Kirkland Jr. out

#526
#526
Orange_Vol1321 said:
Put this in the Jumper thread, will put it in here for discussion also. Lb depth. This is in a write up from March.


Projected depth chart:

SLB

Dillon Bates (6-3, 220, RS Jr.)

Elliott Berry (5-11, 222, Sr.)

Quart’e Sapp (limited knee injury, 6-2, 220, RS So.)

Solon Page lll (reports summer, 6-2, 205, Fr.)

MLB

Darrin Kirkland Jr. (6-1, 230, Jr.)

Colton Jumper (6-2, 224, RS Jr.)

Will Ignont (reports summer, 6-2, 230, Fr.)

WLB

Cortez McDowell (6-0, 235, Sr.)

Daniel Bituli (6-3, 235, So.)

Shanon Reid (6-0, 205, Fr.)

Austin Smith (6-3, 236, Jr.)

Others competing to play:

Gavin Bryant (6-0, 238, RS Jr.)

Ja’Quain Blakely (6-2, 230 RS Fr.)

Landon Knoll (6-3, 217, RS So.)

DaJour Maddox (5-11, 210, RS So.)

Matt Ballard (6-1, 215, RS Fr.)
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We have bodies/players, but no depth wth this point. Bates is not a candidate to play much lb at all, is a special teams player. Gavin Bryant is no longer on the team. Elliott Berry has dropped 15 pounds for some reason and I've not heard his name mentioned at all this summer as an option at linebacker.

We know about Jumper and McDowell, they're both limited in what they can do/provide. The others are either inexperienced/unproven or walkons. We got serious issues at linebacker right now....serious.
 
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#527
#527
volfannbama said:
Ive watched some. Im a fan of the offense, as im a fan of Navy football(second to Tennessee) and they run the same. Obviously, you never want to give up speed as it covers up mistakes. But the single most important factor in defending the option is defensive alignment/ positioning / assignents and that is where Jumper excels. It should go without saying that if DKJR is the best players, thats who you want in there, but GT is the type of offense where Jumper should be fine. And really, lets be honest, if Jumper where at GT he would be starting.
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There are a few High School teams that still run the option. Our guy will be licking their chops. It will be like back in the day. "Coach told me to hit the QB every time." Sooner of later they break.

The Wisconsin QB didn't. We showed him that we can really hit a boy, but he did not go away. He gained my respect that day. I don't know his name, but one hit it looked like his neck bent 3 ways at the same way. I turned lunch time head on the reply.
 
#528
#528
KBVol said:
We have bodies/players, but no depth wth this point. Bates is not a candidate to play much lb at all, is a special teams player. Gavin Bryant is no longer on the team. Elliott Berry has dropped 15 pounds for some reason and I've not heard his name mentioned at all this summer as an option at linebacker.

We know about Jumper and McDowell, they're both limited in what they can do/provide. The others are either inexperienced/unproven or walkons. We got serious issues at linebacker right now....serious.
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Line backer by committee. Run plays on defense like we do one offense. Coach a guy up for a tendency GT has by down and distance. Read and react is for stone veterans, not the less experienced. Send Bates in to shoot the gap and blow up the option before it gets going. His dad was great at blowing up plays.
 
#529
#529
Iam4utalways said:
Line backer by committee. Run plays on defense like we do one offense. Coach a guy up for a tendency GT has by down and distance. Read and react is for stone veterans, not the less experienced. Send Bates in to shoot the gap and blow up the option before it gets going. His dad was great at blowing up plays.
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Didn't we try the "linebacker by committee" thing last year? How'd that work out.

And it should be well beyond clear at this point that Dillon ain't his daddy.
 
#533
#533
KBVol said:
Didn't we try the "linebacker by committee" thing last year? How'd that work out.

And it should be well beyond clear at this point that Dillon ain't his daddy.
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Not like what I'm thinking. Chavis used to do this. He would send in a Freshman LB have him coached up for a certain down and distance.

When it's 1st and 10 they will either run the option left or right. MLB can jump the 1st movement(Read their key.) and blow up the play. 2nd and long they could pass if the LB is blitzing(jumping a run play) that leave the TE with some room. Play action is where they can make hay. We will stop this High School Offense(It is to complex to run in middle school) from running. The test will be how well can they pass and will it be good enough to keep us honest.

I can't wait to see TKjr dislocate a ball from a GT TE.

Big hit Monday. Is what this game will be

Double post but different. Not sure how that happened.

Go ahead read it again. It's worth it.

Go Vols!
 
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#534
#534
KBVol said:
Didn't we try the "linebacker by committee" thing last year? How'd that work out.

And it should be well beyond clear at this point that Dillon ain't his daddy.
Click to expand...

Not like what I'm thinking. Chavis used to do this. He would send in a Freshman LB have him coached up for a certain down and distance.

When it's 1st and 10 they will either run the option left or right. MLB can jump the 1st movement(Read their key.) and blow up the play. 2nd and long they could pass if the LB is blitzing(jumping a run play) that leave the TE with some room. Play action is where they can make hay. We will stop this High School Offense(It is to complex to run in middle school) from running. The test will be how well can they pass and will it be good enough to keep us honest.

I can't wait to see TKjr dislocate a ball from a GT TE.

Big hit Monday. Is what this game will be dubbed.

How many players will we have ejected for too vicious hits? 1 or 2?
 
#535
#535
Iam4utalways said:
Not like what I'm thinking. Chavis used to do this. He would send in a Freshman LB have him coached up for a certain down and distance.

When it's 1st and 10 they will either run the option left or right. MLB can jump the 1st movement(Read their key.) and blow up the play. 2nd and long they could pass if the LB is blitzing(jumping a run play) that leave the TE with some room. Play action is where they can make hay. We will stop this High School Offense(It is to complex to run in middle school) from running. The test will be how well can they pass and will it be good enough to keep us honest.

I can't wait to see TKjr dislocate a ball from a GT TE.

Big hit Monday. Is what this game will be
Click to expand...
If only it was that simple. GT runs a lot more plays than just the option. They also have a ton of blocking schemes in what they do. I can all but guarantee no high school teams runs what we do, to the extent we do. BTW we don't have TE's we have slot backs.
 
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#536
#536
Techfan1 said:
If only it was that simple. GT runs a lot more plays than just the option. They also have a ton of blocking schemes in what they do. I can all but guarantee no high school teams runs what we do, to the extent we do. BTW we don't have TE's we have slot backs.
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Sure. But when we guess right. The play will be a bust. Even when we guess wrong or players are so much better than your scrubs the play will still be a bust.

My bad on the TE/SB. Ether you treat them like a TE or WR based off their skill set.

I can't remember ever watching y'all. I'm not sure what y'all are up to.
 
#538
#538
Never a good thing to have injuries but EVERY team has them and most lose a key starter or 2 during the season for the season but if there ever was a time to lose a key player then it is during the offseason and that's why coaches get paid so much and that is to get the NEXT guy READY TO GO before the season starts..........Hopefully Butch doesn't come out and say......."We have sooo many injuries", just coach em up and MOVE ON.....
 
#540
#540
Iam4utalways said:
Not like what I'm thinking. Chavis used to do this. He would send in a Freshman LB have him coached up for a certain down and distance.

When it's 1st and 10 they will either run the option left or right. MLB can jump the 1st movement(Read their key.) and blow up the play. 2nd and long they could pass if the LB is blitzing(jumping a run play) that leave the TE with some room. Play action is where they can make hay. We will stop this High School Offense(It is to complex to run in middle school) from running. The test will be how well can they pass and will it be good enough to keep us honest.

I can't wait to see TKjr dislocate a ball from a GT TE.

Big hit Monday. Is what this game will be

Double post but different. Not sure how that happened.

Go ahead read it again. It's worth it.

Go Vols!
Click to expand...

We're discussing two different things here. I'm discussing personnel or rather a lack thereif....and you're discussing.......whatever it is you're discussing😁
 
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#541
#541
Iam4utalways said:
Sure. But when we guess right. The play will be a bust. Even when we guess wrong or players are so much better than your scrubs the play will still be a bust.

My bad on the TE/SB. Ether you treat them like a TE or WR based off their skill set.

I can't remember ever watching y'all. I'm not sure what y'all are up to.
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So you just said your players are so much better and you know how y'all should play us, but you can't remember ever watching us? Ok.......
 
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#542
#542
I have read so far today that DKJr. is out "up to 6 weeks", "at least six weeks", and "possibly the whole season". All these in update reports. Fact is, nobody knows yet. Heck we don't really know if he even tore anything until the imaging comes back. I still hold out hope and I think bituli, jumper, ignot can get the job done til DKJr gets back!

Go Vols!
 
#545
#545
Vols_74 said:
I have read so far today that DKJr. is out "up to 6 weeks", "at least six weeks", and "possibly the whole season". All these in update reports. Fact is, nobody knows yet. Heck we don't really know if he even tore anything until the imaging comes back. I still hold out hope and I think bituli, jumper, ignot can get the job done til DKJr gets back!

Go Vols!
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six to eight is average for a knee and so people are just saying 6-8 without knowing. More then likely he's "miraculously" back for Florida.
 
#547
#547
KBVol said:
From VQ....

On Friday, middle linebacker Darrin Kirkland Jr. sustained a non-contact knee injury in practice that will sideline the junior for the opener against Georgia Tech — and possibly longer — sources told VolQuest.com.

The full-extent of Kirkland’s injury is unknown at this time, but there’s fear that the linebacker may miss significant time.
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Non contact is good, significant time possibly missed is not so good. Bituli can handle it and a name we've not heard much of due to injuries for 2 years could come into play as well in young Sapp. Jumper does his best but he has significant weaknesses opponents can and do exploit. Gators didn't most everybody else did down the stretch, Guess who played alot at MLB when USCe and Vandy piled up all their yards on us?
 
#548
#548
KBVol said:
Didn't we try the "linebacker by committee" thing last year? How'd that work out.

And it should be well beyond clear at this point that Dillon ain't his daddy.
Click to expand...

Sub in and sub out LBs based off down and distance.

Instead of an every down MLB, sub to the strength of the individual vs tendencies of GT.

Seems we have many but only a few that have completed their training and can play every down.
 
#549
#549
Kirkland likely won't be back to full strength until fall camp next year based on our recovery times. Just redshirt him and move on to Bituli and Ignont. Hell...keep it simple. Tell 'em to go get the guy with the ball. As for Jumper, the kid busts his ass and is a durable son of a gun. I would go into a fight with him. Kirkland hasn't done much of anything since his freshman year. At this point, whatever we get from him next year is gravy, but he clearly needs time to get healthy. UT needs to focus on the kids who can play.
 
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#550
#550
Remy said:
Non contact is good, significant time possibly missed is not so good. Bituli can handle it and a name we've not heard much of due to injuries for 2 years could come into play as well in young Sapp. Jumper does his best but he has significant weaknesses opponents can and do exploit. Gators didn't most everybody else did down the stretch, Guess who played alot at MLB when USCe and Vandy piled up all their yards on us?
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Hell, I've said it before....this team can tear an ACL getting out of bed. I'm fine going with the younger kids and taking my lumps this year. Our upper class guys are just.....well...fragile. It's time to move on and build for the future. If these injury prone players get it together and contribute, that's great, but I'm beyond relying on them. Time to turn the page and look to the future.....and we haven't played a damned game yet!!
 
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