Looking over who's available now that the portal is back open. Nobody immediately jumps out. Lot's of 3* guys, so just gonna some shrewd evaluation. Hope this staff can get a Juice Wells type find.
RBs in the portal
- Thread starter 18IsTheMan
- Start date
I think Anderson is going to surprise and Joyner is effective no matter where you put him.
But a transfer would be nice - if one of those two goes down, we are hurting!
But a transfer would be nice - if one of those two goes down, we are hurting!
Anderson physically looks the part, but just no idea about skill.
With a good evaluation, we can get a solid, legit RB from the portal. Doesn't have to be a superstar. If Anderson or Joyner emerge as the better option, that's great. As it is, it's hard to tell if either of them is really a legit option or if we're just making the best out of what we've got. If we bring in a legit, solid transfer and Anderson or Joyner still prove to be the better option, I'd feel more comfortable about it.
As it is, it's hard to say a DIII transfer and a former QB converted to WR are starting SEC RB material. But, heck, we had a grad assistant starting at QB 2 years ago, so who knows?
With a good evaluation, we can get a solid, legit RB from the portal. Doesn't have to be a superstar. If Anderson or Joyner emerge as the better option, that's great. As it is, it's hard to tell if either of them is really a legit option or if we're just making the best out of what we've got. If we bring in a legit, solid transfer and Anderson or Joyner still prove to be the better option, I'd feel more comfortable about it.
As it is, it's hard to say a DIII transfer and a former QB converted to WR are starting SEC RB material. But, heck, we had a grad assistant starting at QB 2 years ago, so who knows?
True, and had quite a rotation going at the QB spot. Same could happen at RB.
Some of the national folks seem to think our pass game is set for this year, based on how it looked against UT and Clemson. I'm cautiously optimistic, at best. As great as the UT and Clemson games were, it's hard to ignore the previous 9 games. Of course, we're throwing in a new OC, so it'll be a matter of whether or not he can put together an offense for this year that's tailored to suit Rattler's skill set. The reality is, our offense is very unsettled for 2023. Can Rattler look more like he did in the UT and Clemson games for an entire season? Or will he look more like Rattler from the end of his Oklahoma days and his first 9 games here? We're putting A LOT of eggs in the basket for the fact that he can replicate the UT and Clemson games. A lot. Can we get a competent run game going? On a related note, can the OL get it going? If, and it's a BIG "if" Rattler can look more like the UT/Clemson Rattler, then all we need is a competent run game. It only needs to be good enough to keep the D honest.
I'm with you that OL is key piece for the offense. I do like the TE and WR weapons (Knox and Lewis look like excellent additions) Rattler has to work with in the pass game and with any type of running threat to keep the defense honest the offense can be effective.
Michael Drennen from UK is in the portal. He was a 4* top 250 recruit and top 10 RB recruit coming out of high school in the 2020 class.
Also 4* Le'Neth Whitehead from Tennessee. He played ILB in college but really wanted to play RB in college. We went after him hard and he was trending to us, but he ended up with UT, presumably b/c they promised him the chance to compete at RB. Missed the last 2 years to injury though.
....and Lyn-j Dixon is still in there
Seriously? Talk about a cautionary tale.
We definitely need another back. Braswell doesn't arrive until his school year ends so he'll be coming in green.
The portal isn't overflowing with targets. Maybe someone will pop up, but I don't expect anyone whose name I know. We just need
someone serviceable to take some carries and provide depth.
The portal isn't overflowing with targets. Maybe someone will pop up, but I don't expect anyone whose name I know. We just need
someone serviceable to take some carries and provide depth.
Nothing so far. Portal closes on Sunday, but I read today that those in the portal can still transfer after it closes. I thought once it closed, transferring was done as well.
Either way, I was thinking a warm body at RB would have been called for. Oh well.
Yeah, for sure thought we could use some depth there. There's nobody elite in the portal, but a ton of 3* guys. I would think having an experienced 3* guy would have bolstered the position a bit since the only true RBs we'll have are a DIII transfer and a true freshman. We can still make a move, but I'm not sure how many more will jump in at this point.
Well, I would guess at this point, we're sticking with what we have at the position.
Hopefully Braswell shows up game-ready.
Hopefully Braswell shows up game-ready.
To me that's the bigger issue. Good production at the RB position would be a surprise at this point. I would disagree with you on Joyner. Love the guy, and he's a GC through and through. But if that were true, he wouldn't be on his 3rd position. I'm pulling for him, and hope he shocks the world and does enough to get to the NFL. But we've got a 3rd down back, a D2 xfer, and a guy that's never played RB. An average production level would be a surprise. Beamer needs to go all in on Diggs. I know it's an uphill battle, but he's just the man to fight those battles. It wouldn't just be nice to get a transfer...it's a necessity if we're going to take the next step.
We are working Diggs from ND. Everyone seems to thinks he's LSU's to lose. But I'm not counting out Beamer until it's done.
Right. We are in a tough spot. We've got a QB-turned-WR-turned-RB, a D2 transfer, a true freshman (not here yet) and a situational back. Joyner is athletic, and I don't doubt that he could probably pop off a decent run or 2 a game, but how many players move to their 3rd position in college and blow up? Likewise, Anderson, it's more about mystery/hope than anything else. It would be a great story if he became a productive back for us, but the most likely scenario is that he was a D2 player for a reason. JuJu, just to small to be an every down back. Braswell looks legit, but he'll be a true freshman. I'm sure he'll get some reps, but not too many guys show up as true freshman day i starters.
I'm sure LSU is the team to beat here, since his former coach is there and they're higher ranked. But, we can "offer" him the starting job. Nothing guaranteed, of course, but he would immediately be our best back the moment he sets foot on campus. Of course, LSU's leading rusher last year was their QB.
I agree 100%. And I would take it a step further. I don't think the Clem game was necessarily good. Rattler's first half was worse than DJ's 2nd half. Yes, Rattler had a bunch of yards. He also threw it 39 times and we couldn't do anything in the running game. 137 of the 360 yards he had came on 2 plays. The two INTs were a pick 6 and a pick in the endzone that should have been a TD. That's a 14 point swing that's squarely on Ratt. He also hit a DB right in the numbers late in the 1st but he dropped it. The safety was a terrible play as well. I just wonder how Ratt's perceived performance in that game would change if Clem didn't fumble that safety kick. They had just gone up by 9. And they scored a TD on the very next drive. The difference in the ballgame was that fumble and us being able to steal a net of 5 points on that exchange.
Yeah, LSU certainly has a compelling argument as well...along with the coaching situation.