Really shocked that Jacob and Jerod Smith….
- Thread starter HYTCHYE ISLAND
- Start date
They are just freshmen.
I would stop going into the season expecting big contributions from incoming freshmen, especially on defense. This is a good problem.
I think they are everything they were cracked up to be, but our roster is much different than it was in the days when a Dennis Johnson could come in as a Frosh and play big minutes.
On defense, we now have more
Former 4 Star players than we can play at once, and the brothers are two of them. I thought Brian Robinson would play a lot this year, but Walker seldom leaves the field.
Terhyon Nichols, Cam Dooley, and Jason Patterson are really the only freshman who are getting run
Steven Soles Jr, Antwan Smith, Willie Rodriquez.
Great points! Appreciate everyone’s feedback and admittedly I expected too much from these young men. Here’s to hoping they continue to train and become the beasts we know they can be!!!
The better we get as a program the less likely it will be for freshman to have early contributions. That's a good thing. I think the smiths and Robinson have the right mindset to attack the offseason and take over those spots next year.
The Ole Miss kick returner met Rodriquez.
We have plenty of freshman playing and contributing. It’s just different ones then we expected for the most part
At the level we are playing (and being competitive) you aren't going to see a lot of kids physically developed enough to help much at the line of scrimmage... linemen, running backs, linebackers, tight ends, let's say. All born to redshirt.
I am surprised Brian Robinson hasn't played more. Says a lot for our DL depth.
… and at positions we expected. DL was our most talented and deepest position coming into the year. There will be positions and snaps up for grab next year on the DL.
There very few teenagers that are mature enough in their freshmen year to compete with grown men that's been lifting in a strength and conditioning program fot multi years.
True that. 18 y/o going against 24 y/o generally doesn't end well for the 18 y/o.
And we are really, really good up and down the depth chart on defense.
I think your thoughts on them will rise to the surface next year.....
Weaver and Rybka move on....should open up snaps at DE and Jack Lber (which i guess they will slot at each position respectively)
Stoops and White have UK at nearly a replace vs. rebuilt on defense....we'll take a step back for sure next year...but I don't see us falling apart defensively...in years past we'd be a disaster after losing so many upper class guys.
Guys below....are extremely highly regarded
Brian robinson
Jacob and Jerod Smith
Soles
Godfrey
Fearby
Nichols
Cam Dooley
Kendrick Gilbert
Afari
Ty Bryant
UK has an extremely bright future on D.....especially if we can develop a NFL talent on DLine.....could be scary good unit.
Rodriguez is said to have made quite an impression on the returner . . . likely permanent.
Don’t forget Hayes, Gadson, and Henry-Young coming back from injury! Hope to have all 3 of them back to add to our DL depth.
H-Y was just coming into his own when hurt last year, let's hope he can regain that form.
I think our DL is in fantastic shape for now and the future.
These young guys are playing sporadically due to the fact that the veteran guys are playing pretty damn good
Rybka has been playing well all year. Ox stepped his game up, hopefully that builds his confidence.
Walker, what can you say. He's continuously being doubled and triple teamed, and held on every play.
Then you have Silver, Gilbert and others coming on strong. That keeps out DL fresh with all the rotations.
So with these young guys and Hayes, DHY and Gadsden coming back, we should be pretty good
for the upcoming years.
Plus we have commitments from several very promising prospects.
Just my humble opinion
GI BIG BLUE
These young guys are playing sporadically due to the fact that the veteran guys are playing pretty damn good
Rybka has been playing well all year. Ox stepped his game up, hopefully that builds his confidence.
Walker, what can you say. He's continuously being doubled and triple teamed, and held on every play.
Then you have Silver, Gilbert and others coming on strong. That keeps out DL fresh with all the rotations.
So with these young guys and Hayes, DHY and Gadsden coming back, we should be pretty good
for the upcoming years.
Plus we have commitments from several very promising prospects.
Just my humble opinion
GI BIG BLUE
I’ll say it again…....coach Stewart is under appreciated .
I know the discussion is focused on D-line, but I have heard a whisper or two that LB Antwane Smith is freakishly athletic and “runs step-for-step with Barion Brown,” at 6’ 3” and 205.
We need a game changing edge rusher. I’ve said before that a game changing QB & edge rusher will win you a lot of college football games.
Stewart got a raise/extension back in the Spring.
He’s still just making 575k when a lot of dline coaches make over a million though .
And apparently soles is the most athletic young guy they have at lbr.
Our defensive recruiting and development is off the charts. Even more impressive when you consider that side of the ball barely eats up any nil money come next year. So they could really add an impact transfer or two.
I had assumed these 4 Star defensive players were eating up a lot of NIL.
And frankly, I think with revenue sharing and NIL, we are going to be OK, long-term. A clearly profitable basketball program, an irrelevancy to the vast majority of FBS schools, is our ace in the hole.
Jmo but 95% of our defense nil leaves after this year. Deonne, pop, max, weaver in that order. Thats jmo.
That entire unit is a drop in the bucket compared to qb and barrion, dane, dingle, and our rg and rt. Not to mention chip who probably won't play a down.
Thanks.
I have made no effort to calculate any of these things.
Maybe our deal is telling some of the entering Frosh that NIL is likely to be based on the first year/two years of development, then focused on that in their last year or two.
Jmo i think defensive players in general dont command much nil out of highschool. Only the elite of the elite will make an impact the first two years.
So im sure we are probably telling them that but they're also hearing it from everyone else too. Jmo.
If so, being a defensive oriented program is doubly advantageous.
It hurts when a three year guy goes early, but we need (and likely have) to turn this to our advantage with photo displays of our defensive players who were drafted after only three years, for all recruits to see.
We're about to get the profit sharing thing settled which will add scholarships and toward that end UK has been very aggressive with 2025 offers the past week or 2. One big offer out today(10/9) is to GA DL Christian Ingram, 6'6" 290 who has exploded on the recruiting scene this fall. Lots of competition of course but UK is apparently getting an OV, get an OV and you have a chance. Add this guy to Edwards, Nick Smith, Javion Campbell and a very strong UK DL class becomes very, very strong.
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