Fun to see Deacon fans of all stripe

[WFUtoUSC]

Lectro (or anyone else that can do more than just speculate): what does our lines look like going forward? IMO everything starts with the lines and it's tough to have an exceptionally good season without one or both of the lines playing top notch football. From what little we've seen, Reynolds and Harris could be a strong running combo next year, Tanner, Camp, and Givens will obviously be back next year, so I think we'll still have all of our offensive weapons. Any other players coming up in the ranks that'll be impact players?

Defense, well, Noel is the man. Other than that, I don't know much about that side of the ball. Can anyone speculate on what that'll look like next year?

 

[jamesda3]

Lectro (or anyone else that can do more than just speculate): what does our lines look like going forward? IMO everything starts with the lines and it's tough to have an exceptionally good season without one or both of the lines playing top notch football. From what little we've seen, Reynolds and Harris could be a strong running combo next year, Tanner, Camp, and Givens will obviously be back next year, so I think we'll still have all of our offensive weapons. Any other players coming up in the ranks that'll be impact players?

Defense, well, Noel is the man. Other than that, I don't know much about that side of the ball. Can anyone speculate on what that'll look like next year?

I think with the loss of our O-line, BP, Dembry, Ford, and Parker, and if Givens leaves early we will see our D be better than our O next year.

We lose Bush and Quarles on D, but will probably slide Okoro over to S like we did Bush and have a very good set up corners in Noel and Johnson with AJ backing them up. Lowe, Mack, and Cooper add good depth.

Losing Kyle will be a blow to our pass rush but young lb's are getting their feet wet and will be solid next year.

Nakita will anchor the line and will be the team captain on D for the next two years.

I see and 06ish type D emerging.

The O.

QB-Tanner will only get better we have seen his progress this year learning to tuck the ball and run as the season has progressed. Now learning to throw the ball away and stop taking so many sacks will be the next step in his evolution to greatness. With Stachitas graduating this opens the door for Cross to come in and backup Tanner or we get to see what Sousa is about early and he will get some reps.

RB-I have some concerns here next year if we have to only rely on J-Roc who is not dependable and Orville who looks like a 9th grade JV football player I think we may be in trouble. Watching the Wilhite videos I do not think he will be ready next year. Deandre Martin is a rs freshman unknown this year.

WR-If we lose Givens we will take a drastic step back here, if he stays this will be our best group on the field. Camp and Davis will return and should be solid we should see more out of James and Terry and Ragland and Willis take off the shirts and start to see time. With Givens this group I would give them and A without C+ because Givens takes a lot of attention and opens up room for Camp, Dembry, and Davis this year.

TE-Who knows? We lose very good te's in Parker and Ford. Basford and Garcia are unknowns at this point, but I would give the nod to Basford over Garcia. We bring in two very good freshman who are very likely not to redshirt. I would say TE and RB are the two positions you are more likely to see redshirts burned next year.

OL-Williams, Blitch, Chase, Summers, Ford, and Preble will be the core of the line. They are huge but it remains to be seen what they can do with little experience.

K-Newman will be back and we should be good there.

P-Maybe Wulfeck keeps maybe the Aussie has learned the game and takes it.

 

[DCDeac]

Tanner certainly has a better arm and better size than Riley. He made some throws this year off his back foot or rolling out across his body that Riley never could have made.

Riley was like Matt Ryan though - he could throw for 50 yards but when we were down 21-20 with 2 minutes left you could pretty much chalk up a win.

Tanner's 3 consecutive misfires against Clemson (culminating in the sack) were, well, bad. And even though the strategy was a little more run-heavy, we didn't get it done against Notre Dame either. He doesn't quite get to his 2nd and 3rd reads as quickly as Riley did, and he doesn't quite have the pocket presence to avoid the big sack or get to a spot where he can just throw it away.

But as Lectro said, he's not even 20 yet. I would not be surprised at all to watch him put up two monster years and be the best ever at Wake. I would think recruiting an elite receiver to redshirt next year and be ready for Tanner's senior year would be a very easy sell.

 

[Lectro]

Lectro (or anyone else that can do more than just speculate): what does our lines look like going forward? IMO everything starts with the lines and it's tough to have an exceptionally good season without one or both of the lines playing top notch football. From what little we've seen, Reynolds and Harris could be a strong running combo next year, Tanner, Camp, and Givens will obviously be back next year, so I think we'll still have all of our offensive weapons. Any other players coming up in the ranks that'll be impact players?

Defense, well, Noel is the man. Other than that, I don't know much about that side of the ball. Can anyone speculate on what that'll look like next year?

I think you have hit upon the basis for the 2011 team which is basically "integration"...next season will be more "implementation" as Tanner will be that much further along in his development under Tom Elrod and understanding the methods of Lobo-Galloway. Steed and Lonnie will grow and Lonnie will continue to positively affect Lobo's growth as a coordinator. I would rate Steed's year as a B with sights set on an A grade in 2012.

Continuing....Price has gelled with Campanaro, Givens and Davis...he has a feel for them and they have learned how to complement one another. It took some time...Givens had a two game stretch of double-teams, Tetrrence disappeared for a couple of games and Mike was hot and cold though mostly hot....anyway, the point is that they have learned each others games and now they look to add Josh Harris to the mix...tough year for him but the optimist hopes that the "Given's awakening as a JR" infects Harris and he returns to become our most explosive player. Getting Orville some work this year was crucial and that little guy reminds you of one of those mercury-dime Pac 10 backs. ---- Top the backfield off with a very unsung Fullback in Tommy Bohanon. He has been outstanding this season and his hands have been fantastic on several key slant passes...

Top Newcomer on Offense: Sherman Ragland 6'2-205 WR. --- a late comer to Offense who had been earmarked as a Safety until he began to display an outstanding set of hands in his SR season then carried that over with precise route running and playmaking in the week of the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas. Elite National 55 Meter man whose nearest local approximation is NCSU's T.J. Graham (physical and speed comparison) but Sherman has more innate feel for football --having played longer -- where Graham exhibits a life around the track ---never got the route running, adjustments, pass catching ability.

-- I'll cover the Lines and D on a clean post.

 

[Lectro]

WFUtoUSC

On Defense I'd really look for the same implementation process as guys spent this year learning how to play together...we got off to a rocky start as one of the stars of pre-season had a mishap in a pickup truck and then the Deacs lost a couple of promising guys including a solid looking young DT in Duke Mosby.

But here is the deal and well in advance... I've prospected and scouted ballplayers since my teens with the Atlanta Journal Constitution covering Georgia highschool football...I have seen only a handful of highschool aged guys built like Sheldon Lewinson. Sheldon will be a challenge for the coaching staff but they might as well begin preparing schemes to include both Nikita Whitlock and Lewinson in the game at the same time.
* I'm good for some hyperbole...you know, like pre-season 2011 "Chris Givens will break Ricky Proehl's records and become the best wideout ever produced at WF" or "Tanner Price will be better than Skinner and surpass him in the record books" --- Well, with all due respect to James Parker, Fred Robbins and the still spinning-dervish Nikita Whitlock, Sheldon Lewinson will become the best GD Defensive Lineman ever to play at Wake Forest....Hahahaha...ala Corso "Fuck it!" I said it and have been dying to say it since I first saw this kid play.

Sheldon is solid for Wake Forest and wants to become a Doctor thank heavens!

 

[WFUtoUSC]

Thanks Lectro, in your typical hyperbolic and long-winded style, you're confirming what I'd hoped to hear. The offense shouldn't miss a beat next year and the defense could be improved over this year's model. I like that our receiving corp is going to stay loaded (and possibly be deeper?) next year, given that Price will have Davis, Givens, Camp, and Scooby to throw to. I had to look at the roster, but I remember from last year that we had signed a pair of 6'5" WRs - Brandon Terry and Matt James, plus Ragland and Airyn Willis. God dang that's a lot of WRs. The offensive success next year will turn on the O-line (looks like we'll be losing a lot of experience but not a pound or inch of size) and the running game (Reynolds is showing flashes of brilliance, but Pendergrass has been a welcome surprise this year. Will be a shame to lose him. Great career, great Deac)

 

[Lectro]

Thanks Lectro, in your typical hyperbolic and long-winded style, you're confirming what I'd hoped to hear. The offense shouldn't miss a beat next year and the defense could be improved over this year's model. I like that our receiving corp is going to stay loaded (and possibly be deeper?) next year, given that Price will have Davis, Givens, Camp, and Scooby to throw to. I had to look at the roster, but I remember from last year that we had signed a pair of 6'5" WRs - Brandon Terry and Matt James, plus Ragland and Airyn Willis. God dang that's a lot of WRs. The offensive success next year will turn on the O-line (looks like we'll be losing a lot of experience but not a pound or inch of size) and the running game (Reynolds is showing flashes of brilliance, but Pendergrass has been a welcome surprise this year. Will be a shame to lose him. Great career, great Deac)

Hahahahaha.... I hear you. Don't forget Quan Rucker. He had an outstanding Spring and will be in the mix for PT.

 

[Ball State Deac]

I'm here for my serving of crow. nom nom nom

It's delicious!

 

[WFUtoUSC]

Don't know how I forgot about Desmond Floyd and Josh Hunt on the defensive side of the ball. Two guys that got a lot of hype when they signed. Really hope they can find a way onto the field next year. Same for Sousa. Would love to see the coaching staff use some option runs or play-action reads with Sousa. We should have enough offensive weapons to keep defenses guessing next year.

Man, I know this year isn't over and would turn out to be a great (certainly better than expected year) for the Deacs, but next year could be very, very special.

 

[myDeaconmyhand]

We are absolutely loaded at wideout, but I have the feeling that some of those receivers are going to transfer. 3 or 4 of them won't see the field until their 3rd year. Guys like Terrance Davis and Ragland would have been starting already for a traditional Wake team.

 

[Wakeforest22890]

If Wake wins their last two games and Givens come back I don't see why Wake wouldn't be ranked around 25th to start next year.

 

[WFUtoUSC]

We are absolutely loaded at wideout, but I have the feeling that some of those receivers are going to transfer. 3 or 4 of them won't see the field until their 3rd year. Guys like Terrance Davis and Ragland would have been starting already for a traditional Wake team.

I don't think I agree that some of them will transfer, principally because of the diversity in size/skill set and in year among those players.

Next year:
Rs. Sr - Givens, Davis, Scooby
Rs. Jr. - Camp
Rs. So - Terry, James
Rs. Fr. - Willis, Ragland

So we've clearly got an even spread based on year. Also, in looking at stats through the Clemson game (don't have stats for the Maryland game), Givens, Davis, Camp, and Dembry are Price's top 4 targets. Obviously Dembry is going to graduate (great senior year, big guy - 33 catches for 410 yards, hope he cracks 500 by season's end)

With their size and speed, Terry and James create a great deep-threat, which could be used a lot next year to open up the middle and short passes to Givens and Camp, respectively. Scooby is a flanker/slot guy himself, so we could even line up with 2 flankers and 2 wideouts and force linebackers to cover Camp and Scooby (no small task).

With the graduation of Givens, Scooby, and Davis, Willis and Ragland will get their time. Just gotta love the depth at this position

 

[WFUtoUSC]

If Wake wins their last two games and Givens come back I don't see why Wake wouldn't be ranked around 25th to start next year.

Without looking at projected drafts or anything like that, to what degree is it possible that Givens will leave after this year? Would hate to see that because of how special both his senior year and the team's 2012 campaign could be

Edit: used the ole google machine and at least one service has Givens rated as the #33 WR in the country. Don't think there were that many WRs taken last year.

Edit: Haas'ed myself - http://www.ogboards.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7006

 

[Lectro]

I don't think I agree that some of them will transfer, principally because of the diversity in size/skill set and in year among those players.

Next year:
Rs. Sr - Givens, Davis, Scooby
Rs. Jr. - Camp
Rs. So - Terry, James
Rs. Fr. - Willis, Ragland

So we've clearly got an even spread based on year. Also, in looking at stats through the Clemson game (don't have stats for the Maryland game), Givens, Davis, Camp, and Dembry are Price's top 4 targets. Obviously Dembry is going to graduate (great senior year, big guy - 33 catches for 410 yards, hope he cracks 500 by season's end)

With their size and speed, Terry and James create a great deep-threat, which could be used a lot next year to open up the middle and short passes to Givens and Camp, respectively. Scooby is a flanker/slot guy himself, so we could even line up with 2 flankers and 2 wideouts and force linebackers to
cover Camp and Scooby (no small task).

With the graduation of Givens, Scooby, and Davis, Willis and Ragland will get their time. Just gotta love the depth at this position

Yep, Terrence takes over for Danny next season and has more game breaking ability.

Matt and Brandon Terry --- Well, it is outrageous that WF has this couple of tall, fast and gifted widdouts who may not get much play till their JR years...not like any 'Wake Forest' of old. These 2 are every bit as good s prospect as Danny--probably better. Lonnie is lovin the cupboard and the 2 big kids he adds to it next season...

 

[berneses]

Saw where Matt James got a good amount of pt versus Maryland over Terrance. If Matt can get some separation from the db's, he could be quite a good one.

 

[PhDeac]

We are absolutely loaded at wideout, but I have the feeling that some of those receivers are going to transfer. 3 or 4 of them won't see the field until their 3rd year. Guys like Terrance Davis and Ragland would have been starting already for a traditional Wake team.

We haven't had that many WR who got a lot of action before their rJR year. Brown, Camp, and Givens are outliers.

 

[Lectro]

Saw where Matt James got a good amount of pt versus Maryland over Terrance. If Matt can get some separation from the db's, he could be quite a good one.[/QUOTE/]

Agree wholeheartedly on James. He can run,leap and has huge hands.

As for Terrence -- great catches throughout the season and probably our most acrobatic wr. He smoked Greg Reid on an inside slant TD versus FSU and I didn't really see anybody who could stick with him when he was "on". I look for another ratchet up in concentration and numbers for TD in 2012.

 

[jamesda3]

But they are saying Givens is not coming back and I think that hurts us badly. Our starting wr would be.

Camp, Davis, and James.

Orville Reynolds is to small to hold up an entire season by himself and with J-roc being undependable. I think we could be in trouble at RB.

Also breaking in new TE, I think it is possible the O could struggle a bit next year.

 

[Lectro]

But they are saying Givens is not coming back and I think that hurts us badly. Our starting wr would be.

Camp, Davis, and James.

Orville Reynolds is to small to hold up an entire season by himself and with J-roc being undependable. I think we could be in trouble at RB.

Also breaking in new TE, I think it is possible the O could struggle a bit next year.

I wouldn't sleep on JRoc.

I will wait for an official word on Givens. Wait for him to receive some feedback for what the scouts are looking for from him...

 

[RacerDeac]

Orville Reynolds is to small to hold up an entire season by himself and with J-roc being undependable. I think we could be in trouble at RB.

Shorter than Barclay, but similar weights IIRC, which means Orville should be more muscular (and will only add as he goes). I think it's a bit early to declare Orville too small to hold up since we have a recent example of a work horse small RB to prove that wrong.