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tOSU Linebackers History (Merged)

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jwinslow said:
You were using the lack of attacking Laurinaitis to prove that he was a stud. He was barely in the game in the first half against michigan, and I doubt it was a coincidence that he was out there when they often ran the ball (good prediction by Heacock).
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I'm not saying, "the fact that offenses didn't attaack him every play proves he's a stud". My point was that if he were a liability, then the Michigan and Notre Dame offenses would've went after him a lot while he was in there, and they didn't. He held his own quite well in two very high-level games.
 
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Couple things about the first post.

Homan is a will backer all the way. Think AJ haw, he is a tackling machine and has the speed to be the will backer.

Moeller will also be a will type lb, that I think they are going to use as a backer/safety hybrid type. Not sure how they are going to do this, but they have got to get this kid on the field. If he can gain the weight he could be a Well and Homan could push over to sam. Then there is Gibson who I also think will be a sam. It is going to come down to whichn of these 3 develop the best unless for Homan would move to LB b/c Johnson doesnt develop.

As for everything else I agree. Freeman, D'Andrea, Animal Jr. as the starters.

Depth at lb is back in a big way.
 
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Taosman said:
It's whether D'Andrea gets moved because the staff feels he can't handle the pounding at mike.
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D'Andrea got hurt on special teams, not while playing MLB. He was also hurt in 2003 and the staff still put him at starter in 2004. If he's 100% recovered from his second injury, he'll again be the starting MLB.
 
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MililaniBuckeye said:
Never said he was the "clear-cut" starter. But with his big-game experience (albeit limited), the obvious belief the staff has in him, and that fact that no one else from the returning OLBs has proven to be better than him, to me that adds up to being the starter. I picked three starters (Laurinaitis, D'Andrea, and Freeman) based on their past performance and future potential, and no one has even come close to showing me that I made the wrong picks.
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You obviously DO believe he is the clear-cut starter. If the season started today, I would agree, hands down. But a lot can happen in the off-season; specifically, another young LB that has better physical tools but wasn't quite there mentally yet as a freshman may overtake Lauranaitis. I'm not ready to point to a specific player and say this is the case, but the point I was making from the start is that we shouldn't discount this as a possibility. Once again, I will ask if anyone's impressed with any of our other options. What about Curtis Terry? Kerr? Spitler? Hoobler? If we sign Grant from JUCO would he be a candidate for this spot?

I do agree that D'Andrea will be out there, most likely as the starting MLB. However, I also think he could excel as a Carpenter-like hybrid player--really, it's sort of scary how close his measurables are to Carpenter's. The same sort of freakish speed for his size, etc. But to play him outside we'd need to be convinced another backer could handle the middle...
 
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I don't have a dog in this fight and I do see valid points on both sides...however, for those calling Laurinaitis' play "average," how much of that assessment lies in those to which he is being compared? Replacing Carp, 99% of LBs in America look "average"....playing opposite AJ Hawk, same thing. The kid did a solid job...well above average in my opinion when you consider the circumstances. A.J. was exceptional as a freshman, but players like A.J. do not come around too often.

Just my thoughts...
 
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osugrad21 said:
I don't have a dog in this fight and I do see valid points on both sides...however, for those calling Laurinaitis' play "average," how much of that assessment lies in those to which he is being compared? Replacing Carp, 99% of LBs in America look "average"....playing opposite AJ Hawk, same thing. The kid did a solid job...well above average in my opinion when you consider the circumstances. A.J. was exceptional as a freshman, but players like A.J. do not come around too often.

Just my thoughts...
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I think the "average" quotes come in from the fact that he didn't show much on the stat sheet. I wasn't watching him closely, so I'm not one to judge, but I suppose the comments come from his "invisibility." On one hand, he wasn't shown missing a lot of plays. On the other hand, he wasn't seen making many either. Some people are stats-oriented... if they don't see a bunch of tackles from a LB, they assume it means they weren't doing much. Not my opinion, but that's my take on where the average comments are coming from.
 
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bucknut11 said:
I think the "average" quotes come in from the fact that he didn't show much on the stat sheet. I wasn't watching him closely, so I'm not one to judge, but I suppose the comments come from his "invisibility." On one hand, he wasn't shown missing a lot of plays. On the other hand, he wasn't seen making many either. Some people are stats-oriented... if they don't see a bunch of tackles from a LB, they assume it means they weren't doing much. Not my opinion, but that's my take on where the average comments are coming from.
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Very good points. However, most should know by now that great stats do not always equal great play...and vice versa.
 
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IMHO, it's possible that MDA could be playing a variety of positions this coming year. Obviously, he can play MLB. I think he also has the measurables to play the LEO position or the SAM. He's been in the system long enough that he is familiar with all three positions and could excel in any of the position mentioned above.

I think that MDA and Freeman are the definite starters and depending on where MDA is lining up, we will see a mix between Hoobler, Animal Jr. and Kerr. JMO.
 
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scarletngray said:
IMHO, it's possible that MDA could be playing a variety of positions this coming year. Obviously, he can play MLB. I think he also has the measurables to play the LEO position or the SAM. He's been in the system long enough that he is familiar with all three positions and could excel in any of the position mentioned above.

I think that MDA and Freeman are the definite starters and depending on where MDA is lining up, we will see a mix between Hoobler, Animal Jr. and Kerr. JMO.
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I really don't see why they would line MDA up anywhere but the MIKE. He has shown in recent years that he was a veryh good Mike. He beat our Schlegs two years ago b4 his injury and has had about 1.5 years to return to form. This kid is an athletic freak and he will be a great Mike next year.
 
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EdDantes22 said:
You obviously DO believe he is the clear-cut starter.
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Just because I listed him as starter doesn't mean I think he's the "clear-cut" starter...I had to pick a starter at each position and I did. I can say Player A will be seriously challenged by Player B at a position (thus, Player A not be the "clear-cut" starter) while still firmly believing that in the end Player A will beat put Player B, however closely, for the job.

Now, I do agree with you 100% about these spots possibly changing after spring and summer camps...who knows who's going to get hurt or who is going to be the big surprise (especially from our incoming recruits). However, for what I've seen, those three that I listed as projected starters have those positions to themselves to lose.
 
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bucknut11 said:
I think the "average" quotes come in from the fact that he didn't show much on the stat sheet. I wasn't watching him closely, so I'm not one to judge, but I suppose the comments come from his "invisibility." On one hand, he wasn't shown missing a lot of plays. On the other hand, he wasn't seen making many either. Some people are stats-oriented... if they don't see a bunch of tackles from a LB, they assume it means they weren't doing much. Not my opinion, but that's my take on where the average comments are coming from.
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No, I didn't see him "missing" a lot of plays either. It's not as if he was whiffing on tackles or getting run over by ball carriers. Usually, I just saw him getting blocked. This happens to everyone at times, even AJ. Sometimes you just get picked off. But only having 1 combined tackle in both games makes me wonder how well he gets off blocks or avoids them.

That said, I never meant to judge Lauranaitis harshly. I'm sure he'll end up to be a more than serviceable linebacker, and who knows--he could be the next great one at tOSU. Just saying I think we have a lot of young talent at the position and anyone, really, could step forward at this point and grab a starting spot.
 
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