Post Spring Analysis, Part 1

[PrinceUK21]

Listed below I did a quick breakout of ever offensive position on the team. Listing the key players at every position and comparing the group to other teams in UK history to give you an idea of where the talent currently stands.

I will send over the defensive one soon as well.



QB:
Key Players: Patrick Towles and Drew Barker
Key Losses: None
Team Comparison:2006 (Woodson’s JR Season)
Summary: Most likely Towles is going to be the starter for this upcoming season. This is something that he has earned with a great spring with improved mechanics and accuracy. Last year Towles would drive you crazy because he had a ton of talent, but was inconsistent to say the least. It reminded me much of Andre Woodson after his SO season. Woodson came to UK as a 4 star recruit from a small instate school, exactly like Towles. He received much scrutiny from the coaches for lacking attention details (similar to Towles). Woodson struggled most of his SO season with only 6 TDs and 6 Int (compared to Towles 14 TDs and 9 int). However, the light came on for Woodson in his JR season (31 TDs and 7 Int) and I’m expecting similar results for Towles. If Towles does have a JR season like Woodson (or even a Hartline SR season of 23 TDs and 9 Int) UK will have a great season.
Improvement from Last Season? YES, expecting a big improvement


RB
Key Players: Boom Williams, JoJo Kemp, and Mikel Horton
Key Losses: Brayland Heard
Recruits: Sihiem King
Team Comparison: 2007 (Rafael Little, Tony Dixon, Derrick Locke)
Summary: Unfortunately we didn’t get the kid from Berea, but thankfully we already had the best RB talent on campus that we have had in a LONG time. Boom Williams is going to be special and might be the best overall back that we have at UK since Moe Williams circa 1995. Additionally there has been a lot of strong comments on the turnaround of JoJo Kemp and Mikel Horton reshapping his body (has lost 25 pounds). There is a lot to be excited about in this group. The key though is keeping everyone healthy.
Improvement from Last Season? YES, UK returns their best players to the team and I expect BIG things from Boom this season. BOOM goes the Dynamite!


TE
Key Players: CJ Conrad and Daryl Long
Losses: Steve Borden and Ronnie Shields
Recruits: CJ Conrad
Team Comparison: 2001 (Derek Smith and Chase Harp)
Summary: Remember when UK used to have awesome TEs every year. Such as Jimmy Haley, James Whalen, Derek Smith, and of course Jacob Tamme. Well it’s been a long time since we have had a good TE (8 years to be exact) but I think we finally have a couple with Conrad and Long. In fact, this is what Stoops has to say in regards to Conrad… "He’s a guy that the sky’s the limit for him," Stoops said. "He’s a great kid. He works extremely hard. He does everything right on the field, off the field and he’s a great student."
Improvement from Last Season? YES!!! Last year our two TEs combined for 7 catches for 62 yards. That will be a game statistic for Conrad and Long at least once this year.


WR
Key Players: Ryan Timmons, Jeff Badet, Alex Montgomery, Garrett Johnson, Blake Bone, Dorian Baker, Thaddeus Snodgrass, T.V. Williams
Key Losses: Javess Blue & Demarco Robinson
Recruits: Therrel Gosier, Jabari Greenwood, Tavin Richardson
Team Comparison: 1999 (Craig Yeast, Kevin Coleman, Quentin McCord, Lance Mickelson, Jimmy Robinson, Dougie Allen)
Summary: This is the deepest group of WRs that we have had in a long time. In fact, I had to go back to the Mumme days to think of a WR roster that was as deep and talented. There have been rosters that had greater top end, experienced talent (such as 2007 with Stevie and Burton or the 2010 with Cobb and Matthews). However, those teams (07 and 10) did not have the same quality WR depth once the starters left the field.
Improvement from Last Season? YES. While Blue and Robinson were very productive last season, I think UK will more than make up for it with the improvement from existing players. The return of Badet and Montgomery will be significant as they were greatly missed last season. Additionally, UK adds 3 freshman WR this fall that will compete for playing time.


OL
Key Players: Jordan “False Start” Swindle, Nick Haynes, Jon Toth, Ramsey Meyers, Kyle Meadows, and George Asafo-Adjei
Key Losses: Darrian Miler
Recruits: George Asafo-Adjei, Levon Lingston, Logan Stenberg, Mason Wolfe
Team Comparison: 2011 (Chandler Burden, Stuart Hines, Matt Smith, Larry Warford, Billy Jo Murphy)
Summary: The OL could be the position group with the biggest improvement from last season. The roster return 4 of the 5 starters and also adds depth with numerous redshirt FR and one high level recruit (George Asafo-Adjei). The interior of the line should be the teams greatest strength. Jon Toth is considered by many to be an All-SEC type of player at the Center position. Plus Ramsey Myers and Nick Haynes look to build on their successful R-FR seasons. I do have some concern over the tackle position. We should be ok at right tackle, but we currently don’t have the typically quick footed player LT. Swindle is making the switch to LT for the upcoming season which should be interesting given the fact that he struggled at times in pass protection from the RT position.
Improvement from Last Season? More than likely, but still want to see it to believe it. Darrian Miller will definitely be missed and with his departure I am concerned about the LT position. However, UK returns the other four starters to the OL and should be much improved especially up the middle at the Guards and Center position.

 

[BlueRaider22]

Cool format for the breakdown.

I too agree that we should be improved across the board on offense......more or less. The question is how much?

 

[Dallas-Wild]

Very impressive...thanks for the time and work on this.

 

[wildcatbd21]

Excellent breakdown. I agree with it for the most part. think the TE position should average 7 catches for 62 yards per game.

I think the major position from this breakdown is the OL. They are the key for this offense. We have the QB, stable of RBs and WRs to be a top flight offense that can score on anybody. The key is we need to OL to give the QB enough time to find the WRs, TEs, and RBs coming out of the backfield as well as give the RBs holes to run through. If they can do that, I look for very impressive offensive numbers: 3500 yard passer, 1000 yard rusher, and 2 receivers with over 750 yards.

 

[ktbug]

Will be interesting on offesnse. I didn't care for a lot of the play-calling the last half of the season. I hope Dawson can put this talent to good use. I think we improve dramatically this season.

 

[C1180]

You left starting OLG West out of your write up. Was this on purpose or an accident. IMO West will be the starting OLG again this season. LG West, LT/RT Swindle, RG R. Meyers, and Center Toth are the 4 returning starters on the OL.

IMO the fifth starter will come from the Trio of George A-A, Krok, and Meadows with a chance that Cole Mosier might sneak in there.

The thing that leaps out at me is that the OL seems to have a lot more quality depth than it has had in a very long time. The problem is that a majority of them seem to be better suited to play inside than outside at OT. Stoops and staff might be forced to play a player better suited to play guard at the ORT slot. Heck some think Swindle is better suited to play guard.

 

[PrinceUK21]

Yeah I just forgot to put West in there. If West is truly healthy than I could see him being a big help.

Also agree with you C1180 that our OL depth is inside. We need to get some tackles, which is why we are targeting several JUCOs for that position.

 

[K_TIME]

I agree with OP that we improve at QB, RB, I think WR will improve quite a bit and TE should be eons of improvement.

OL is my chagrin...I lean to the side if we keep our original starters/backups...are they just a mis-mash of mediocre SEC players at best. Ramsey Meyers really did little for me in 2014, Mosier wasn't very quick for an OL and not a huge push either. Swindle...just never seen much out of 3 years of hearing how big/fast he is for an OT. Toth is the only kid that I think has performed at times at a high level in SEC play.

I'm almost hoping Nick Richardson, Toth, Larubbio, etc.. take a spot from an imcumbent vs. same guys with mostly same limitations up front.

 

[gamecockcat]

I think the offense will be more consistent and should have the opportunity for more big plays. I see Towles running much less, especially designed runs, which is a good thing. I'm hoping the addition of Dawson will mean very few head-scratching, WTF series we saw too much of last year. OL is key, of course, but everything from the staff indicates a much improved, deeper pool of talent to pull from. While not an elite SEC line, I think we'll be closer to average than last year's crew. And that should mean greater success.

 

[TT Cat]

Is the offence still called Air Raid? Is coach Stoops planning to use the cyreen?

 

[Caveman Catfan]

Yeah I just forgot to put West in there. If West is truly healthy than I could see him being a big help.

Also agree with you C1180 that our OL depth is inside. We need to get some tackles, which is why we are targeting several JUCOs for that position.

West has to get and stay healthy.

 

[vhcat70]

Last year Towles would drive you crazy because he had a ton of talent, but was inconsistent to say the least.

If so, it's because you were so QB-focused. But overall wrong. Towles wasn't the prime reason the O went downhill after mid-season. Try again.

 

[frost-1]

If so, it's because you were so QB-focused. But overall wrong. Towles wasn't the prime reason the O went downhill after mid-season. Try again.

Thanks for your break down. I see a vast improvement in the offense.

 

[bluexray]

Nice read. Enjoyed it.

 

[Deeeefense]

Nice write-up. Not to nitpick but Towles actually came from a very large school and one of the best programs in the state - Ft. Thomas where Lorenzen was his position coach. Unlike Woodson who played for a small, run oriented team, Towles actually put up impressive passing numbers in high school. His development has taken a different path than Woodson but I agree that it's possible that they wind up in the same place.

The TE talent looks good on paper but people should temper their optimism with the fact that neither Conrad or Long have ever played a down of college football yet - they have a big learning curve ahead of them.

Everything that can be said about the O-line has been said. The good news is they were a pretty good run blocking unit last year it's the protection that broke down way too much. Hopefully with a lot more material to work with, and another year in the program for most of them, the staff can put a decent, productive unit on the field to give Towles a little more time in the pocket.

All things consider we should take a big step up this year on offense.

 

[Kooky Kats]

Nice write-up. Not to nitpick but Towles actually came from a very large school and one of the best programs in the state - Ft. Thomas where Lorenzen was his position coach. Unlike Woodson who played for a small, run oriented team, Towles actually put up impressive passing numbers in high school. His development has taken a different path than Woodson but I agree that it's possible that they wind up in the same place.

All things consider we should take a big step up this year on offense.

I think Towles has a much higher ceiling than Woodson. Towles has better mechanics, better arm and is a much better athlete avoiding rush.

Woodson had better blocking and receivers... Hopefully Towles gets much better support this year from his line and receivers don't drop game changing passes.

Woodson also benefited from having a better defense. Towles had to deal with conservative offensive play calling to ensure field position wasn't lost.

 

[Tskware]

Hard to argue that on paper we look much better on offense. On defense, another story. I will believe it whem i see it.

 

[PrinceUK21]

Hard to argue that on paper we look much better on offense. On defense, another story. I will believe it whem i see it.

Actually when putting my defensive analysis together, I show that we will be better at every position except DE.

I will have that posted later.

 

[Poetax]

If so, it's because you were so QB-focused. But overall wrong. Towles wasn't the prime reason the O went downhill after mid-season. Try again.

We only have to look back to Hartline to see how much a quarterback can improve if his oline improves with him and his receivers begin catching the ball. Hopefully this happens with Towles this year. Both positions improved can really make or break this team next year.

 

[UKWinsAgainYep]

Listed below I did a quick breakout of ever offensive position on the team. Listing the key players at every position and comparing the group to other teams in UK history to give you an idea of where the talent currently stands.

I will send over the defensive one soon as well.



QB:
Key Players: Patrick Towles and Drew Barker
Key Losses: None
Team Comparison:2006 (Woodson’s JR Season)
Summary: Most likely Towles is going to be the starter for this upcoming season. This is something that he has earned with a great spring with improved mechanics and accuracy. Last year Towles would drive you crazy because he had a ton of talent, but was inconsistent to say the least. It reminded me much of Andre Woodson after his SO season. Woodson came to UK as a 4 star recruit from a small instate school, exactly like Towles. He received much scrutiny from the coaches for lacking attention details (similar to Towles). Woodson struggled most of his SO season with only 6 TDs and 6 Int (compared to Towles 14 TDs and 9 int). However, the light came on for Woodson in his JR season (31 TDs and 7 Int) and I’m expecting similar results for Towles. If Towles does have a JR season like Woodson (or even a Hartline SR season of 23 TDs and 9 Int) UK will have a great season.
Improvement from Last Season? YES, expecting a big improvement


RB
Key Players: Boom Williams, JoJo Kemp, and Mikel Horton
Key Losses: Brayland Heard
Recruits: Sihiem King
Team Comparison: 2007 (Rafael Little, Tony Dixon, Derrick Locke)
Summary: Unfortunately we didn’t get the kid from Berea, but thankfully we already had the best RB talent on campus that we have had in a LONG time. Boom Williams is going to be special and might be the best overall back that we have at UK since Moe Williams circa 1995. Additionally there has been a lot of strong comments on the turnaround of JoJo Kemp and Mikel Horton reshapping his body (has lost 25 pounds). There is a lot to be excited about in this group. The key though is keeping everyone healthy.
Improvement from Last Season? YES, UK returns their best players to the team and I expect BIG things from Boom this season. BOOM goes the Dynamite!


TE
Key Players: CJ Conrad and Daryl Long
Losses: Steve Borden and Ronnie Shields
Recruits: CJ Conrad
Team Comparison: 2001 (Derek Smith and Chase Harp)
Summary: Remember when UK used to have awesome TEs every year. Such as Jimmy Haley, James Whalen, Derek Smith, and of course Jacob Tamme. Well it’s been a long time since we have had a good TE (8 years to be exact) but I think we finally have a couple with Conrad and Long. In fact, this is what Stoops has to say in regards to Conrad… "He’s a guy that the sky’s the limit for him," Stoops said. "He’s a great kid. He works extremely hard. He does everything right on the field, off the field and he’s a great student."
Improvement from Last Season? YES!!! Last year our two TEs combined for 7 catches for 62 yards. That will be a game statistic for Conrad and Long at least once this year.


WR
Key Players: Ryan Timmons, Jeff Badet, Alex Montgomery, Garrett Johnson, Blake Bone, Dorian Baker, Thaddeus Snodgrass, T.V. Williams
Key Losses: Javess Blue & Demarco Robinson
Recruits: Therrel Gosier, Jabari Greenwood, Tavin Richardson
Team Comparison: 1999 (Craig Yeast, Kevin Coleman, Quentin McCord, Lance Mickelson, Jimmy Robinson, Dougie Allen)
Summary: This is the deepest group of WRs that we have had in a long time. In fact, I had to go back to the Mumme days to think of a WR roster that was as deep and talented. There have been rosters that had greater top end, experienced talent (such as 2007 with Stevie and Burton or the 2010 with Cobb and Matthews). However, those teams (07 and 10) did not have the same quality WR depth once the starters left the field.
Improvement from Last Season? YES. While Blue and Robinson were very productive last season, I think UK will more than make up for it with the improvement from existing players. The return of Badet and Montgomery will be significant as they were greatly missed last season. Additionally, UK adds 3 freshman WR this fall that will compete for playing time.


OL
Key Players: Jordan “False Start” Swindle, Nick Haynes, Jon Toth, Ramsey Meyers, Kyle Meadows, and George Asafo-Adjei
Key Losses: Darrian Miler
Recruits: George Asafo-Adjei, Levon Lingston, Logan Stenberg, Mason Wolfe
Team Comparison: 2011 (Chandler Burden, Stuart Hines, Matt Smith, Larry Warford, Billy Jo Murphy)
Summary: The OL could be the position group with the biggest improvement from last season. The roster return 4 of the 5 starters and also adds depth with numerous redshirt FR and one high level recruit (George Asafo-Adjei). The interior of the line should be the teams greatest strength. Jon Toth is considered by many to be an All-SEC type of player at the Center position. Plus Ramsey Myers and Nick Haynes look to build on their successful R-FR seasons. I do have some concern over the tackle position. We should be ok at right tackle, but we currently don’t have the typically quick footed player LT. Swindle is making the switch to LT for the upcoming season which should be interesting given the fact that he struggled at times in pass protection from the RT position.
Improvement from Last Season? More than likely, but still want to see it to believe it. Darrian Miller will definitely be missed and with his departure I am concerned about the LT position. However, UK returns the other four starters to the OL and should be much improved especially up the middle at the Guards and Center position.

You left out the most glaring weakness of Towles that nobody seems to want to talk about. The fact is, Towles does not have good vision. I can't tell you how many times last season there were wide open RBs or receivers in front of him and he simply cannot see them. Watch the videos of last season if you don't believe me.

That is not something you can coach. There are a lot of blue tinted glasses regarding Towles. I personally believe Barker is better in the long run. Towles has great physical athleticism, but doesn't possess the intangibles you need in a QB such as good vision, pocket presence, and a quick mind on the field.

 

[DaBossIsBack]

You left out the most glaring weakness of Towles that nobody seems to want to talk about. The fact is, Towles does not have good vision. I can't tell you how many times last season there were wide open RBs or receivers in front of him and he simply cannot see them. Watch the videos of last season if you don't believe me.

That is not something you can coach. There are a lot of blue tinted glasses regarding Towles. I personally believe Barker is better in the long run. Towles has great physical athleticism, but doesn't possess the intangibles you need in a QB such as good vision, pocket presence, and a quick mind on the field.

Actually you can coach good "vision" in a quarterback. Vision for a RB is completely different. Either you have the feel or you don't. For a QB it's just about going through your reads fast enough. That can be coached and can get better with a lot of reps.

 

[KidnamedKI]

Hartline doesn't do ish without Cobb and he would tell you the same. For Pat to make a giant leap forward he will need Timmons and Bone to excell in their role IMO.

 

[Big Cat fan]

This offense looks very good on paper. The question mark may be the OL, but if they are better then last season then we will go bowling at 7-5.

Maybe 8-4

 

[BlueRaider22]

You left out the most glaring weakness of Towles that nobody seems to want to talk about. The fact is, Towles does not have good vision. I can't tell you how many times last season there were wide open RBs or receivers in front of him and he simply cannot see them. Watch the videos of last season if you don't believe me.

That is not something you can coach. There are a lot of blue tinted glasses regarding Towles. I personally believe Barker is better in the long run. Towles has great physical athleticism, but doesn't possess the intangibles you need in a QB such as good vision, pocket presence, and a quick mind on the field.

Underclass QBs who display good vision are rare......especially when in their first yr starting. The vast majority of those players who become good college QBs blossom as juniors/seniors....this includes vision, pocket presence, and decision making.

This doesn't mean that Towles will be great in the coming yrs. This just means that it's too early to judge how good he will be. However, he's off to a decent start. There are many analysts outside the BBN who have said that Towles could easily be one of the best QBs in the SEC this coming yr.

Now, onto Barker. Waaay too early to tell what kind of QB he will become. We've never seen him play a college game. I do feel that he could have a better junior/senior yr than Towles' though. Mainly b/c the projections for what the team will look like by 2017 given how we are recruiting could push him over the top.

 

[Levibooty]

Hartline doesn't do ish without Cobb and he would tell you the same. For Pat to make a giant leap forward he will need Timmons and Bone to excell in their role IMO.

No disrespect to Cobb but Hartline made good use of Chris Mathews (Cobb had less than 100 more yards receiving and fewer TD receptions) LaRod King who averaged more yards per catch than Cobb, and Derrick Locke who averaged 91/2 yards a catch. Cobb who account for about a third of receiving yards was a great talent no doubt about it but to minimize Hartline's performance is simply asinine. He did a very good job of finding and hitting his second and third options quickly in a pro-style offense. To think otherwise is to ignore the reality in the numbers. Hartline deserves recognition for maximizing his ability and competing on the field despite the disrespect shown to him by some of our fans.

 

[ktbug]

You haven't seen Woodson throw a ball if you think Towles has a better arm.

 

[Deeeefense]

You left out the most glaring weakness of Towles that nobody seems to want to talk about. The fact is, Towles does not have good vision. I can't tell you how many times last season there were wide open RBs or receivers in front of him and he simply cannot see them. Watch the videos of last season if you don't believe me.

That is not something you can coach. There are a lot of blue tinted glasses regarding Towles. I personally believe Barker is better in the long run. Towles has great physical athleticism, but doesn't possess the intangibles you need in a QB such as good vision, pocket presence, and a quick mind on the field.

I think you've identified a weakness but I don't agree with the characterization. What I saw Towles frequently doing in the latter games was dropping back, taking a look down field for the primary, if covered, he bailed out. He obviously feared that he would not have time to go through the progressions. If given enough time, and if the line can garner more confidence from him, there is no reason why he can go through progressions to the 2nd and 3rd or even 4th option. He actually did this in some of the earlier games.

In short I would argue that this is not evidence that Towles is defective when it comes to vision.

 

[Tskware]

Actually when putting my defensive analysis together, I show that we will be better at every position except DE.

I will have that posted later.

Thanks for all your effort and I will definitely read your defensive analysis . . . . but I have seen this movie before.

 

[Poetax]

You left out the most glaring weakness of Towles that nobody seems to want to talk about. The fact is, Towles does not have good vision. I can't tell you how many times last season there were wide open RBs or receivers in front of him and he simply cannot see them. Watch the videos of last season if you don't believe me.

That is not something you can coach. There are a lot of blue tinted glasses regarding Towles. I personally believe Barker is better in the long run. Towles has great physical athleticism, but doesn't possess the intangibles you need in a QB such as good vision, pocket presence, and a quick mind on the field.

Call Stoops, I'm sure he would love to hear your opinion.

 

[BlueRaider22]

You haven't seen Woodson throw a ball if you think Towles has a better arm.

Having seen both.
-Woodson eventually proved to have better accuracy and touch.....in his junior/senior yr. Early on he wasn't nearly as good.
-Towles has a much faster release.....and he does have the edge in arm strength. Time will tell if the accuracy and touch improve as he matures.

It's hard to compare the 2 really. I think a Sophomore Towles is slightly ahead of a Sophomore Woodson. But you can't compare a upperclass Woodson to an underclass Towles. As we all know, Woodson went beserk his junior and senior yrs. We'll be very fortunate if Towles has the same trajectory.

 

[UKCatnNC]

Good thread. The Ops views and the following comments are interesting. I am getting excited about this fall. Go Cats!!

 

[BlueRaider22]

Underclass QBs who display good vision are rare......especially when in their first yr starting. The vast majority of those players who become good college QBs blossom as juniors/seniors....this includes vision, pocket presence, and decision making.

This doesn't mean that Towles will be great in the coming yrs. This just means that it's too early to judge how good he will be. However, he's off to a decent start. There are many analysts outside the BBN who have said that Towles could easily be one of the best QBs in the SEC this coming yr.

Now, onto Barker. Waaay too early to tell what kind of QB he will become. We've never seen him play a college game. I do feel that he could have a better junior/senior yr than Towles' though. Mainly b/c the projections for what the team will look like by 2017 given how we are recruiting could push him over the top.

Moreover. To add to my own point. The thread that just started that references Athlon and Lindy's appraisal of our team talked about Towles. These objective (supposedly?) publications ripped Kentucky's roster apart. About the only positive things they mentioned involved Towles......whom they ranked 6th best in the SEC for next yr.

 

[UKWinsAgainYep]

I think you've identified a weakness but I don't agree with the characterization. What I saw Towles frequently doing in the latter games was dropping back, taking a look down field for the primary, if covered, he bailed out. He obviously feared that he would not have time to go through the progressions. If given enough time, and if the line can garner more confidence from him, there is no reason why he can go through progressions to the 2nd and 3rd or even 4th option. He actually did this in some of the earlier games.

In short I would argue that this is not evidence that Towles is defective when it comes to vision.

I certainly hope you are correct and I'm wrong about Towles' QB vision.

 

[maysvilleky]

I think the ball will be out of the QBs hands much quicker this year. It's going to be up to the play makers to get things done. I certainly don't see Towles rushing 15+ times a game this year. I don't see the TEs getting more than 3 - 4 looks a game. I think it will all depend on if the WRs and the RBs make good progress. If they do, I think UK will put up points, but I am still very leery of the Defense.

 

[Blue Decade]

You left out the most glaring weakness of Towles that nobody seems to want to talk about. The fact is, Towles does not have good vision. I can't tell you how many times last season there were wide open RBs or receivers in front of him and he simply cannot see them. Watch the videos of last season if you don't believe me.

That is not something you can coach. There are a lot of blue tinted glasses regarding Towles. I personally believe Barker is better in the long run.

You will have to wait until 2017-18 to test your theory about Barker being better. If Towles is the starter, and I will be shocked if he isn't, that means Stoops and Dawson think he is better. I will trust their judgment on personnel decisions. As for your theory about Towles' vision, I would like to see you try to hit open receivers with a 275 pound SEC defensive end right up in your grill. Numbers don't lie, and you might want to familiarize yourself with them. Towles ranked 5th in the SEC in passing yards per game in 2014, as only a sophomore, despite taking more hits and sacks than any other SEC quarterback, and despite Badet and Montgomery missing the entire season with injuries.

 

[vhcat70]

Towles ranked 5th in the SEC in passing yards per game in 2014, as only a sophomore, despite taking more hits and sacks than any other SEC quarterback, and despite Badet and Montgomery missing the entire season with injuries.

You left out practically non-existent TE's.

 

[mrschwump]

You left out practically non-existent TE's.

Long/Conrad haven't played a down of SEC football so it's doubtful either or both will be senior-level Tamme. They do have potential to be an upgrade over what's been seen much of the last decade.

 

[Levibooty]

I've watched Towles try to force a ball to a WR when ten yards down the field running towards the same sideline a receiver was wide open and Towles never looked at him. In the Mizzou game there were several plays the RB was left alone out in the flat and Towles never looked his way. Yes I saw Towles lock onto a single receiver many times last year. I think, rather I hope that is just a sign of immaturity that will fade as Towles grows into his Jr year.

 

[vhcat70]

Long/Conrad haven't played a down of SEC football so it's doubtful either or both will be senior-level Tamme. They do have potential to be an upgrade over what's been seen much of the last decade.

Agree.

But have no idea what that has to do with Towles' performance last year - which I was referring to.

 

[CB3UK]

Towles needs to work on his read progressions and check downs. Hopefully Dawson has simplified the offensive calls some. OL an obvious concern, as if they dont get better, going to be awful hard for the other positions to do likewise.