Zook, at 69, would be a vast improvement! I do agree with you, we need ST help. And, we need an OC, but...
How much different would our line have been with just one guy returning - Richard Gouraige! He would have been the LT. Barber would have went to RT. George would have been the left guard. That would have been a solid O-Line.
No doubt, and we need the OL to step up in 2024 and be a strength! Mertz and company would then be able too exceed expectations; and it would take pressure off the defense to be on the field so much!
That is plainly called "depth", and it has been an issue for a LONG time. And, not to hijack, that is why I have been saying since the end of the season that the 2-headed O-line coach experiment HAS failed and time to remove both and get another one. Unless we sign more mature O-line talent (I want at least one more), the youngsters who just weren't good enough at the end of the season with this coaching will have to suddenly grow. I know we can play the "lack of quality S&C" card, but that again goes back to coaching and Napier's acumen of selecting good coaching talent. We shall see early next season whether he has finally gotten it or not.
This reminds me of most calls for getting Derek Mason to be our DC, it all sounds reasonable except for the concept that perhaps he does not want the job. Does Johnson want to go back to a "nice and familiar" place for which he does not have a real connection to, or is he more interested in coaching at the NFL level? Monkin was a HUGE outlier IMO. UGa paid outrageously for him and the rest of the team. I seriously doubt we are going to "go there" anytime soon. But if we offer and he accepts, that would be GREAT. Of course, I said that about Raymond...
I totally agree with you! Somebody said, hiring is the easiest job, firing is the hardest! Per SS, Billy sees the problem before GN. THE two OL coaches are not getting it done! Why? Are either one any good? Which returns us to the OP, because the offense needs help. In all fairness to BN, his offensive line has been the glaring weakness, and it is a personnel and lack of experience issue. If we had an OL that could pass protect and run block, I believe the offense would be fine. It, still, would help BN to hire an OC, reduce the OL to one coach, and hire a ST Coordinator if not coach. I think we used to have a running backs and tightend coach. Something is off, and maybe it is all on the OL, but something drastic on offense has to occur NOW! If BN is ahead of GN, then, something urgent on offense is the ticket. The Gators are not fun to watch and, unfortunately, that is on the HC!!!
I don’t believe the 2 OL coaches is the problem. I think the problem is how much nil we allocate to the OL. We want an offense that is built around the run game? Start with the OL.
IMO, only if you thought we were setting up for a serious run at an SECC. Year 1 was about taking inventory and weeding. Year 2 was about having everyone bought into the system. Same coaches, same result. Don't tell me Norvell has WAY more funds at his disposal than Napier.
This ^^^ The 2 OL coaching experiment has failed, miserably. The weakest unit on the team, by far, imho. I’ve mentioned several times, take the $1.5mil you’re spending on both of them and go poach the best offensive line coach in football, not one makes that, yet. Both of their contracts are expiring next week. Billy is big on evaluations, if he critiques and analyses the OL situation honestly, they’re is no way he can give them new contracts. Rob Sale in particular, needs to go. He’s the 2nd highest paid assistant on the staff at $1mil per, let that sink in a bit. He’s also a 275lb boat anchor on the trail, John Hevesy 2.0. Maybe Billy has been giving him time to find another gig first, a soft landing, hope that’s the case. Unfortunately, I suspect the buddy system will prevail, again.
I think you are correct about the OL. I heard the going rate for a lineman is $100, 000, although LSU supposedly offered $100, 000 and the lineman laughed because Ole Miss offered a million; which I thought was the starting point for qb's. This was put in print, but the story is suspect to me. Are we always going after the best offensive lineman? That is the question. I think BN is doing very good in this cycle.
Replacing 2 OL with the best OL would solve the problem of the numbers game in order to hire an OC. That said, I don't know if the 2 OL coaches we have is the problem, but it seems like the Jimmy and Joes we have on OL is not up to snuff and there is likely no amount of coaching that can overcome that problem.
And so (again), what have we wrought in the transfer process that makes this all go away? And, WHO is identifying the talent who we have signed for the past...5-7 years? Coaches.
No, they are still in play and can't leave their current team until they have completed their season. Kyle Shanahan, BOOK IT!!!!
We had low numbers of experienced lineman and injuries they had to contend with... We now have more numbers... more experienced O-lineman... and better nutritionists (NFL grade nutritionist) and we have a far better NFL grade strength and conditioning coach. These position coaches did the best they could under those tough circumstances. Now we have some very young players that got plenty of playing time experience mixed in with some SEC ready O-lineman transfers. Our overall O-lineman talent is far better than it was last year... although I would still like one or two more plug-n-play SEC ready O-lineman in the room come September.
I mean, what else could be the reason? Gotta win the Super Bowl and THEN we get him to be OC. Makes sense to me!
