Topic: Depth at CB

[MUtim]

Is anyone else concerned about our lack of  depth at Cornerback.  Next year we will have 2 Senior Starters in Willie Smith and Chris Hawkins.  Backing them up will be:
1) Ivan Clark- a 4th year player whose only real experience is on special teams.
2) Terrick Thomas- If he gets eligible.  A third year player and former walk-on whom I'm not  even sure is on scholarship.
3) Dre Ratliff- If he gets eligible.  He would be a sophomore whom wasn't even allowed to practice  last year.

Who else?

1) Tito mentioned Chub Small.  He has a lot of speed, but he has always been a RB.
2) James Houston-  I don't care what anybody says, he will be a Safety.  Albeit a great one.

We really needed Marlon Wood.  Are we even recruiting any other Corners?  Etheridge?  I can't find much on him other than a roster that lists him at 5'8 and a track article where he posted a time of 22.4 in the 200 meters.

I sure hope we will get in some props this year because we will be thinner than a wafer at corner.

On a positive, I do think we are very deep at every other position when you factor in this years published verbals.

[BHFIOHIO]

Maybe Brandon Sticca or the Jones guy who verballed from some JC. Butwith Keyes and Rodamer plus Willie back we should be better off than 2004 after losing Satterwaite and Crocker. Maybe Royal could play corner..he is the right size. I am excited about MAYBE having Ratliff.


               MARSHALL MARAUDERS......YEAH!

[Blade]

I don't know what role some of these players will end up playing (DB/SS/FS) but here is our roster list:

Seniors
James Brown CB
Chris Hawkins CB
Lonnie McCowan SS
Chris Royal FS
Willie Smith CB

Juniors
Ivan Clark
Curtis Keyes  SS

Sophomores
Kyle Echols
Travis Noel
Geremy Rodamer SS
Terrick Thomas

RS Freshmen
Josh Durham
Terry Easman
Nathan Kikis
Jon Moravec

[DA4Dherd]

Seniors
James Brown CB - walk-on
Chris Hawkins CB -projected starter, apparently practiced well during his transfer year
Lonnie McCowan SS - reportedly transferred to UTC
Chris Royal FS - started at FS but I'd like to see him made the nickel back if T. Jones can start at S
Willie Smith CB - returning starter

Juniors
Ivan Clark - I wondered if he would contribute - now it looks like he'll be a #2 CB in 2005.
Curtis Keyes SS - returning starter - I wonder if they'll go back to more of a 4-4-3 defense and play Keyes at the rover?  Much better at run support than pass coverage
Timmy Jones - should at least back up at S.

Sophomores
Kyle Echols - I think he's at WR - great straight ahead track speed
Travis Noel - now at LB
Geremy Rodamer SS - should play a lot this season at nickel or backing up at S
Terrick Thomas - smallest guy on the team.  Practice observers have been impressed with his quickness

NQ (sophs to start)
James Houston - CB or S - great athlete and should be a player
Dre Ratliff - another highly touted athlete - hopefully he can cover like his brother.

RS Freshmen
Josh Durham - walkon
Terry Easman - walkon
Nathan Kiskis - he's a walkon DE - probably a roster typo
Jon Moravec - Sounded like a solid player during recruiting - watch him during the spring.

True Freshman verbal commit
C.J. Spillman - probably a safety type

[MUtim]

Thats just my point.  We have a slew of safeties but only a handful of cornerbacks.  Just because someone can play Safety doesn't mean they can play corner.  As a matter of fact, it usually means they lack the coverage skills to play corner.

I have nothing against walk-ons, and they do pan out from time to time, but I don't want depend solely on walk-ons to be my back-ups in case a couple of people get injured.

Corner is a position where we might have as many as 3 on the field at once in passing situations.  We need some corners badly.

[dixie10]

This is just a guess, but I bet coach P knows allot more about our needs and talent than what we do.  I say that to only say this, I would suppose that the position is well taken care of.  

  My opinion is that mr Houston, Ratcliff, or Echols will be playing in the nickel next year.  Echols is supposed to posses wr speed and great ability.  Then you take some of these guys and give them a year or two, whala, two or even three deep.  Crocker made the transition from safety to corner in the pros pretty good.  Sorry if I miss spelled whala.

  The thing I'm worried about is our schemes, we couldn't stop a pass to save our lives, and I don't think BG has that much better talent than us.  Maybe it was just that our qb's couldn't reproduce any sort of descent opposing passing skills!
 :-o  :-o

[ATHENSHERDFAN]

Moravec was a pretty highly touted reciever coming-out of high school. He could be a future CB. Thomas may also be a good one.

[DA4Dherd]

My point was that we do need an experienced third corner and I think Royal fills the bill over Clark, Houston, Ratliff, Rodamer or anyone else.  He'd see plenty of time with the >2 WR sets or especially if Hawkins and/or Smith gets hurt.

Rodamer, Timmy Jones, Houston or Moravec could fill the spot at safety.