from Canton, OH now living in SC
MEMBER SINCE September 30, 2021
Steele is absolutely the right size to start at all of those places. He's actually the same height and about the same weight as starting LBs at Georgia and Alabama. Steele is 6'1" 232, Henry To'oto'o (Alabama) is 6'2" 225, and Jamon Dumas-Johnson (Georgia) is 6'1" 245.
Steele had an incredible year and having both starting linebackers back is great for the defense next season.
I do think the leg caused some balance and footwork issues as you mentioned. Give another 9 months to heal and work on it and he should be even better next season.
I agree it's different, but I think he'll do well considering his NFL experience and time coaching under Day.
Styles will be a safety... Hicks would be better since it's only moving him to a hybrid DE/LB vs moving a safety down to a DE/LB
The linebackers were really good in the last 3 games.... It was the safety position that wasn't doing well.
He's started at LT, C, and RT. If he doesn't start this year, I'd guess this was more a move for depth and the future as we'll probably lose Jackson, Jones, and Vimahi after next season. Nice pickup.
Which is funny that everyone says that's what he has to improve considering before last season draft scouts believed he would be drafted based on blocking and special teams alone.
I'd guess the other TE that will get significant playing time would be Joe Royer
I was at the game as well. They absolutely did blow a horn when OSU scored. The lights didn't go as crazy dark for us, but it wasn't a huge difference.
I'm really looking forward to the safeties we have next year. I'd guess that it will be Carter, Styles, and Ransom. Just the pure size of those 3 will be a big improvement over this year and should help in run support.
This year's starting 3:
Next season:
I'd bed that it's Carter, Styles, and Ransom. Stokes as Ransom's backup.
Exactly. It's completely different from Coombs where Day was hoping he'd be the head coach of the defense and Day wouldn't have to focus on it. Now he can veto both and since he was the play caller on offense before, he can help Hartline out more if needed.
Exactly. He was passing game coordinator. I also believe that all of the offensive staff meet each week for game planning. So Day, Wilson, Hartline, Frye, and Alford would have all been in the game planning meetings each week. It's not like route running is the only thing he knows
I suspect Hartline will call plays with Ryan Day in his ear giving suggestions and vetoing so that Day can also veto defensive play calls based on situation
He'll probably do both. Wilson had both OC and TE room last several years. Keenan Bailey will probably help with both. He helped in the TE room this past season while he was the assistant WR coach.
Knowles literally ran Tampa 2 on the long play down the middle that was thrown over Tommy. Hickman didn't get deep enough, but Tommy played it as good as he could since the safety was supposed to be back there.
I still felt relatively young since most coaches are still 10 years older than me... Then I find out Keenan Bailey is my age.
He never played in college. He was an undergrad coaching assistant at Missouri his freshman year before transferring to Notre Dame and joining their recruiting department as a recruiting analyst. After graduating he was hired by Ohio State.
I do think having a younger guy will help recruiting. It should also help that he's focused on TEs and not OC/TE coach like Kevin Wilson.
I could've sworn this guy was at least 32. Looking at his bio on the OSU website, he was an undergrad assistant at Missouri his freshman year (!) and then an intern with Notre Dame in their recruiting department at probably 19 years old before joining OSU after graduating with his bachelors degree at 21.
Basically, he's going places in this industry.
As a Cavs fan, I feel like it's similar to Caris Levert. Got traded from Brooklyn to Indiana mid-season and they found his cancer in the physical. Probably would have been found at the end of the season with a physical then if he hadn't been traded, but the extra months are huge.
The middle of the line could be nasty next season.
LG - Donovan Jackson 6'4" 300 lbs
C - Matt Jones 6'4" 315 lbs
RG - Enokk Vimahi 6'4" 310 lbs
Just need to figure out the tackles. I'm pretty sure Josh Fryar will be one of them.
Bowers is coming back, but they are losing their QB, best RB, Washington, LT (and possibly others on the O-Line), one of their best WR, and Jalen Carter along with at least 4 other championship game starters on defense (plus probably Nolan Smith, their best pass rusher that was out since October with a torn pec). Jalen Carter is probably the biggest loss. The defense wasn't quite the same for the few games he missed this season with an ankle injury. The backups weren't as strong in the pass rush as he was.
Considering he was dealing with injuries for part of the season, he's actually a good blocker. Dane Brugler from The Athletic stated around mid-October that Stover could have been drafted on blocking and special teams alone, but that his receiving ability shown this season would move him up to possibly the 2nd or 3rd round.
I bet a big part is that he also hasn't had the practice time to gain chemistry with Jared Goff.
Nearly fainted when I read he rushed for over 1,000 yards each of the last 2 seasons.
Yes. Please.
