We have a five RBs on our roster, not including the three recent signees. I suppose they aren't panning out if coaches think they need more depth? I suppose you really need eight RBs up and down your roster in the event of injuries.

(02-06-2019 09:42 AM)Potomac Wrote:  We have a five RBs on our roster, not including the three recent signees. I suppose they aren't panning out if coaches think they need more depth? I suppose you really need eight RBs up and down your roster in the event of injuries.

Not always, but QB's are often the best athletes on their respective high school teams. They are interchangeable parts with the ability to move to other positions of need in the case they don't pan out at QB. I've seen QB's move to D-backs, WR, and even TE.

RB's are in the same mode at many high schools. They can become LB's, Safeties, WR's, etc. i.e., what they are listed as in HS and on recruiting pages aren't necessarily where they'll be in college. They likely have speed, quickness and other athletic characteristics that will get them on the field in some fashion.

I doubt we will be carrying 8 RB's in a one-back offensive set scheme...assuming that's what we'll be running of course.

(02-06-2019 09:42 AM)Potomac Wrote:  We have a five RBs on our roster, not including the three recent signees. I suppose they aren't panning out if coaches think they need more depth? I suppose you really need eight RBs up and down your roster in the event of injuries.

Of the five only two are scholarship players. I expect two of the three RBs coming in will see action this year with one redshirting (although all three could play since you get 4 games now).

You could play all three of them four games each with no overlap and redshirt them all, if you wanted. I think at least one of them might stand out on ST though and get more than 4 games action there.

Do you think Percy's heavy role in special teams will be reduced assuming he is the feature back or at least getting let's say 50% of the carries?

(02-06-2019 02:32 PM)AssyrianDuke Wrote:  You could play all three of them four games each with no overlap and redshirt them all, if you wanted. I think at least one of them might stand out on ST though and get more than 4 games action there.

While true, I don't think CC has any plans to redshirt any of them. He has said many times we need more RBs. I think he was saying that not just for the long term future of JMU, but for next year specifically. I don't think he'll redshirt any RB unless that player is either hurt or just isn't good enough.

After watching Palmer, I think he has a really good chance of getting a lot of playing time next year.

Spring Game to be held April 13

(02-06-2019 02:34 PM)JMU_Newbill Wrote:  Do you think Percy's heavy role in special teams will be reduced assuming he is the feature back or at least getting let's say 50% of the carries?

Absolutely.....Percy will probably be the featured back, so doubt he will be getting heavy ST use.

(02-06-2019 03:19 PM)ShadyP Wrote:  

(02-06-2019 02:34 PM)JMU_Newbill Wrote:  Do you think Percy's heavy role in special teams will be reduced assuming he is the feature back or at least getting let's say 50% of the carries?

Absolutely.....Percy will probably be the featured back, so doubt he will be getting heavy ST use.

Agree. I do think this would have been more of a question mark if Houston were still coaching.
Cignetti does value special teams, but if Percy proves to be good enough to be the feature back (which is incredibly likely) I don't think he would take the risk of putting him on special teams.

Greg Madia
‏@Madia_DNRSports

One position change of note at JMU spring practice: Rakeem Davis has moved from WR to CB.

(03-19-2019 08:52 AM)Potomac Wrote:  Greg Madia
‏@Madia_DNRSports

One position change of note at JMU spring practice: Rakeem Davis has moved from WR to CB.

Rakeem needs to visit D-Hall more often! 158 lbs is pretty puny as a Div I defender.

(03-19-2019 10:07 AM)olddawg Wrote:  

(03-19-2019 08:52 AM)Potomac Wrote:  Greg Madia
‏@Madia_DNRSports

One position change of note at JMU spring practice: Rakeem Davis has moved from WR to CB.

Rakeem needs to visit D-Hall more often! 158 lbs is pretty puny as a Div I defender.

Yeah. By my count, still 14 WR on roster, including signed Fr. Copied and pasted from the 2019 Depth Chart Thread:

CB (11) (Graduated Jimmy Moreland, Curtis Oliver):
#22 rSr Rashad Robinson (5’11/183)
#23 rSr Charles Tutt (5’10”/184)
#8 rJr Wayne Davis (6’0”/186)
#27 Jr Taurus Carroll (6’0”/168)
#30 Jr Wesley McCormick (5’11”/190)
#42 rSo Michael Johnson (6’0”/194)
#11 rSo Jack Sroba (5’10”/179)
#14 rFr Jamari Currence (5’10”/165)
#17 rFr Gionni Terrell (5’10”/158)
#35 rFr Willie Drew (6’0”/184)
#41 rFr Rakeem Davis (5’8”/159) (moved from WR).

Seems usually 5-6 corners play meaningful non special teams minutes during the season (Last year was 6 (Moreland, Oliver, Tutt, Davis, Carrol, McCormick). 1st 5 are your top returning 5. If Davis moves to safety, then maybe the rFr battle it out for the 5th & 6th corner spots...

Course I’m sure there’s going to be more position changes on both sides of the ball...

Interesting to see that DL Paris Black is in the transfer portal and no longer listed on the roster. Might need to add a couple bodies after spring practices to a thin spot

A couple of sad notes (1 REALLY sad) from the CAA today...

W&M Football player shot to death last night... https://www.vagazette.com/news/va-vg-nor...story.html

Sympathies out to his family of course and to the W&M FB program.

Also, not nearly as terrible but still unfortunate, Delaware's Nassir Adderley was injured during his NFL pro day workout... https://www.delawareonline.com/story/spo...203528002/

I've seen him as a 2nd Day (read: 2nd-3rd round) NFL draft prospect at some mock draft site. Bummer.

Paris Black reportedly transferring a year after transferring from Wake. Not reading too much into this as he seems like a grass is always greener type but it definitely hurts depth on the D-line

Losing Black, one of 3 rotational starters at DT, is bad news. 2nd transfer DT have lost in a year- lost the UVA kid last year during/after Spring ball. Even with Black, DT was going by last year on paper the thinnest position on defense.
Last year's 2 deep DL:
DE: D Carter, R Carter, Daka, Terrell
DT: Atariwa, Greene, Black, Painter (true Fr).

-Graduated Darrious Carter.
-Losing Black.
-Painter moved to TE.

So that leaves
DE: R Carter, Daka, Terrell, + have the #1 recruit Green
DT: Atariwa, Greene are the only 2 returning 2 deep. Have Thurston, who took a redshirt. Groulx played some.

There were a # of people on here, myself included, who were saying earlier this offseason could use a transfer at DT. Now a transfer DT is a must, and could use 2.

I'm going to predict JMU gets a transfer DT and a transfer RB..

Transfer at QB too? RB and DL depth are requirements now. Dangerously thin at both positions.

(03-23-2019 06:18 PM)BDKJMU Wrote:  Losing Black, one of 3 rotational starters at DT, is bad news. 2nd transfer DT have lost in a year- lost the UVA kid last year during/after Spring ball. Even with Black, DT was going by last year on paper the thinnest position on defense.
Last year's 2 deep DL:
DE: D Carter, R Carter, Daka, Terrell
DT: Atariwa, Greene, Black, Painter (true Fr).

-Graduated Darrious Carter.
-Losing Black.
-Painter moved to TE.

So that leaves
DE: R Carter, Daka, Terrell, + have the #1 recruit Green
DT: Atariwa, Greene are the only 2 returning 2 deep. Have Thurston, who took a redshirt. Groulx played some.

There were a # of people on here, myself included, who were saying earlier this offseason could use a transfer at DT. Now a transfer DT is a must, and could use 2.

I'm going to predict JMU gets a transfer DT and a transfer RB..

Who knows, maybe Black wasnt getting the playing time he thought he would. Could be some younger guys have stepped up but we'll never know for sure. Just seems odd to have a player that got significant time last year transfer off a team with a strong chance to make a deep postseason run after just transferring into that program a year earlier.

Painter can always move back to DT if needed, especially now where TE depth does not seem to be as big of an issue

I don’t have any insight but a guy transferring in his last year from a contender screams either academics or he just doesn’t want to put the work in any longer. Some folks burn out. Maybe one of the young guys is taking his spot. Hard to say but I don’t know why a guy would leave a contender in his last year. If JMU was bad, it would make more sense.

(03-23-2019 06:18 PM)BDKJMU Wrote:  Losing Black, one of 3 rotational starters at DT, is bad news. 2nd transfer DT have lost in a year- lost the UVA kid last year during/after Spring ball. Even with Black, DT was going by last year on paper the thinnest position on defense.
Last year's 2 deep DL:
DE: D Carter, R Carter, Daka, Terrell
DT: Atariwa, Greene, Black, Painter (true Fr).

-Graduated Darrious Carter.
-Losing Black.
-Painter moved to TE.

So that leaves
DE: R Carter, Daka, Terrell, + have the #1 recruit Green
DT: Atariwa, Greene are the only 2 returning 2 deep. Have Thurston, who took a redshirt. Groulx played some.

There were a # of people on here, myself included, who were saying earlier this offseason could use a transfer at DT. Now a transfer DT is a must, and could use 2.

I'm going to predict JMU gets a transfer DT and a transfer RB..

Look for Thurston to have a good year on the DL. Kid has gotten bigger and stronger over true freshman season. He is a super hard-worker with great work ethic.