This is based on the talent level of the roster including all classes top to bottom. Not necessarily how I think they'll perform this year. Of course they're subjective. 1. DT 2. RB 3. CB 4. DE 5. OL 6. LB 7. QB (dinged due to depth) 8. WR 9. S 10. TE
Only thing I would seriously question here is QB. Mertz is top tier: Lagway is inexperienced but extremely talented and checks all the intangible boxes like attitude, leadership and intelligence too. Clay Millen has starting experience and based on the little I saw of him in Spring game he is not lacking in confidence or ability.
This may be in order confidence in each position… RB CB QB WR DT DE S LB OT TE Is how I would rank it. I think RB is an easy #1. Not sure why WR continues to be undervalued. Badger & Dike additions made that room whole. And I might be overselling CB but there is just too much talent at the position to play down at the level of last year. I thought poor coaching & safety play were more of a reason why they underperformed.
This is close to how I'd expect these positions to perform this season but not necessarily the overall talent level. For instance, I expect Wilson and Badger to be some of our best playmakers but there are a lot of guys that haven't produced. When you factor in Badger and Dike leaving after this year, there's not much left in the pipeline.
Mine would be: QB only needs protection to be most influential on the team; RB solid room of performance and talent; WR with portal transfers became experienced performers with some great athleticism and two gamebreakers; DT deep with experience if not top shelf talent; OL experienced but for one position; S transfers make this a potentially competitive race of experience v. young talent; LB hope for some talented players but limited results and experience to this point; CB experienced talent underperforming with very young unfulfilled talent DE unknown with some talent; as last year could be potentially good at times to scary poor (that includes last year's underperforming Princely); TE unknown, but glimmers of hope last year.
For me QB is a wait and see. Expect a better OL but remains to be seen if Mertz and Napier can be effective downfield passers when we need it. Think DE is going to be improved and if LBs are better we will have a solid front 7.
WR RB QB S LB OL TE DL CB Offensive skill positions are solid with both experience and young talent. After that there is a massive drop off. Portal helped S send LB become Serviceable with a tinge of optimism. OL we hope is just average. We have zero proven pass rush and last year's CBs were an abject disaster. There are reasons why we are picked to win 4 games, and those reasons are at the line of scrimmage and defense.
You've got it backwards. We've already seen what Mertz can do, with a weak offensive line. He performed very well.
Offense 1. WR 2. QB 3. RB 4. OL 4. TE Defense 1. LB & S 2. DL 3. CB 4. Star I split the Offense and Defense, because I had a difficult time rating one above another. The OL could easily push Mertz into a tie with the WR; in which case moves the RB to number two. The only issue with RB is pass protection. Last year Montrell was the only one who blocked well. Will this still be the case if a freshman plays RB? There are questions about just how good the OL will be. I would like to put them at number one, but I'm not sure they will grade out that well. I think TE is the biggest concern for the offense. However, if the other positions perform well, TE will do just fine. Star is the most important position on defense, and it should be number one. I am sure the OP may have been linking the Star with the S; but as you know, the STAR is a hybrid of LB and S. How well the STAR reads the offensive play calls will contribute to the success or failure of the defense! It has been the weakest link of past defenses, and we currently don't have experience there. If DJ or Trikweze become Star, then I would rate them with the LB & S. I believe the DL will be better. How much better will factor into how well the CB's do. Finally, OP, I wonder if ST should be included here somehow; since there are three phases to the game? I realize you're doing positions, so would you consider kickoffs, punt returns, field goal kickers, and punter in this as well?
I always considered Star more of a hybrid between S and CB. My original point was the talent levels of our roster from top to bottom. Upperclassmen are going to be the engine that drives the bus this season but I was also trying to factor in how much talent we had in the pipeline for future seasons.
See stuff hyping up the oline and wanna believe but tough to tell. It's basically the only position group you can't perform a wholesale upgrade through the portal. I have my issues with Napier but moreso than other offenses he needs an upper tier SEC oline to have success, Mullen on the other hand did not.
