HOW IS THE OL DEVELOPING?

but the results need to be seen on the field before you can proclaim it's been resolved.

 

You need to do this correctly. Let me help:



As has been pointed out in five (5) different 2024 OL threads and a GC feature article, the situation has been addressed.

 

I agree, now what's up with the dislike you put on my post ?

 

Very interesting that the top 3 teams all run option offenses. Also 132 out of 133? That should have gotten someone fired.

 

Two OL coaches that work 1/2 as hard and are out worked on the recruiting trail. Was speaking with a few South Florida HS coaches that say Adkins from FSU is highly visible and they have never met either of the two UF OL coaches. I guess a difference in recruiting approach at the HS campus or with HS coaches themselves. UF coaches must stick to territories they are assigned rather than visiting the HS and HS coach of highly rated kids themselves?

 

Blocking, tackling and rout running oh my! Inquiring minds will know in 9months

Is it spring yet?

 

Didn’t read all of this thread , so I’ll leave it at this : We were next to last in the country at blown blocking assignments, somewhere around 20 %. No bueno. I’ve stayed many times before that, our o line is our NUMBER ONE issue. I was a center my whole football career. (Knee injury ended that). We took pride in flattening our opponents. We have NONE of that right now. We spend too much on poor performance out of these two coaches. I see it clearly. WHY DOESNT BILLY ?

 

Maybe he does. Maybe the sophmores and freshmen from his first two recruiting classes(not the transition class) weren't ready to flatten the upper classmen they faced while playing the fourth toughest schedule in the nation.

 

OK, Captain Obvious. Do you actually have some analysis or breakdown of the situation, or do you just like saying water is wet?!?

 

Wonderful… Please, enlighten me.

Do you actually have some intel to share, or is posting a tired picture of Bagdad Bob all you got?

If ya got nothin’, then maybe talk about the OT position… The last two games of 2023 the OT rotation was Damien George, Kamryn Waites and Lyndell Hudson. So, are they the top three OTs going into spring, or has CBN “addressed” that issue?

 

Really… Were they poor coaches in 2022, too? Was it the coaches fault they had substandard OT talent after the two starters from spring were down (Barber hurt, Goodwin gone)?

 

I didn’t mean anything by “dislike”. It’s just this thread is about how the OL is developing and I thought posting a negative stat about last year’s OL would be unproductive, and it was, lol.

 

I try to be as positive as anyone here... but I explained why they were not as good as we all wished they could be.

I mitigated their performance with the fact that we had injuries and were not as flush with experienced talent to pick up the slack. I understood why we had an off year and I did NOT intend for you or anyone to think that I was piling on our O-line, or our last year's team.

Now having said all that, I expect our O-line to have more experience and more overall players from which to choose from in 2024 season.

I actually do NOT blame our coaches for the bad luck we had in the 2023 O-line... unlike some of the haters, that post endless negativity onto our coaches and players, here. That's NOT me.

So, all is good, Donzo. By the way keep up the good work. I like your posts and knowledge you impart here in Swamp Gas.

 

So Slaughter last season was 6’5 295 and average NFL center is over an inch shorter and 13 pounds heavier. I’d like to see him gain about 7 pounds and some strength and hopefully keep his quickness. I don’t think he’s thick enough or strong enough for guard in the SEC.

 

TLDR but believe we will know more in a few days… unless contract renewals has already been announced and I missed it.

 

You have brought up some great points in this thread and I agree with almost all of it. One thing I’m not as confident about as you is that of the four guys you listed for the three interior spots that were strong enough there. Outside of Slaughter who I think will be a strength at center, there’s very little experience. Harris played some as at true freshman, but Williams and Kearney, very little if any PT. Also, with freshmen and sophomore OL, they’re typically not as strong as juniors and seniors, so not a great combo. I’d like to see us add a transfer OG with decent playing experience, or hopefully George will be solid to good at OG as his body type is certainly more suited for OG than OT.
Having said that, our OG play last year was definitely below average and significantly below 2022, so it won’t take a lot to be at least as good as last year and hopefully better. OT I think will definitely be better as I think it can’t be worse.

 

Do you? Have you seen any of the new players play against sec competition together or do you just exude sunshine nonstop?

 

OK, so you have nothing except BS- that’s what I thought.

“sec competition”- like one of the top returning LTs in the SEC? b***h about somethin’ else.

 

Fair questions… FYI, they have been answered in the other OL threads- ... I digress; I’ll review it.

Last year, UF had a good center and he returns. That’s all that needs to be said about center.

UF had average guards with average to bad OTs. The bad OT play polluted the entire OL. Correcting the OT problem helps the entire OL. Adding Manuel (a top SEC LT) and BCD (a 6th year OT with over 2,500 OT snaps. Described physically as a bigger/longer Richard Gouraige) to go along with Barber significantly upgraded the OT room.

For the OGs, losing a 2022 All American was tough to replace last year. Bringing in Mazz to go along with Leonard was a good move. They ended up being average. Physically imposing FR Knijeah Harris played to the same level as the two vets. Regardless of who returned in 2024, Harris was going to be OG1 in 2024. Leonard and Mazz didn’t feel the love (because they didn’t get any) and transferred out going into 2024.

For 2024, as mentioned, Harris is OG1. He looks to be a budding star. He’s been impressive since he arrived on campus a year ago. That leaves OG2, and that is the big question. At OT, we know the top-3, we just need to figure out their spots. For OG2, in years past it would be 1-3 guys fighting for the spot and that didn’t always turn out well. Next year, it's a wide open race between 4-6 guys. Those numbers are why I feel good about OG2. A lot of talented options.

IMO, I have OG2 as:

1- Williams
2- Kearney
3- Waites
4- George

5- Lovett
** Barber

That’s just how I see it going into March 7th, the first day of spring practice. I want to see their weights, too. The biggest reason (literally and figuratively) Harris is OG1 is his physical maturity. Williams/Kearney have just as much talent, but are developing physically. Want to see what they look like after S&C going into spring ball, then I’ll readjust my chart. Williams is a 3rd year player with some limited successful playing time, so I have him ahead of 2nd year Kearney.

We can talk about the other four in other posts. Again, they are talked about in the other OL threads. The Barber at OG scenario was talked about in detail in GCs article on the 2024 OL.