Spring practice PC

[ricepig]

http://www.wholehogsports.com/news/2017/mar/27/live-bret-bielema-previews-spring-practice/

[MuskogeeHogFan]

Thanks for posting this Rice.

[RzRbAcK18]

Ragnow is going to represent Arkansas well at the next level.

[PorkRinds]

Sucks that McClure isn't on the team any more. 

[The_Iceman]

Sucks that McClure isn't on the team any more.

Bad for him, but we are in good shape at WR.

[PorkRinds]

Bad for him, but we are in good shape at WR.

That's true. The JUCO guys should fill in quite nicely with the guys we had on the roster already.

[rhames]

Looking forward to seeing the defense



Not worried about offense.

[Biggus Piggus]

Biggest points to me:

* Seems like almost 100% certain that Austin Allen is the starting QB; don't even joke about there being a competition.
* Very high praise for Frank Ragnow.
* Move to 3-4 sounds like one of necessity due to the limited DL roster.
* Kevin Richardson might be starting at cornerback opposite Ryan Pulley.
* Hjalte Froholdt is ready to handle Oline now. They're raising expectations for Colton Jackson and Jake Raulerson. More talk of Brian Wallace "being pushed." Overall OL situation is better Y/Y.
* Bijhon Jackson is being asked to rise up and take over as the noseguard in the 3-4. Working harder.
* Austin Cantrell is the only ready-for-prime-time TE. Grayson Gunter's preparation (before surgery) was better than that of Jamario Bell, Will Gragg and Cheyenne O'Grady, who are probably more talented. Nobody's going to play without sufficient work ethic.
* Shane Clenin is the most impressive freshman offensive lineman so far, but they like all three a lot.
* Austin Allen is leading players in volunteer workouts. Ty Storey got mention for his offseason work.
* WR position is loaded - Jared Cornelius, Jordan Jones, Deon Stewart, Brandon Martin, Jonathan Nance, T.J. Hammonds, LaMichael Pettway. Unsure of order behind Cornelius. Overall speed is improved. No fricking way they use all these guys. No way in hell.
* Daytrieon Dean was issued a do-or-die challenge, is in the mix at DE and has taken to his new position coach. Maybe spring bravado talk there.
* Positive mention of CBs Korey Hernandez and Britto Tutt, safeties Deon Edwards and Micahh Smith.
* Was talk of linebackers banned? Only names mentioned at all were Karl Roesler (could play OLB, could play DE), Dwayne Eugene, Michael Taylor, Randy Ramsey and Dee Walker (the latter four named for their work in the offseason program). We're switching to the 3-4 but not talking about how we come up with a two-deep.
* Only players limited in spring are Dre Greenlaw and Grayson Gunter.

[bennyl08]

I was curious about this and posted about it earlier. How were they philosophically going to handle the change to the 3-4. When he first got here, Bielema talked about how you don't have time to learn and be good at everything, so they were going to work on a few things and be very good at that. Well, from the DC, recognizes that there will be bumps in the road and a learning curve for a whole new verbiage. Wants to be a defense that does a few things well rather than try to master a bunch.

I'm pretty that is a common maneuver among most coaches out there. However, it is a bit concerning to me. Namely, the strength of the 3-4 IMO is the versatility and potential to confuse the offense because of that versatility. Only doing a few things and doing them well is not the formula of versatility or going to confuse the offense, unless he is using few differently than I think of it.

That said, I'm still excited by the defense. I'm still a bigger fan of the 4-3 personally, but the more I think about it, the more I think our roster is better suited for the 3-4 currently. I think it also really benefits guys like TJ Smith who were tweeners and out of place in the 4-3 but are ideal DE's in a 3-4.

[factchecker]

* Austin Allen is leading players in volunteer workouts. Ty Storey got mention for his offseason work.

I made mention of this in the basketball board after we beat Georgia.

The wife and I were walking from the Union to Bud Walton.  We walked down behind Barnhill and the HPER. We looked over to the outdoor practice field and saw Austin and about 30 players practicing.  All the QBs and a good lot of receivers/tight ends (including Stewart, Nance, Martin, J-Red, and O'grady) were out there.  There was a couple of offensive linemen and defensive players out there as well.

We didn't think to walk back the same way after the game to see if they were still practicing.  Regardless, it was nice seeing our players put in the extra work.

[Biggus Piggus]

That said, I'm still excited by the defense. I'm still a bigger fan of the 4-3 personally, but the more I think about it, the more I think our roster is better suited for the 3-4 currently. I think it also really benefits guys like TJ Smith who were tweeners and out of place in the 4-3 but are ideal DE's in a 3-4.

I am not really excited about the defense. Curious. Concerned.

[bennyl08]

I am not really excited about the defense. Curious. Concerned.

I think Sosa, Harris, and Pulley are all guys that could be drafted by the end of the third round. 2014 was the last time we had NFL level players starting at each level of the defense. Those three players alone would be enough for me to be excited about the future of this defense. However, they are not alone.

On the DL, Capps is as strong as they come and he is also just now in  his second year. Guidry and TJ Smith also excite me to see what they can do.

At LB: Harris is IMO by far our best LB on campus. However, Greenlaw has been a steady and good player during his time here as well. Our defense changed without him. Eugene came in as a HS safety bulking up to play LB and it all really clicked for him last season. IMO, he started to play better than Ellis. Kyrie Fisher is tailor made to be an OLB in a 3-4. Ramsey showed he could rush the passer and his small stature is best utilized in the 3-4 rather than the 4-3. Further, Taylor's tape shows physical talents on par with Flowers and Wise Jr, and a bit faster as he only weighed 245 similarly with Porter's signing this year.

At DB: We return Pulley who was among the top at passes defended last year. Losing Collins hurts, but Toliver has done nothing but make plays during his time here and shut down Cooper in 2014 for us. That gives us two, very talented and very experienced cornerbacks. Kevin Richardson returns as well who can start for us at any position in the secondary. Further, I think Curtis and Calloway will not be redshirted as they are too talented. Curtis reminds me a lot of likely first round pick USC cb Adoree Jackson. At safety, Coley, Liddell, and Ramirez provide us with a very experienced core along with potentially KRIII. However, similar to the CB position, we have guys like Smith, Curl, and Brown who are going to be hard to keep off the field as well.

The talent on the defense this year is better than any other time in my lifetime, i.e. the past 27 years. Whether the scheme will bring out that talent or not, remains to be seen.

[theshiva]

Never have I been as excited for a position group after losing all their starters as I am about the wide receivers this year. This group can beat a secondary 10 different ways. The amount of speed, size, and mix of the two is awesome.

For the 3-4, I'm not worried about the DL, I want to know who the linebackers are and how they're progressing. 

[HF#1]

* Move to 3-4 sounds like one of necessity due to the limited DL roster.

I thought it was because the coaches felt that guys were playing out of position?

[MuskogeeHogFan]

I was curious about this and posted about it earlier. How were they philosophically going to handle the change to the 3-4. When he first got here, Bielema talked about how you don't have time to learn and be good at everything, so they were going to work on a few things and be very good at that. Well, from the DC, recognizes that there will be bumps in the road and a learning curve for a whole new verbiage. Wants to be a defense that does a few things well rather than try to master a bunch.

I'm pretty that is a common maneuver among most coaches out there. However, it is a bit concerning to me. Namely, the strength of the 3-4 IMO is the versatility and potential to confuse the offense because of that versatility. Only doing a few things and doing them well is not the formula of versatility or going to confuse the offense, unless he is using few differently than I think of it.

That said, I'm still excited by the defense. I'm still a bigger fan of the 4-3 personally, but the more I think about it, the more I think our roster is better suited for the 3-4 currently. I think it also really benefits guys like TJ Smith who were tweeners and out of place in the 4-3 but are ideal DE's in a 3-4.

I think that for us, given our situation in terms of depth and the size of our defensive players, that the 3-4 may serve us better than a standard 4-3 base concept. It should also make us more unpredictable in terms of what we throw at the opposing offenses in terms of pressure and coverage packages. But let's remember, this isn't a new defensive scheme that no one has ever seen or played against.

The key will be how quickly we can identify a solid two deep at each position and how quickly and how well that two deep learns the new system, calls and alignments. It isn't a complete re-start for the defense but nearly a complete re-start. Any rational person would approach this with some reservations.

A lot of unknowns at this point and chief among those, personnel with great but unrealized potential to this point and the 3-4 scheme learning curve.

[bennyl08]

I think that for us, given our situation in terms of depth and the size of our defensive players, that the 3-4 may serve us better than a standard 4-3 base concept. It should also make us more unpredictable in terms of what we throw at the opposing offenses in terms of pressure and coverage packages. But let's remember, this isn't a new defensive scheme that no one has ever seen or played against.

The key will be how quickly we can identify a solid two deep at each position and how quickly and how well that two deep learns the new system, calls and alignments. It isn't a complete re-start for the defense but nearly a complete re-start. Any rational person would approach this with some reservations.

A lot of unknowns at this point and chief among those, personnel with great but unrealized potential to this point and the 3-4 scheme learning curve.

That's the whole kicker. To be unpredictable and to disguise what you are doing requires a certain amount of complexity. Historically, our defense has often struggled by being slown down thinking too much. Jumps in defensive production have been associated with drops in defensive complexity. Even at the NFL level, you can have a defense absolutely littered with pro bowl and all pro talent in a 4-3 that becomes a defense that loses all effectiveness due to players having to think too much.

From the sounds of things, our coaching staff appears to be doing their best to avoid that problem. However, by keeping things simple for the players, and working be a master of few rather than a jack of all, how much room is left to confuse the offense and disguise things?

[1highhog]

Biggest points to me:

* Seems like almost 100% certain that Austin Allen is the starting QB; don't even joke about there being a competition.
* Very high praise for Frank Ragnow.
* Move to 3-4 sounds like one of necessity due to the limited DL roster.
* Kevin Richardson might be starting at cornerback opposite Ryan Pulley.
* Hjalte Froholdt is ready to handle Oline now. They're raising expectations for Colton Jackson and Jake Raulerson. More talk of Brian Wallace "being pushed." Overall OL situation is better Y/Y.
* Bijhon Jackson is being asked to rise up and take over as the noseguard in the 3-4. Working harder.
* Austin Cantrell is the only ready-for-prime-time TE. Grayson Gunter's preparation (before surgery) was better than that of Jamario Bell, Will Gragg and Cheyenne O'Grady, who are probably more talented. Nobody's going to play without sufficient work ethic.
* Shane Clenin is the most impressive freshman offensive lineman so far, but they like all three a lot.
* Austin Allen is leading players in volunteer workouts. Ty Storey got mention for his offseason work.
* WR position is loaded - Jared Cornelius, Jordan Jones, Deon Stewart, Brandon Martin, Jonathan Nance, T.J. Hammonds, LaMichael Pettway. Unsure of order behind Cornelius. Overall speed is improved. No fricking way they use all these guys. No way in hell.
* Daytrieon Dean was issued a do-or-die challenge, is in the mix at DE and has taken to his new position coach. Maybe spring bravado talk there.
* Positive mention of CBs Korey Hernandez and Britto Tutt, safeties Deon Edwards and Micahh Smith.
* Was talk of linebackers banned? Only names mentioned at all were Karl Roesler (could play OLB, could play DE), Dwayne Eugene, Michael Taylor, Randy Ramsey and Dee Walker (the latter four named for their work in the offseason program). We're switching to the 3-4 but not talking about how we come up with a two-deep.
* Only players limited in spring are Dre Greenlaw and Grayson Gunter.

I agree with all of this, ^^^.  The one biggest thing that stood out to me, and on the Pigtrail show last night was them talking about Cole Kelley just might be putting pressure on Austin this spring and especially this fall for playing QB.  They are just providing fluff to get people excited about there perhaps being a battle at quarterback, something that there hasn't really been in years.  This is Austin Allen's team and nobody will be close to taking his job this year.

[1highhog]

I would like to hear something about us having a new punter and kicker though, I'm a little worried about those two things probably more than anything else this year.

[Dominicanhog]

* Was talk of linebackers banned? Only names mentioned at all were Karl Roesler (could play OLB, could play DE), Dwayne Eugene, Michael Taylor, Randy Ramsey and Dee Walker (the latter four named for their work in the offseason program). We're switching to the 3-4 but not talking about how we come up with a two-deep.
* Only players limited in spring are Dre Greenlaw and Grayson Gunter.

I hope some of the guys recruited last year show up this year.. Baptiste, Walker, Lafrance and Harris all have interesting size and speed combinations.. maybe it's new names from here on.... the building blocks of LBU

[Dominicanhog]

isn't it nice Hawgball got us all the way to Spring practice.. now just have a run in baseball and golf and we'll be in football season..

[MuskogeeHogFan]

That's the whole kicker. To be unpredictable and to disguise what you are doing requires a certain amount of complexity. Historically, our defense has often struggled by being slown down thinking too much. Jumps in defensive production have been associated with drops in defensive complexity. Even at the NFL level, you can have a defense absolutely littered with pro bowl and all pro talent in a 4-3 that becomes a defense that loses all effectiveness due to players having to think too much.

From the sounds of things, our coaching staff appears to be doing their best to avoid that problem. However, by keeping things simple for the players, and working be a master of few rather than a jack of all, how much room is left to confuse the offense and disguise things?

I'm not sure, which is why I said this:

The key will be how quickly we can identify a solid two deep at each position and how quickly and how well that two deep learns the new system, calls and alignments. It isn't a complete re-start for the defense but nearly a complete re-start. Any rational person would approach this with some reservations.

A lot of unknowns at this point and chief among those, personnel with great but unrealized potential to this point and the 3-4 scheme learning curve.

[bennyl08]

I'm not sure, which is why I said this:

I know aren't sure. My post wasn't meant to be a counter argument to yours.

Merely pointing out the apparent juxtaposition we have next year.

We are playing a defense that specializes in complexity. Our team has struggled with complex defenses in the past. Our coaches have said they want us to do a few things well rather than a lot of things average. Thus canceling the problem with players handling too much, but also canceling out the primary benefit of the scheme in the first place.

Or at least seemingly doing that. For example, what also comes to mind is Auburn's offense. Only consists of a handful of plays. Very simple in scheme. However, they can run most of their plays from a single formation such that you don't know which play they will run just by the formation, or they can run the same play out of many different formations. Such that they can do the same thing 3 times in a row, but line up in different formations each time making you think they might do something different.

So, it is possible the coaches have something like that in mind, at least for our first year with a 3-4. Maybe teach them 2 blitz plays, 2 coverage plays, and 2 run stopping plays, but under multiple looks.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

I know aren't sure. My post wasn't meant to be a counter argument to yours.

Merely pointing out the apparent juxtaposition we have next year.

We are playing a defense that specializes in complexity. Our team has struggled with complex defenses in the past. Our coaches have said they want us to do a few things well rather than a lot of things average. Thus canceling the problem with players handling too much, but also canceling out the primary benefit of the scheme in the first place.

Or at least seemingly doing that. For example, what also comes to mind is Auburn's offense. Only consists of a handful of plays. Very simple in scheme. However, they can run most of their plays from a single formation such that you don't know which play they will run just by the formation, or they can run the same play out of many different formations. Such that they can do the same thing 3 times in a row, but line up in different formations each time making you think they might do something different.

So, it is possible the coaches have something like that in mind, at least for our first year with a 3-4. Maybe teach them 2 blitz plays, 2 coverage plays, and 2 run stopping plays, but under multiple looks.

I would just refer back to this as to the degree of complexity and whether our guys are able to absorb it quickly and commit it to second nature, rather than having to think. If I was around each and every player every day as the coaching staff is, I might be able to render a better opinion with regard to how much and how quickly they can learn the new system.

So much of it is learning the basics initially and expanding off of that. Just the same as if you don't get Algebra, you are basically lost in learning any higher level of math. The basics are the foundation of everything else. I'm not sure how quickly they will learn and yes, we will either be empowered or limited to some degree if everyone doesn't get the basics.

The 3-4 Defense Vs. The Run and Pass
http://www.hogville.net/yabbse/index.php?topic=628227.0

[presidenthog]

I think Sosa, Harris, and Pulley are all guys that could be drafted by the end of the third round. 2014 was the last time we had NFL level players starting at each level of the defense. Those three players alone would be enough for me to be excited about the future of this defense. However, they are not alone.

On the DL, Capps is as strong as they come and he is also just now in  his second year. Guidry and TJ Smith also excite me to see what they can do.

At LB: Harris is IMO by far our best LB on campus. However, Greenlaw has been a steady and good player during his time here as well. Our defense changed without him. Eugene came in as a HS safety bulking up to play LB and it all really clicked for him last season. IMO, he started to play better than Ellis. Kyrie Fisher is tailor made to be an OLB in a 3-4. Ramsey showed he could rush the passer and his small stature is best utilized in the 3-4 rather than the 4-3. Further, Taylor's tape shows physical talents on par with Flowers and Wise Jr, and a bit faster as he only weighed 245 similarly with Porter's signing this year.

At DB: We return Pulley who was among the top at passes defended last year. Losing Collins hurts, but Toliver has done nothing but make plays during his time here and shut down Cooper in 2014 for us. That gives us two, very talented and very experienced cornerbacks. Kevin Richardson returns as well who can start for us at any position in the secondary. Further, I think Curtis and Calloway will not be redshirted as they are too talented. Curtis reminds me a lot of likely first round pick USC cb Adoree Jackson. At safety, Coley, Liddell, and Ramirez provide us with a very experienced core along with potentially KRIII. However, similar to the CB position, we have guys like Smith, Curl, and Brown who are going to be hard to keep off the field as well.

The talent on the defense this year is better than any other time in my lifetime, i.e. the past 27 years. Whether the scheme will bring out that talent or not, remains to be seen.

This isn't even the year man. It's next year when you have the final year of agim, greenlaw, pulley, a jr year of dejon Harris, with sophomore year secondary guys with some snaps under thier belt in Kurl, buster, and Calloway. Then a FR in our latest big time secondary guy.

[bennyl08]

This isn't even the year man. It's next year when you have the final year of agim, greenlaw, pulley, a jr year of dejon Harris, with sophomore year secondary guys with some snaps under thier belt in Kurl, buster, and Calloway. Then a FR in our latest big time secondary guy.

I like this year better than next.

Schedule sets up for more wins this year IMO. Get the games with our best chances to win at home with the games we likely lose on the road so that doesn't matter.

Defense in 2018 looks to be better than this year. However, brand new qb on offense, RW3 is likely gone, 4 scholarship OL players will be gone including Ragnow.

However, by far the biggest factor IMO is the qb. Kelley looks to be really good, but he won't be experienced.

[presidenthog]

I like this year better than next.

Schedule sets up for more wins this year IMO. Get the games with our best chances to win at home with the games we likely lose on the road so that doesn't matter.

Defense in 2018 looks to be better than this year. However, brand new qb on offense, RW3 is likely gone, 4 scholarship OL players will be gone including Ragnow.

However, by far the biggest factor IMO is the qb. Kelley looks to be really good, but he won't be experienced.

I disagree. Going to be a learning curve. Too many new pieces. We will have flashes, and inconsistent play. Will look like offense this year in some areas.

I think cole Kelly will be the real deal. 3 Sr guys on the o line with lots of experience. A jr/Sr WR corps. The whole team will be Sr laden. I actually don't see rawliegh as a jr guy for the draft.

[Poker_hog]

I think Sosa, Harris, and Pulley are all guys that could be drafted by the end of the third round. 2014 was the last time we had NFL level players starting at each level of the defense. Those three players alone would be enough for me to be excited about the future of this defense. However, they are not alone.

On the DL, Capps is as strong as they come and he is also just now in  his second year. Guidry and TJ Smith also excite me to see what they can do.

At LB: Harris is IMO by far our best LB on campus. However, Greenlaw has been a steady and good player during his time here as well. Our defense changed without him. Eugene came in as a HS safety bulking up to play LB and it all really clicked for him last season. IMO, he started to play better than Ellis. Kyrie Fisher is tailor made to be an OLB in a 3-4. Ramsey showed he could rush the passer and his small stature is best utilized in the 3-4 rather than the 4-3. Further, Taylor's tape shows physical talents on par with Flowers and Wise Jr, and a bit faster as he only weighed 245 similarly with Porter's signing this year.

At DB: We return Pulley who was among the top at passes defended last year. Losing Collins hurts, but Toliver has done nothing but make plays during his time here and shut down Cooper in 2014 for us. That gives us two, very talented and very experienced cornerbacks. Kevin Richardson returns as well who can start for us at any position in the secondary. Further, I think Curtis and Calloway will not be redshirted as they are too talented. Curtis reminds me a lot of likely first round pick USC cb Adoree Jackson. At safety, Coley, Liddell, and Ramirez provide us with a very experienced core along with potentially KRIII. However, similar to the CB position, we have guys like Smith, Curl, and Brown who are going to be hard to keep off the field as well.

The talent on the defense this year is better than any other time in my lifetime, i.e. the past 27 years. Whether the scheme will bring out that talent or not, remains to be seen.

What has Harris done to make you so high on him?  It's way to early to be projecting his draft status when he hasn't started a game.  Greenlaw is a tackling machine.  The defense was much worse without him.  He's the only LB I feel good about at this time.

[Hog Fan...DOH!]

I am not really excited about the defense. Curious. Concerned.

Concern of the Mongolian Cluster variety?

[presidenthog]

What has Harris done to make you so high on him?  It's way to early to be projecting his draft status when he hasn't started a game.  Greenlaw is a tackling machine.  The defense was much worse without him.  He's the only LB I feel good about at this time.

I watched his film coming out of highschool. The guy played multiple positions including qb. He has a football IQ that is off the charts. He fully understands the game. He has the speed, the frame, size, and the instincts to be a next level LB. Harris was a leader in highschool. The kid has all the boxes checked to be a great one. To be an amazing lb you have to know what is happening, where the ball is going, and have the athleticism to go make the play. This guy has that.

[bennyl08]

I disagree. Going to be a learning curve. Too many new pieces. We will have flashes, and inconsistent play. Will look like offense this year in some areas.

I think cole Kelly will be the real deal. 3 Sr guys on the o line with lots of experience. A jr/Sr WR corps. The whole team will be Sr laden. I actually don't see rawliegh as a jr guy for the draft.

I completely agree with your assessment of how the defense will look next year. If it can rank as high as 49th in total defense though, I think the offense this year can carry us to 10 wins. If we have modest to little improvement on defense, my baseline for next year is 9 wins.

I do like the whole bit with what the offense returns in 2018. However, I guess I'm not as sold on Kelley as you. I think he is Mallett-lite and would not be mildly surprised if he becomes the best qb since Mallett and joining the argument as qb goat at Arkansas by the time he leaves. However, assuming he does win the job in 2018, he'll be playing on the road at auburn, on the road at MSU, on the road at Mizzou, on the road at CSU who has had some good NFL talent in recent years. His home comfort games will consist of Bama and LSU and OM. Mallett struggled on the road his first season as a starter as did Austin during the SEC stretch.

As for RW3, he was a good in limited time as a freshmen. He led the SEC in rushing as a sophomore. He is almost as much of a lock as it gets to be a back to back 1000 yard rusher next season. The only reason he'd come back for his senior year is because of a love for the helmet. Two 1k yard seasons in the SEC is all the resume he needs to go to the NFL. He comes back for a third and people will start to ask if he has enough tread left on his tires. JWill coming back was a rarity in sports and it didn't work out super well for him. Having been injured in college once already, don't be surprised if Rawleigh looks to make sure he is getting a paycheck as soon as possible.

[lakecityhog]

I only see one negative from the PC, that is that we seem to be pretty sure that possibly all 3 of the freshmen O'Linemen could play. All 3 need to redshirt if at all possible. If we can't find a reasonable 2-deep from the other 15 guys we have some serious issues!

Surely from Rogers, Raulerson, Malone, Rameriz,  Merrick, Heinrich and Hall we can find 5 back-ups that will allow us to actually start a real redshirt program for the O'Line???

I agree with Benny, 17 is our year much more so than 2018. So many of our fans see kids that have never set foot on the field as sure fire All-SEC players and are often DEAD WRONG! I hope that every RS Freshman turns out to be a super star, but I would rather have a 5th year Senior that has already had a "good" solid career any day of the week! Thinking and Hoping ain't a real strategy.

[WBOBO]

isn't it nice Hawgball got us all the way to Spring practice.. now just have a run in baseball and golf and we'll be in football season..

Yes it is.

[PorkSoda]

That's the whole kicker. To be unpredictable and to disguise what you are doing requires a certain amount of complexity. Historically, our defense has often struggled by being slown down thinking too much. Jumps in defensive production have been associated with drops in defensive complexity. Even at the NFL level, you can have a defense absolutely littered with pro bowl and all pro talent in a 4-3 that becomes a defense that loses all effectiveness due to players having to think too much.

From the sounds of things, our coaching staff appears to be doing their best to avoid that problem. However, by keeping things simple for the players, and working be a master of few rather than a jack of all, how much room is left to confuse the offense and disguise things?

I doubt one spring and fall is enough to install and master the 3-4.  they will focus on being good at a few things because that is all they have time to do.  in 3-4 years, guys that have been in the system the whole time will be able to do more disguising, and more complex calls.

right now we need to keep it simple in order to play fast, and we will probably do very little of the more complex coverages / blitzes.

[presidenthog]

I only see one negative from the PC, that is that we seem to be pretty sure that possibly all 3 of the freshmen O'Linemen could play. All 3 need to redshirt if at all possible. If we can't find a reasonable 2-deep from the other 15 guys we have some serious issues!

Surely from Rogers, Raulerson, Malone, Rameriz,  Merrick, Heinrich and Hall we can find 5 back-ups that will allow us to actually start a real redshirt program for the O'Line???

I agree with Benny, 17 is our year much more so than 2018. So many of our fans see kids that have never set foot on the field as sure fire All-SEC players and are often DEAD WRONG! I hope that every RS Freshman turns out to be a super star, but I would rather have a 5th year Senior that has already had a "good" solid career any day of the week! Thinking and Hoping ain't a real strategy.

Still disagree. I'm not calling Kelly all sec. He just has to not be awful. The rest of the team will be loaded. Top to bottom. He just has to not turn the ball over and let the play makers make plays. Strong run game that year from Sr o line can mask a new qb.

Austin is gonna have to carry this team, and it's defense. 2018 the defense should be loaded enough to carry this team.

[CFB_Fanatic]

Still disagree. I'm not calling Kelly all sec. He just has to not be awful. The rest of the team will be loaded. Top to bottom. He just has to not turn the ball over and let the play makers make plays. Strong run game that year from Sr o line can mask a new qb.

Austin is gonna have to carry this team, and it's defense. 2018 the defense should be loaded enough to carry this team.

Assuming we don't fire the coach before then........

Im afraid this year is going to be rough fellas. Don't see more than 7 wins on the schedule. CBB may not survive, though I sure hope he does

[MuskogeeHogFan]

Assuming we don't fire the coach before then........

Im afraid this year is going to be rough fellas. Don't see more than 7 wins on the schedule. CBB may not survive, though I sure hope he does

I'm pretty sure that Bielema will be here through the 2018 season no matter what.

[sowmonella]

Assuming we don't fire the coach before then........

Im afraid this year is going to be rough fellas. Don't see more than 7 wins on the schedule. CBB may not survive, though I sure hope he does

I would suggest you not worry too much. CBB will be just fine.

[ricepig]

Assuming we don't fire the coach before then........

Im afraid this year is going to be rough fellas. Don't see more than 7 wins on the schedule. CBB may not survive, though I sure hope he does

He's here for next year(2018), you can take that to the bank.

[Ex-Trumpet]

I like this year better than next.

Schedule sets up for more wins this year IMO. Get the games with our best chances to win at home with the games we likely lose on the road so that doesn't matter.

Defense in 2018 looks to be better than this year. However, brand new qb on offense, RW3 is likely gone, 4 scholarship OL players will be gone including Ragnow.

However, by far the biggest factor IMO is the qb. Kelley looks to be really good, but he won't be experienced.

Benny, your posts have lots of valuable info...and that's why I am troubled with your statement in bold.  This deep into a coach's tenure (one of which has had a mantra of rebuilding, wait until next year) is troubling.

Is this year as good as it gets?

[Biggus Piggus]

Assuming we don't fire the coach before then........

Im afraid this year is going to be rough fellas. Don't see more than 7 wins on the schedule. CBB may not survive, though I sure hope he does

You should completely put that fear out of your mind. The one about Bielema's job being in jeopardy. Remember who is boss is, and remember his contract. He's not even remotely in trouble. Not within 1,000 miles of trouble.

[hobhog]

Benny, your posts have lots of valuable info...and that's why I am troubled with your statement in bold.  This deep into a coach's tenure (one of which has had a mantra of rebuilding, wait until next year) is troubling.

Is this year as good as it gets?

Schedule wise he is correct-next year sets up well. But things can develop over this year and you can't predict players busting or busting out til it happens. I'll worry about 2018 next January.

[ChitownHawg]

I was curious about this and posted about it earlier. How were they philosophically going to handle the change to the 3-4. When he first got here, Bielema talked about how you don't have time to learn and be good at everything, so they were going to work on a few things and be very good at that. Well, from the DC, recognizes that there will be bumps in the road and a learning curve for a whole new verbiage. Wants to be a defense that does a few things well rather than try to master a bunch.

I'm pretty that is a common maneuver among most coaches out there. However, it is a bit concerning to me. Namely, the strength of the 3-4 IMO is the versatility and potential to confuse the offense because of that versatility. Only doing a few things and doing them well is not the formula of versatility or going to confuse the offense, unless he is using few differently than I think of it.

That said, I'm still excited by the defense. I'm still a bigger fan of the 4-3 personally, but the more I think about it, the more I think our roster is better suited for the 3-4 currently. I think it also really benefits guys like TJ Smith who were tweeners and out of place in the 4-3 but are ideal DE's in a 3-4.

When CBB said that I interpreted it differently. He and Rhodes have the same philosophy that fundamentals must be learned before scheme. I have heard Rhodes say that no scheme will work if the player is without fundamentals.

So I took CBB as saying the defense needs to learn in this order 1) learn fundaments, 2) learn the basics of the scheme, and 3) get exotic with the variances of the scheme.

For all of the talk about Smith's emphasis on fundamentals, our defense was poor in fundamentals. Especially tackling and knowing their own responsibility in the defensive play being called. I could be completely wrong, but that is how I interpreted what CBB meant by "does a few things well."

[Steef]

Assuming we don't fire the coach before then........

Im afraid this year is going to be rough fellas. Don't see more than 7 wins on the schedule. CBB may not survive, though I sure hope he does

Dunno what Bret's future is.

But I will be pleasantly surprised if we get to 7 wins.

[ChitownHawg]

isn't it nice Hawgball got us all the way to Spring practice.. now just have a run in baseball and golf and we'll be in football season..

Well, the Diamond Hogs are off to a good start. Getting to August may be easier this year. 

[Pork Twain]

Biggest points to me:

* Seems like almost 100% certain that Austin Allen is the starting QB; don't even joke about there being a competition.
* Very high praise for Frank Ragnow.
* Move to 3-4 sounds like one of necessity due to the limited DL roster.
* Kevin Richardson might be starting at cornerback opposite Ryan Pulley.
* Hjalte Froholdt is ready to handle Oline now. They're raising expectations for Colton Jackson and Jake Raulerson. More talk of Brian Wallace "being pushed." Overall OL situation is better Y/Y.
* Bijhon Jackson is being asked to rise up and take over as the noseguard in the 3-4. Working harder.
* Austin Cantrell is the only ready-for-prime-time TE. Grayson Gunter's preparation (before surgery) was better than that of Jamario Bell, Will Gragg and Cheyenne O'Grady, who are probably more talented. Nobody's going to play without sufficient work ethic.
* Shane Clenin is the most impressive freshman offensive lineman so far, but they like all three a lot.
* Austin Allen is leading players in volunteer workouts. Ty Storey got mention for his offseason work.
* WR position is loaded - Jared Cornelius, Jordan Jones, Deon Stewart, Brandon Martin, Jonathan Nance, T.J. Hammonds, LaMichael Pettway. Unsure of order behind Cornelius. Overall speed is improved. No fricking way they use all these guys. No way in hell.
* Daytrieon Dean was issued a do-or-die challenge, is in the mix at DE and has taken to his new position coach. Maybe spring bravado talk there.
* Positive mention of CBs Korey Hernandez and Britto Tutt, safeties Deon Edwards and Micahh Smith.
* Was talk of linebackers banned? Only names mentioned at all were Karl Roesler (could play OLB, could play DE), Dwayne Eugene, Michael Taylor, Randy Ramsey and Dee Walker (the latter four named for their work in the offseason program). We're switching to the 3-4 but not talking about how we come up with a two-deep.
* Only players limited in spring are Dre Greenlaw and Grayson Gunter.

Your basketball posting might be bipolar, but your football postings are solid gold

[Pork Twain]

Assuming we don't fire the coach before then........

Im afraid this year is going to be rough fellas. Don't see more than 7 wins on the schedule. CBB may not survive, though I sure hope he does

What games do you see as for-sure losses and why?

[GuvHog]

Still disagree. I'm not calling Kelly all sec. He just has to not be awful. The rest of the team will be loaded. Top to bottom. He just has to not turn the ball over and let the play makers make plays. Strong run game that year from Sr o line can mask a new qb.

Austin is gonna have to carry this team, and it's defense. 2018 the defense should be loaded enough to carry this team.

Obviously you haven't heard the coaches rave about Kelley. They say he has the "IT" factor and his teammates call him "The Franchise". A college QB doesn't get that kind of notoriety and respect from his coaches and teammates unless he's the "Real Deal". The last QB at Arkansas that drew raves from his coaches and teammates like that was a guy named Mallett.

[Steef]

What games do you see as for-sure losses and why?

A better question would be: what games do you see as for-sure wins?

[Biggus Piggus]

Your basketball posting might be bipolar, but your football postings are solid gold

My basketball team is bipolar.

[Ex-Trumpet]

Dunno what Bret's future is.

But I will be pleasantly surprised if we get to 7 wins.

Lol, I'm guessing Lucy has pulled the ball one too many times for you!!