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YOUR BALANCE
Linebackers...IMHO, our biggest 2019 question mark
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Linebackers...IMHO, our biggest 2019 question mark


May 26, 2019, 3:59 PM

If you look across our roster, we've got a ton of talent - some spots. I wrote about my concerns of depth at RB.

What really concerns me, though, is our linebackers. We lost six - repeat (6)! - veteran guys there, including two starters. Kendall Joseph and Tre Lamar are gone. Judah and JD Davis are gone. Jalen Williams is gone. Shaq Smith is in the transfer portal.

That's a boatload of experience gone. We have just three vets back.

Isaiah Simmons looks really good - potentially a first-rounder - at strongside backer/nickel back. Baylon Spector is his backup and we're not really sure on him yet.

I like Jamie Skalski at WLB. Reminds me a lot of Ben Boulware.

Chad Smith is...serviceable, at MLB. As a redshirt senior and the only MLB who has seen any kind of action, he's pretty much guaranteed to start Week 1.

After that, it's freshman city. We have two redshirt freshmen - Mike Jones, Jake Venables - and five incoming true freshmen coming in. It goes almost without saying that some of them are going to have to play.

I'm not really concerned about our DL, despite losing Huggy Bear and the Power Rangers because the talent piled up there is so good. But I am concerned about our LB's, particularly our LB depth. If we have a glaring deficiency on the team, LB is it.

Thoughts?

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Re: Linebackers...IMHO, our biggest 2019 question mark


May 26, 2019, 4:16 PM

Expect a call any day now from Coach Venables.

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Re: Linebackers...IMHO, our biggest 2019 question mark


May 26, 2019, 6:14 PM

Inane reply from troglodyte offspring

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Jake Venables has been living with Brent Venables for


May 26, 2019, 4:16 PM

his entire life. He has more experience than those six put together.

He's going to bring the pain, and lots of it.

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I'm thinking the offense


May 26, 2019, 4:23 PM

Won't be taking its' foot off the gas until Coach V has confidence in his LB's. That said, I also wouldn't be surprised when V uses a 3rd DE at times...or puts some packages in for Muse. The beauty of the defense is he has players that can go hybrid.

2024 orange level member flag link military_tech thumb_downthumb_up

^^This^^


May 26, 2019, 4:44 PM

I agree that we're not very experienced at LB, but I think Venables will figure out hybrid ways how to deal with it - like using nickel and dime packages against the run - and adjust where they're positioned to provide run support. We've been recruiting bigger secondary players and should be good at S and CB, so one or two of those guys can move forward when needed.

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Lot of good points Salty ...


May 26, 2019, 7:52 PM [ in reply to I'm thinking the offense ]

And how about #35 Justin Foster? He has been listed as a LB every year on the Clemson team roster. Recognizing Foster is currently penciled in as staring DE, could a slimmed down Foster help some at Mike?

Of course BV will figure out the right recipe, but interested to see what happens with talent surplus at DE and talented and inexperienced young LB's...

2024 orange level memberbadge-donor-10yr.jpg flag link military_tech thumb_downthumb_up


Re: Linebackers...IMHO, our biggest 2019 question mark


May 26, 2019, 4:48 PM

Venables Coach’s the linebackers. They’ll be ready.

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Re: Linebackers...IMHO, our biggest 2019 question mark


May 26, 2019, 5:02 PM

Man, I share your concerns especially since that jerk Shaq Smith declared his intention to transfer. Good riddance. $ involved. Here's where I question part of Dabo's policy. Why would you have a fixed in stone policy against seeking transfers? There must be a dozen top-flight LB's out there who would jump at the chance to transfer to an elite program like Clemson. So why not take a couple, especially when it is a huge need that now possibly compromises the team's chances of success? Freshmen are not going to get the job done, which could cost us games. Seeking out top-flight transfers, especially, Juco All-Americans, seems to me to add a significant talent pool to our choices. Our weakness at LB, especially when there was a solution seems likely to come back to haunt us---unless Dabo addresses it, at which point he isn't.

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coots sure is stupid ***


May 26, 2019, 5:03 PM



2024 orange level memberbadge-donor-10yr.jpg flag link military_tech thumb_downthumb_up


You'll be happy to know no such policy against transfers exists.***


May 26, 2019, 5:04 PM [ in reply to Re: Linebackers...IMHO, our biggest 2019 question mark ]

.



2024 orange level memberbadge-donor-05yr.jpg flag link military_tech thumb_downthumb_up


Transfers can't be retained in one off season.


May 26, 2019, 6:00 PM [ in reply to Re: Linebackers...IMHO, our biggest 2019 question mark ]

Talent isn't the problem, it's moral conduct, ability to communicate on the field and being a part of the Clemson Tiger football team. There's also academic issues. We have no way to verify if those transfers earned what their grades and reports indicate.

2024 orange level memberbadge-donor-10yr.jpgringofhonor-clemsontiger1988-110.jpg flag link military_tech thumb_downthumb_up

88! Haha, what are you going on about now?


May 26, 2019, 6:37 PM

This young man transferred in January of 2016 and has 2 National Championship rings to show for it. He's a RS Senior this year. He transferred with another ETSU player?



https://www.tigernet.com/update/Report-ETSU-safety-transferring-to-Clemson-22186



JUCOs are a different monster, which might be the target of your comment?

Good to see you out and about, 88, hope all is well in your world.

2024 orange level memberbadge-donor-05yr.jpg flag link military_tech thumb_downthumb_up


Re: Linebackers...IMHO, our biggest 2019 question mark


May 26, 2019, 6:31 PM [ in reply to Re: Linebackers...IMHO, our biggest 2019 question mark ]

Well that's confirmation that U r what they say U r, a pos coot-

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Re: Linebackers...IMHO, our biggest 2019 question mark


May 26, 2019, 5:09 PM

I’d have to say that TEs are our biggest question mark this upcoming season but I agree there are concerns about linebacker. Athletically this group of LBs actually looks superior but I worry about the cerebral part of the game in Venables complex defense.

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Re: Linebackers...IMHO, our biggest 2019 question mark


May 26, 2019, 5:26 PM

Yeh. I'm a little more concerned about TE as well. There are already mentions of Muse working at LB. He seems to be a natural fit there and I believe that he played there some in HS? Oh well. The staff is more in the know than we are.

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Re: Linebackers...IMHO, our biggest 2019 question mark


May 26, 2019, 5:48 PM

If Muse plays linebacker we might be in trouble. Yes he has the body for it and the toughness, but he has bad eyes. He bites on to many play fakes and stutter routes at the safety position. As linebacker we will certainly struggle with that but want have the depth to overcome it. Also the line want have time to pressure th QB, since he will most likely guarding RB's and TE's in the short passing game.

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Clemson won the Natty without


May 26, 2019, 6:14 PM [ in reply to Re: Linebackers...IMHO, our biggest 2019 question mark ]

Significant TE contribution. The Tigers also won with Chad Smith and Jamie Skalski on the field against Bama...and it wasn't mop up duty. They can play. Oh...and Clemson won with 'bad eyes' Muse on the field, too. He makes mistakes...and he learns from them, because Venables won't play you if you don't learn.

I'm not about to start filtering through reasons why Clemson won't repeat as the champs when the talent says, 'Yeah...we got this'. It won't be easy, but when you have the 'Brice' people in the right spot, you're fine!

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Re: Linebackers...IMHO, our biggest 2019 question mark


May 26, 2019, 5:53 PM

Jones to me might get some quality reps to see were he's at in the fall. Chad Smith I don't think will be up to par athletically to play middle linebacker with great success. Same initial thoughts on Venables son as well. One thing is I do know is Coach V will have them ready.

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If we have a vuneratibility its that position.


May 26, 2019, 5:56 PM

I'm looking forward to what Venables has for us regarding that squad. I suspect they'll earn while they learn. It's no unheard of to see Dabo play true freshmen when the game is on the line. Most of the time it's just a matter of what the leader on the field directs and how well everyone communicates under pressure.

No doubt opponents will go after this bunch.

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Re: Linebackers...IMHO, our biggest 2019 question mark


May 26, 2019, 7:03 PM

Spot on, q. As usual....

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Still very surprised that Shaq Smith would leave.


May 26, 2019, 7:11 PM

He has an excellent opportunity to be starter this year and/or next year on a quality football team. Where else can he get that same experience and exposure?

Hoping he changes his mind.

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Re: Linebackers...IMHO, our biggest 2019 question mark


May 26, 2019, 7:25 PM

To me Tanner Muse looks like a linebacker and he's a beast. I wouldn't mind seeing him move forward to the nickel or other position. Nolan Turner could start in his slot. We could go with some regular dime even. That would free Simmons up to play Mike or Will. CBV will find a way to get the best guys on the field. Our D is always listed as a 4-3, but it's not really IMO. Our base is more of a 4-2 nickel which I think gives us flexibility in moving guys from Safety to LB and back.

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I have to agree on the linebacker concern. Lost a lot of


May 26, 2019, 8:36 PM

dudes and the fact that Smith was not seeing the field as often as the twins might speak to why he has entered the portal. I keep thinking that Muse might fit better into the LB group. He's a machine on run support but seems to get burned on coverage a bit when he has the slot or deep. Should be interesting to watch this fall!

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