Like I posted six weeks ago the Hogs will have a new DC and I still say a new DL coach. Also will be some changes on offensive side, but they might not be fired-types on the offensive side. Stay tuned boys things are fixing to roll and for the better. Hope will reign again.
rhoads’ secondary was terrible! he should hit the road instead of getting a promotion.
Im hearing, from someone close to the program, if another defensive guy “leaves” it will be Rory Seagrest. Seems Rob Smith is indeed gone.
Smith/Segrest out…Diaco/Partridge in.
Pretty please…
If we were going to fix the defense, removal of Rob Smith had to be the 1st step. If he is gone on his own accord, much the better. Now coach B can look for a defensive coach with known resume of success. We need to focus more on Texas recruiting. So bring the best available defensive coach from Texas.
im sure the wake forrest fans are thrilled.
how do you sell that to your alumni ?
Answer every question with “just look at his 2014 defense at Arkansas”.
I don think Rhoads is the guy either, need to go out and get a proven guy if we can???
Ditto!!
Bottom line CBB has to get this hire right and please get someone who is aggressive and don’t just sit back. He has to get this hire right for his sake.
I would think the new DC will decide that.
I am still a believer in BB’s ability to get it done at Ark. So what I am getting ready to say is neither snarky nor agenda-driven.
A lack of D pressure and poor secondary performance was a real decision based on the preferences of BB. I am not talking BB being responsible in “the buck stops here” way, but rather, “listen up boys here is how the cow ate the cabbage” way. And it is not just scheme. He made decisions about who to recruit (or who not to recruit, as in the case of not signing a single CB on signing date last Feb.) who to redshirt, who to hire.
It has been reported on Drivetime that people in the know who saw the redshirted LBs state that they are a more talented bunch than the guys on the field this year. If that is true, then BB is the one to answer for the oft stated excuse that our D didn’t have enough LB talent to be effective. Redshirting is a luxury, not an obligation. When you wake up and your house is on fire, you don’t have time to indulge in the luxury of picking out seasonal wardrobe, matching shoes and socks, putting your contacts in, brushing your teeth and hair, etc. in fact if you are a father and husband, you do everything possible to get your wife and kids out safely, even if you are naked as a jaybird.
BB had a house on fire with his defense this year. Yet, he insisted on redshirting kids who could have possibly provided partial help this year. Redshirting would have been great, but having even a marginally better D against Auburn, A&M, Mizzou and VT would have been better.
Speaking of better, BB is a better coach than what he showed this season. And that is the point. It is BB who bears a significant amount of direct responsibility for the crap we saw this season. To paraphrase our own Clay after the Auburn game when I publically called for Smith’s scalp, “make no mistake this is BB’s defense.”
interesting.
thanks
I stand by my own speculation: CBB drew a line in the sand on player development/redshirting, and said that the staff will not play as many true frosh so that they can fully develop that class of talent. Players not field-ready by game 2-3 (open to debate, but at some point you have to say “not happening”) were going to go to the scout squad regardless of potential, or growth during the fall.
I believe you will see serious competition from the RS class across the board. Starters, even, may see their position in jeopardy.
We endured 2016 for that to happen.
Two of the freshmen linebackers - Alexy-Jean Baptiste and Dee Walker - needed the redshirt year to get stronger and physically ready for the SEC.
Giovanni LaFrance might have played this season if not for the early season injury, which kept him from starting practice on time.
De’Jon Harris developed as the season went along and obviously played his best football late as he continued to get reps.
I don’t know what was said on Drivetime, but I have consistently said this on the two radio shows that I an on:
The four linebackers will all be better in pass coverage than the upperclassmen ahead of them.
Baptiste and Walker have athleticism to match up on backs, tight ends, etc and will flourish in that part of the game
I think Harris and LaFrance - both o blessed with size and athleticism - will be best in the run game, but have high ceilings in terms of their overall game.
There are very few true freshmen that should actually play in their first year on campus in my opinion.
The decisions on the linebackers this season were the right ones in my opinion
IMHO when the house was burning down against Auburn having two athletic LB’s who are best against the run sitting at home redshirting makes BB’s decision anything but an open and shut case. It certainly can be argued that Smith is not as responsible for the D failures as I and others assumed.
To my way of thinking this reminds me of that Sandra Bullock movie where all the contestants want “world peace”. It is a wonderful sentiment that is almost obligatory to say, but in reality is more cliche than realistic. Redshirting those LBs sounds like a better plan than it actually was.
There are some things that cannot be unseen! Auburn is at the top of that list. With all due respect to anyone who disagrees, that game alone made redshirting two athletic LBs seem very questionable in retrospect and justification of the redshirting seem knee jerk. That sounds much more hostile than I mean it, both toward BB and to Dudley. Ironically, 99% of the time I would agree with Dudley on the redshirting of those guys.
But like I said, somethings from this season cannot be unseen.
IMO two freshman LB’s were not going to make a difference at Auburn. The whole team was played out. Next year the open date is in week 3, which is probably not any better than week 9, but we do have a cupcake late in the year, so hopefully if we are running out of gas we can get a little relief that week.
The issue was setting the edge against Auburn. Athletic LBs get to the edge. As they say you cannot coach speed.
If they could not help against Auburn, then we are in real trouble because they will never be able to help.
Remember that was an epic, historic defensive failure. Just one LB getting to the right gap a few more times would have dramatically improved our performance. The old 80/20 rule says that more athletes would have absolutely impacted that game.
So you think a couple of freshman LB’s would’ve made a 53 point difference? Man, you are really getting me excited for next year to see these kids play, they must be amazing. Or you just wanted to burn their redshirts so we’d only lose by 30 instead of 50?