And team can simply run away from him to negate his run stop ability’s. Bottom line NG are AMA ton more valuable than DT in 3-4 look
And Ox is second string at DT
We’ll see how Hayes does but he better kick butt if he’s worth it
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And Ox is second string at DT
We’ll see how Hayes does but he better kick butt if he’s worth it
Our D line should be 3 deep this season if Silver is a player. On D quality depth at LB is my only real concern.
Yes, moving Walker to NT would be a waste of our best returning defensive player. The point is that it takes more athletic talent to be an effective DT, and it takes more bulk and strength to be an effective NT. The NT must occupy and hold the zero gap. Walker has bulk and strength, but he also has surprising speed, quickness, and agility for such a big man. Walker is an elite 3 tech. We have several guys who can play zero tech well.
Not necessarily. It takes more athleticism to be a good DT than to be a NT. The NT basically digs in and uses lower body strength to hold the zero gap. In the 3-4, the idea is to keep offensive blockers off your LBs. As far as running away from Walker at DT, no worries. If Walker closes down his half of the field, he has done his job. When a great defensive player takes away half of the field, that is a big tactical plus. It is rare when you can do that effectively, and it is winning football. Coach White puts defensive players on the other side of the field too, so we are alright. I never underestimate our defense. By every measure, we have one of the best defenses in the SEC.
Hayes was a very highly recruited player who missed most of 2022 with an injury. The NT job should be his to lose, but he will have to hold off Jamarius Dinkins, Keeshawn Silver, and Sebastian Scott. We are good there.
Is Afari being first string LB on the depth chart a package thing? He looked good in the secondary last season
Agree on another new center, but It's a good long term move.
For whatever reason, we have struck out recruiting a center the last few years.
(Whole o line really)
Cox was graduating this year, and no experienced backup.
Not sure how, but Freddie Maggard will blame that on Wofford again.
Now we have Tanner Bowles, Burton tandem to fight it out.
Burton hopefully can be starter for 2 years after.
Koby Keenum backup and heir apparent.
My only concern is that it's got to be your smartest player.
Not sure Jagr struggles last year make you think he can be that guy.
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We’ll NT in NFL make way more money contract wise in NFL for those playing 3-4 schemes….so that is a reasonable barometer to me of value of Dt vs NG
As far as Hayes goes….2022 was an injury year but 2021 he got lost behind McCall and Rogers passes him up in rotation that year as well. When McCall goes down wjth injuries Hayes didn’t play well in his absence from what I saw. Bottom line for Hayes in three years he’s not shown much of anything but let’s see what 2023 does. I’d sit back and guess not moving Walker to NT is more about Silver is a huge person and the staff is banking he might show out
Regardless…Walker, Ox, Hayes, Silver, Dinkin, Rybka Ana Saunders…UK is stacked on Dline as usual binder Stoops. And I don’t see teams running the ball at us wjtb DJackson and Wallace at lb behind them.
So teams better have a good Qb/Wr passing attack when Uk plays them😀
I respcetfully disagree. I imagine Walker could probably play any position on the DL if he was asked to do so. But he is best as a 3 tech.
Anaele and Durojaiye could see some time third team also if injuries occur. Think they would be fine as backups if needed. Both DT with Ox to DE if needed?
Silver is going to be this teams starting nose
And he will do just as well if not better than Rogers did last yr clogging the middle, drawing 2 blockers every snap
And he will do just as well if not better than Rogers did last yr clogging the middle, drawing 2 blockers every snap
yes they'd better! Even if they do, we have upgraded our secondary & corner talent to be ready for that also! Listen to the interviews yesterday from Barion and Key, about how long & athletic guys like AQ are to go against.
We are talking about UK football. Who makes more money in the NFL is a product of draft position and longevity. I don't doubt Walker could play any 3-4 DL position because he is an elite player. But IMO he is best as a 3 tech, because that exploits his elite speed and quickness (tools that would not be exploited as much as a NT). That is exactly why he plays as a 3 tech. Stoops has several guys who can play zero tech and Keeshawn Silver is just the latest. We can keep an eye this year on Sebastian Scott, a huge NT who may be a year away but will likely see the field as a young player.
You may be underestimating Josaih Hayes. I am not saying this because of his prospect ranking, which means little to me. I was impressed by his ofer sheet. Who wouldn't be? All those SEC coaches were willing to bet on Hayes. I sat in the stands and watched him. He brings a lot to the table- size, length, athleticism, strength. Hayes must show he can stay healthy. That's the rub. There is no shame in getting beaten out in practice by Justin Rogers and Bully McCall, two more big guys with huge offer sheets.
If the staff wanted Walker as a NT, he would be playing NT. Walker is the best returning player on our defense. He plays DT because the staff wants him to play 3 tech. Keeshawn Silver has played very little college ball and no SEC ball. Silver might become a good player. I sure hope so. Or he might not. There is a lot of competition, so it won't be easy for Silver to get on the field. But he has some physical tools and advantages, just as Walker and Hayes have.
Which is why UK took JQ Hardaway and Jantzen Dunn from the transfer portal. This is a high upside defense, coming off a 2022 season in which they were the #2 or #3 defense in the SEC (total defense and scoring defense, respectively). Our defense saved us in 2022 and should be even better in 2023. Like you, I am impressed with the quality depth Coach White has to work with. More than that, I am impressed by Coach White himself as a coordinator and leader. And I believe Mike Stoops will have a big effect on DJack, Wallace, Fulton, Thrower, and Jayvant Brown.
Maybe. He has his shot. But there are returning players at the position, and Silver would have to beat them out.
I am interested to hear your reasoning. Care to share? I hope you are right, but this must be proven by the player. Up to now, Silver has played very little college football, and no SEC football. It is best not to fall in love with a player's prospect ranking before they actually prove themselves. Jason Hatcher, Jared Casey, Matt Elam, Kiyaunta Goodwin, and John Young, for example.
Amen to that. Playing experience is not optimal in the secondary yet, but Stoops has more quality depth on the defensive unit this year than I can ever remember before. This bunch has a chance to be Stoops' best defense so far.
Stoops has a great track record with handling DLine....so my feelings on the NT are just another fan's view. But the NT production (as well as the eye test of holding the interior run game in check) from Bohanna to Bully to Rogers had a really good season last year....Hayes production even for a NT is not like those guys and his inability at NT to the holding the run game in check was noticeable in 2021 when Bully went out with injury. I could care less after 3 years of any players HS rankings/offers. They are who they are in college now and not about whom college teams guessed how good they would be from HS days.
Also, Ox was eye opening good in 2021 before he went out with injury. I'd argue we missed him more than Bully mid way of that season when they both got hurt in back to back Florida/LSU games. If Ox can put back on some weight, it's not out of realm of possibilities he could be 2nd best DL at UK next year (nobody will be better than Walker ).
Regardless, I'm super pumped about UK's defensive front. All those massive kids inside and JJ/Wade off the edge and two dang good Lbers inside...we lost no coaches from last year so there is continuity this year.....I can see this being Stoops best D ever at UK.
IMO Keeshawn Silver is going to be another transfer who was getting bad coaching in bad schemes for an offense-only program, who will blossom and thrive at UK after receiving excellent teaching and instruction. Just like Jacquez Jones & Keidron Smith.
That, plus his HS evaluation of being an elite 5* D linemen based on measurables, tells me he will be our starting nose and is gonna be awesome. And should be here 2 yrs at least.
That, plus his HS evaluation of being an elite 5* D linemen based on measurables, tells me he will be our starting nose and is gonna be awesome. And should be here 2 yrs at least.
Yeah, its not like he doesnt know what Stoops and Kentucky hang their hat on in the SEC world. He came to a defensive program to put in the work and turn himself into a player.
I take all prospect rankings with at least a grain or two of salt, because I have learned to by watching. But I take practice performance and performance on the field seriously. Keeshawn Silver's hs rankings are not necessarily anymore valid than Matt Elam's or Kiyaunta Goodwin's. I have seen plenty of highly rated hs players face plant in the SEC. Silver received light playing time at UNC and has never faced SEC competition. I certainly share with you the hope that Silver simply received bad coaching at UNC. On first blush, common sense might lend credence to that hope since UNC had the nation's #116 ranked defense in 2022 according to published NCAA stats. But UNC's new DC in 2022 was Gene Chizik, who knows what he is doing. You can't play for Chizik unless you show up in playing shape and handle your business like a high IQ player does. So I suspect Silver probably arrived in Chapel Hill out of shape and needed time to play himself into playing shape. Maybe Silver has learned his lesson and will do well here. But that must be proven on the field. I have respect for Josaih Hayes and Jamarius Dinkins because I sat in the stands and focused on them playing against SEC opponents on multiple occasions. I look forward to watching Silver play against SEC competition.
Yeah, we have no way of knowing how hard of a worker Silver is not to mention his toughness or quickness. Coming to semi pro ball here and with a coach you have to earn your way and produce we just won't know till we see him on the field. I do think Hayes and Dinkins will be fine for us at the position they are playing. They have valuable experience, time in the weight room and will only build on that this off season. And I thought that Dinkins made a huge push for playing time last season and played really well.
Yes. That's all I am saying. I am not saying whether Silver will or won't get it done here. We won't know that until the rubber hits the road, so to speak. I'm only saying Silver hasn't proven himself yet, and that the hs player ranking doesn't get the job done by itself. This is the SEC. The player has to perform. I also believe Josiah Hayes is getting a bad rap here from some posters although OTOH I have to see Hayes prove he can stay healthy. If he stays healthy, Hayes should probably be the starter unless someone else can take the job away from him.
Well I respect Van Hiles football breakdowns more than just just about anybodys , and he constantly harped on Rogers NOT drawing a double team like Bohanna and Bully Mcall did . He showed it right there on film several times.
I’m with you on this. We need to be in the “wait and see” mode on Silver . I’m sure Florida fans are excited about bringing in a 5 star offensive lineman (Goodwin) that hardly got on the field from the transfer portal also . But sometimes there are reasons why they didn’t play.
Went back and watched the Miami game. Seems to be really the only game where he acquired any type of stats. Unless they change and run a multiple set front, UNC ran a 4-2-5 much of the game with an undersized stand-up DE to the boundary side. Silver lined up mainly at the 3 or 1 technique depending on where the DTs would shift with the look they were given.
From what I could see, in the relative small sample size, is worrisome to me. I hope he's come here with his seat lit on fire because he needs it. Even when fresh coming off the bench and into the game, his get off was extremely slow. And he never seemed to attempt to avoid or slip through contact when he had a chance for a rush move. And when he does hit a body, he stops and just holds his position instead of getting a push and/or working a counter move. He doesn't seem to have a motor.
Taking this play for example, for slow get off, this is his second play on the drive. The ball is already half way to Van Dyke and the two other hand-in-the-dirt d-lineman to Silver's left, are already up and running. His hand is still on the ground.
I know he gained a ton of weight during 2020 and he looks nothing like what he was in his earlier high school tape. It seems what he's going through is all on the mental side of the game. Stoops seems to like him and there's no reason we shouldn't give the kid another chance in a new environment.
Never said Rogers drew the attention those guys did only that at times he kept OLs off Walker. As to what happens next....we'll soon find out.
In todays game, is there any single more important factor than plain ole quickness at any position outside QB? Not speed, quickness.Went back and watched the Miami game. Seems to be really the only game where he acquired any type of stats. Unless they change and run a multiple set front, UNC ran a 4-2-5 much of the game with an undersized stand-up DE to the boundary side. Silver lined up mainly at the 3 or 1 technique depending on where the DTs would shift with the look they were given.
From what I could see, in the relative small sample size, is worrisome to me. I hope he's come here with his seat lit on fire because he needs it. Even when fresh coming off the bench and into the game, his get off was extremely slow. And he never seemed to attempt to avoid or slip through contact when he had a chance for a rush move. And when he does hit a body, he stops and just holds his position instead of getting a push and/or working a counter move. He doesn't seem to have a motor.
Taking this play for example, for slow get off, this is his second play on the drive. The ball is already half way to Van Dyke and the two other hand-in-the-dirt d-lineman to Silver's left, are already up and running. His hand is still on the ground.
I know he gained a ton of weight during 2020 and he looks nothing like what he was in his earlier high school tape. It seems what he's going through is all on the mental side of the game. Stoops seems to like him and there's no reason we shouldn't give the kid another chance in a new environment.
Yeah, a lot of DL move well side to side. Will have to be pretty good to be in the rotation.
For D-Lineman, the first 10 yards are the most important. It's the gap where you beat your man if you're going too. Unless he has Suh like strength, it's not going to cut it. It's not explosive enough.
I guess opinions vary. Van Hiles opinion was that Rogers did a pretty poor job of keeping OLs off of Walker .
Candidly I think the analysis we get from Hiles and White on The Locker is probably the best available for UK football fans, or certainly among the best anyway. Many sources in the media are just manufacturing clicks so the click meter revs for their bosses. In that way, KSR is absolutely the worst, and Nick Roush is the worst of the worst. Aside from obviously being a partisan UL fan, Roush wouldn't know how to report something original if he was threatened with being blasted to Jupiter. But he generates clicks from fans desperate for news. I exclude Freddie Maggard from my criticism of KSR because Maggard's perspective is uniquely interesting. Larry Vaught is experienced and interesting, but a lot of his material falls under the human interest category. Rowland, an excellent analyst, is really the only credible source out there besides Hiles and White, but Rowland's best material is behind a pay wall. So opportunities to hear Hiles' and White's insights can be very refreshing and informative.
I agree. And on Vans “Driving with Styles “ channel he will show you right there on film what he’s talking about.
That's fine, I'm sure Hiles is most excellent at what he does. Doesn't matter now, Rogers is gone, last year is over....let's move on to '23.
Yeah dont get me wrong, you still have to be strong and powerful but if you make me take the guy a little less heavier or strong but quicker I'll take that one all day long today. Same on the Oline and same at LB.
