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Official Spring Football 2014 Thread (Spring Game Saturday at 2:00)

Big S, what was the real untold story with Skylar Jones? Was he promised a shot at QB and wouldn't try other positions?
 
coredeac said:
On offense, it will have to be sooner than year three. We desperately need a QB, an additional RB and a legitimate TE. Based upon what I saw today, at least these three positions will be freshmen starting this season.
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I think you can expect some in year 1. How good they are right away is another question.
 
SDeacz said:
Don't think the equation is that simple. Freshman starter = prior staff didn't develop players. Riley was a freshman starter.

Don't care to debate it either. Saw Grobes staff for 6 or 7 years. Basically 75% of his career at wake develop great players. More than they could be on their own, and maybe even at other schools.

Can we strop comparing? Grobe had a stretch at wake that has never been done. Clawson has a lot of work to do to match it. When does the statute of limitations run out on "Grobes classes" screwing clawson? Grobe never used that excuse and won a bowl game over significant PAC 10 opponent his second year.
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Point 1: Freshman starter definitely means the prior staff didn't develop players.

A redshirt freshman starter Skinner means that a coach had 3 prior classes in which a more experienced QB wasn't developed enough to play. Skinner came in after two QBs in Mauk and Taylor who went on to be very solid starters at Cincy and Nebraska. Obviously, Mauk's injury was a factor, but Cincy got much more out of Mauk than Wake did.

A true freshman like Price means that a coach had 4 prior classes in which a more experienced QB wasn't developed enough to play. Let's look at the QBs Grobe recruited during Riley's four years at QB, Wake's best stretch ever.

2010 - Tanner Price (2*)
2009 - Brendan Cross (2*)
2008 - Ted Stachitas (3*)
2007 - Skylar Jones (3*)
2006 - Zach McDowall (2*)

Point 2: Grobe never used that excuse because people would have laughed at him if he did. Grobe inherited many of the best players he coached from Caldwell, including the majority of his players who lasted 5+ years in the NFL.

Remember when I came up with the "All-Grobe team" shortly after Grobe resigned?
http://www.ogboards.com/forums/showthread.php/20112-The-All-Jim-Grobe-Football-Team?highlight=Grobe

PhDeac said:
Below is an All-Wake Forest football team made up of players coached by Jim Grobe. The number or "HM" represents their placement on All-ACC teams under Grobe if applicable. Other honors are listed.

I use the same designations as the All-ACC lists (QB, RB, TE, WR, OL, DL, LB, DB, SP, K, P).

On Defense, I went 3-4 on the First Team and 4-3 on the Second Team. The 3-3-5 years aren't represented at DB. At the end is a list of my toughest decisions.

Feel free to discuss. Hope this will remind us of some former greats and inform younger posters. I'll change the list if there is enough consensus.

First Team Offense
QB Riley Skinner 2-ROY, HM, HM
RB Chris Barclay 2, 1, 1-OPOY
RB Ovie Mugheli
TE Ray Thomas
WR Michael Campanero 2, 2
WR Kenneth Moore 1

OL Steve Justice 1, 1
OL Tyson Clabo HM, 1
OL Steve Vallos 2, HM, 1
OL Michael Collins 1
OL Blake Henry 1
K Sam Swank 1, HM

Second Team Offense
QB James MacPherson
RB Tarence Williams 2, HM
RB Tommy Bohannon
TE John Terenshinki
WR Chris Givens 1
WR DJ Boldin 1

OL Joe Looney 2
OL Chris DeGeare HM
OL Jeff Griffin HM
OL Mark Moroz HM, 2
OL Vince Azzolina HM
K Tyler Ashe


First Team Defense
DL Calvin Pace 2, 1
DL Nikita Whitlock 2, 2, 1
DL Boo Robinson HM

LB Jon Abbate HM, HM, 1
LB Aaron Curry 2, 1
LB Stanley Arnoux
LB Brad White

DB Eric King HM, 1, 2
DB Josh Gattis 2, 1
DB Alphonso Smith 1, 1
DB Josh Bush 1

SP John Stone 2
P Ryan Plackemeier 1, 1, 1

Second Team Defense
DL Nate Bolling 2
DL John Russell 2
DL Montique Sharpe HM
DL Jyles Tucker HM

LB Kyle Wilber
LB Caron Bracy
LB Justin Jackson

DB Patrick Ghee
DB Chip Vaughn HM
DB Brandon Ghee
DB Bud Noel HM

SP Fabian Davis 2
P Sam Swank HM

Toughest Decisions
RB Josh Adams or Tommy Bohannon – I went with Bohannon because although underutilized, he was great and continued to get better compared to Adams who had strong freshman honors, but fell off over four years
DL Kyle Wilber – Hard to believe he didn’t have the honors to make it. Despite all the concerns about DL play, it has been a fairly deep position over Grobe’s tenure with several four-year standouts
LB – We had four phenomenal LBs under Grobe. The rest don’t stand out nearly as much
DB Josh Bush over Brandon Ghee and Chip Vaughn on First Team – Hard to argue with 1[SUP]st[/SUP] team All-ACC
SP Fabian Davis or Kevin Marion – Really could have gone either way here. Idlette deserves some love here, too
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The players in bold were recruited by Caldwell. 10 on offense and 6 on defense, including specialists. That's out of 50 players/positions. 32%. Almost a third.

Now this is overkill because I don't have to convince you that Grobe inherited quite a bit of talent. From the same thread:
SDeacz said:
Also, Only played for Grobe 1 year, but TYLER ASHE >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Jimmy Newman. Not close
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SDeacz said:
I'd also have Sharpe on first team. Probably over Boo.
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SDeacz said:
ANd Deon "Rock" Williams over Justin Jackson. He was awesome.
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Ball State Deac said:
Grobe's seat was not warming. And I think all reasonable people can agree that Grobe had a great run. Towards the end though, they were not recruiting well. It'll take Clawson into his third season to really start getting his guys on the field.
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Thankfully, a voice of reason. Coach Grobe had a great run. It was time to move on.
 
More random thoughts from the game:

- Jaboree Williams looks like he belongs. Good to see a guy come in as an early enrollee and slide right onto the depth chart at second-team LB and look like he knows what he is about from a mental standpoint and has the tools physically.
- Nothing against Wooding, Janvion, or the rover H. Williams, but Thomas Brown looked like he belongs in the starting lineup somewhere.
- Virgile and Lamot are buried on the depth chart right now it seems. They spent first half standing together on the sideline and with Rashawn Shaw coming in this Fall, and the two guys ahead on the second-team in their same class, they are looking at special teams duty for the immediate future.
- The starting offensive line they went with before Helms went down was with Hayworth as second team center and Will Smith starting at LT and Ford at LG. When Helms left, then Hayworth slid in at center. Preble seems completely MIA. Next center up was the true frosh Luedeke.
 
P4nthers11 said:
More random thoughts from the game:

- Jaboree Williams looks like he belongs. Good to see a guy come in as an early enrollee and slide right onto the depth chart at second-team LB and look like he knows what he is about from a mental standpoint and has the tools physically.
- Nothing against Wooding, Janvion, or the rover H. Williams, but Thomas Brown looked like he belongs in the starting lineup somewhere.
- Virgile and Lamot are buried on the depth chart right now it seems. They spent first half standing together on the sideline and with Rashawn Shaw coming in this Fall, and the two guys ahead on the second-team in their same class, they are looking at special teams duty for the immediate future.
- The starting offensive line they went with before Helms went down was with Hayworth as second team center and Will Smith starting at LT and Ford at LG. When Helms left, then Hayworth slid in at center. Preble seems completely MIA. Next center up was the true frosh Luedeke.
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I think Williams is starting by season's end.

I watched the D a lot. It's always tough to really evaluate them against a weak OL, and defending players and plays they all know, but I like what I saw. Defense seemed much more aggressive. It was so refreshing to see the secondary actually playing up rather than giving 15 yard cushions. We are absolutely going to get our hearts broken on some big plays in some games, but we shouldn't be giving up 4+ yards per carry to backs either.
 
DeaconCav06 said:
Grobe's seat was warming up the season before the ACC Championship. And that was because he finally had all of "his guys".
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His seat was warming only with respect to that as it was obvious in 2004 that LOBO had no business being the OC. The offense sucked that far back.
 
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It is scary to think about just how bad our QB situation would be right now if Grobe came back. Sousa was playing WRand their commit was ridding the pine in HS.
 
I am really surprised by Preble. His high school offer list was impressive and he seemed to be the linchpin of what was supposed to be a solid OL class.

Clawson was singing the praises of Marquel Lee after the game, said he has been really impressive all spring.
 
Sousa's technique was bad coming out of high school. I remember the smart people saying he had to get a lot of technique coaching to be a good QB. But from what I am hearing from all sources now is that it is impossible to change a throwing technique, no matter how hard one tries. Look at Teabow, who can't throw either, and he tried. So I am told that Clawson has told Sousa that he will not try to change his technique, because he can't, and for Sousa to just go out there and play. From what I saw yesterday, Sousa's best plays - except the interceptions - were on broken plays or designed option QB run plays that he just reacted with his athleticism, which is really good. Maybe Sousa can win without being able to make great throws. Let's hope so, or hope that one of the incoming freshmen QBs can throw AND make plays.
 
Either way, Clawson gets credit for dumping Lemar Harris and getting another QB which Grobe probably wouldn't have done.
 
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