Fall camp starts shortly, for the players and coaches of the Griz summer is just about officially over. The next 4 weeks for all of these guys will consist of hard work, practice, studying, and getting set for their opening game at Wyoming. I’d posted this in another thread but wanted to have a little more detailed discussion on it, grading the team as this fan sees it, also made some adjustments from earlier projections based upon my thoughts and opinion. Add your comments in! Can’t wait for fall camp to get rolling:
Quarterback: A- Jordan Johnson is one of the two best QBs in the Big Sky, he’s a senior, he’s got multiple years of experience as a starter, and he’s got a WR and RB corps that he’s very familiar and comfortable with. Backup Shay Smithwick-Hann has started multiple games back in 2012, it’s nice to have an experienced backup in place. QB is pretty darn secure.
Running Back: B+ Probably would be an A- if Counts were healthy for the season. Jordan Canada is a reliable workhorse running back and TraVon Van is a game-changer when healthy (key factor WHEN healthy). Backup John Nguyen has great raw potential but fumble issues. No power rusher in the group, not sure what we’ll see from FB Jamaal Wilson carrying the ball.
Wide Receiver: A- Just like at QB we’ve got one of the very best WRs in the conference in Henderson and maybe the best or second best WR corps from top to bottom with Hendu, Jones, Naccarato, Haynes, Walcott, Rogers, Berland, Carver, and Burke. There’s also young talent that’ll be ready to step up in years ahead. Lots to like about this WR group overall.
Tight End: D- Not meaning to knock on the TEs on this roster but they’re all total unknowns. This grade can change completely once the season gets going but we’ve got a collection of guys that I don’t think have taken a single snap at TE in a live game for the Griz. They’re young and inexperienced save Mitch Saylor who is a WR convert that’s battled injuries most his career.
Offensive Line: B- Yes I think Schmaing is that much of an upgrade. Previously I had the o line at a D+. John is our most experienced player, a smart and agile offensive tackle and well rounded as a good pass blocker and run blocker. Having Schmaing and Poole as our bookends this dramatically improves JJ's protection and will help give some stability on the O line. Poole at LT is a good protector, Weyer on the interior has experience, the Hines brothers have been labeled as workout warriors but soft. On the positive side, Weyer and Logan Hines have quite a few games of experience under their belts. If they can adapt and be ready to start we'll only be breaking in one truly inexperienced lineman of the starting 5. Spring ball saw a lot of players get banged up. It’s a total question mark and the starting 5 I expect will be jumbled up a lot, a youth movement from Deitrich and Todd might be welcomed… if they’re ready to step up.
Defensive Line: B+ We’ve got the best DE in the conference and maybe one of the better, if not the best, DTs in the conference (Takai) as well. Add in athletic freaks of Kidder and Holmes with solid depth from Crittenden, Peevey, Rehm, and Johnson… there’s a lot to like about this group. They lost their emotional leader in Bienemann… who will fill his role?
Linebacker: C+ the LB corps had a very solid spring and surprised many. They’ll rotate a ton and look to be set at their 2-deep for now. Health of Kose is a question. KVA, Gamboa, and Lebsock will make this one of the better pass-defending LB corps we’ve seen. Run support can be an issue. Schye is an up and coming freak of a player but needs experience and improvement in pass coverage.
Defensive Backs: C+ Hermanson quietly had a great season last year and there’s lots of buzz about Whitted who is filling in Bo Tully’s shoes – he may return balance to the safeties by being that hitter/enforcer of the group. Cornerback has experience but still has me uncomfortable. Nate Harris has the skills and the swagger, can he translate it into a solid season? Dennard is a senior now, and younger players like Nelson can help, after that there’s a slew of RS Frosh and a rumored JuCo that will be thrusted in to help – not a lot of experience there.
Special Teams: C A wide array here, kickers are definitely shaky to unknown – but if spring camp showed us anything there’s hope for good consistency within 40 yards. Punter is solid. Return game is one of the better in the Big Sky. Blocking/protection is going to have a sharp curve as it breaks in a bunch of new guys.
Coaching: B- I’m probably going to get fried for that grade since many anonymous e-bitchers on here would give them an F or a D-. Here’s how I see it, I’ll break it down in two ways:
On the positive side: I see Coach Delaney as the wise old coach who rallies the players, preaches fairness and toughness, motivates the team well, and communicates a common goal as good as any. Gregorak and Hynson are young but up and comers. I know Gregorak has to be just as pissed as all of us about how the defense ended the season last year and this spring I saw lots of things in the scrimmages that show continual improvement and adaptation. Hynson and Gragg put together an offense that was one of the very best in the conference last year – don’t forget that. Gragg’s O-lines have always been good at pass protection. Green, Myers, and Cookus all saw improvements form their positions (RB, WR, DB). Suianuoa is one of the better D-line coaches at this level, IMO. Williams has long tenure with this group and has coached up some of the best corners we’ve had in years past. Others like Rannings and Brunnelle helped produce good results last year. Keep in mind this staff took a 5-6 team to a 10-3 team in 1 year.
On the negative side: You can’t deny the criticisms and many are warranted. Delaney has made in-game errors that have proven to be costly, some posters argue the game has passed him by (I don’t agree there). Special teams has had some bad lapses and the continual murky kicker situation doesn’t help. The defense has been labeled as too passive, not aggressive enough, and unable to adapt as well. The offense wanted to be a power-run team this last season but that didn’t work so well as the season went on, run blocking became an issue on the interior. Many of the assistant coaches are young and highly inexperienced at their position compared to many other position coaches at the FCS level.
I see the positive slightly outweighing the negative and I give a lot of that credit to the big turnarounds we saw last season. This staff knows the pressure put on them this year as Delaney’s contract is up and rumors of his possible retirement at the end of the season are out there.
On to fall camp – see you guys at some scrimmages, GO GRIZ!
Quarterback: A- Jordan Johnson is one of the two best QBs in the Big Sky, he’s a senior, he’s got multiple years of experience as a starter, and he’s got a WR and RB corps that he’s very familiar and comfortable with. Backup Shay Smithwick-Hann has started multiple games back in 2012, it’s nice to have an experienced backup in place. QB is pretty darn secure.
Running Back: B+ Probably would be an A- if Counts were healthy for the season. Jordan Canada is a reliable workhorse running back and TraVon Van is a game-changer when healthy (key factor WHEN healthy). Backup John Nguyen has great raw potential but fumble issues. No power rusher in the group, not sure what we’ll see from FB Jamaal Wilson carrying the ball.
Wide Receiver: A- Just like at QB we’ve got one of the very best WRs in the conference in Henderson and maybe the best or second best WR corps from top to bottom with Hendu, Jones, Naccarato, Haynes, Walcott, Rogers, Berland, Carver, and Burke. There’s also young talent that’ll be ready to step up in years ahead. Lots to like about this WR group overall.
Tight End: D- Not meaning to knock on the TEs on this roster but they’re all total unknowns. This grade can change completely once the season gets going but we’ve got a collection of guys that I don’t think have taken a single snap at TE in a live game for the Griz. They’re young and inexperienced save Mitch Saylor who is a WR convert that’s battled injuries most his career.
Offensive Line: B- Yes I think Schmaing is that much of an upgrade. Previously I had the o line at a D+. John is our most experienced player, a smart and agile offensive tackle and well rounded as a good pass blocker and run blocker. Having Schmaing and Poole as our bookends this dramatically improves JJ's protection and will help give some stability on the O line. Poole at LT is a good protector, Weyer on the interior has experience, the Hines brothers have been labeled as workout warriors but soft. On the positive side, Weyer and Logan Hines have quite a few games of experience under their belts. If they can adapt and be ready to start we'll only be breaking in one truly inexperienced lineman of the starting 5. Spring ball saw a lot of players get banged up. It’s a total question mark and the starting 5 I expect will be jumbled up a lot, a youth movement from Deitrich and Todd might be welcomed… if they’re ready to step up.
Defensive Line: B+ We’ve got the best DE in the conference and maybe one of the better, if not the best, DTs in the conference (Takai) as well. Add in athletic freaks of Kidder and Holmes with solid depth from Crittenden, Peevey, Rehm, and Johnson… there’s a lot to like about this group. They lost their emotional leader in Bienemann… who will fill his role?
Linebacker: C+ the LB corps had a very solid spring and surprised many. They’ll rotate a ton and look to be set at their 2-deep for now. Health of Kose is a question. KVA, Gamboa, and Lebsock will make this one of the better pass-defending LB corps we’ve seen. Run support can be an issue. Schye is an up and coming freak of a player but needs experience and improvement in pass coverage.
Defensive Backs: C+ Hermanson quietly had a great season last year and there’s lots of buzz about Whitted who is filling in Bo Tully’s shoes – he may return balance to the safeties by being that hitter/enforcer of the group. Cornerback has experience but still has me uncomfortable. Nate Harris has the skills and the swagger, can he translate it into a solid season? Dennard is a senior now, and younger players like Nelson can help, after that there’s a slew of RS Frosh and a rumored JuCo that will be thrusted in to help – not a lot of experience there.
Special Teams: C A wide array here, kickers are definitely shaky to unknown – but if spring camp showed us anything there’s hope for good consistency within 40 yards. Punter is solid. Return game is one of the better in the Big Sky. Blocking/protection is going to have a sharp curve as it breaks in a bunch of new guys.
Coaching: B- I’m probably going to get fried for that grade since many anonymous e-bitchers on here would give them an F or a D-. Here’s how I see it, I’ll break it down in two ways:
On the positive side: I see Coach Delaney as the wise old coach who rallies the players, preaches fairness and toughness, motivates the team well, and communicates a common goal as good as any. Gregorak and Hynson are young but up and comers. I know Gregorak has to be just as pissed as all of us about how the defense ended the season last year and this spring I saw lots of things in the scrimmages that show continual improvement and adaptation. Hynson and Gragg put together an offense that was one of the very best in the conference last year – don’t forget that. Gragg’s O-lines have always been good at pass protection. Green, Myers, and Cookus all saw improvements form their positions (RB, WR, DB). Suianuoa is one of the better D-line coaches at this level, IMO. Williams has long tenure with this group and has coached up some of the best corners we’ve had in years past. Others like Rannings and Brunnelle helped produce good results last year. Keep in mind this staff took a 5-6 team to a 10-3 team in 1 year.
On the negative side: You can’t deny the criticisms and many are warranted. Delaney has made in-game errors that have proven to be costly, some posters argue the game has passed him by (I don’t agree there). Special teams has had some bad lapses and the continual murky kicker situation doesn’t help. The defense has been labeled as too passive, not aggressive enough, and unable to adapt as well. The offense wanted to be a power-run team this last season but that didn’t work so well as the season went on, run blocking became an issue on the interior. Many of the assistant coaches are young and highly inexperienced at their position compared to many other position coaches at the FCS level.
I see the positive slightly outweighing the negative and I give a lot of that credit to the big turnarounds we saw last season. This staff knows the pressure put on them this year as Delaney’s contract is up and rumors of his possible retirement at the end of the season are out there.
On to fall camp – see you guys at some scrimmages, GO GRIZ!