What does this season mean for Anderson?

[lakecityhog]

This will be Anderson's 2nd year as O'Line Coach, what does this season mean for him at Arkansas? Do we expect a pretty dramatic change, gradual growth or pretty much the same old-same old?

Muskee showed that we have a combined 70 starts on the returning O'Line and something like 160 games-played experience. We have a tremendous talent/leader at Center, returning starters at LG and Right Tackle and depending on what Gibson does between now and Game1 a returning starter at RG.
We are a bit unsettled at LT where everyone expects Jackson to start, but could Ramirez take that job??

We have the makings of a pretty solid back-up group with Rogers, Raulerson, Merrick, Malone and Ramirez/Jackson.

With all of that should we expect our O'Line to take a big step forward this year? For me, Yep! I feel like if Anderson is worth his salt we should be stout up front and only get better in the coming years.

2017 should tell us all we need to know about Anderson.

[Al Boarland]

This will be Anderson's 2nd year as O'Line Coach, what does this season mean for him at Arkansas? Do we expect a pretty dramatic change, gradual growth or pretty much the same old-same old?

Muskee showed that we have a combined 70 starts on the returning O'Line and something like 160 games-played experience. We have a tremendous talent/leader at Center, returning starters at LG and Right Tackle and depending on what Gibson does between now and Game1 a returning starter at RG.
We are a bit unsettled at LT where everyone expects Jackson to start, but could Ramirez take that job??

We have the makings of a pretty solid back-up group with Rogers, Raulerson, Merrick, Malone and Ramirez/Jackson.

With all of that should we expect our O'Line to take a big step forward this year? For me, Yep! I feel like if Anderson is worth his salt we should be stout up front and only get better in the coming years.

2017 should tell us all we need to know about Anderson.

A big step forward may be a lot to ask. If he can coach em up enough to keep AA off his back a little less we should be alright.

[bennyl08]

Last year, we had to replace 3 starters on the OL. That has always been an issue for every team.

This year, we only lose 1 starter so that is a major plus in the first place. Further, the biggest problems last year were with missed assignments and mental errors. Those are the most likely areas of error to see major improvement, particularly when 3 of the positions the previous year were all first year starters.

We probably won't have one of the top 5 OL's in the entire country, but I bet we have probably the third best in the SEC overall.

With Austin at QB, we are going to take more sacks than we did with Brandon and that isn't a bad thing in my opinion. There will also be a positive feedback loop with our 2 RB's. The improved OL will make running easier for the 2 backs. The improvement in the running from the two backs will further make the OL look even better than they are. That doubly improved run game will make it harder to rush the passer, making things easier for an already improved OL. That will make the passing game more dangerous, helping out the run game and keeping defenses from loading the box, that improved run game will then make things easier for the pass game and so on and so forth.

[lakecityhog]

"Further, the biggest problems last year were with missed assignments and mental errors."

Benny, these were the things that seemed to kill us at critical moments. A false start, so we start 1st and 15 or a blown assignment for a lost yardage play or just plain old whiffing on your guy to give up a sack.
MOST of those seem to me to be a lack of preparation.

I thought Anderson wasted far too much time last Spring and even into Fall Camp on "cross-training" and shuffling people around. Find your best 5, even if you miss 1, and mold them into a cohesive unit.
Learn YOUR job on every play and you can't do that with the shuffling that went on last year.

I know it is early, but please tell me we are not playing that game again this year. We desperately need to quit the motivational game playing. Put the best guys on the field at EVERY position and practice them that way every day. If a kid needs extra motivation let him run the bleachers after practice is over. Make him bear crawl 100 yard progressives on the off days.

[lakecityhog]

BTW, what has happened to Heinrich?
A four-star recruit by ESPN, 247Sports and Scout ... Consensus top 30 offensive guard in the class with a best of No. 11 by 247Sports ... Averaged an offensive grade of 91.5 percent, tallied 35 pancake blocks and did not allow a sack in three games played. Ranked as the No. 1 player in the state of Iowa by 247Sports.

I have not heard a word on this kid, like he is the forgotten man.

[East TN HAWG]

I wonder how much of last year was a result of implementing a new system?

[Dwillhog66]

BTW, what has happened to Heinrich?
A four-star recruit by ESPN, 247Sports and Scout ... Consensus top 30 offensive guard in the class with a best of No. 11 by 247Sports ... Averaged an offensive grade of 91.5 percent, tallied 35 pancake blocks and did not allow a sack in three games played. Ranked as the No. 1 player in the state of Iowa by 247Sports.

I have not heard a word on this kid, like he is the forgotten man.

Not a knock on Heinrich, but I think it's a good thing to not hear much about redshirt freshmen on the oline. It should mean we are building quality depth.

[PorkSoda]

BTW, what has happened to Heinrich?
A four-star recruit by ESPN, 247Sports and Scout ... Consensus top 30 offensive guard in the class with a best of No. 11 by 247Sports ... Averaged an offensive grade of 91.5 percent, tallied 35 pancake blocks and did not allow a sack in three games played. Ranked as the No. 1 player in the state of Iowa by 247Sports.

I have not heard a word on this kid, like he is the forgotten man.

He red shirted last year as a freshman.

very rarely do freshman o-line step into a starting role. I would guess we see him when its his turn in a year or two.

[factchecker]

BTW, what has happened to Heinrich?
A four-star recruit by ESPN, 247Sports and Scout ... Consensus top 30 offensive guard in the class with a best of No. 11 by 247Sports ... Averaged an offensive grade of 91.5 percent, tallied 35 pancake blocks and did not allow a sack in three games played. Ranked as the No. 1 player in the state of Iowa by 247Sports.

I have not heard a word on this kid, like he is the forgotten man.

Jake was a true freshman last year.

He redshirted and recovered from surgery on his right hand that he had his senior year.

He is probably practicing with the twos.

Once again..... He is a redshirt freshman.

Not a knock on Heinrich, but I think it's a good thing to not hear much about redshirt freshmen on the oline. It should mean we are building quality depth.

It's crazy how we have some people bitching about not redshirting kids and others going crazy when we do redshirt them.

[ricepig]

Jake was a true freshman last year.

He redshirted and recovered from surgery on his right hand that he had his senior year.

He is probably practicing with the twos.

Once again..... He is a redshirt freshman.

It's crazy how we have some people bitching about not redshirting kids and others going crazy when we do redshirt them.

He was running 3rd string left guard on Saturday.

[PorkSoda]

He was running 3rd string left guard on Saturday.

thanks for the update

[factchecker]

He was running 3rd string left guard on Saturday.

And Gibson is running with the twos.  It's the spring.  It's his 2nd year here.  Heinrich is not being looked over or forgotten.

I just hope his hand/wrist is fully recovered.

[ricepig]

And Gibson is running with the twos.  It's the spring.  It's his 2nd year here.  Heinrich is not being looked over or forgotten.

I just hope his hand/wrist is fully recovered.

The second team was:

Shane Clenin-Deion Malone-Dylan Hays-Zach Rogers-Jalen Merrick

with Gibson alternating in some at RG.

[factchecker]

The second team was:

Shane Clenin-Deion Malone-Dylan Hays-Zach Rogers-Jalen Merrick

with Gibson alternating in some at RG.

Dylan Hays is getting work with the 2's?  That's awesome.   He was a little undersized coming out of high school but I liked his aggressiveness.

Is your lineup above from left to right?  Does that mean they have Rogers at right guard instead of center?

ADD:  Was the practice open or is this info from a pay board?

[hawgfan4life]

Not hearing about talented FR and RSF is a good thing.

If our OL is still missing assignments anywhere similar to last year means it is time to make a change.  Too much talent and experience in the group to be inconsistent and bad.  May not dominate, but should be solid.

[ricepig]

Dylan Hays is getting work with the 2's?  That's awesome.   He was a little undersized coming out of high school but I liked his aggressiveness.

Is your lineup above from left to right?  Does that mean they have Rogers at right guard instead of center?

ADD:  Was the practice open or is this info from a pay board?

Yes, Bielema said in his PC that they wanted to get Rogers work at RG instead of 3rd team center, and practice was closed. As everyone says, it was the first day in pads, I think the first team is pretty well set for spring.

[bennyl08]

"Further, the biggest problems last year were with missed assignments and mental errors."

Benny, these were the things that seemed to kill us at critical moments. A false start, so we start 1st and 15 or a blown assignment for a lost yardage play or just plain old whiffing on your guy to give up a sack.
MOST of those seem to me to be a lack of preparation.

I thought Anderson wasted far too much time last Spring and even into Fall Camp on "cross-training" and shuffling people around. Find your best 5, even if you miss 1, and mold them into a cohesive unit.
Learn YOUR job on every play and you can't do that with the shuffling that went on last year.

I know it is early, but please tell me we are not playing that game again this year. We desperately need to quit the motivational game playing. Put the best guys on the field at EVERY position and practice them that way every day. If a kid needs extra motivation let him run the bleachers after practice is over. Make him bear crawl 100 yard progressives on the off days.

Those aren't issues of being cross trained. Those are issues of inexperience. Go back and watch some of the games from 2013 and you'd think that Kirkland at guard was Froholdt and Skipper was Raulerson early in this season. All those things you list as problems from Anderson last season were the same problems we had on the OL in 2013 under Pittman. Further, a lot of those problems went away in 2014 when we returned most of our OL from an inexperienced year and similarly in 2015. The good news is, the players we have now are more athletic than the ones we had in our last cohort of starters, which should set up very well for 2017 and '18.

However, that is all on paper. On paper, our defense in 2016 was set up to maybe not be 2014 levels of good, but at least ranking around 30th or so. Now, we had some bad injuries to some key players that really threw things off, but that was a big reason, IMO, that Smith was fired. On paper, our OL has improved the play of it's individuals each year and so it should be improved next season. If it isn't, even with a key injury, then Anderson has nobody to blame but himself because he has all the talent he needs to have a very good OL. Next year will have experience and physical talent. I see no evidence to suggest our OL won't improve, but if it doesn't, then that reflects on the coach and not the hand he was dealt.

[bennyl08]

Yes, Bielema said in his PC that they wanted to get Rogers work at RG instead of 3rd team center, and practice was closed. As everyone says, it was the first day in pads, I think the first team is pretty well set for spring.

No uh, it would be a bazzillion years before Rogers would ever be at guard. Biggus or one of the mods said so.

[ricepig]

No uh, it would be a bazzillion years before Rogers would ever be at guard. Biggus or one of the mods said so.

Maybe they were experimenting with an unbalanced line with a guard snapping the ball......

[MuskogeeHogFan]

No uh, it would be a bazzillion years before Rogers would ever be at guard. Biggus or one of the mods said so.

I think Rogers saw some practice time last year at OG. Can't speak to that which you cite.

[bennyl08]

I think Rogers saw some practice time last year at OG. Can't speak to that which you cite.

He was in the one of the rotations as a starter for at least one day at RG as I recall.

http://www.hogville.net/yabbse/index.php?topic=615268.0

This is what I cite in regards to Rogers at guard.

Why do you have Ramirez at left tackle, Benny? First day of practice, Ramirez was second-team right guard. I'm not sure Colton Jackson will hang onto the left tackle job this season either, but he's a lot better prepared than he was this time a year ago. Not saying it's impossible, just wondering.

And also - Rogers at guard? Not going to happen. Not in a bazillion years.

[lakecityhog]

Benny, Not sure if you realize it but you somewhat made my point for me.
With inexperience wouldn't we have been time ahead to have picked 5 guys in spring ball, put them in place and rep them and rep them and rep them? Take all of spring and fall to work with the best 5 each at their own position and work out as much of the issues as possible. Every rep that one of them took at a different spot was a wasted rep.

Either Clenin is the most under-rated recruit on our team or we are again playing mind games with some of the O'line guys. Clenin, Wagner and Adcock need to redshirt just like Zach Rogers should have redshirted his freshman year. Rogers is a true junior and practicing at 3rd team center??? Yet we felt the need to play him in 3 games as a true freshman???

In case most of you missed it, that was my point about Heinrich. Highly regarded recruit, but we bit the bullet and let him sit. I think he and the team will be better for it. So will Clenin, Wagner and Adcock.

[bennyl08]

Benny, Not sure if you realize it but you somewhat made my point for me.
With inexperience wouldn't we have been time ahead to have picked 5 guys in spring ball, put them in place and rep them and rep them and rep them? Take all of spring and fall to work with the best 5 each at their own position and work out as much of the issues as possible. Every rep that one of them took at a different spot was a wasted rep.

Either Clenin is the most under-rated recruit on our team or we are again playing mind games with some of the O'line guys. Clenin, Wagner and Adcock need to redshirt just like Zach Rogers should have redshirted his freshman year. Rogers is a true junior and practicing at 3rd team center??? Yet we felt the need to play him in 3 games as a true freshman???

In case most of you missed it, that was my point about Heinrich. Highly regarded recruit, but we bit the bullet and let him sit. I think he and the team will be better for it. So will Clenin, Wagner and Adcock.

The bolded part is where your first paragraph goes astray. Sure, we could have picked 5 guys, but it may not have been the best 5. If we pick the best 5, then that takes time to figure out who the best starting combination of 5 guys is. And it isn't just picking 5 guys and going.

For example, lets just assign grade numbers to the players for simplicity. For example, maybe Ragnow is an 85 at LT, 88 at RT, 93 at either guard, and a 97 at center. And a similar situation for every single other player out there. Sure, Ragnow is a 97 at center, but it is still possible to have him play another position and the score of the OL will be higher. That is what happened with Kirkland and Skipper. Kirkland was best at the guard spot. However, Kirkland-Tretola-Smothers-Ragnow-Skipper graded higher as a unit than Wallace-Tretola-Ragnow-Kirkland-Skipper.

Now, to make things even more complicated, a player's number there isn't static. So you also have to incorporate which players will learn the fastest at which positions? Guard is a bit easier to play than tackle, so it is easier for a younger player to fit in at guard than it is at tackle.

Now, it is true that the more time an OL unit has to gel together, the better. However, if you can spend 2 more weeks and improve your OL from a 400 (assuming you have 5 players that each grade to 100) up to 425 with the potential for growth to 450 by the end of the season, that is worth it. If you spend 3 weeks juggling the lineup of OL players in fall camp to get it from a 398 to a 403, then that isn't worth it.

Finally, while the number system makes things relatively nice and easy (though still relatively complicated), it becomes even more complicated in real life. You have a player that may be a 95 in run blocking but a 70 in pass blocking vs another who is an 82.5 in both. Maybe one player who is big and fast but is a very slow learner with poor technique vs another who has great technique but can be overpowered easily and lose to speed. Do you tailor the OL to have the weak OL always having a double team assignment for help thus limiting your offense, or do you go with the powerful and quick guy who will net you penalties and missed assignments and such? Further, the coaches don't have these nice numbers to work with. You need several days with a player at a position just to get a faint glimpse at their potential there.

As for the benefits of cross training, when you have a player go down with injury, which is oft to happen on the OL, that entire process described above happens all over again to a degree. It isn't simply Froholdt goes down and the backup LG replaces him. The best combination of 5 may have Gibson move from RG to LG and then Raulerson come in and take the RG spot. Or the season before, we had Wallace as the top backup to both tackle spots. It's about getting the best combination of 5 out on the field. The best combination of 5 may have one grouping, and the 2nd best combination for a given injury may only have 1 different player, but 3 people at new positions. So it is always good to have players cross trained as the benefit of having Gibson be able to play both guards in case of an injury does more to help the line than the extra couple of days at the same position.

[gchamblee]

I admire you guys for ignoring the intent of this thread and posting quality info.

[jgphillips3]

I think Anderson will have a solid starting unit ready by Fall ball and we will see competent to good line play this year as opposed to the cluster of 2016.  I think his emphasis on technique will start to show this year as well.  If not, "this season" will mean sending out the resume.

[theshiva]

He was brought in to be a developer, not a recruiter, so to see if he's meeting the goal of coach B, the guys here have to show improvement in their game.

[Boss Hog in the Arkansas]

"Further, the biggest problems last year were with missed assignments and mental errors."

Benny, these were the things that seemed to kill us at critical moments. A false start, so we start 1st and 15 or a blown assignment for a lost yardage play or just plain old whiffing on your guy to give up a sack.
MOST of those seem to me to be a lack of preparation.

I thought Anderson wasted far too much time last Spring and even into Fall Camp on "cross-training" and shuffling people around. Find your best 5, even if you miss 1, and mold them into a cohesive unit.
Learn YOUR job on every play and you can't do that with the shuffling that went on last year.

I know it is early, but please tell me we are not playing that game again this year. We desperately need to quit the motivational game playing. Put the best guys on the field at EVERY position and practice them that way every day. If a kid needs extra motivation let him run the bleachers after practice is over. Make him bear crawl 100 yard progressives on the off days.

I agree with this to a certain extent. There have been far too many times in the past few seasons where a Dominique Reed or an Alex Collins didn't play in the 1st quarter or an entire half because they were late to a meeting or "had some things they need to take care of off the field" (as our coach likes to say). Does he go to class? Does he makes pretty good grades? Is he respectful to the staff and his peers? If so let him play

[Pork Twain]

As we continue to step up recruiting and build depth, I believe our lines will continue to improve

[DeltaBoy]

I want to see the return of mean nasty road graders!

[MuskogeeHogFan]

This will be Anderson's 2nd year as O'Line Coach, what does this season mean for him at Arkansas? Do we expect a pretty dramatic change, gradual growth or pretty much the same old-same old?

Muskee showed that we have a combined 70 starts on the returning O'Line and something like 160 games-played experience. We have a tremendous talent/leader at Center, returning starters at LG and Right Tackle and depending on what Gibson does between now and Game1 a returning starter at RG.
We are a bit unsettled at LT where everyone expects Jackson to start, but could Ramirez take that job??

We have the makings of a pretty solid back-up group with Rogers, Raulerson, Merrick, Malone and Ramirez/Jackson.

With all of that should we expect our O'Line to take a big step forward this year? For me, Yep! I feel like if Anderson is worth his salt we should be stout up front and only get better in the coming years.

2017 should tell us all we need to know about Anderson.

I posted this in another thread but it is relevant here when talking about what this year means for Coach Anderson.

Seems to me that the biggest improvement that the O-Line can make is in reducing the number of negative yardage plays (sacks and TFLA). I think that we can all agree that the QB, RB's and WR's all play a role in this as well but it is the O-Line that receives the vast majority of the criticism when it comes to negative yardage plays, whether fairly or not. The offensive plays below represent a total of all rushing and passing plays.

             Off Plays       Neg Yd Plays        Neg Yds      1 Neg Play Every       Neg Yds/Play
2013          775                 53                  243                  14.6                      4.6
2014          916                 76                  313                  12.1                      4.1
2015          886                 74                  287                  12.0                      3.9
2016          923                122                  668                   7.6                      5.5

It is difficult enough to string together successful offensive scoring drives in the SEC without helping the opposing defense by having a lot more negative yardage plays than you usually have. Add to that a defense that had it's worst year in decades and we were probably lucky to have won 7 games last year. On the other hand, look at just how close we were to winning 9-10 games last year, even with horribly bad numbers like you see above.

This team may be a lot better than we think it might be. Eliminate an uncharacteristic number of negative yardage plays and we probably end up being better in the RZ and score more points. And, if the defense improves at all (which I think that it will) we may find this team winning more games than we expect in 2017.

[MS_HogFan]

The second team was:

Shane Clenin-Deion Malone-Dylan Hays-Zach Rogers-Jalen Merrick

with Gibson alternating in some at RG.

What is the first team? I, sure it's on here somewhere but I haven't seen it.

[ricepig]

What is the first team? I, sure it's on here somewhere but I haven't seen it.

Jackson-Froholdt-Ragnow-Raulerson-Wallace

[PorkRinds]

Jackson-Froholdt-Ragnow-Raulerson-Wallace

I actually like that line.  Raulerson and Johnny Gibson will battle for that guard spot I think.  Well once JG gets out of the dog house.

[MS_HogFan]

Jackson-Froholdt-Ragnow-Raulerson-Wallace

Thanks

Is Ramirez 3rd team?
There was gossip on here he might be starting LT.

[ricepig]

Thanks

Is Ramirez 3rd team?
There was gossip on here he might be starting LT.

Adcock-Rameriz-Hannah-Heinrich-Wagner

[hawganatic]

It's crazy how we have some people bitching about not redshirting kids and others going crazy when we do redshirt them.

We seem to have a fanbase with a pretty low football IQ sometimes.  If a player doesn't produce from the time they step on campus they either aren't very good or aren't working hard.

We have a lot that don't understand player development and the time frame that takes for the normal player.  That group also is probably the most vocal part of our fanbase...

[MS_HogFan]

Adcock-Rameriz-Hannah-Heinrich-Wagner

So who is the 4th string? Just Kidding.
Thanks

[longpig]

Anderson wasn't 100% last season because his cat got killed. 

[Youngsta71701]

What does this season mean for Anderson? Improvement.

[OneTuskOverTheLine™]

We seem to have a fanbase with a pretty low football IQ sometimes.  If a player doesn't produce from the time they step on campus they either aren't very good or aren't working hard.

We have a lot that don't understand player development and the time frame that takes for the normal player. That group also is probably the most vocal part of our fanbase...

That segment is the most vocal of ANY group. Fools are going to be foolish and loud about it. Their lack of understanding leads them into trap after trap in a self fulfilling prophesy of doom. They bring down every good thing by their lack of patience and utter inability to fight self gratification. It's the reason that liberalism doesn't work, and the reason that hard working people prosper in the right environment. Given time this uncommon approach that CBB has embraced will work. It will take the players, fans and even the entire State to "buy in" and support it. This is why Arkansas has never sustained a winning tradition.

[lakecityhog]

Damn, Tusk! You managed to sneak in some politics while building in an unbeatable excuse should BB fail. "I couldn't get it done because the WHOLE state just wouldn't buy in to my philosophy"! I consider myself a conservative, but next to you Reagan may have been considered a lib!

Benny, you are building a mountain just to peek over a hill! Last year we had 2 guys, Skipper(LT) and Ragnow(C) that had all of the talent and experience on the O'Line. From the outset it was pretty obvious that Froholdt was LG regardless. We had a grad-transfer with starting experience at a major P5 school so pencil him in at RG. That left the RT spot to fill and 2 real candidates Jackson or Wallace.

How many here really believed that we would start a guy with ZERO experience at the most critical spot on the O'Line? It was Skipper all along and we all knew it. Ragnow was Center and we knew that too. With Jake's experience it was pretty much a given that he would be our RG.

Line up those 4 guys EVERY DAY, ALL DAY and let Jackson and Wallace swap out til one of them won the spot. Start that way in the Spring and finish that way in the Fall and our O'Line might have been a bit more cohesive unit.

How many of you really believe that our coaching staff will play a TRUE FRESHMAN at LT in the SEC if something happens to the starter? Who do you really think will come in at Center if Ragnow needs a break? A kid with absolutely ZERO game experience or the guy that has played back-up Center for 3 years??

What makes us better as a team repping guys that have VERY little chance of playing or the guys that will in all likelyhood be our 2nd team guys? Of all positions the O'Line has to play as a unit, each guy has to KNOW what the guy next to him is going to do/react on every play. You learn that thru reps with each other, more and more reps, more and more gamelike experience.

Sure Anderson is the O'Line coach and knows waaaay more than I do, doesn't mean that I will agrtee with everything he does. Such is life.

[HamSammich]

Why would you expect dramatic change? that usually occurs in the first year.

[hawganatic]

Why would you expect dramatic change? that usually occurs in the first year.

Yeah....no....

You usually see your steepest change from year one to year two.  If you don't and it happens after year two you either have a program down in a serious hole, or you have the wrong coach in place.  Very rarely do you see the steepest change in year one.

[Boardon Hamsay]

Jackson-Froholdt-Ragnow-Raulerson-Wallace

One hell of a last name. Gonna be tough to fit that on the back of a jersey.

[PorkSoda]

One hell of a last name. Gonna be tough to fit that on the back of a jersey.

gonna have to shorten it to 'Crushinator'

[PonderinHog]

One hell of a last name. Gonna be tough to fit that on the back of a jersey.

This coming from you   Oh, the irony!!!