2016 Outlook - Spartan Here
- Thread starter GIOP
- Start date
Offense loaded, and a porous defense losing its best players. Looking forward to playing MSU again on a regular basis. Will be pulling for you this weekend.
ND's offense brings back its core players and should not be much of a drop off. The defense is a question mark - especially if Jaylon declares for the draft. ND will be replacing players in all three levels on the defense but replacing them with (arguably) more athletic players with the exception of Sheldon Day.
Offense next year should actually improve and be the best in the Kelly era to date. Defensive line should be solid but not great. LBs will be green, but probably more athletic. If J. Smith stays, then it could be a very good group, especially if Morgan and Coney develop. DBs will be very experienced, but the problem is they didn't play well this year. The biggest question is who replaces Shumate at strong safety. I'm guessing it'll be A very Sebastian, assuming he gets his 6th year. With that said, there may not be much of a difference from what kind of team we see next year compared to this year. Hopefully we're not decimated by injuries.
Offense could be ridiculous, especially if Fuller comes back like he says he will.
Losing Jaylon & Sheldon is going to leave a mark. Hopefully we have a different DC, but I'm not counting on it. We'll probably have a top 5 offense and a 60-70th rated defense. Essentially, we'll probably be Oregon from the last few years.
Losing Jaylon & Sheldon is going to leave a mark. Hopefully we have a different DC, but I'm not counting on it. We'll probably have a top 5 offense and a 60-70th rated defense. Essentially, we'll probably be Oregon from the last few years.
The likely assumptions for roster changes:
QB - Kizer / Zaire , Wimbush
RB - Prosise / Folston , Adams , Williams / Brent
WRx - Fuller , Holmes / Guyton
WRw - Robinson / St. Brown / Boykin
WRz - Hunter , Sanders
TE - A. Jones / Smythe / Weishar / Luatua
LT - Bars , Bivin
LG - Nelson , Montelus
C - Mustipher / Hodge
RG - Elmer , McGovern
RT - McGlinchey , Bivin
Overall the offense should be LOADED, with NFL talent and experience and nearly every single position. The closest things to "?'s" are the TE and C positions....and those are manned by multiple 4*/5* players with some experience themselves.......this should be the best offense we've had in 25+ years
- (OT) Ronnie Stanley goes NFL
- (LB) Jaylon Smith goes NFL
- (CB) Kevarie Russell stays (this one is really 50/50, he wants to go NFL but may not get the project he needs to have that makes sense)
- (RB) CJ Prosise stays (this one could go the other way because he's an RB, but staying makes more sense)
- (WR) Will Fuller stays (already said he would)
QB - Kizer / Zaire , Wimbush
(No way to call a starter here, but either way we'll have a really quality QB, a great backup, and a ton of competition/versatility. QB should be a MAJOR improvement next year)
(Another LOADED position, no way to say who will "start", but it won't matter. We'll be deep with top level players who will all rotate in. Best our RB positions has been in a VERY LONG time.)
WRw - Robinson / St. Brown / Boykin
WRz - Hunter , Sanders
(Very talented position, with a legit high round NFL player in Fuller, as well as a lot of versatility and depth. Not as strong as the Floyd/Tate year at WR, but still a strong group that should be improved from 2015)
(Very deep group, with a mountain of talent, but...not 1 clear starter. Could end up being the best TE unit in CFB at the end of the season, but early on this group will need to develop. However, with everyone returning, it's still improve from 2015)
LG - Nelson , Montelus
C - Mustipher / Hodge
RG - Elmer , McGovern
RT - McGlinchey , Bivin
(As physically talented an OL as we've had since Holtz, as good as 2015...at least. However, replacing the experience of Stanley/Martin isn't easy. This group could be an improvement from 2015, but it will have to grow during the off-season and season)
WDE - Trumbetti , Randolph , Kareem
NT - J. Jones / Cage , Matsuka / Mokwauh
DT - Tillery , Hayes , Bonner
SDE - Rochell , Blankenship , Bonner
MLB - Morgan / Grace
SLB - Onwaulu / Martini
CB - Russell , Butler
NB - Crawford , Butler
FS - Redfield , M. Williams
SS - Avery / Tranquil , Morgan
There are some questions to answer at every level (Pass Rush, Leadership, Organization, etc.) but the physical talent (size, speed, athleticism) is undeniable. They need to play better as a unit in 2016 than they did in 2015......or there is a real possibility to take a step backwards, despite available talent
NT - J. Jones / Cage , Matsuka / Mokwauh
DT - Tillery , Hayes , Bonner
SDE - Rochell , Blankenship , Bonner
(Losing Day and Okwara hurts the DL, especially in the pass rush. But getting starting NT Jones back from injury helps. This DL should be better against the run, but doesn't have obvious pass rushers at right now. It's thin at DE, but strong at DT. Probably similar to the 2015 unit, overall)
WLB - Coney / Barajas
MLB - Morgan / Grace
SLB - Onwaulu / Martini
(Losing Jaylon will really hurt this group, ans Schmidts ability to lineup the defense could be missed...though his actual play won't be. Overall, this group may have close to as much total talent at the 2015 group...but it loses a lot. It's probably a step back from 2015, unless some rising Juniors really start to grow into their roles)
CB - Luke , Coleman
CB - Russell , Butler
NB - Crawford , Butler
FS - Redfield , M. Williams
SS - Avery / Tranquil , Morgan
(If Russell comes back, this is a group with a lot of experience and NFL talent. Getting Crawford back from injury would help a lot too. This would be one of the most physically gifted DB cores for ND in a long time. If they play even close to their potential....they'd be a major improvement from 2015)
Overall, the defense has a lot more questions to answer than the offense.
There are some questions to answer at every level (Pass Rush, Leadership, Organization, etc.) but the physical talent (size, speed, athleticism) is undeniable. They need to play better as a unit in 2016 than they did in 2015......or there is a real possibility to take a step backwards, despite available talent
As a whole, I'd expect 2016 ND to be much better than the 2015 ND team that took the field.......mainly because of the insane injuries that resulted in crazy amounts of youth starting in 2015
In 2015 ND had:
In 2015 ND had:
- RS Frosh QB (almost all season)
- True Frosh RB (backup all season, starter for late season)
- True Frosh TE (almost all season)
- True Frosh DT (all season)
- No NB (all season)
MSU will lose starter QB Connor Cook. ND will not lose any QB for 2016. I think MSU will lost more than 3 in 2016.
ND will have many great players for 2016. But ND have been troubles with CB and SS. Also miss too many tackles. 2016 MSU will lost to OSU,Michigan and Notre Dame
ND will have many great players for 2016. But ND have been troubles with CB and SS. Also miss too many tackles. 2016 MSU will lost to OSU,Michigan and Notre Dame
Michigan State seems like they'll lose a lot on offense
Definite:
QB - Cook
WR - Burbridge
WR - Kings
OL - Conklin (seems like a lock to declare for the NFL)
OL - Allen
OL - Clark
I expect the rushing offense to continue to be strong but to take a significant step backwards in the passing game (QB, WR, and Pass Blocking)
Definite:
QB - Cook
WR - Burbridge
WR - Kings
OL - Conklin (seems like a lock to declare for the NFL)
OL - Allen
OL - Clark
I expect the rushing offense to continue to be strong but to take a significant step backwards in the passing game (QB, WR, and Pass Blocking)
I agree. Where as I saw a 8-4 to 10-2 team in 2015, I see 2016 ND really having a chance to run the table if they can get by Texas in week 1. I know, I know but Texas on the road could be a much harder task then they were this year. The rest of the schedule should be winnable.
We lose Joe Schmidt so there will be nobody else who can align the defensive unit properly - offensively we will be the same.
LOL....and no one left to miss all the tackles either
Offensively, we should be MUCH BETTER, considering we'll have actual experience at QB and RB (plus more experience at almost every other position too)
The offense played most of this year with:
First Time Starters - 5
Underclassman Starters - 4
First Time Starters who are ALSO Underclassmen - 4
Underclassmen in the 2-Deep - 13
It's very possible that there isn't a single underclassmen starting on offense next season and barley any in the entire 2-Deep, with mimimal new starters as well
That kind of talent/experience combo (especially at QB) almost always leads to improvement
Decker.......... NO WAY Robinson starts at WR next year. He was terrible this year.
Other than that I agree with pretty much everything else.
I see WR as Fuller and Hunter as two starting locks, and I'm hopeful the 3rd WR is St Brown. If St Brown isn't good enough to start then Hopefully we'll go more Two TEs with Jones and Smythe.
Other than that I agree with pretty much everything else.
I see WR as Fuller and Hunter as two starting locks, and I'm hopeful the 3rd WR is St Brown. If St Brown isn't good enough to start then Hopefully we'll go more Two TEs with Jones and Smythe.
While that may be harsh, I believe it is why the safeties had to 'look run' so much and why Redfield made so many tackles. I remember seeing a Showtime episode where Redfield was teasing Schmidt that he had gotten 14 tackles due to Schmidt's misses. It is no wonder there was so much confusion in the defensive backfield with the safeties' first priority being 'clean up the run'.
A lot of people said that about Chris Brown coming into this year.....and we're 100% ready for Robinson to take over his spot
I wouldn't be surprised to see Robinson take a big step forward next year
That said, I expect to see a lot of rotation at the skill positions. Basically:
QB - Zaire or Kizer (Full starter)
QB - Zaire or Kizer (Rotational)
RB - Prosise (Co-Starter)
RB - Folston (Co-Starter)
RB - Adams (Rotational)
WR - Fuller (Full Starter)
WR - Hunter (Full Starter)
WR - Robinson (Co-Starter)
WR - St. Brown (Co-Starter)
WR - Sanders (Rotational)
WR - Holmes (Rotational)
WR - Boykin (Rotational)
TE - A. Jones (Co-Starter)
TE - Smythe (Co-Starter)
TE - Weishar (Rotational)
TE - Luatua (Rotational)
That's 16 guys (at least) rotating into 6 positions.....and that's without counting any incoming frosh (plus guys like Dexter Williams, Jalen Guyton, Justin Brent, etc.)
I'm betting we see a TON of different players rotating into the offensive skill positions, no matter who the nominal starter is
For real
If players like Morgan/Coney can step and replace Schmidt from an organization standpoint....the overall defense could get a lot better (despite losing Jaylon and Day) just because we'll have competent and talented play at MLB
Defense has to get a lot better in a ton of areas......
You're right on Special Teams, we return all of our PK, P, KR, PR and they're very good......for the 1st time in a while
The Redzone offense is the biggest area where the offense needs improvement....that and ball security
My hope if the increased physical maturity and experience of almost the entire offense will be a major boon in that area
I don't think the Spartan's will fall off in 2016. After posting 11 or more wins in 5 of the last 6 years I think it is fair to say MSU reloads each year and I think they'll win 11+ again in 2016. MSU's defense will lose some good players but should be at least as stout in 2016 because we have a lot of young players in the 2015 line up and great depth. The punter and kicker return so special teams should be okay and the defensive secondary improved over 2015 because of experience.
The offensive departures of Cook, Allen, Burridge, Kings and perhaps Conklin will be felt. The #2 and #3 QB's beat OSU in the shoe so I think they'll be a quality QB under center. I prefer Tyler O'Connell (TOC) but Damion Terry shows promise also and all the running backs all return. The running backs were first year contributors in 2015 so I expect they'll be better next year. We have good depth on the OL as demonstrated this season when we weathered a lot of missed starts and kept winning. MSU may run their QB's more than in the past in 2016 because both TOC and DT are able runners so the 2016 offense may be different than under Cook but I think as productive. State should field another deep, talented and balanced team in 2016 and the game in South Bend will be a good first test for both teams. Win or lose in South Bend I believe MSU will be competing for the East Division again with Michigan and Ohio State coming to East Lansing.
It will be fun to play the Irish again in 2016, I've always enjoyed playing ND look forward to this renewal of the rivalry for a couple of years.
The offensive departures of Cook, Allen, Burridge, Kings and perhaps Conklin will be felt. The #2 and #3 QB's beat OSU in the shoe so I think they'll be a quality QB under center. I prefer Tyler O'Connell (TOC) but Damion Terry shows promise also and all the running backs all return. The running backs were first year contributors in 2015 so I expect they'll be better next year. We have good depth on the OL as demonstrated this season when we weathered a lot of missed starts and kept winning. MSU may run their QB's more than in the past in 2016 because both TOC and DT are able runners so the 2016 offense may be different than under Cook but I think as productive. State should field another deep, talented and balanced team in 2016 and the game in South Bend will be a good first test for both teams. Win or lose in South Bend I believe MSU will be competing for the East Division again with Michigan and Ohio State coming to East Lansing.
It will be fun to play the Irish again in 2016, I've always enjoyed playing ND look forward to this renewal of the rivalry for a couple of years.
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Good assessment below Decker and only time will tell but there are a couple interesting wrinkles that could take place. Sheldon hard to replace but would be tempting to get Tillery in at WDE just to have Rochelle, Cage, Jones and Terry J in at same time. Word was that Terry's first step reminded many of Sheldon's in the Spring and thats a big front line. Terry can stop the run and gums up a lot of passing lanes and showed he could get pressure on QB up the middle. We need another Justin Tuck but he may not be here until Beal gets on campus in 2017. If u were an opposing coach, where would you go across that front four with Morgan, Barajas and Bilal etc lurking behind. Loved what we saw of Martini towards the end of this year, hunter/killer. Oh, jeez and then theres Coney, good lord.(dont believe Grace can come back, wasn't this his last?)
Also, depending on Blankenships development, he seems a WDE more then a Rochell-mini. Came in long lean and quick... maybe he hasn't shown that since he's arrived, know we havent really seen enough to understand what we have in Grant.
On same page with most of the DB comments, hoping Drue has a healthy year. Been a big fan of his since before Purdue offered him (still looking to see how his brother turns out). He is a freak, and yes in the same vein as Jaylon though slightly smaller, really a bit like Harrison Smith. (Harrison was not what he became until close to his senior year, a LOT of people thought he was the biggest liability on the defense etc etc) But there were Tranquill moments where the lights went on and kid closes on a read like Harrison. Trying to remember who we were playing but the sec Drue saw was a pitch out, he was off like a shot and almost beat the pass 15 yards parallel to line of scrimmage and nailed the receiver simulataneously. There are moments when u know you just saw something absurd, that was one. May have even been the same game he blew his knee out right before half, in fact think it was...
Anyway, excited to see how all the boys come along, a lot of talent, a good problem to have ( and hopefully light on the frustration part, sure to be a lot of peaks and valleys as always)
Also, depending on Blankenships development, he seems a WDE more then a Rochell-mini. Came in long lean and quick... maybe he hasn't shown that since he's arrived, know we havent really seen enough to understand what we have in Grant.
On same page with most of the DB comments, hoping Drue has a healthy year. Been a big fan of his since before Purdue offered him (still looking to see how his brother turns out). He is a freak, and yes in the same vein as Jaylon though slightly smaller, really a bit like Harrison Smith. (Harrison was not what he became until close to his senior year, a LOT of people thought he was the biggest liability on the defense etc etc) But there were Tranquill moments where the lights went on and kid closes on a read like Harrison. Trying to remember who we were playing but the sec Drue saw was a pitch out, he was off like a shot and almost beat the pass 15 yards parallel to line of scrimmage and nailed the receiver simulataneously. There are moments when u know you just saw something absurd, that was one. May have even been the same game he blew his knee out right before half, in fact think it was...
Anyway, excited to see how all the boys come along, a lot of talent, a good problem to have ( and hopefully light on the frustration part, sure to be a lot of peaks and valleys as always)
