Is Froholdt’s best means to get to the NFL on defense or offense? I’m hoping we recruit two OL that would be capable of playing at least to Froholdt’s level so that he can be moved back to defense, where he was once a happy camper. He sure cannot be happy with his play in 2016, so I wonder if he feels 2017 would be better for him on defense or offense?
BTW, I love the guy. Always have.
I don’t see Hjalte moving back. With more experience I think he has a chance to be pretty special.
In talking to him a week or so ago, he loves playing OL and wants to improve his play on that side of the ball. I cut him some slack because it was the first time he had ever played the position and suddenly is starting.
That to me has to do with misevaluation in recruiting and development on a few guys before the current OL got here.
Arkansas has three OL coming in this recruiting class so far - all who will enroll in Jan.
I guess one of those could pull a Skipper or Kirkland, but one would think that 2016 signees Paul Ramirez, Deion Malone and Jake Heinrich will have a better chance to play.
You have Ragnow, Wallace, Gibson and Froholdt as returning starters with Rogers, Merrick, Jackson, Raulerson, Dylan Hays and Jake Hall also returning.
I didn’t see Froholdt as a guy who was going to make plays on defense. He would sometimes defeat his block and then looked like he wasn’t sure what to do after that. He looks like a better fit as an offensive linemen. I agree with Bielema’s evaluation on Froholdt. Perhaps it should have been made sooner, so he’d have had a year as a redshirt freshman learning O-line stuff. It was unfair to put him on the field this year, but not sure what other option there was at the time (and that was last spring).
I saw Ramirez and Malone at the bowl site. They look like different players as far as their arms and legs. They are much, much stronger. I’m not sure what Ramirez weighs now, but it looks like he’s added 15-20 pounds and he needed all of that. I think both will be factors this spring as far as pushing for playing time.
The guy no one mentions that is still listed as the backup left tackle is Jake Hall, the converted defensive end. He was moved to that backup spot after about the second week of the season and stayed there. He’s a guy with quickness and a big-time motor. I think he may have a shot at that spot in the spring, too.
I think Froholdt is going to benefit from another winter and spring with Kurt Anderson and I wouldn’t move him back to defense. They have a guy just like him there in Austin Capps. I think Capps is going to be a good player in the middle of the defense.
RD, DD and Clay you boys are talking some real sense here. Appreciated on this end.
Isn’t Jake hall 265 pounds though? That’s not even close to being able to play in the SEC.
froholdt will be fine trust me,I knew he was going to struggle because he simply hasn’t had enough time at the position.The OL takes a long time for you to be to see things before they happen.He often got beat on twists/slants by the DL or blitzes by LB,those are things that take time to know what to look for an anticipate what to look for BEFORE the snap of the ball he was caught having tio react to certain things that he simply wans’t expecting presnap and that is what experince teaches you.He is plenty strong and IMO needs to work on his agility from what I can see othe than that he will be very good before he leaves UA maybe even next yr…
froholdt will be fine trust me,I knew he was going to struggle because he simply hasn’t had enough time at the position.The OL takes a long time for you to be to see things before they happen.He often got beat on twists by the DL or blitzes by LB,those are things that take time to know what to look for an anticipate what to look for BEFORE the snap of the ball he was caught having tio react to certain things that he simply wans’t expecting presnap and that is what experince teaches you.He is plenty strong and IMO needs to work on his agility from what I can see othe than that he will be very good before he leaves UA maybe even next yr…
I don’t think Jake Hall is 265 anymore. He continues to add pounds. What he’ll be at in the spring, I’m not sure. But I wouldn’t count him out. But, my guess is that Ramirez is the left tackle.
The thing I’ve noticed is that when he knows who to block and gets his hands on them, it’s game, set match. He has another thing that is hard to teach and that’s a mean streak.
He is an intriguing prospect. He is going to struggle to get it figured out but if he does he is going to be very good.
Yes PIG he is strong as a Bull just takes a lot of reps for the game to slow down for a young OL just so many things you just have know is going to happen presnap so he will be already know what to do when they do certain things or line up in certain spots but this yr he was having to figure out as he went and why he got beat so much. He will continue to get better,look forward t seeing his progress next yr
At least they will have numbers at oline next year (I count 17 or 18); that has not been true for several years.
I loved Pittman but I have to face it that he whiffed his last year of recruiting. I don’t know what it was- whether he didn’t care or just missed on all. I think Wallace, Merrick, and Josh Allen (now gone) were all expected to be big contributors, but none of them came through until Wallace did this year. I knew we were in trouble when Ramirez and Malone couldn’t bump out Froholdt. This year was bad on Oline, but I think something may have happened- they got embarrassed and pissed off. Will it motivate them?
Heinrich and Hall are intriguing new talent impacts. I think Raulerson got a bad rap from many fans because they didn’t know how bad his ankle injury was AND that he was not SEC sized as Clay has mentioned. Raulerson, Ramirez, Malone, Rogers and Jackson give us a good group to develop a solid 2nd string.
Variables for spring and beyond that could seriously impact the quality of line play for 2017:
Will Wallace continue to improve his knowledge of the assignments?
Will Froholdt get comfortable enough to stop thinking so much and use his talent?
Will Gibson continue his rise and improve more?
Will Merrick get it together?
Will Hall and Heinrich surge?
Yea, I too think he is building it the right way. And, as I have mentioned in other posts I have developed a talent for patience, but I do wish he’d speed it up a bit.