Not really sure I get pursuing another linebacker. We seem to have talent 3-4 deep in that group. I do understand that there's a lot of fluidity these days and things may not be as they seem.
Quandarrius Robinson – R-Sr.
Jihaad Campbell – Jr.
Jeremiah Alexander – R-So.
Deontae Lawson – Sr.
Justin Jefferson – Sr.
Keanu Koht – R-Jr.
Keon Keeley – R-Fr.
Yhonzae Pierre – R-Fr.
Cayden Jones – Fr.
Noah Carter – Fr.
Qua Russaw – R-Fr.
Jayshawn Ross – Fr.
QB Reese – Fr.
Sterling Dixon – Fr.
Justin Okoronkwo – Fr.
Only issue is 9 freshmen out of 15 guys. We seem to have that problem in several position groups. Perhaps a future with fewer freshmen signees and more experience from the transfer portal?
Starting to wonder how much this staff values spring practice since this guy opted not to come in January and we also have the Brailsford/Brockermeyer mystery.
Here's another theory about the center position: Brailsford was held out, mostly, to focus on the academic issues. The staff wanted to spend the entire spring evaluating other guys to see if they would be contributors, either long or short term. This was their first real chance to evaluate the guys they haven't coached before.
That was always the tough part of the SAban system. not all LBs are the same. The profile for an inside guy (Mike/Will) is extremely different from an outside guy (Jack/Sam) so you have to look deeper than what is listed on the roster;
Jihaad Campbell – Jr. - ILB
Deontae Lawson – Sr. - ILB
Justin Jefferson – Sr. - ILB
Cayden Jones – Fr. - ILB
Sterling Dixon – Fr. - ILB
Justin Okoronkwo – Fr. - ILB
Jeremiah Alexander – R-So. Edge who only started trying to play ILB mid-season
QB Reese – Fr. - Probably ILB
Quandarrius Robinson – R-Sr. - Edge, but not really big enough for 3 downs
Keanu Koht – R-Jr. - Edge, but also not really big enough for 3 downs
Keon Keeley – R-Fr. - moved to DE
Yhonzae Pierre – R-Fr. - Edge, but not a prototype with height
Qua Russaw – R-Fr. - Edge, but not a prototype with height
Jayshawn Ross – Fr. - Edge,
Noah Carter – Fr. - Edge
So really, we lack experienced depth at ILB. I liked what I saw from the 3 TFs at aday, but who knows if that's their long term spot. Jones always looked more edge to me but he'd need to add mass. Alexander looked a lot like Shane Lee. I think he's got some work to do to get faster/ (likely smaller) and a bit more agile/mobile to be able to be a functional ILB.
We also don't have great fits for the small edge - and this would have been the case just as much with Sabans system as the new one. None of the guys are really in the mold of what that edge player prototype really is. I could also see Pierre and Russaw shifting inside due to lack of length. That might help out there some but then we'd be exposed at Edge, and honestly, I thought Russaw played better overall than any of the other small edge guys on aday with Pierre not far behind him. Love QRs story of coming back from the injury, but both he and Koht are really pass rush specialists and got exposed some against the run.
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