So we lose our two starting LBs (JRM for nearly all season and DKJr for less than half), and our linebacker corps/play drops off to Mid Major level or so? What happened to all that outstanding recruiting? We only play 2 LBs at a time....surely to God we should've had 3-4 more highly recruited/rated LBs to slide in seamlessly and play at a high SEC level.
Cortez played fairly well in relief of JRM. Sapp likely would've helped a good bit, and quite honestly as a 2nd year former 4 star recruit, he certainly should have, yet he was 3rd string behind JRM and McDowell.
Where was Bates, Bryant, Smith, even freshman Bituli who even as a freshman was our biggest, most physical linebacker. Berry was ok. Whatever happened to Jakob Johnson? He stepped in at MLB when AJ was suspended back in 2014, played poorly, and we never much saw him at linebacker again.
Fact is, none of those guys were ready to play ahead of a physically limited walkon? God bless Jumper, but let's call it what it is.
Injuries were an issue, no doubt it, no argument from me. But it shouldn't have rendered the position below average to damn near feckless. After 4 years of very good recruiting, we should've had 2, 3, even 4 guys ready to move in, take advantage of their opportunities and play at high SEC level. And that just didn't happen. That position group must be inifinitely better this season.
