D-Line

[astonmartin708]

I thought it was interesting, a tidbit in on of the TulsaHurricane.com mentioned that Garrett Flanary has "missed preseason camp" and that as a result, Jaxon Player has moved into the rotation as a true Freshman at DT alongside JuJaun Blankenship and Robinson / Stevenson who are expected to be the starting DT's.

 

[astonmartin708]

No idea what's keeping Flanary out. He definitely showed he could contribute last year though. Hope he gets back.

 

[Larry Lewis]

I know a lot of people think Jaxon Player is going to be really special. Sorry to hear about Flanary - he can help, hope he is back soon, but I'm glad that Player will be getting playing time.

 

[astonmartin708]

I know a lot of people think Jaxon Player is going to be really special. Sorry to hear about Flanary - he can help, hope he is back soon, but I'm glad that Player will be getting playing time.

I agree. Just didn't see anywhere it was mentioned on here... just one small mention in one of the school's practice reports.

 

[cmullinsTU]

I’ve also heard great things about Player but DT is a very tough position to play as a true freshman. Worries me about depth there.

 

[lawpoke87]

I would like to see Player redshirt. Very few true freshman can effectively play on the D line. Give me a fifth year senior Player versus a true freshman Player. One could be a all-conference type of player. The other is likely a backup who struggles with the size and strength of college offensive guards.

 

[astonmartin708]

I mean, if Player is already in the rotation as a true freshman, that tells you quite a bit about the talent level of the guys behind him. (There are some). With the new 4 game redshirt rule he gets the opportunity to show what he can do without any repurcussions too! Even he’s not ready after game one or two, no harm no foul. He still gets four more years

 

[lawpoke87]

I would rather see Player continue to practice and condition and then see what he can do in the latter half of conference play (4 games) than against an FCS opponent in the home opener if a redshirt is still in the plans.

 

[cmullinsTU]

With the new 4 game redshirt rule he gets the opportunity to show what he can do without any repurcussions too! Even he’s not ready after game one or two, no harm no foul. He still gets four more years

Great point, I'd totally forgotten about this new rule, I'm a big fan of this rule!!!

 

[Gmoney4WW]

Gives him 3 or 4 games if Flanary is not ready or needs time to recover.(Assuming it is an injury or surgery on Flanary.)

 

[astonmartin708]

I would rather see Player continue to practice and condition and then see what he can do in the latter half of conference play (4 games) than against an FCS opponent in the home opener if a redshirt is still in the plans.

I can see both sides being argued... it might be better to throw him into a less stressful situation where the game doesn't mean quite as much... but I also could see letting him get more D1 practices under his belt...

IDK. I'll leave that up to Monty.

 

[Larry Lewis]

The redshirt rule will help a lot. I agree about letting him play a few games to see if he is ready. If he really is better than the other options, I think you have to play him. Coaches can't afford to sit their best players.

 

[TU_BLA]

This kid was one of the top defensive players in the state of Texas last year. The only thing keeping him from being a 4* and recruited by the P5 schools is about 2 inches of height. And he played in a large classification in Texas so he wasn't going up against 5'9" OGs every week.

If he plays the full season, he will be in the mix for Defensive Newcomer of the Year in the AAC. I also think offenses will figure out quickly that a C will not be able to handle him alone in the 3 man front and in the 4-man he is going to wreak havoc. Anyone who has watched film on him knows he is stronger than your average true FR DT/NT. He's also got great feet and an incredible burst off the snap. He's also got a ridiculous chip on his shoulder because he feels slighted. Nothing more dangerous than a kid with extreme ability and extreme motivation to show everyone what they missed out on.

 

[astonmartin708]

The shear amount of penatration he got in those Texas HS games was astounding. I mean... it looked like he was 5 yards into the backfield as soon as the ball was snapped.... especially on run plays. He was destroying RB's like a wrecking ball just after the handoff.

 

[HuffyCane]

16 will tell you that 1 in a 100 is ready as a true frosh. If he truly is ready, it makes you wonder how truly injured Flanary would be if Player wasnt ready to go. Depth is a beautiful thing ....

 

[quincy101]

Depth is a beautiful thing ....

Amen to that, & how often have we had it in the last 30 years? Across the board, on O&D, I can't recall being this deep at each position. Had it been last year, we would have won 3 or 4 of those close ones. 6 maybe 7 W's are looking very possible because of depth this year.(provided injuries don't bite us(again) in the butt). TU Football: 1st,last,always!