Recording a spring ball recap tomorrow with Scott Gordon.
I’ll read a few comments from here live on the POD if you guys post some. Maybe questions from those who couldn’t make it out to practice and feedback/ analysis from those that made any practices or the spring game
I think the most obvious topic is the QB battle, but I think for myself personally my biggest question is how the receiving unit looked? We lost a HUGE amount of our production from last season with Larison, Hutton, Davis, Tompkins. We're returning Gbatu and Dobbins with the only new WR addition during spring being JUCO transfer LaDanian Streets. We have a bunch of freshmen coming in the fall, but still who is going to step up and replace that level of production?
The Aggies have embraced a good chunk of the transfer portal this off-season. Wondering how the team chemistry is with the new guys, especially with most of them vying for a starting/impact role.
In all of Ploughs interviews, he seems pretty happy with Gbatu, Jones, and Dobbins. I think one of those guys has a breakout year if not all. I don’t remember this amount of collective speed at the receiver position in a very, very long time.
It is a very speedy group, but another factor in listing those 3 guys specifically is that largest of them is Gbatu at 5'10 175. It is a TINY group, which isn't the be all and end all when it comes to receiving, but none of them will be huge physical mismatches for the defense like the Keelan Doss' of the football world.
Did Gbatu Jr. not have a breakout year last year? I mean he caught for 779 yards, including 100+ yd games @ EWU and @ Sac... in a season where Lan was the feature of features in an offense, I'd say Gbatu Jr. has arrived - now it's up to him to be the true #1 and break the 1000 yd mark with a brand new quarterback running things.
What stands out to me in 2024 is Gbatu Jr. catching 1 ball for 4 yards vs. Montana State. Our best players have to step up in the biggest games in 2025, every week will be hell on earth.
Trust me, I get you BUT our tallest receiver last year was 5th on the team in receiving. Take him out and all the other guys were 5’11 and under. With literally no speed. Good routes and blocking but no explosive plays. I think the game is changing and you see a lot of NFL teams opting for speed over size. Hard to find both at fcs level. If you see a 6’2 plus guy at the fcs level, you can assure there are MAJOR flaws in his game or he’d be at fbs. Small guys in fcs are better because size is usually the only reason why they are at fcs. Usually can really ball out.
Two 1k receivers certainly is a bold prediction considering we haven't had one since Keelan Doss. I think we could see one 1k receiver though with limited WR depth and the loss of our bell cow in Larison.
I hope that we start trying to target some legit big bodied WRs though if we do plan to make the move to the MW in the next handful of seasons. I'm not saying that every receiver has to be 6'4, but I still do think that there is something to having a guy that can create those size mismatches... especially if it opens up a speed demon to go uncovered deep.
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We have nearly as many tight ends as receivers on the Spring roster, and I remember hearing that the tight ends learn all the receiver routes. Perhaps unfortunate the team doesn’t have a light tight end who could move to receiver, a la Hayden Hatten. But they’ll play a lot of two tight ends this year.
Well, 2 1,000 yard receivers would be nice but with a limiting number of plays, we wouldn’t have the touches to have a decent running game with those kind of numbers. I do think we’re going to see a wide open offense this year with more deep passes than we’ve had, but i expect the offense to be more balanced.
Good points. It's hard for FCS programs to land WR's with both size and speed. The P4 programs gobble them up especially now that they can legally pay them big NIL money. I like having smaller receivers with blazing speed who can run great routes, create separation and get yards after the catch with their speed and quickness.
There are so many WRs in the Big Ten, the Big 12, the SEC buried at No. 4 / No. 5 on the depth chart who could start in Davis -- assuming they have the prerequisite academic standards to compete in the classroom.
The attorneys for the plaintiffs in the NCAA settlement case now proposing that the players who lost their spots on teams due to roster limits be given career exemptions from counting in the total at either their old school or their new. Another way to mess with competitive balance. If adopted this enables schools to raid other rosters and not have to cut anyone,