'24 FL CB Cai Bates (FSU Commit)

[LouderVol]

IMO, at the end of the day we are not recruiting difference makers. People ask where the young kids are, but none of them are good enough to take a spot.

I think that changes with Beasley next year. Kid is a player and will be our best corner day 1.

or, and stay with me for a second, the coaches coached up the players who were here, just like they would any player they recruited, and the result is that the older guys with SEC experience, more time in the weight room, more time in the system, and the coaching are better right now than a true freshman who wasn't even here for the spring.

You guys need to stop acting like any freshman who doesn't come in and play at an all SEC level will be trash, or is considered a disappointment, or the coaches cant recruit. you guys cherry pick from 22 different schools to make up a fictional team of all freshman starters and wonder why we can't be like that. Georgia who recruits the best still only has 1 freshman in the 2 deep on offense, and 2 on defense. even going to second year guys you add 2 on offense, and 4 on defense. 2023 Georgia Bulldogs Football Depth Chart | Ourlads.com

Plenty of young difference makers who you can tell already will be good players/difference makers.

Pearce is a difference maker.
White is a difference maker.
Elijah Herring was our leading tackler, I would consider that a difference maker.
Sampson would start at multiple SEC schools

Then you have all the guys who aren't starting or getting significant snaps who still look pretty good.
Josephs, Hobbs (I think he got hurt), West (injured for most of the year), Webb, the freshman TE before he got hurt Davis, Telander, Carter before he got injured, Nimrod.

Lots of injuries keeping guys down.

 

[Helton1]

or, and stay with me for a second, the coaches coached up the players who were here, just like they would any player they recruited, and the result is that the older guys with SEC experience, more time in the weight room, more time in the system, and the coaching are better right now than a true freshman who wasn't even here for the spring.

You guys need to stop acting like any freshman who doesn't come in and play at an all SEC level will be trash, or is considered a disappointment, or the coaches cant recruit. you guys cherry pick from 22 different schools to make up a fictional team of all freshman starters and wonder why we can't be like that. Georgia who recruits the best still only has 1 freshman in the 2 deep on offense, and 2 on defense. even going to second year guys you add 2 on offense, and 4 on defense. 2023 Georgia Bulldogs Football Depth Chart | Ourlads.com

Plenty of young difference makers who you can tell already will be good players/difference makers.

Pearce is a difference maker.
White is a difference maker.
Elijah Herring was our leading tackler, I would consider that a difference maker.
Sampson would start at multiple SEC schools

Then you have all the guys who aren't starting or getting significant snaps who still look pretty good.
Josephs, Hobbs (I think he got hurt), West (injured for most of the year), Webb, the freshman TE before he got hurt Davis, Telander, Carter before he got injured, Nimrod.

Lots of injuries keeping guys down.

Elijah Herring? We aren’t watching the same guy.

 

[mr.checkerboards]

or, and stay with me for a second, the coaches coached up the players who were here, just like they would any player they recruited, and the result is that the older guys with SEC experience, more time in the weight room, more time in the system, and the coaching are better right now than a true freshman who wasn't even here for the spring.

You guys need to stop acting like any freshman who doesn't come in and play at an all SEC level will be trash, or is considered a disappointment, or the coaches cant recruit. you guys cherry pick from 22 different schools to make up a fictional team of all freshman starters and wonder why we can't be like that. Georgia who recruits the best still only has 1 freshman in the 2 deep on offense, and 2 on defense. even going to second year guys you add 2 on offense, and 4 on defense. 2023 Georgia Bulldogs Football Depth Chart | Ourlads.com

Plenty of young difference makers who you can tell already will be good players/difference makers.

Pearce is a difference maker.
White is a difference maker.
Elijah Herring was our leading tackler, I would consider that a difference maker.
Sampson would start at multiple SEC schools

Then you have all the guys who aren't starting or getting significant snaps who still look pretty good.
Josephs, Hobbs (I think he got hurt), West (injured for most of the year), Webb, the freshman TE before he got hurt Davis, Telander, Carter before he got injured, Nimrod.

Lots of injuries keeping guys down.

Herring was our leading tackler because he got the most snaps.
He isn't good.

 

[volinbama256]

IMO, at the end of the day we are not recruiting difference makers. People ask where the young kids are, but none of them are good enough to take a spot.

I think that changes with Beasley next year. Kid is a player and will be our best corner day 1.

I think we are recruiting difference makers, they just aren't picking us... for whatever reason, be it NIL, depth, other teams are currently playing at a higher level, etc... We've lost out on a bunch of difference makers in this 2024 class.

 

[swchandler1988]

or, and stay with me for a second, the coaches coached up the players who were here, just like they would any player they recruited, and the result is that the older guys with SEC experience, more time in the weight room, more time in the system, and the coaching are better right now than a true freshman who wasn't even here for the spring.

You guys need to stop acting like any freshman who doesn't come in and play at an all SEC level will be trash, or is considered a disappointment, or the coaches cant recruit. you guys cherry pick from 22 different schools to make up a fictional team of all freshman starters and wonder why we can't be like that. Georgia who recruits the best still only has 1 freshman in the 2 deep on offense, and 2 on defense. even going to second year guys you add 2 on offense, and 4 on defense. 2023 Georgia Bulldogs Football Depth Chart | Ourlads.com

Plenty of young difference makers who you can tell already will be good players/difference makers.

Pearce is a difference maker.
White is a difference maker.
Elijah Herring was our leading tackler, I would consider that a difference maker.
Sampson would start at multiple SEC schools

Then you have all the guys who aren't starting or getting significant snaps who still look pretty good.
Josephs, Hobbs (I think he got hurt), West (injured for most of the year), Webb, the freshman TE before he got hurt Davis, Telander, Carter before he got injured, Nimrod.

Lots of injuries keeping guys down.

Elijah had “the most total tackles”, but only 29 of those were solo. He was a difference maker, but he played all season so yes he inadvertently did make a difference. That’s just lack of selection, doesn’t mean that he should be in there. That D II rb from Missouri had him on skates all game. That’s when it really stood out for me. To your point, yes a lot of injuries keeping guys down. Herring wouldn’t have seen the field if Pili hadn’t gotten hurt

 

[Smokymtnbullet]

Herring was our leading tackler because he got the most snaps.
He isn't good.

Must have wondered into the way.

 

[NighthawkVol]

Elijah had “the most total tackles”, but only 29 of those were solo. He was a difference maker, but he played all season so yes he inadvertently did make a difference. That’s just lack of selection, doesn’t mean that he should be in there. That D II rb from Missouri had him on skates all game. That’s when it really stood out for me. To your point, yes a lot of injuries keeping guys down. Herring wouldn’t have seen the field if Pili hadn’t gotten hurt

This is true. But Herring will get better. He’s a true sophomore. Look at how bad Beasley was in 2021 as a sophomore and how much better he got. If Herring makes that kind of jump AND he’s not even a starter (I think Telander and Carter are the future there and Pili starts next year), we’re in really good shape.

 

[mr.checkerboards]

Must have wondered into the way.

Teams attacked him because he was our weakest link.
Fla, Mizzou, Bama, UK, UGA. All of their big plays were right across his path.
Also of those leading tackles, only 29 were solo which is pretty poor. The majority of his tackles were after somebody else made the play.

 

[cncchris33]

This is true. But Herring will get better. He’s a true sophomore. Look at how bad Beasley was in 2021 as a sophomore and how much better he got. If Herring makes that kind of jump AND he’s not even a starter (I think Telander and Carter are the future there and Pili starts next year), we’re in really good shape.

I don't know that getting older is going to make Herring more athletic, though, which is his leading problem. He just can't get into position quickly enough and seems to be constantly playing from behind. He's a 2-down thumper at best, I'm afraid. There's just no lateral quickness or even above average speed that he can deploy in coverage. The number of guys who ate us alive running routes out of motion or out of the backfield was astonishing.

 

[MarcoVol]

I don't know that getting older is going to make Herring more athletic, though, which is his leading problem. He just can't get into position quickly enough and seems to be constantly playing from behind. He's a 2-down thumper at best, I'm afraid. There's just no lateral quickness or even above average speed that he can deploy in coverage. The number of guys who ate us alive running routes out of motion or out of the backfield was astonishing.

Didn’t seem like a speed thing. Seemed like a looking in the wrong place thing

 

[BigALWiLson]

This is true. But Herring will get better. He’s a true sophomore. Look at how bad Beasley was in 2021 as a sophomore and how much better he got. If Herring makes that kind of jump AND he’s not even a starter (I think Telander and Carter are the future there and Pili starts next year), we’re in really good shape.

Beasley wasn't good either

 

[ScornedPapaVol]

 

[Jackcrevol]

que?

 

[cncchris33]

Didn’t seem like a speed thing. Seemed like a looking in the wrong place thing

It was both. He looked like he was running in mud a lot of times, but it was compounded by not being in the right place to begin with or diagnosing plays too slowly.

 

[AppStVol]

or, and stay with me for a second, the coaches coached up the players who were here, just like they would any player they recruited, and the result is that the older guys with SEC experience, more time in the weight room, more time in the system, and the coaching are better right now than a true freshman who wasn't even here for the spring.

You guys need to stop acting like any freshman who doesn't come in and play at an all SEC level will be trash, or is considered a disappointment, or the coaches cant recruit. you guys cherry pick from 22 different schools to make up a fictional team of all freshman starters and wonder why we can't be like that. Georgia who recruits the best still only has 1 freshman in the 2 deep on offense, and 2 on defense. even going to second year guys you add 2 on offense, and 4 on defense. 2023 Georgia Bulldogs Football Depth Chart | Ourlads.com

Plenty of young difference makers who you can tell already will be good players/difference makers.

Pearce is a difference maker.
White is a difference maker.
Elijah Herring was our leading tackler, I would consider that a difference maker.
Sampson would start at multiple SEC schools

Then you have all the guys who aren't starting or getting significant snaps who still look pretty good.
Josephs, Hobbs (I think he got hurt), West (injured for most of the year), Webb, the freshman TE before he got hurt Davis, Telander, Carter before he got injured, Nimrod.

Lots of injuries keeping guys down.

I should have specified difference makers in the backend of the defense. Not expecting every freshman to play immediately but as bad as we have been in the secondary you would think a good athlete would eventually flash.

The fact we never had someone take McCulloughs job tells the story.

 

[ScornedPapaVol]

Must have wondered into the way.

Or wandered aloud ..

 

[Vol423]

Elijah Herring? We aren’t watching the same guy.

I’d say he’s been a difference maker. I’m just not too happy about the difference he’s making.

 

[Vol423]

Must have wondered into the way.

Surprised he had the speed and agility to make it there.

 

[Glitch]

 

[LouderVol]

Herring was our leading tackler because he got the most snaps.
He isn't good.

The best ability is availability.

and he produced the most, I am not sure what more you can expect from a true sophomore beyond leading the team in tackles. seems like exactly the type of thing you are looking for from a player when you recruit them, especially when they were a 3 star recruit. Like if that's everyone's standard you are going to be disappointed every year we don't have a record setting player at every position.

 

[mr.checkerboards]

The best ability is availability.

and he produced the most, I am not sure what more you can expect from a true sophomore beyond leading the team in tackles. seems like exactly the type of thing you are looking for from a player when you recruit them, especially when they were a 3 star recruit. Like if that's everyone's standard you are going to be disappointed every year we don't have a record setting player at every position.

To be in position to make plays. Like I mentioned earlier every SEC team attack Herring over and over and over again and he busted coverages and run gap assignments over and over again. As well as being slow to the ball and unable to recover when he did make a mistake.

Guys like Joseph, Telander, Gibson, West, Perry, Carter all flashed when they were on the field, they made plays they had speed.

Herring looks like a fish out of water, he might be good at a G5 school but he's not a power 5 player.

 

[Volinnooga]

I don't know that getting older is going to make Herring more athletic, though, which is his leading problem. He just can't get into position quickly enough and seems to be constantly playing from behind. He's a 2-down thumper at best, I'm afraid. There's just no lateral quickness or even above average speed that he can deploy in coverage. The number of guys who ate us alive running routes out of motion or out of the backfield was astonishing.

I agree to a point, but you forget that experience will help him be in a better position earlier. I think that’s why Beasley made such a vast improvement. Recognizing things earlier gets one in position earlier.

 

[logginlarry]

Soooo, about Master Bates.......

 

[Ashevolle]

Mmm Cai....

 

[LouderVol]

To be in position to make plays. Like I mentioned earlier every SEC team attack Herring over and over and over again and he busted coverages and run gap assignments over and over again. As well as being slow to the ball and unable to recover when he did make a mistake.

Guys like Joseph, Telander, Gibson, West, Perry, Carter all flashed when they were on the field, they made plays they had speed.

Herring looks like a fish out of water, he might be good at a G5 school but he's not a power 5 player.

the reason those other guys looked good is because they played limited reps and you only noticed their good plays. Herring was out there more than anyone else, oh course he has a higher number of busts; but unless you have some real good stats that says he had the highest bust RATE its not even an argument. and maybe the reason you think he looked like a fish out of water was because he was out there all the time, the rest of the guys came in for a series and then went away. they got to play for their strengths were coached up for specific situations and did a single task and stayed fresh. with Herring he was ALWAYS out there. He had 73 tackles. most on the team. if he was out of position and too slow to play how did he LEAD THE TEAM? It might be a tallest midget or prettiest Bama fan situation; but none of those other guys took over and did better. Even Beasley. seems like if Herring was such a big liability someone else would have had to cover for him and would have lead in tackles.

and again if a full time starter, even if due to injury, and team leader in tackles, is considered a failure I have no idea what you expect. in my book that counts as a difference maker. you would have an argument if he didn't produce in the roll, but he did.