1vol8
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With the pandemic and the threat of no football I’m realizing football is a drug. I’m having withdrawals and don’t mind saying I’m not trying to quit.
That being said I thought it would be an interesting topic to look back on the impact of the 2019 class.
In 2018 I think it’s safe to say there were problems at nearly every position. The o line wasn’t good. The qbs playing style didn’t mix well with the o lines abilities. The RBs couldn’t find a hole in a wiffle ball (partially on the o line). The WRs were not fast and the TEs couldn’t block.
On defense there was no pass rush. Much like the o line they got pushed around wherever the opposing player wanted them to go. Hard to blame any DB for not being able to cover a speedy WR for the 4 seconds + it took for our d line to create pressure.
Enter the 2019 class.
D. Wright- immediate impact player along the o line and likely 1-2 round o lineman. I can’t remember a time last year that he was singled out by fans or media because his defender made a play. Correct me if I’m wrong.
H. To’o To’o- He was already good but got better as the weeks rolled by. No question that he was an upgrade and last year was only scraping the surface with him.
Q.Crouch- I know he’s a LB but in short yardage he was money. If he can become the same level LB that he is a RB, watch out SEC. The combo of Crouch and To’oto’o could be the most feared in all of college football.
E. Gray- I said early on he reminded me of Barry Sanders somewhat because of how quickly his feet react to what his eyes see and his ability to stop on a dime and change direction. There will never be another Barry but Gray has some of those qualities.
B. Maurer- Qbs seem to bring the most backlash between fans and I think that’s because most of us have a particular style we favor the most, whatever it may be. No matter what playing style you like it’s undeniable that the team energy was noticeably different behind each qb. When Maurer entered the game his energy fueled the team. There are those that will make mountains out of mole hills and put too much stock into stats (imo) for a kid that was thrown to the wolves (Toughest stretch of the season) wearing peanut butter underwear (very limited prep time). How good could he be with sufficient time? Who knows. But better than what we seen last year seems logical.
W. Morris- I seen him get beat like drum early in the season. I seen him dominate late. Once he came into his zone the combination of himself, Wright and Trey Smith became a weapon. Don’t get me wrong, Trey is still our best o lineman but tackles have my respect because their position requires them to play in space AND in the trenches. There’s a “nastiness” to this group that wasn’t there before and it’s hard to say who leads the charge. We all know how Trey is. I watched Wanya ride a bulldog all the way to the benches in person like Micael Oher did in “The Blind Side”. Of course he got a personal foul call and it killed our drive but it was humorous. I watched D.Wright at “The Opening” 2018 and he was pancaking guys like he owned IHOP.
That about wraps up the guys that played significant roles last year as freshman. I know the 2020 class is bringing a lot of hype but I don’t see a single guy above that’s going to be an “easy” beat out for anyone.
That being said I thought it would be an interesting topic to look back on the impact of the 2019 class.
In 2018 I think it’s safe to say there were problems at nearly every position. The o line wasn’t good. The qbs playing style didn’t mix well with the o lines abilities. The RBs couldn’t find a hole in a wiffle ball (partially on the o line). The WRs were not fast and the TEs couldn’t block.
On defense there was no pass rush. Much like the o line they got pushed around wherever the opposing player wanted them to go. Hard to blame any DB for not being able to cover a speedy WR for the 4 seconds + it took for our d line to create pressure.
Enter the 2019 class.
D. Wright- immediate impact player along the o line and likely 1-2 round o lineman. I can’t remember a time last year that he was singled out by fans or media because his defender made a play. Correct me if I’m wrong.
H. To’o To’o- He was already good but got better as the weeks rolled by. No question that he was an upgrade and last year was only scraping the surface with him.
Q.Crouch- I know he’s a LB but in short yardage he was money. If he can become the same level LB that he is a RB, watch out SEC. The combo of Crouch and To’oto’o could be the most feared in all of college football.
E. Gray- I said early on he reminded me of Barry Sanders somewhat because of how quickly his feet react to what his eyes see and his ability to stop on a dime and change direction. There will never be another Barry but Gray has some of those qualities.
B. Maurer- Qbs seem to bring the most backlash between fans and I think that’s because most of us have a particular style we favor the most, whatever it may be. No matter what playing style you like it’s undeniable that the team energy was noticeably different behind each qb. When Maurer entered the game his energy fueled the team. There are those that will make mountains out of mole hills and put too much stock into stats (imo) for a kid that was thrown to the wolves (Toughest stretch of the season) wearing peanut butter underwear (very limited prep time). How good could he be with sufficient time? Who knows. But better than what we seen last year seems logical.
W. Morris- I seen him get beat like drum early in the season. I seen him dominate late. Once he came into his zone the combination of himself, Wright and Trey Smith became a weapon. Don’t get me wrong, Trey is still our best o lineman but tackles have my respect because their position requires them to play in space AND in the trenches. There’s a “nastiness” to this group that wasn’t there before and it’s hard to say who leads the charge. We all know how Trey is. I watched Wanya ride a bulldog all the way to the benches in person like Micael Oher did in “The Blind Side”. Of course he got a personal foul call and it killed our drive but it was humorous. I watched D.Wright at “The Opening” 2018 and he was pancaking guys like he owned IHOP.
That about wraps up the guys that played significant roles last year as freshman. I know the 2020 class is bringing a lot of hype but I don’t see a single guy above that’s going to be an “easy” beat out for anyone.
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