Time in the system. IW wasn't healthy a lot of last year. Full year in the system and body by lou starting to show results.
Illini Football 2020
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I think Robinson has shown that he isn't exactly B1G starting material. He can fill in and do some things, but he isn't what you want if you are a good/decent team. That is not meant to be a bash on him either.
I think with Williams, he is so electrifying as an athlete, that you still have hope that he could be a decent starter on a decent team.
Looking at the depth and all the comments about our young players with body by Lou, keeps me coming back to how all of this is stopping Lou from having them personally during their most effective growth cycles. Really disappoints me. I see all the twitter videos of lineman pushing cars and Behbe jumping on a trash can but I hope they have some serious guidance in what they need to be doing on a person by person basis
They would have been given workout regimens just like incoming freshmen who have signed are given before they are on campus. Yes, there is a lot of personal responsibility, which worries me about a couple of players who struggled enough when the coaches were there. But I would assume there have been Zoom sessions of workouts and chats checking in on weight and other figures. I have no inside knowledge; just feedback from other programs and past best practices.
Does anyone have a read on what Isaiah's role will be on this team going forward, is he our '21-'22 QB, or is he going to likely play another role on this team. I just want to see him take the field in any capacity this season. Hoping someone with more insights can weigh in. I get this isn't exactly the best timing to answer this question.
if it were up to me, he would play a Ryan tannehill type role. Given that I worked with tanNehill, I think this could be risky for the sake of injury. My guess is that he will be workEd into Midfield and goal line situations this year.
Robert Rosenthal Retweeted
PFF College@PFF_College ·2h
Highest-graded returning Power 5 interior OL:
1. G Josh Rivas, Kansas State
2. C John Michael Schmitz, Minn
3. G Wyatt Davis, Ohio State
4. C Tyler Linderbaum, Iowa
5. C Doug Kramer, Illinois
6. G Kendrick Green, Illinois
7. G Alijah Vera-Tucker, USC
8. G Trey Smith, Tennessee
PFF College@PFF_College ·2h
Highest-graded returning Power 5 interior OL:
1. G Josh Rivas, Kansas State
2. C John Michael Schmitz, Minn
3. G Wyatt Davis, Ohio State
4. C Tyler Linderbaum, Iowa
5. C Doug Kramer, Illinois
6. G Kendrick Green, Illinois
7. G Alijah Vera-Tucker, USC
8. G Trey Smith, Tennessee
Anyone else have a good feeling about this team? I think we could be surprisingly good next year. Maybe Minnesota decent next year. 6 wins should be the absolute floor.
Deleted member 746648
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Whether we win 5 or 9 games I think this is the most talented team we've had since the Zook era (I understand that isn't saying much). Unfortunately I think there is only 4 games we should easily win. Hopefully we will win at least 3 of the Purdue, Nebraska, northwestern, Minnesota, Iowa and Indiana games but all of those teams are also pretty talented too.
Here is what I project the 2 depth chart to be after adding a couple more grad transfers. Looks to be the best we have had in a long time. Very excited about the season. Let me know if you think i should change anything. The newly created *star position was difficult to show on this chart without pulling guys from their natural position.
Deleted member 746648
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I'm excited to see what this defense can do next season. I'm not as worried about the DL as others on here, epecially with the new additions. the line only needs to be average for the defense to build on last year imo
Brown as the RB starter seems a little premature to me. I think Bonner has a chance to take at least 50% of this years carries. I'd love Epstien to be 100% for this year, I just don't see him carrying more than 100 times given his history. A change of pace role might be a better place for him.
Not really relevant to this season, but I think a well written article about the Tim Beckman era. Finally, he is largely forgotten now that we had a decent season and don't need a scapegoat.
https://medium.com/@BigTwen/one-cheer-for-tim-beckman-d7cc64fd485d
https://medium.com/@BigTwen/one-cheer-for-tim-beckman-d7cc64fd485d
Okpala is a Nose Tackle now?
I didn't know where to post this, but it looks like the one-time transfer rule won't go into effect for at least another year.
Everything coming out of practice last year was that chase brown was one of the best RB's. I don't see bonner having a huge role TBH. He really hasn't been overly effective and misses holes a lot. I think norwood ends up with more carries than bonner.
https://www.galesburg.com/sports/20200520/ncaa-to-lift-moratorium-on-football-basketball-workouts
Posted in basketball as well, but word is beginning June 1 workouts will be allowed. Great news imo. No details on how that will happen yet.
Posted in basketball as well, but word is beginning June 1 workouts will be allowed. Great news imo. No details on how that will happen yet.
At every position we look like an average-above average team especially in the BIG West. Only major concern is that Defensive Line. Don’t want to be pessimistic but I don’t think any of those guys could get more than 5 sacks in a season.
Gay definitely has the talent and experience to do it. Sadly, with how weak the rest of the line is, he'll see enough double teams this year (potentially) to make getting 5 sacks more of a ceiling rather than a floor.
That was literally the issue last year, there was no disruption. I really like the young guys on this roster, especially the ends. But we REALLY need Calvin to put it all together this year and Jamal to stay healthy. Both not having Spring ball does not help those situations.
If they can not get driven back and get their hands in passing lanes that could work for us. I don't have a lot of faith that our inexperienced line is suddenly going to get dramatically better.That was literally the issue last year, there was no disruption. I really like the young guys on this roster, especially the ends. But we REALLY need Calvin to put it all together this year and Jamal to stay healthy. Both not having Spring ball does not help those situations.
Lovie rotates the defense as much as he can. Our line isn't in a great position, but I wouldn't say its in a bad position. Woods and Avery are solid linemen. Bell, Gay, and Carney are seniors and will give us good minutes. And, the redshirt ends, Randolph and Coleman, will provide some decent depth. Not to mention Shipton and Okpala, both of which are unknown to me and I could see them making some big plays over the year. More importantly, they are all big bodied enough to allow our solid linebackers to shoot gaps and make plays on the ball. Really, I am high on the linebackers, which run the system.
It was very evident we create almost zero push last year. The DL might have a good mix of age and young talent, but I think we lose more than we gain even compared to last year. Of course, having a better secondary/LB group will automatically make the DL more effective if they are given more time to get to the QB. Still, I think there's a chance the group improves as a whole even without factoring the rest of the D in. Just don't think it's a gimme.
- Planet Earth, when not battling Ming the Merciless
We play at Wisconsin on October 31st . . .
https://townhall.com/columnists/mdkittle/2020/05/23/could-camp-randall-be-empty-this-fall-n2569244
https://townhall.com/columnists/mdkittle/2020/05/23/could-camp-randall-be-empty-this-fall-n2569244
I wasn’t sure where to put this but apparently Michigan’s President came out and said yesterday that there will be no football this fall at Michigan if all students aren’t back...
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