love will pass up Norwood, Sims, and Bonner. Would love for Avery to start but I'll say Shipton. Would also love to see Cooper, but I think it will be Gardner or Derrick Smith. If Smith is a LB then obviously Ware or Quan at S.
 
#61      
I'm just as bored as the rest of you and my work is shut down for 2 weeks so i created this. If you have any differences please let me know and i can change it! I think it would be fun to see how accurate we are when the season starts.

QBRBWRWRWRTELTLGCRGRTLS
StarterPetersBrownSmallingImatorbhebheSidneyFordLoweGreenKramerBrownPalczewskiTabel
2ndWilliamsEpsteinWashingtonCampbellNavarroBarkerCerneySlaughterTylerKirtsPearlHall
3rdRobinsonBonnerSandyCarterCumbyMooreGriffinIngoldEngelSparksPlohrReagin
4thTaylorNorwoodHolmesThomasFrenchieReimanPihlstromCronin
5thSpannSimsLindenman
6thBeethamLoveHickey
7thFedanzoBickle
8thLilligMetclaf
9thBobak
WDENTDTSDESLBMLBWLBCBCBSSFSKP
StarterGayAveryWoodsCarneyEiflerHansenCooperAdamsHobbsBrownD SmithMcCourtHayes
2ndBellPateShiptonRandolphTolsonBarnesDegrootBeasonWitherspoonWareMartinGriffinMcCourt
3rdColemanOkpalaNewtonMondesirKnightCoghlanGardnerWalkerNicholsonMarcheseJoeseph
4thDavisMcCoyRigginsHolmesDi LorioMeadMcEachernWyattLeitzseyK SmithThompson
5thBarnesRoundtreeSchultzBobak
Seniors
27​
StartersSeniorsJuniorsSophmoresFreshman
Juniors
22​
Offense
7​
1​
3​
0​
Sophmores
19​
Defense
6​
4​
0​
1​
Freshman
20​
Redshirt FR
21​
109​

outside of brown our safeties scare the crap out of me
 
#62      
This is cool. I hope Verdis wins guard spot, but unless we get a Grad I think it will be Cerny or Slaughter. I think a healthy Epstein starts. Have a feeling Love will pass up Norwood, Sims, and Bonner. Would love for Avery to start but I'll say Shipton. Would also love to see Cooper, but I think it will be Gardner or Derrick Smith. If Smith is a LB then obviously Ware or Quan at S.
If Calvin Avery has been struggling with cutting weight, I'd imagine being quarantined at home will be detrimental to his progress.
 
#63      
This is cool. I hope Verdis wins guard spot, but unless we get a Grad I think it will be Cerny or Slaughter. I think a healthy Epstein starts. Have a feeling Love will pass up Norwood, Sims, and Bonner. Would love for Avery to start but I'll say Shipton. Would also love to see Cooper, but I think it will be Gardner or Derrick Smith. If Smith is a LB then obviously Ware or Quan at S.
I hope verdis does as well. I think its a three horse race and cerny has the lead but i think browns upside will start to show. I think brown will be the RB. Reports from practice was he was the best RB we had most of last year. I just don't see Epstein stating healthy enough to be a lead back. I agree that avery isn't a lock to start because of his weight. I think gardner reshirts and that smith ends up at saftey. I think its tolson/cooper/degroot who will be battling it out.
 
#65      

Deleted member 654622

D
Guest
I've have one of the most negative opinions about our upper classmen D lineman on this board. But seeing how strong Gay is getting in the weight room, it is giving me some hope
 
#66      

Joel Goodson

respect my decision™
I've have one of the most negative opinions about our upper classmen D lineman on this board. But seeing how strong Gay is getting in the weight room, it is giving me some hope

Gay would be a redshirt junior if we hadn't been a raging tire fire when he arrived. Heck, he's younger than some of our redshirt freshmen. Time's running out, he knows this is it. I'm expecting a big year.
 
#67      
Gay would be a redshirt junior if we hadn't been a raging tire fire when he arrived. Heck, he's younger than some of our redshirt freshmen. Time's running out, he knows this is it. I'm expecting a big year.
You are both correct in your assessment. Gay and Carney have been disappointments but they also were thrown into the fire and should really be red-shirt juniors. I expect a great year from Gay, Carney i'm less sure. I think Bell isn't going to be a game changer, he's gonna be shobongo. I think the guy were all overlooking is cooper davis. I think he's going to be a monster. We have a lot of senior DE depth this year, so i don't know how much we will use him, but to me is a 4* at least.
 
#68      
You are both correct in your assessment. Gay and Carney have been disappointments but they also were thrown into the fire and should really be red-shirt juniors. I expect a great year from Gay, Carney i'm less sure. I think Bell isn't going to be a game changer, he's gonna be shobongo. I think the guy were all overlooking is cooper davis. I think he's going to be a monster. We have a lot of senior DE depth this year, so i don't know how much we will use him, but to me is a 4* at least.

i like what we have at de. I think we have a bright future at the position and that we have seniors at the position next yea, provides quite a bit of relief.even if they aren’t all American defensive ends, they are seniors. They havebeen putting on size. They have been in the system. 5@they have had practice reading defenses and watching film. I think they will be ready to go.
 
#69      
i like what we have at de. I think we have a bright future at the position and that we have seniors at the position next yea, provides quite a bit of relief.even if they aren’t all American defensive ends, they are seniors. They havebeen putting on size. They have been in the system. 5@they have had practice reading defenses and watching film. I think they will be ready to go.
I'm just worried more about the interior DL. All have flaws- woods (injury), avery (conditioning), Pate (unproven), Shipton (strength), Okapal (technique). The rest are all really talented but are freshman. Were going to have to use the LB's to generate a pass rush and i hate that. I have a feeling we are going to get shredded in the run game.
 
#70      
I'm just worried more about the interior DL. All have flaws- woods (injury), avery (conditioning), Pate (unproven), Shipton (strength), Okapal (technique). The rest are all really talented but are freshman. Were going to have to use the LB's to generate a pass rush and i hate that. I have a feeling we are going to get shredded in the run game.

Ultimately, this debate is based on expectations. I don’t think we are winning 9-10 games. I want to win 6 or 7. From that standpoint, I think our line is sufficient.

I was expecting Avery to step into his game, which will be very disruptive (I hope coronavirus keeping people at home hasn’t changed this). And then the other lineman will be able to provide enough to be competent. We don’t have to be flawless, just good enough. I Think our line should be good enough assuming our lbs can prove better than competent, I’m not as concerned on the run game.
 
#71      
Ultimately, this debate is based on expectations. I don’t think we are winning 9-10 games. I want to win 6 or 7. From that standpoint, I think our line is sufficient.

I was expecting Avery to step into his game, which will be very disruptive (I hope coronavirus keeping people at home hasn’t changed this). And then the other lineman will be able to provide enough to be competent. We don’t have to be flawless, just good enough. I Think our line should be good enough assuming our lbs can prove better than competent, I’m not as concerned on the run game.
I agree i am more in the 7-8 range when it comes to wins. But the run game is the biggest worry for me on the entire roster. We are losing our best tackling LB and replacing him with an OLB and possibly a freshman LB.
 
#73      

Joel Goodson

respect my decision™
Some VERY positive news coming out of spring workouts regarding some players jumps. Might be a few surprises to the depth that i created and will re-release tonight. Love hearing about some young guys buying in and making jumps.

Thanks, much appreciated. Am guessing Randolph is in the big jump group. Really hope that Shammond Cooper is too.
 
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