From a purely TALENT and INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT standpoint, this is how I grade out each position as we currently are the first few weeks here in May:
(1) Quarterback, B+ I think that we have two of the best UNDER-CLASSMEN quarterbacks in the entire country. Both Kaaya and Rosier have quality skill sets. Both are cerebral, both can make big time throws, and both are developing into leaders. The question, of course, is CONSISTENCY. Both are still UNDER-CLASSMEN, and both have a lot to prove. Nevertheless, I like what we have. If God forbid Kaaya suffers an injury, then at least we have a quality backup in Malik who can bring an athletic skill set and a more mobile presence to the table. Both quarterbacks have been doing well this off-season, and from what I am reading and hearing, both are continuing to do what is asked of them on and off of the football season. I give these guys a B+, but this grade could certainly become an A-, or even an A, by the same time next year with more experience under their respective belts entering their upper-classmen years.
(2) Running Back, B+ Some people might grade this out at a B or even a B-, but for me, I believe that the talent we have at Running Back is a solid B+. Yearby is an excellent runner. He averaged SIX YARDS PER CARRY with a long of 61 and a touchdown. His weight is listed between 191 and 196. I think that he will round out to about 200 to 202 lbs by the time the season starts. He was inconsistent as a freshman, but his ability to be a homerun hitter as a running back should have everyone excited. Behind him is Gus, who was heavily criticized by a lot of people. I'm not sure why- I like Gus, his teammates like and respect him, and he's an important part of the offense. I think that he's becoming that "Mike James" hybrid HB/FB role with his size. Gus did average 5.7 yards per carry with 6 touchdowns last season. Granted, his stats are slightly skewed because he didn't play the final four games of the season including against Florida State, but I expect to bounce back strong and have a good season this year. We have a solid tandem in Joseph and Gus, and if that isn't enough, we also have Tucker who has been more than a serviceable fullback type player. I also like Gray and think that he will work his way more into the rotation.
(3) Wide Receiver, B I graded this unit out lower than I expected, but for a few reasons. First, Dorsett is gone and his departure will truly be felt. Second, Herb has declined in production and impact- hard to believe that he is still here and entering his senior year. Seems like a decade ago he was breaking out as a freshman- what happened??? Braxton Berrios is a solid player, but a "B" type player in my opinion. He's not a bona fide #1 option, but he compliments the other receivers well. Scott coming back will be a boost, and Coley is explosive, but still has a bit to prove until he becomes elite. Nobody else on the roster stands out to me at this point in time and nobody has truly had a breakthrough this off-season. So, as it stands, a firm B graded for this position group is fair, with room to improve to a B+....
(4) Tight End, D Can anyone other than Cane fans even name ONE Tight End on this roster...??? For a program which has produced seemingly an endless amount of NFL Tight Ends, the Tight End mining well sure as hell has seemed to have dried up... Dobard appears to be our #1 Starter, and while he's had a modest off-season and is a serviceable player, he doesn't strike fear into opposing defenses' eyes. Nobody else on the roster has proven anything at Tight End, and in an era where the Tight End has become more and more and more of a weapon in the passing game, I simply cannot give this positional group a grade higher than a D at this juncture.
(5) Offensive Line, B- This positional group I struggled to give a grade at this point in time just for the simple fact that it takes TIME for an offense line to build CHEMISTRY and work as a UNIT. That is a huge difference- when the 2001 team had those guys blocking for Ken, they were together for a WHILE, and they all understood each other and assignments. For the 2015 team, I like Darling and McDermott battling for one of the Tackle positions. Both solid players, but not elite. Gadbois- probably a B- player at this point with the ability to slightly improve and become a B player. Isidora, probably a B player. Hunter wells at the other Guard position is a major ???... Clearly he’s done some good things this off-season to be included on the two deep at this point, especially being listed as a starter- but who honestly knows until the season starts. I think that the REAL GEM on this offensive line is Nick Linder. I think he will be a real anchor on the offensive line. He’s a B to B+ player and I’ve heard he can play guard too. He’s a little undersized at 290-292 lbs, but I think he has room to grow and his skill sets and footwork is good. So, it’s a different offensive line with Flowers gone- there are new names, and this unit will take time to gel. It isn’t a disaster by ANY stretch of the imagination, and this unit will probably be a B by the time the season starts, but for now it is a work in progress. B grade it is…
(6) Defensive Line, C I don’t see the defensive line as a complete disaster form a talent standpoint, but it is without question lacking depth and impact players. Chad Thomas can be an “impact player”, but he isn’t there yet, and he is frankly the ONLY player on the roster who has the raw talent and skill sets to be that elite “impact player” like the greats of old. I think that Kamalu, Heurtelou, and AQM are SERVICEABLE players, but they are not solid to elite players. They haven’t shown it on a consistent basis in the past, and I have neither read nor heard anything this off-season which would lead me to believe that either of these three players have the potential to be real standouts for the entire season. On top of all of that, we REALLY lack DEPTH on the defensive line. The starting defensive linemen are serviceable players, but an injury here or there for this positional group will make a major concern even more of a major concern. C grade until we really recruit and LAND some four and five star defensive tackles who are big and smart.
(7) Linebackers, C Simply stated, we are REALLY going to miss Denzel this year. Lol… I don’t think that many Hurricane fans realize just how hard and well Denzel played last year to COVER up a lot of mistakes made by the other linebackers and defensive linemen. We know Kirby is going to lay the lumber and be a hard hitting machine. He is a SOLID player, and a B player for me. Where does that leave the rest of the positional group…??? Not in good shape, that is for sure. Owens and Grace- they’ve been up and down. They’re not standing out in practice and they didn’t in the Spring Game. They’re probably both C players in my opinion at this point in time. Probably would be backups as 2nd or 3rd String on an FSU or Ohio State… Here, they’re starting and getting a lot of minutes. Just about sums up the level of talent we have at linebacker right now. On top of that, we don’t have a lot of quality depth. McCord is going to play at linebacker- I think that he can be good in situational plays at linebacker, but I doubt he can be dominant on a weekly basis, which is really what we need right now from someone in this group… I think that COLLECTIVELY, Kirby, Owens, and Grace average out to a B- starting line unit, but after there a lot of question marks. C is tougher than I wanted it to be, but I think that it’s fair.
(8) Cornerbacks, B- I like the cornerback talent we have. We don’t have a lot of frontline corners, but Artie, Tracy, and Elder are solid B players in my opinion. The talent is good. The REAL problem is DEPTH… I expect one of the Safeties to roll over and play cornerback from time to time depending on the matchups and situations in the game. Maybe Deon or Jamal. The talent is probably a solid B, but the lack of depth and young talent at this positional group knocks it down to a B- which, truth be told, is a generous B-.
(9) Safeties, B Similar to cornerbacks, I like what we have here too at Safety. Deon, Jamal, Dallas, Jenkins. SOLID players. These guys can tackle, they can intercept the ball, they can come up and help play the run, they’re VETERAN, UPPERCLASSMEN players. I think that a lot of people are undervaluing what we have at Safety because of the concerns with the Front Seven… Fair enough, but we will need EVERY OUNCE of talent out of the Safeties to come up and help with run support throughout the season, because I can guarantee you that teams will be trying to run it down our throats again and again and again this year just like LAST YEAR. This unit gets a SOLID B grade for me because of the experience and depth to compliment the quality we have there.
(10) Specialists, B+ Vogel is an excellent Special Teams player. He is AT LEAST an A- Special Teams player in my opinion. I don’t know anything about Badgley or who will be the long snapper on punts, so there are ??? which is why I’m bumping this positional group down to a B+.
I think that the talent we have on offense at this juncture grades out to about a B+, and the talent that we have on defense at this juncture grades out to about a C+. I give the TEAM and OVERALL grade of B. We are NOT in the class of Ohio State, Florida State, or Alabama when it comes to OVERAL TEAM TALENT, but we CERTAINLY have the LEVEL OF TALENT to compete in the COASTAL DIVISION of an AVERAGE ACC Conference.
(1) Quarterback, B+ I think that we have two of the best UNDER-CLASSMEN quarterbacks in the entire country. Both Kaaya and Rosier have quality skill sets. Both are cerebral, both can make big time throws, and both are developing into leaders. The question, of course, is CONSISTENCY. Both are still UNDER-CLASSMEN, and both have a lot to prove. Nevertheless, I like what we have. If God forbid Kaaya suffers an injury, then at least we have a quality backup in Malik who can bring an athletic skill set and a more mobile presence to the table. Both quarterbacks have been doing well this off-season, and from what I am reading and hearing, both are continuing to do what is asked of them on and off of the football season. I give these guys a B+, but this grade could certainly become an A-, or even an A, by the same time next year with more experience under their respective belts entering their upper-classmen years.
(2) Running Back, B+ Some people might grade this out at a B or even a B-, but for me, I believe that the talent we have at Running Back is a solid B+. Yearby is an excellent runner. He averaged SIX YARDS PER CARRY with a long of 61 and a touchdown. His weight is listed between 191 and 196. I think that he will round out to about 200 to 202 lbs by the time the season starts. He was inconsistent as a freshman, but his ability to be a homerun hitter as a running back should have everyone excited. Behind him is Gus, who was heavily criticized by a lot of people. I'm not sure why- I like Gus, his teammates like and respect him, and he's an important part of the offense. I think that he's becoming that "Mike James" hybrid HB/FB role with his size. Gus did average 5.7 yards per carry with 6 touchdowns last season. Granted, his stats are slightly skewed because he didn't play the final four games of the season including against Florida State, but I expect to bounce back strong and have a good season this year. We have a solid tandem in Joseph and Gus, and if that isn't enough, we also have Tucker who has been more than a serviceable fullback type player. I also like Gray and think that he will work his way more into the rotation.
(3) Wide Receiver, B I graded this unit out lower than I expected, but for a few reasons. First, Dorsett is gone and his departure will truly be felt. Second, Herb has declined in production and impact- hard to believe that he is still here and entering his senior year. Seems like a decade ago he was breaking out as a freshman- what happened??? Braxton Berrios is a solid player, but a "B" type player in my opinion. He's not a bona fide #1 option, but he compliments the other receivers well. Scott coming back will be a boost, and Coley is explosive, but still has a bit to prove until he becomes elite. Nobody else on the roster stands out to me at this point in time and nobody has truly had a breakthrough this off-season. So, as it stands, a firm B graded for this position group is fair, with room to improve to a B+....
(4) Tight End, D Can anyone other than Cane fans even name ONE Tight End on this roster...??? For a program which has produced seemingly an endless amount of NFL Tight Ends, the Tight End mining well sure as hell has seemed to have dried up... Dobard appears to be our #1 Starter, and while he's had a modest off-season and is a serviceable player, he doesn't strike fear into opposing defenses' eyes. Nobody else on the roster has proven anything at Tight End, and in an era where the Tight End has become more and more and more of a weapon in the passing game, I simply cannot give this positional group a grade higher than a D at this juncture.
(5) Offensive Line, B- This positional group I struggled to give a grade at this point in time just for the simple fact that it takes TIME for an offense line to build CHEMISTRY and work as a UNIT. That is a huge difference- when the 2001 team had those guys blocking for Ken, they were together for a WHILE, and they all understood each other and assignments. For the 2015 team, I like Darling and McDermott battling for one of the Tackle positions. Both solid players, but not elite. Gadbois- probably a B- player at this point with the ability to slightly improve and become a B player. Isidora, probably a B player. Hunter wells at the other Guard position is a major ???... Clearly he’s done some good things this off-season to be included on the two deep at this point, especially being listed as a starter- but who honestly knows until the season starts. I think that the REAL GEM on this offensive line is Nick Linder. I think he will be a real anchor on the offensive line. He’s a B to B+ player and I’ve heard he can play guard too. He’s a little undersized at 290-292 lbs, but I think he has room to grow and his skill sets and footwork is good. So, it’s a different offensive line with Flowers gone- there are new names, and this unit will take time to gel. It isn’t a disaster by ANY stretch of the imagination, and this unit will probably be a B by the time the season starts, but for now it is a work in progress. B grade it is…
(6) Defensive Line, C I don’t see the defensive line as a complete disaster form a talent standpoint, but it is without question lacking depth and impact players. Chad Thomas can be an “impact player”, but he isn’t there yet, and he is frankly the ONLY player on the roster who has the raw talent and skill sets to be that elite “impact player” like the greats of old. I think that Kamalu, Heurtelou, and AQM are SERVICEABLE players, but they are not solid to elite players. They haven’t shown it on a consistent basis in the past, and I have neither read nor heard anything this off-season which would lead me to believe that either of these three players have the potential to be real standouts for the entire season. On top of all of that, we REALLY lack DEPTH on the defensive line. The starting defensive linemen are serviceable players, but an injury here or there for this positional group will make a major concern even more of a major concern. C grade until we really recruit and LAND some four and five star defensive tackles who are big and smart.
(7) Linebackers, C Simply stated, we are REALLY going to miss Denzel this year. Lol… I don’t think that many Hurricane fans realize just how hard and well Denzel played last year to COVER up a lot of mistakes made by the other linebackers and defensive linemen. We know Kirby is going to lay the lumber and be a hard hitting machine. He is a SOLID player, and a B player for me. Where does that leave the rest of the positional group…??? Not in good shape, that is for sure. Owens and Grace- they’ve been up and down. They’re not standing out in practice and they didn’t in the Spring Game. They’re probably both C players in my opinion at this point in time. Probably would be backups as 2nd or 3rd String on an FSU or Ohio State… Here, they’re starting and getting a lot of minutes. Just about sums up the level of talent we have at linebacker right now. On top of that, we don’t have a lot of quality depth. McCord is going to play at linebacker- I think that he can be good in situational plays at linebacker, but I doubt he can be dominant on a weekly basis, which is really what we need right now from someone in this group… I think that COLLECTIVELY, Kirby, Owens, and Grace average out to a B- starting line unit, but after there a lot of question marks. C is tougher than I wanted it to be, but I think that it’s fair.
(8) Cornerbacks, B- I like the cornerback talent we have. We don’t have a lot of frontline corners, but Artie, Tracy, and Elder are solid B players in my opinion. The talent is good. The REAL problem is DEPTH… I expect one of the Safeties to roll over and play cornerback from time to time depending on the matchups and situations in the game. Maybe Deon or Jamal. The talent is probably a solid B, but the lack of depth and young talent at this positional group knocks it down to a B- which, truth be told, is a generous B-.
(9) Safeties, B Similar to cornerbacks, I like what we have here too at Safety. Deon, Jamal, Dallas, Jenkins. SOLID players. These guys can tackle, they can intercept the ball, they can come up and help play the run, they’re VETERAN, UPPERCLASSMEN players. I think that a lot of people are undervaluing what we have at Safety because of the concerns with the Front Seven… Fair enough, but we will need EVERY OUNCE of talent out of the Safeties to come up and help with run support throughout the season, because I can guarantee you that teams will be trying to run it down our throats again and again and again this year just like LAST YEAR. This unit gets a SOLID B grade for me because of the experience and depth to compliment the quality we have there.
(10) Specialists, B+ Vogel is an excellent Special Teams player. He is AT LEAST an A- Special Teams player in my opinion. I don’t know anything about Badgley or who will be the long snapper on punts, so there are ??? which is why I’m bumping this positional group down to a B+.
I think that the talent we have on offense at this juncture grades out to about a B+, and the talent that we have on defense at this juncture grades out to about a C+. I give the TEAM and OVERALL grade of B. We are NOT in the class of Ohio State, Florida State, or Alabama when it comes to OVERAL TEAM TALENT, but we CERTAINLY have the LEVEL OF TALENT to compete in the COASTAL DIVISION of an AVERAGE ACC Conference.
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