Was wondering how he looked to those of you at fan day,specifically does he look like he can stay on the field for more than a series or 2. Saw where he was at 392 upon arrival last year and is now at 360lbs. That doesn't sound like much weight loss over a year, but then again I'm sure he has added some muscle mass to him frame.
Matt Elam
- Thread starter Jacktwncat94
- Start date
I only saw pics, but he looked more fit to me. Not sure how that translates into ability to take more reps. I mean, frankly, if you are 300 lbs plus, you are probably going to wear down quicker because you are carrying so much weight. My guess is he'll be able to contribute more than last year, but I on't think he's ever gonna get to the kind of weight to make him an every down sort of fella.
He still looks like he has quite a bit of body fat, but as long as he didn't just completley take the year off in the weight room he should be noticably improved..losing 30 or 40 pounds will make him quicker, and he should be quite a bit stronger since it's his first full offseason in the S&C program..it's hard to expect too much from a position like d-tackle so early even with really talented guys ..he has a couple of pretty good players in front of him in Melvin Lewis and CJ Johnson too
The thing about the big guys like Elam is that they have to be rotated because unlike smaller players the big guys don't get that second wind, if they get tired they are tired for the day.
Weight is only part of the equation. Two guys can weigh the same thing and have very different bodies. BMI or percentage of body fat can vary a lot. Since muscle is denser and weighs more than fat Elam hopefully has converted a lot of fat into muscle and it won't be completely reflected in his weight. It is hard to think of but he may have actually lost over 50 lbs of fat while adding pounds of muscle. He looks different.
I was just thinking that when I played JUCO baseball I lost 15 lbs the first month and I only weighed 185. At the same time I wasn't going through the same level of strength program to add muscle mass. Really want to see Matt do well and make an impact this year.
He didn't look very weak on the field, even if he wasn't out there often. Saban not only recruited him though, he also gave very, very high praise of him.
It's worth noting that even guys like Elam often redshirt at programs like Bama to spend a year learning schemes, getting their bodies ready, and developing technique. And then will be playing behind other NFL talent as redshirt freshmen.
Every UK fan knows Elam should have been redshirted last year. He had been given a well balanced diet to follow from the staff. He must have eaten that too. He gained more weight and I'm sure he didn't work out any. Matt was and still is one of my favorites. Matt it's up to you big man. All the coaches saw the potential now the Commonwealth wants too see that too. Grow up.
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Some fans need to be concerned with their own belly and let Stoops and Korem worry about Elam's.
All we see is questions about his weight..but per the above, what i'd really be interested in right now is what his strength numbers are and how have they changed? what is his bench, clean, squat and where were they when he got here? Also what is his body fat % now verses then? that to me would a be a much more important conversation at this point verses him weighing 360 vs 350 vs 340.
LOL you got me but at my age it would be very difficult but I'm working on it.
Now when I played I loved the challenge and was obsessed and meaner than a junk yard dog.
It's preseason all we have to do right now is speculate and worry about players lol
I saw a guy getting a good push last season when he was on the field. The posters saying he was "weak" have nothing to back that up. He played well for a Freshman. I see a gradual improvement this season and eventually playing in the NFL. I can't wait to see him in the backfield this season.
Body fat % would be the most optimal number to determine if he has changed his body very much. At that size 30 pounds doesn't sound like much, but with the S&C program football players go through it's a lot.
From the pictures I've seen from the open practice I'd say he looks much leaner than this time last year and has dropped a significant amount of body fat. While he hasn't lost 60-70 pounds he has transformed some bad weight to good and dropped the said 30 pounds.
Should make a huge difference in his mobility and stamina for playing more downs this year. I think he is going to be a force on defense and have a breakout season for us. Dude is a monster and is only getting faster and stronger.
From the pictures I've seen from the open practice I'd say he looks much leaner than this time last year and has dropped a significant amount of body fat. While he hasn't lost 60-70 pounds he has transformed some bad weight to good and dropped the said 30 pounds.
Should make a huge difference in his mobility and stamina for playing more downs this year. I think he is going to be a force on defense and have a breakout season for us. Dude is a monster and is only getting faster and stronger.
My optimism for Matt is bolster by his efforts this Spring. Whether It's a 3 or 4 defense and Matt gives a 100% for 8 to 10 plays per game he's going to be a force!
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