we really need him to make a difference inside becasue I really don’t see anybody else capable of stopping folks from running right at us. my biggest concern on defense.
He mentions trying to drop 40 pounds before the season starts. Any time guys lose or gain a whole lot of weight in a short time I worry about the need to get used to the new “you”. That is kind of magnified by him going against SEC linemen all day every day.
So I will be happy if he just gets into the back end of the interior DL rotation as a true freshman, and won’t be disappointed if they keep the redshirt on him. The new redshirt rule could really benefit him.
I think we are going to be okay in the interior DL stopping the run. I think they’ve got plenty of guys with enough size and experience to play the run. I’m not sure that any of those guys is a really good pass rusher, though Guidry might develop into one. They all might be more effective on pass rush if the DEs, etc. cause more havoc
I think the bigger key on the DL is whether the new staff/scheme can turn some of those DEs into playmakers. They’ve got six returning guys( I think Agim is better at DE except in long yardage situations) plus the JC Gerald who have the physical tools. But none of them except Sosa has put it together consistently on the field. If Chavis can forge a good four or five man rotation from that group, we have a chance to make a big jump in DL play.
Not sure that Billy can be a hero this year, but I like his potential to be a very good DT in time. It sounds like he’s got a big body, quick feet, and a good head on his shoulders. He’s going to need the kind of body transformation that you get in a P-5 strength and conditioning program, but it will not happen over night. I suspect he will remind us more of Bijohn The Big One early on, than Wayne Martin or Dan Hampton. As he he puts in the work and gains experience, he could remind us of those latter guys.
A guy with Billy’s ability can dominate in HS regardless of weight and often times they don’t see the need to drop weight until college. He’s very light on his feet at 330-340. Seeing him at 300-310 could be scary once he gets a year or so in the weight room.
I was taken back at first when I saw that he want to drop all those pounds. Then, I said to myself, self you are still thinking in the previous coaching era. We have a new coach and a totally new system. We play fast and hopefully we score fast. Linemen are going to have to get used to being back on the field in a hurry. Our linemen can’t carry a lot of extra pounds. They will be gassed in a hurry if we use Coach B’s philosophy. His philosophy totally failed against the HUNH offenses in the SEC. I remember him whining and trying to get the rules changed so that the game would slow down. Welcome to life in the fast lane.
I would bet he would’ve lost weight under Bielema. They were worried about his weight in HS.