2024 Roster Updates

[AppStFan1]

We have three guys in Clark, Hopper and Kelly. DDP can also play some snaps if needed. Plus you have Kendall Farmer coming in although he will likely RS. DL, or NT isn’t a need given where we are with scholarships. Now if someone drops in our lap then you rethink that allocation.

Help me out, how is D-line not our most urgent need. Hopper is one hell of an athlete but he’s about 250lb and playing the tackle position in a 3/4 defense. Again, absolutely no disrespect to Hooper but the guy at the center of a 3 man line needs to be able to stay put and absorb two O-linemen to keep them from getting to the backers. Troy washed out D-line down primarily to our left and pinned our backers inside. There ability to do that repeatedly cost us any chance at that game.

If your position is based on how we looked in one game, then I can understand the concern. Yes, Hopper is smallish for DT and yes, in some forms of the 3-4 the NT is supposed to absorb multiple blockers to open up holes for the LBs. But that’s not his game and quite frankly, that’s not what our NTs are taught. He is lightening quick off the ball and uses his hands very well. This allows him to get up field and create lanes for the LBs by making the OL reach for him.

Every defense and every offense has its kryptonite. Some teams are just going to be difficult to match up with and you have to get creative. The Star defense has a whole is vulnerable to physical running teams as they can wear you down. You are citing the one team last season that exploited it as a reason to make an adjustment in personnel.

What you are saying is a big reason why I am not a fan of just one scheme and like the idea of having a multiple or hybrid so you can easily flip back and forth between defenses. It was definitely our kryptonite and we are basically conceding the league if we don't make adjustments to overcome a team like Troy. Other coaches saw that and I am sure we will see more of it.

I’m going to stop here as these are just opinions and no one is wrong in their opinion. But I will say one thing and ask another. 1) Troy was successful and showed teams how to be successful, it doesn’t mean that they will be able to though. 2) If we enter the season without adding a NT, will people that think that we need another NT see that as a failure on the part of the staff, or will people see it as the coaches are comfortable with what they have and accept it?

1. Definitely does not mean they will but gives the blueprint and once teams have it then good coaches with some resources could catch up.

2. I would imagine that either way it will be hindsight because if we do well then we will feel like coaches were happy and correct but if we don't then they will feel like we failed to get one. I said i would like to see us get one but we could have another impact DT through recruiting or the portal so I am hopeful that if we don't get one in the portal that someone we got out of HS or redshirted last year will step up. Either way we definitely need to see Hopper take that next step and see 1-2 others be an impact who we either added in portal or has developed in the off-season.

[t4pizza]

Good thread . . . informative, provocative questions, even some healthy disagreement. I was eating lunch while reading it and had a fortune cookie that read "you will soon see a miracle", was this it? Ha, well done lads.

I sure hope you didn't waste your miracle on a cabin thread, that would really be sad.

[goapps93]

Good thread . . . informative, provocative questions, even some healthy disagreement. I was eating lunch while reading it and had a fortune cookie that read "you will soon see a miracle", was this it? Ha, well done lads.

I sure hope you didn't waste your miracle on a cabin thread, that would really be sad.

Take ‘em where you can get ‘em.

[Mjohn1988]

We have three guys in Clark, Hopper and Kelly. DDP can also play some snaps if needed. Plus you have Kendall Farmer coming in although he will likely RS. DL, or NT isn’t a need given where we are with scholarships. Now if someone drops in our lap then you rethink that allocation.

Help me out, how is D-line not our most urgent need. Hopper is one hell of an athlete but he’s about 250lb and playing the tackle position in a 3/4 defense. Again, absolutely no disrespect to Hooper but the guy at the center of a 3 man line needs to be able to stay put and absorb two O-linemen to keep them from getting to the backers. Troy washed out D-line down primarily to our left and pinned our backers inside. There ability to do that repeatedly cost us any chance at that game.

If your position is based on how we looked in one game, then I can understand the concern. Yes, Hopper is smallish for DT and yes, in some forms of the 3-4 the NT is supposed to absorb multiple blockers to open up holes for the LBs. But that’s not his game and quite frankly, that’s not what our NTs are taught. He is lightening quick off the ball and uses his hands very well. This allows him to get up field and create lanes for the LBs by making the OL reach for him.

Every defense and every offense has its kryptonite. Some teams are just going to be difficult to match up with and you have to get creative. The Star defense has a whole is vulnerable to physical running teams as they can wear you down. You are citing the one team last season that exploited it as a reason to make an adjustment in personnel.

We will have to agree to disagree that it was just one team, Troy, that moved our D-line and collapsed our backers to the inside. Just think about how many big runs we gave up that went between tackle and guard and primarily to the right side of our D. Troy just did it best and Troy may very well be standing there waiting on us at the championship game again. We can agree that Hopper is a stud. I just think he’s a stud passing down NT or a stud outside tackle. But if you can’t stop the run you really don’t end up having much use for pass rushers. I just in general think we lack size and physicality on both lines. On the O side we simply couldn’t make a 3rd or 4th and 1, and on the D side by the end of the game we couldn’t stop physical backs. I would have been fine with us using every available scholarship to fortify both lines.

[AppSt94]

We have three guys in Clark, Hopper and Kelly. DDP can also play some snaps if needed. Plus you have Kendall Farmer coming in although he will likely RS. DL, or NT isn’t a need given where we are with scholarships. Now if someone drops in our lap then you rethink that allocation.

Help me out, how is D-line not our most urgent need. Hopper is one hell of an athlete but he’s about 250lb and playing the tackle position in a 3/4 defense. Again, absolutely no disrespect to Hooper but the guy at the center of a 3 man line needs to be able to stay put and absorb two O-linemen to keep them from getting to the backers. Troy washed out D-line down primarily to our left and pinned our backers inside. There ability to do that repeatedly cost us any chance at that game.

If your position is based on how we looked in one game, then I can understand the concern. Yes, Hopper is smallish for DT and yes, in some forms of the 3-4 the NT is supposed to absorb multiple blockers to open up holes for the LBs. But that’s not his game and quite frankly, that’s not what our NTs are taught. He is lightening quick off the ball and uses his hands very well. This allows him to get up field and create lanes for the LBs by making the OL reach for him.

Every defense and every offense has its kryptonite. Some teams are just going to be difficult to match up with and you have to get creative. The Star defense has a whole is vulnerable to physical running teams as they can wear you down. You are citing the one team last season that exploited it as a reason to make an adjustment in personnel.

We will have to agree to disagree that it was just one team, Troy, that moved our D-line and collapsed our backers to the inside. Just think about how many big runs we gave up that went between tackle and guard and primarily to the right side of our D. Troy just did it best and Troy may very well be standing there waiting on us at the championship game again. We can agree that Hopper is a stud. I just think he’s a stud passing down NT or a stud outside tackle. But if you can’t stop the run you really don’t end up having much use for pass rushers. I just in general think we lack size and physicality on both lines. On the O side we simply couldn’t make a 3rd or 4th and 1, and on the D side by the end of the game we couldn’t stop physical backs. I would have been fine with us using every available scholarship to fortify both lines.

I only mentioned one team because that was the only one you mentioned.
Just as a counterpoint to ponder. Every obstacle presents opportunity. So while teams can look at how our defense was handled by a big physical running team, our coaches can watch the same film and work on ways to counteract those parameters.

[Mjohn1988]

We have three guys in Clark, Hopper and Kelly. DDP can also play some snaps if needed. Plus you have Kendall Farmer coming in although he will likely RS. DL, or NT isn’t a need given where we are with scholarships. Now if someone drops in our lap then you rethink that allocation.

Help me out, how is D-line not our most urgent need. Hopper is one hell of an athlete but he’s about 250lb and playing the tackle position in a 3/4 defense. Again, absolutely no disrespect to Hooper but the guy at the center of a 3 man line needs to be able to stay put and absorb two O-linemen to keep them from getting to the backers. Troy washed out D-line down primarily to our left and pinned our backers inside. There ability to do that repeatedly cost us any chance at that game.

If your position is based on how we looked in one game, then I can understand the concern. Yes, Hopper is smallish for DT and yes, in some forms of the 3-4 the NT is supposed to absorb multiple blockers to open up holes for the LBs. But that’s not his game and quite frankly, that’s not what our NTs are taught. He is lightening quick off the ball and uses his hands very well. This allows him to get up field and create lanes for the LBs by making the OL reach for him.

Every defense and every offense has its kryptonite. Some teams are just going to be difficult to match up with and you have to get creative. The Star defense has a whole is vulnerable to physical running teams as they can wear you down. You are citing the one team last season that exploited it as a reason to make an adjustment in personnel.

We will have to agree to disagree that it was just one team, Troy, that moved our D-line and collapsed our backers to the inside. Just think about how many big runs we gave up that went between tackle and guard and primarily to the right side of our D. Troy just did it best and Troy may very well be standing there waiting on us at the championship game again. We can agree that Hopper is a stud. I just think he’s a stud passing down NT or a stud outside tackle. But if you can’t stop the run you really don’t end up having much use for pass rushers. I just in general think we lack size and physicality on both lines. On the O side we simply couldn’t make a 3rd or 4th and 1, and on the D side by the end of the game we couldn’t stop physical backs. I would have been fine with us using every available scholarship to fortify both lines.

I only mentioned one team because that was the only one you mentioned.
Just as a counterpoint to ponder. Every obstacle presents opportunity. So while teams can look at how our defense was handled by a big physical running team, our coaches can watch the same film and work on ways to counteract those parameters.

I’ll give our coaches credit for changing our D last year to give us the best chance we had with the personnel we had. And to a degree it work well but they had no answers for just bigger and stronger. See the championship game as a primary example. There is only so much you can do with scheme.

[Saint3333]

To win a championship in the SBC you must be able to stop the run. This isn't a surprise to anyone, especially the coaching staff. The stated goal by our coaches is to win the conference title. I assume they are building the team to achieve their stated goal.

[ASUFan4863]

We were also very fortunate to have Hopper and Kelley. Both guys shifted inside after primarily being a defensive end before. We have a lot of returnees and a large freshman class. Once you begin to address the major needs (OL, secondary), it becomes a numbers game. If we have any attrition after Spring at a position that doesn't need a backfill, I could see us adding someone on the DL.

Kelley announced his commitment in late July, so still a full offseason to consider these things.

[AppOrange]

Good thread . . . informative, provocative questions, even some healthy disagreement. I was eating lunch while reading it and had a fortune cookie that read "you will soon see a miracle", was this it? Ha, well done lads.

I sure hope you didn't waste your miracle on a cabin thread, that would really be sad.

I hope not either, but I don’t get to pick em. Still, thoughtful conversation and opinion is pretty miraculous on here .

[Yosef84]

Good discussion about the NT. I have to admit, I'd like to see a bigger athletic body in there but I like what our guys did this past season (for the most part). I also really like what I see in this year's incoming Freshmen. I'm aware that OL/DL generally need a year or so to develop and we rarely use true freshmen, but here's my question: In this new world of transfer portals, do we still redshirt freshmen talent as readily? I know we have always tried to put the best players on the field, but with guys leaving so quickly, will teams start burning those shirts more readily? I'm thinking if they show the ability at some point, teams won't worry about preserving the redshirt nearly as much given the chances are decreasing of holding them for the full 5 years.

[ASUFan4863]

Good discussion about the NT. I have to admit, I'd like to see a bigger athletic body in there but I like what our guys did this past season (for the most part). I also really like what I see in this year's incoming Freshmen. I'm aware that OL/DL generally need a year or so to develop and we rarely use true freshmen, but here's my question: In this new world of transfer portals, do we still redshirt freshmen talent as readily? I know we have always tried to put the best players on the field, but with guys leaving so quickly, will teams start burning those shirts more readily? I'm thinking if they show the ability at some point, teams won't worry about preserving the redshirt nearly as much given the chances are decreasing of holding them for the full 5 years.

I would say generally a freshman will RS here, however if they can help the team we will play them. Johnson, Spellman, Castle all did not RS. Castle is slightly different because he started in 2020 and technically RS this past year but he played in all the games as a true freshman. I’m sure there has been others as well. I know there was a lot of concern from fans over burning Kanye Roberts’ RS and I am glad we were able to preserve it in 2022.

[T-Dog]

[BallantyneApp]

Dang. Right in a position of need too

[AppSt94]

Dang. Right in a position of need too

There is a plan.

[311neers]

Vidal just scored again.

[t4pizza]

I was not anticipating this one. He has been on the team a long time and played well for us (but not well enough that I thought a P5 would poach him) so this surprises me.

[BambooRdApp]

Maybe this is one aspect of having early spring practice that helps us. We know our open spots early. Whether two latest entries in the portal were going to be starters or not, they contributed with playing time in the past. With early spring practice, we know what needs are before some other teams have surprise departures. Trying to look at bright side of things.

[AppSt94]

Maybe this is one aspect of having early spring practice that helps us. We know our open spots early. Whether two latest entries in the portal were going to be starters or not, they contributed with playing time in the past. With early spring practice, we know what needs are before some other teams have surprise departures. Trying to look at bright side of things.

There is some solid truth to this. You can focus on what you need from the portal.

[Black Saturday]

Maybe we can fill this need from the All-American at ETSU or G-Webb?

[AppSt94]

GW guy isn’t coming.