Our LB's are stuggling

RoRo Shiz

RoRo Shiz

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Oct 22, 2007
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Has anyone else noticed that our LB's can't get off a block to make a tackle. If they do actually get off a block they never make the tackle in the hole and drive the running back backwards. It always seems the back is falling forward or running our LB's over. I've just seen to many plays this year our LB's haven't made.
 
MAYBE because they are not very good
lets see

griffin was a 2 star
jackson n jefferson were low 3 stars

they wern;t recruited to be top notch and they arn't panning out...i dont know why our linebackers shined under tenuta but they always seemed to be good...but now they just seem like a huge level below any LBs ive seen at tech in a long time
 
DeRRtyTree said:
MAYBE because they are not very good
lets see

griffin was a 2 star
jackson n jefferson were low 3 stars

they wern;t recruited to be top notch and they arn't panning out...i dont know why our linebackers shined under tenuta but they always seemed to be good...but now they just seem like a huge level below any LBs ive seen at tech in a long time
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Jackson is a R-Freshman, Jefferson is a Sophomore who played some special teams last year and was injured earlier this year. This is the first year of a new defensive scheme... that means that there are no senior mentors who can teach the younger guys the ropes with regard to scheme... I think that guys like Gerris Wilkinson, Phillip Wheeler, Key Fox, and Darryl Smith all knew the scheme pretty well and passed on that knowledge over the years. Don't write off the LB's as being garbage due to 'stars'... they are young, they have been injured, they are learning a new scheme, and they have only one coach instead of 2 or 3.
 
THE AMBASSADOR is the best.

It seems like Griffin and AT Barnes show up at random.

THE GLADIATOR....still may be hurt? One would hope that "rust" would have been shook off by now.
 
gtGreg768b nailed it... They are young, and there has been discontinuity at the position. Simple as that.

They have not been performing well, but that is more an indicator of their youth and inexperience, as opposed to talent.
 
DeRRtyTree said:
they wern;t recruited to be top notch and they arn't panning out...i dont know why our linebackers shined under tenuta but they always seemed to be good...but now they just seem like a huge level below any LBs ive seen at tech in a long time
Click to expand...

Not panning out? That is just a plain silly statement.

Philip Wheeler had to be redshirted his second year after playing as a freshman because he had a hard time getting it....and then he went on the be a 3 year starter, win All-ACC honors...get drafted in the NFL for the Colts. Guyton did not start until his junior year and he plays regularly for the Patriots as a rookie.

Brad Jefferson is starting as a true sophomore and missed 5 games due to a dislocated wrist!...and you are already saying he is not panning out???

They are struggling with some underneath coverages but by and large are getting it done. Matter of fact, Kyle Jackson is second on the team in tackles.

Also consider that previous defenses employed required the DL to be sacrificial lambs and allow the LB's the spotlight for big plays. Our current D is more balanced...and has perhaps the best DL front in GT history to get through for the LB to even make the darn tackle.

..and btw....our defense held NC to 7 pts until the 4th quarter....and UNC did not score until they received the ball on our own 30 yard line from a muffed punt immediately after our D put their offense out. They then took it over again the very next series on a fumble...again on our side of the field. I am not going to give them any grief.

Amazing...they play a handful of college games in their life as freshman and sophomores and you say they are not panning out....good grief. Glad you did not coach Guyton or Wheeler!!!

Cannot wait to see what you say about our new defensive line next year.
 
They are young and get out of position a good bit. They also get rolled by OL from time to time. I saw two get pancaked on the same play yesterday. Run went for about 20 yards. But they are talented and will make a good group in time
 
DeRRtyTree said:
MAYBE because they are not very good
lets see

griffin was a 2 star
jackson n jefferson were low 3 stars

they wern;t recruited to be top notch and they arn't panning out...i dont know why our linebackers shined under tenuta but they always seemed to be good...but now they just seem like a huge level below any LBs ive seen at tech in a long time
Click to expand...
and MAYBE you don't know much about the subject. They are young and are developing.
 
DeRRtyTree said:
MAYBE because they are not very good
lets see

griffin was a 2 star
jackson n jefferson were low 3 stars

they wern;t recruited to be top notch and they arn't panning out...i dont know why our linebackers shined under tenuta but they always seemed to be good...but now they just seem like a huge level below any LBs ive seen at tech in a long time
Click to expand...

Calvin Johnson was a 3 star. Can't believe we got stuck with THAT guy on signing day.
 
Calvin was a 5 star on scout. The star talk is a dead horse though.

We still could use better linebackers. They seem to either be getting blocked, out of position or tackling a RB after a 6 yard run. I know we were spoiled with Tenuta's scheme letting them make big plays and our LBs seem to have coverage responsibility for the middle of the field now, but they need to stop the run better.

As for better players... These same guys can be better players next year, or a Jonathan Davis and Mike Gillard can step in, if we can get them here.
 
Calvin Johnson was a 3 star. Can't believe we got stuck with THAT guy on signing day.
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What?

Calvin Johnson was the consensus #1 WR recruit in the nation.
 
Calvin was a 4-star on Rivals and he might have gone down from a 5-star after he committed to us. Not a lot of Tech people subscribe to Rivals and it shows in their rankings.
 
Calvin was a 4-star on Rivals and rated the #6 WR in the nation behind:
Early Doucet (LSU)
Cameron Colvin (Oregon)
Fred Davis (SoCal)
Lance Leggett (Miami)
Xavier Carter (LSU)
Of interest, that year Eddie Royal was #13, Gerg Carr #21.
Also of note, Michael Crabtree was a 4-star and rated the #16 WR in the nation for 2006.

IN 2004, Scout had Calvin Johnson as a 5-star and rated the #3 WR in the country behind Earley Doucet and Fred Davis. Intresting that they put Eddie Royal down at #27.

and talk about a big miss....in 2006 Scout gave an NR to Michael Crabtree and did not put him in the Top 100 WR's in the country!
 
When was the last time that we had a LB that was a all out stud as a soph or frosh? Give the guys time develop. The new system takes ALOT more discipline and learning of techniques than Tenuta's did. What did you guys expect when we have 3 new starters at LB this year?
 
Good point. LBs are about where I would expect them to be, which is "average at best". Secondary is much better than I thought it would be though. We know Morgan Burnett would be good, and so would Jahi. But Reid, Taylor and Reese have played lights out.
 
Geori said:
Good point. LBs are about where I would expect them to be, which is "average at best". Secondary is much better than I thought it would be though. We know Morgan Burnett would be good, and so would Jahi. But Reid, Taylor and Reese have played lights out.
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With 3 of our best DBs next year being safeties going into next year, I wonder if one of them will bet bumped into the CB spot opposite Reid (whom I assume will be the starter once JWD graduates). Clearly Burnett would be our best CB, but he's more valuable to us at the rover position. What do you guys think?
 
Part of it is a change in philosophy from Tenuta to Wommack. I'll be glad to explain further if anyone is interested.

Part of it is youth. I do wonder why we burned Sylvester's RS, yet he is not seeing the field. I have a hard time believing he would do worse.
 
floridajacket said:
Calvin was a 4-star on Rivals and he might have gone down from a 5-star after he committed to us. Not a lot of Tech people subscribe to Rivals and it shows in their rankings.
Click to expand...
Calvin Johnson was a bust. Look at his senior year, his numbers were terrible...

Back to the topic at hand, our LBs are young, and they're getting gassed. They should get better.
 
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