I’ll be stunned if we don’t lose Mayer to the portal after this year. He could easily start for a handful of MAC teams right now.
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Precisely the situation I was thinking about, Redhawks16. When you’ve got two or three good ones but only one is playing, two and three are potentially out the door after their freshmen or sophomore years. Washington lost both Jake Haener (Fresno) and Jacob Sirmon (Central Michigan) last year and both have seen playing time this season - Haener particularly. We’ve already got a couple or three prized Freshman QB prospects in the room right now - from Indiana and North Carolina. It’s those kinds of kids that make blocking the portal door increasing challenging - particularly in this age of instant first time transfer eligibility.
I think Henry Hesson will be a good player eventually. Aveon was a project coming in but could be really good eventually.
I was thinking about Henry Hesson, Kamell Smith and Orin Edwards. You can add in Aveon but to me he doesn’t seem to fit Miami’s QB system. Could convert him to a wideout or another small but quick running back if he has good hands. Might be a force out of the Wildcat, too.
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Not sure I agree with this. Jaylon Bester is a smaller back, but he had a good nose for short yardage situations. Obviously he isn’t back to 100% coming off the injury, but there’s no reason guys like Shelton or Tracy or Afari can’t fill that role. Our problems in short yardage situations this season have been more about playcalling and an inexperienced o-line than our RBs.
We also don’t really need a fullback. The analytics has found that sweep motion (by forcing linebackers to hold for a beat longer) is more valuable in short yardage situations than the extra blocker you get from having lead fullback. If there is an isolated situation where you want a fullback, you could always move a TE back, so I don’t think there’s any need to recruit for that position specifically.
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Do not think the Kamell sticks at QB - will need help at wideout next year. They won’t move Aveon off of QB anytime soon - he is QB3 and potentially QB2 next year.
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If our RBs hit the weight room this off season, we could have guys in the 205-220 lbs range. An O-line that drive blocks also helps!
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A fullback is probably a luxury we don’t need. I really wish Shelton hadn’t been injured. I saw things his first year that made me think he could become a special runner and he has decent size. Then Chuck would only need five backs instead of six.
Maybe we don’t really call it a fullback. But a back like Zach Kahn at 5.11” and 211 sure came in handy the last couple of years. Miami seemingly has almost always had one of those type backs in its arsenal. Thomas Merriweather on our 2010 championship team was cut from that mold. Cal Murray, Jr on our 2000-2003 teams.
You just described Kenny Tracy’s size. 5’10" 212lbs. He’s also averaging 5.8 ypc this season. He looks like he’ll have a promising future.
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Mike Smith was probably closer to that type of runner than Murray? Still, great tandem.
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Another name I remember from way back was Tom Graham. And Travis Prentice was 5’11” 221. That seems to be the prototype size. I think Bob Hitchens fit that description too - back in the Golden Era. It would be nice to have another one that size to join Kenny Tracy.
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Then you remember our version of Csonka and Kiick- Chuck Varner and Randy Walker. Or was it Varner and Rob Carpenter?
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Played in a pickup basketball game my freshman year against The Bowling Ball. Swear that guy went about 5’7” 260.
In a surprising turn of events, the '22 recruiting thread has been pivoted to the glory days.
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Shocking, absolutely shocking.
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I’m really old and was there at the time (walk on on the '74 team). It was.Randy Walker and Rob Carpenter. Both tough as nails–really hard nosed football players.
Recruiting wise, do we need a 220 lb brick for 3rd and short. Guess if we’re gonna’ keep running 2 gap and 3 gap off guard and tackle all the time we need a slugger. Both Randy and Rob were those bit bigger off tackle guys. They had to be. Check out the records, bet if we had a game where we threw it 20 times it was a ton. Now we’re throwing it that much or more in the first half!
Different game and fun to watch. Long as you can complete some of them.
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By the way love the new site. Great job to Jive and all that are in on it. Love & Honor! dm
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i met coach tucker and the kid who runs this at the MHSAA hall of fame induction last spring…think peter brand, less 100 pounds
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“Tommy Graham is what you call a load” LSU TV announcer.
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