I assume he's in summer classes and we won't know a thing until that ends. Any idea when that ends? Will it be one long summer session that runs through mid August, or something like a June class followed by a July class followed by an August class?
Laugh all you want, I think him making this year's team will be what puts us in the playoffs. Without, I think we fall 1 game short. Two reasons: 1) it gives us what most think is our biggest question mark on defense - a disruptive DE on 3rd down. 2) It completes the most inexperienced unit on the team (IMO), and gives QUALITY depth throughout the 2 deep.
Going by position:
QB - We're set. If Malik goes down, so be it. To win a championship, your 1st string QB has to stay healthy throughout the season (unless you're OSU). So depth there doesn't really matter (i.e., the quality of the 2nd string QB isn't going to be what determines a championship - you lose you're 1, you're out).
WR - Fuller, Amir, Brown as starters. Next in line - Robinson, Hunter Jr, Prosise, Holmes/Brent (both inexperienced but talented). That's a very solid 2-deep that can afford an injury (knock on wood). A- Depth.
RB - With Bryant out the first 4, it gets dicey at the beginning of the season. But once we're rolling, we have as talented a group of backup RBs in Bryant and CJ in the country, IMO. A+ Depth IMO.
OL - Alex Bars sounds like he'd start on a normal ND OL, and he's first in at Guard/OT. Follow that by any of the monsters from 2013/2014, and we have the best 2-deep at OL that I can remember.
Safeties - Redfield, Shummate, Avery Sebastian, Tranquill, Barratti (if healthy). A- Depth (because we're missing the true backup FS IMO).
Corner - Luke, Russel, and Watkins, with Crawford, Farley, and Butler behind them. Kind of a weird group, but you have experience in Butler and Farley, and Crawford by all accounts is a top 100 type of talent, so I'm happy with the depth there. Depth A-.
LB - Jaylon Smith, Onowala (quietly hoping for a big year from him), and Schmidt/Morgan. After that, you have Schmidt/Morgan, Martini, Grace. Not mentioning the others because they've shown me nothing that says they can play at this level. Depth B.
Inside DL: Day, Jones, followed by Hayes, Tillery, and Cage. Love the inside DL depth this year. Depth A.
Outside DL: Trumbetti (I think he starts over Okwara) and Rochelle, followed by Okwara and an unproven Blankership. Depth C+.
With Ishaq Outside DL: Trumbetti, Rochell, followed by Ishaq (might be the best DE on the team) and Romeo, with Blankership as the 3rd option. That depth, considering Ishaq's talent, Romeo's experience, and the fact that they're both in their last year = A+.
Without Ishaq, this is a great team with very little holes. With him, we have elite depth at the 2nd/3rd most important position on the field, DL. He puts us over the top and we become a team that can almost afford an injury at any position, plug the next guy in, and keep winning games.
Laugh all you want, I think him making this year's team will be what puts us in the playoffs. Without, I think we fall 1 game short. Two reasons: 1) it gives us what most think is our biggest question mark on defense - a disruptive DE on 3rd down. 2) It completes the most inexperienced unit on the team (IMO), and gives QUALITY depth throughout the 2 deep.
Going by position:
QB - We're set. If Malik goes down, so be it. To win a championship, your 1st string QB has to stay healthy throughout the season (unless you're OSU). So depth there doesn't really matter (i.e., the quality of the 2nd string QB isn't going to be what determines a championship - you lose you're 1, you're out).
WR - Fuller, Amir, Brown as starters. Next in line - Robinson, Hunter Jr, Prosise, Holmes/Brent (both inexperienced but talented). That's a very solid 2-deep that can afford an injury (knock on wood). A- Depth.
RB - With Bryant out the first 4, it gets dicey at the beginning of the season. But once we're rolling, we have as talented a group of backup RBs in Bryant and CJ in the country, IMO. A+ Depth IMO.
OL - Alex Bars sounds like he'd start on a normal ND OL, and he's first in at Guard/OT. Follow that by any of the monsters from 2013/2014, and we have the best 2-deep at OL that I can remember.
Safeties - Redfield, Shummate, Avery Sebastian, Tranquill, Barratti (if healthy). A- Depth (because we're missing the true backup FS IMO).
Corner - Luke, Russel, and Watkins, with Crawford, Farley, and Butler behind them. Kind of a weird group, but you have experience in Butler and Farley, and Crawford by all accounts is a top 100 type of talent, so I'm happy with the depth there. Depth A-.
LB - Jaylon Smith, Onowala (quietly hoping for a big year from him), and Schmidt/Morgan. After that, you have Schmidt/Morgan, Martini, Grace. Not mentioning the others because they've shown me nothing that says they can play at this level. Depth B.
Inside DL: Day, Jones, followed by Hayes, Tillery, and Cage. Love the inside DL depth this year. Depth A.
Outside DL: Trumbetti (I think he starts over Okwara) and Rochelle, followed by Okwara and an unproven Blankership. Depth C+.
With Ishaq Outside DL: Trumbetti, Rochell, followed by Ishaq (might be the best DE on the team) and Romeo, with Blankership as the 3rd option. That depth, considering Ishaq's talent, Romeo's experience, and the fact that they're both in their last year = A+.
Without Ishaq, this is a great team with very little holes. With him, we have elite depth at the 2nd/3rd most important position on the field, DL. He puts us over the top and we become a team that can almost afford an injury at any position, plug the next guy in, and keep winning games.
