Depth Chart for Fresno State

[Enhance]

I never have understood people hating on walkons. We have had a number of very good walkons come in and help us be successful or even be some of our best players. The walkon program is doing what it's supposed to do. Develop players that didn't get a scholarship from the beginning and make then contributing players for the program. If scholarship players aren't beating them out, it might just be because the walkon worked harder and is actually that good.

I believe the issue, though I'm sure you realize this, is that walk-ons weren't good enough to earn a scholarship on paper, therefore the mindset surrounding them is that they're probably not as talented.

Like a lot of things, there are two sides to this coin. Obviously, you want your scholarship players to pan out so you don't have to rely on walk-ons and feel like you "wasted" the scholarship, but walk-ons have proven themselves to be incredibly valuable players at Nebraska and have even gone on to become All-Americans/successful NFL players.

I think it'd be really interesting to compare walk-on success for the last 10 years, to the previous 11-20 years, to the previous 21-30 years. Compare accolades, awards, draft picks, etc.

My point is, I believe people who get upset simply because they see walkons on the depth chart are not seeing the big picture. They simply see "walkon" and assume this kid sucks and a scholarship player should be in his place and the reason they aren't is because the coaches suck.

There are many many reasons why a walkon could be on the depth chart. For instance, let's take the Guard position. We had two potentially pretty good scholarship players go down with injury. So....a walkon is starting this first game. How the hell is that an indictment on the coaching staff? Three walkon fullbacks??? That's a bad thing? The best fullbacks in our history were walkons and historically we have filled this position with walkons.

Three walkons are in the WR group. This is widely talked about as our best and deepest group but yet we have three walkons??? That's a problem???? BS.

I understood your point. I was merely explaining why I believe some people view walk-ons in a negative light.

I don't think there's anything wrong with playing walk-ons so long as the reason they're playing is due to their own skills and achievements - not recruiting errors. I might get criticized a bit for this, but I don't think comparing walk-on numbers from this year's team to teams in the 90's says much because I would argue the general talent of the walk-ons on those teams outweighs the walk-on talent on the roster now. That system and culture they had around developing players is what made the walk-ons successful, not just the fact that they were walk-ons, in my opinion.

 

[knapplc]

Since we are comparing talent between this years team and the 97 team. Does anybody else think that Armstrong would have been a all American caliber player in that offense? My vote is yes.

He is clearly far better suited to that kind of offense than to Langsdorf's/Riley's preferred offense. I think we're going to see growth from Tommy as well as Riley/Langs this year, as Tommy will strive to be more the pocket QB they're looking for when the situation arises, and Riley/Langs will look to run Tommy more because that's more within his skill set.

The key to this season, aside from how well both lines play, is how they use Tommy. If they get infatuated with these wide receivers we have and throw too much, we'll see more Bad Tommy.

 

[Enhance]

Since we are comparing talent between this years team and the 97 team. Does anybody else think that Armstrong would have been a all American caliber player in that offense? My vote is yes.

He is clearly far better suited to that kind of offense than to Langsdorf's/Riley's preferred offense. I think we're going to see growth from Tommy as well as Riley/Langs this year, as Tommy will strive to be more the pocket QB they're looking for when the situation arises, and Riley/Langs will look to run Tommy more because that's more within his skill set.

The key to this season, aside from how well both lines play, is how they use Tommy. If they get infatuated with these wide receivers we have and throw too much, we'll see more Bad Tommy.

I have a feeling we'll see at 1-2 games this season where TA will throw 35-40+ times and that those games will be losses.

 

[chamrocck]

Some of what I will be watching for early in season:

Can the OL dominate these first two games. If the OL is good I think we have skill players to make for a fun offense. If OL struggles, probably much of what we have seen last year.

Want to see DPE make big plays. Want to see how we get multiple backs and receivers touches.

Young at Will...I think he needs a big year.

Cornerbacks...better play overall. Not sure who can emerge here. Looking for someone to go to next level.

DE's...I think both can have really good years. Sack/pressure production must increase to get us to next level.

 

[84HuskerLaw]

I think we will see tomorrow that Nebraska is a much better, more talented team than Fresno. We will win big. But, the pundits and commentators will dismiss the accomplishment because Fresno is terrible (not that Nebraska is better). Same goes for Wyoming. If we manage to defeat the Ducks, then the story will be Oregon has really slipped. We will get a little credit but once again they bottom line will discredit the opponent primarily.

I believe the team is getting better and this year's team will be better than last year's team, considerably. We will be better on offense and defense and in special teams (assuming our new punter is pretty decent). We will return more punts and do better on kick off returns. Coverage has a chance to be marginally better. Defense will be faster/quicker and better in stopping down field plays, but I am concerned we may not be as stingy against the straight ahead run plays.

I will credit both the depth chart and the time the coaches have now had to instill their systems and plans and get the guys 'on board'. We will, as Riley likes to say, play something that 'looks a lot like football!"