5* DE Marlon Davidson

[GH2001]

I take it Gus has been dealing with a lot of whiny little bitches here of late.

Well, I would imagine so. I think they learn tune it out for the most part. But I think its important for fans to let them know they support them and the people who stroke out over every game are a vocal minority, and that was about the extent of my conversation with the fella from Arkansas. I would like to think he appreciated hearing it.

[Jumbo]

You mean like Peyton Barber? As opposed to the 2 Five Stars that were ahead of him in the Summer. I agree.

Great point.

[Buzz Killington]

See. That's where we are getting caught up in stars. Gimme that 3 star guy that is still growing and goes out every play trying to kill somebody on the other side. Maybe got one eyeball pointed the other way or something. We can help him pass class.

[GH2001]

Hey thats the little kid and Pell City at X gate.

PCT kindly obliged.

[Snaggletiger]

I take it Gus has been dealing with a lot of whiny little bitches here of late.

Well, Nuke's scared because his eyelids are jammed and his old man's here. We need a live... is it a live rooster? We need a live rooster to take the curse off Jose's glove and nobody seems to know what to get Millie or Jimmy for their wedding present.

Gus is dealing with a lot of shit.

[djsimp]

Well, Nuke's scared because his eyelids are jammed and his old man's here. We need a live... is it a live rooster? We need a live rooster to take the curse off Jose's glove and nobody seems to know what to get Millie or Jimmy for their wedding present.

Gus is dealing with a lot of shit.

Okay, well, uh... candlesticks always make a nice gift, and uh, maybe you could find out where she's registered and maybe a place-setting or maybe a silverware pattern

[Buzz Killington]

Let's get two!

[War Eagle!!!]

See. That's where we are getting caught up in stars. Gimme that 3 star guy that is still growing and goes out every play trying to kill somebody on the other side. Maybe got one eyeball pointed the other way or something. We can help him pass class.

You mean like Peyton Barber? As opposed to the 2 Five Stars that were ahead of him in the Summer. I agree.

I agree. I mean...Alabama is winning on complex schemes and brilliant coaching...

[GH2001]

I agree. I mean...Alabama is winning on complex schemes and brilliant coaching...

In a perfect world you would want a bunch of 5 stars who have their heads on right when playing. Like men on a mission.

But if given the choice between a 3 star with some pop and good work ethic, and a 5 star who is a lazy head case and takes plays off....I would take the former. Thats all I'm saying. And I think Barber and Robinson are a case in point of that.

[Snaggletiger]

In a perfect world you would want a bunch of 5 stars who have their heads on right when playing. Like men on a mission.

But if given the choice between a 3 star with some pop and good work ethic, and a 5 star who is a lazy head case and takes plays off....I would take the former. Thats all I'm saying. And I think Barber and Robinson are a case in point of that.

Problem is, you really can't know the player's real disposition until you get him on campus and on the field.  The debate on how Bama is getting them is for another time.  The reality is they're signing 4* and 5* guys top to bottom in class after class.  They then have the luxury of "processing" out the sorry ones and still be able to roll 2-3 deep at virtually every position with top talent.  Easy to look like a brilliant coach when you can reload the wagon every single year.

[GH2001]

Problem is, you really can't know the player's real disposition until you get him on campus and on the field.  The debate on how Bama is getting them is for another time.  The reality is they're signing 4* and 5* guys top to bottom in class after class.  They then have the luxury of "processing" out the sorry ones and still be able to roll 2-3 deep at virtually every position with top talent.  Easy to look like a brilliant coach when you can reload the wagon every single year.

I don't know if its Saban's system or what. More business like approach, keeping their eyes on the prize, etc. While Gus is maybe looked at as more cordial, nice or fun, OR a softie. Hard to dissect the pyschology of these kids. Maybe were recruiting riskier kids like Jovon or Duke. I really don't know. But part of being a good coach is managing that last part you elluded to. Reloading the wagon with the right players that are in the right state of mind, and I'll admit thats what saban does best, moreso than X's and O's (although he is a very good hands on DB coach). His wheel house is what you said.

[wesfau2]

Could be that the JUCO guys have a smaller window to prove themselves on the big stage and, after being promised significant playing time during recruiting, get frustrated when they struggle and/or don't play.

Seems to be an issue in the recruiting process.  Not in the character of the players recruited but the nature of promises made to them.  That said, seems like Duke was a bit of a turd from the jump.

[GH2001]

Could be that the JUCO guys have a smaller window to prove themselves on the big stage and, after being promised significant playing time during recruiting, get frustrated when they struggle and/or don't play.

Seems to be an issue in the recruiting process.  Not in the character of the players recruited but the nature of promises made to them.  That said, seems like Duke was a bit of a turd from the jump.

Sometimes, there are reasons why they are at JUCO.

[wesfau2]

Sometimes, there are reasons why they are at JUCO.

Agreed.  You can't build a program on their backs, but damned if Gus hasn't been trying.

[Snaggletiger]

I don't know if its Saban's system or what. More business like approach, keeping their eyes on the prize, etc. While Gus is maybe looked at as more cordial, nice or fun, OR a softie. Hard to dissect the pyschology of these kids. Maybe were recruiting riskier kids like Jovon or Duke. I really don't know. But part of being a good coach is managing that last part you elluded to. Reloading the wagon with the right players that are in the right state of mind, and I'll admit thats what saban does best, moreso than X's and O's (although he is a very good hands on DB coach). His wheel house is what you said.

Steve Spurrier proved me wrong to an extent with USCe.  When he was at UF, I questioned whether he was really all that and a bag of chips.  Yes, he won big but seemed to coach himself out of a win many times he faced a team with equal talent. Did it twice against AU.  His days at Florida were prior to the advent of all these recruiting services. You got most of your info from the preseason rags like Athlon.  I recall reading the bios of one year's recruiting classes and in this particular year, Spurrier signed 28 kids.  There was only one player that didn't have some form of High School All American designation by his name...and AU was all over that kid.

I thought, "How hard is it to be a jeenyus corch when you have an all-American center, snapping it to an all-American QB, who is being blocked for by 5 all-American linemen while he throws to any number of all-American receivers?"  Fast forward to today.  That's pretty much what you have at Alabama.  But, I guess you can't discredit any coach because he has great players.  Getting the Jimmy's and Joe's is as much a part of a coach's job as X's and O's. It's the same in basketball.  You know I love me some Coach K.  But I admit he gets to reload with the best talent out there just about every year.

[CCTAU]

Agreed.  You can't build a program on their backs, but damned if Gus hasn't been trying.

Not true. We only have a few JUCO guys each year. Some are in prominent positions, but we are not littered from top to bottom with JUCO players.

Duke really was a success story, we just tried to write another chapter when one should have been enough.

Jovon, if not for that ankle sprain, may have been the guy this season. PB just turned it on when given the chance.

And the fact that we need to go get JUCO players brings up the discussion of how bad are we missing on some of the key guys we recruit. DL is in the spotlight right now. As is LB. Did we just not recruit the right guys over the last couple of years?

We seem to do a good job with the offense.

With the change to CWM, is there hope?

So when you get like this and need bigger guys on the defense, you have to shore up your numbers with short term guys. But that does not mean the whole damn team are former JUCO players.

[wesfau2]

Not true. We only have a few JUCO guys each year. Some are in prominent positions, but we are not littered from top to bottom with JUCO players.

Duke really was a success story, we just tried to write another chapter when one should have been enough.

Jovon, if not for that ankle sprain, may have been the guy this season. PB just turned it on when given the chance.

And the fact that we need to go get JUCO players brings up the discussion of how bad are we missing on some of the key guys we recruit. DL is in the spotlight right now. As is LB. Did we just not recruit the right guys over the last couple of years?

We seem to do a good job with the offense.

With the change to CWM, is there hope?

So when you get like this and need bigger guys on the defense, you have to shore up your numbers with short term guys. But that does not mean the whole damn team are former JUCO players.

Well-made points.  Perhaps the effect seems magnified since the primary offensive skill positions have featured these guys. 

[Townhallsavoy]

And the fact that we need to go get JUCO players brings up the discussion of how bad are we missing on some of the key guys we recruit. DL is in the spotlight right now. As is LB. Did we just not recruit the right guys over the last couple of years?

The DL has had some thin recruiting, but the major players aren't available. Carl Lawson has the talent to be a legendary player and could single handedly turn around this defense. But he's been injured for two straight seasons.

At linebacker, what else can we do? Kris Frost was a five star athlete and seems woefully outmatched in SEC play. Tre Williams was also a five star recruit, and he's also too slow.

Kenny Flowers? Deshaun Davis? Cameron Toney? Where are those guys?

We fucked up recruiting linebackers and it's really showing. Hopefully Muschamp can pull it together.

[DnATL]

Could be that the JUCO guys have a smaller window to prove themselves on the big stage and, after being promised significant playing time during recruiting, get frustrated when they struggle and/or don't play.

Seems to be an issue in the recruiting process.  Not in the character of the players recruited but the nature of promises made to them.  That said, seems like Duke was a bit of a turd from the jump.

That's the big thing for them - the juco guys can't afford to sit and wait a season when they only have a couple left from the start.  In 2013, Mason took control of the starting job a couple games in - that could have been it for CAP, but he stuck with it.  Mason was a junior and jumped which gave CAP the lead role in his senior season - Barber won't be doing that.  Since Barber is such a solid all-around guy, I would expect Robinson would need to be demonstrably better to supplant him.  That he isn't (at this point) is a surprise to many, no one moreso than himself.

[jmar]

Not true. We only have a few JUCO guys each year. Some are in prominent positions, but we are not littered from top to bottom with JUCO players.

Duke really was a success story, we just tried to write another chapter when one should have been enough.

Jovon, if not for that ankle sprain, may have been the guy this season. PB just turned it on when given the chance.

And the fact that we need to go get JUCO players brings up the discussion of how bad are we missing on some of the key guys we recruit. DL is in the spotlight right now. As is LB. Did we just not recruit the right guys over the last couple of years?

We seem to do a good job with the offense.

With the change to CWM, is there hope?

So when you get like this and need bigger guys on the defense, you have to shore up your numbers with short term guys. But that does not mean the whole damn team are former JUCO players.

We were getting beaten soundly for DTs by the Turds and UGA as it was and I mentioned how dire it was to sign some this last period.
WE FAILED AGAIN!
This past season we lost the oft injured/hurt Whitaker, Blackmon and (JUCO)Lambert.
247 has about 8 DT prospects currently listed on Auburn's radar for what it's worth.

 
If we had but two of the best backup DTs from the mid-grade SEC teams to go with Swain and a heat seeking MLB like #21 at Tennessee I truly believe Muschamp has this thing turned around...even with Lawson on the shelf.
On the lead-up to this season we were beat out for Ragland (no contest really)
We got Kerryon Johnson whose future is probably best served at corner where Alabama wanted him. Apparently we got him because he was intent on playing offense.

The frustrating part for me is seeing so many slot types and third down backs being recruited and getting so little production from them.

Jovon might be at a buffet somewhere swelling up to 270. And if he is, that's on the staff. I might be mistaken but I was always under the impression you A. either practice with the team or B. you get treatment for your injury and work to get well.