***The 2020 Offensive Line***

Undone said:
I like your exercise there - that's a fun little offseason thought experiment.

I'll be really honest: I think Martinez's absolute ceiling at this point is second team all-conference. Same with Mills.

I'd peg Wan'Dale's & Jaimes' at first team all-conference.

For anybody who hasn't played a down of live football under Frost yet, it's one of these guys for me -->  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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Yeah I didn't really differentiate the teams, if I could see them squeaking onto 3rd team I'm calling it all-conference. Also didn't take into account other teams - looking back on 2018 I still think Martinez could be great, but he could play at an all-american level and still not get a first-team all-conference vote because of Fields.

So it's pretty subjective - most people here would agree Spielman played at an all-conference level, and he only got honorable mention which I wouldn't generally count. Many here would throw a fit if I said Lamar Jackson played at an all-conference level, and he was 2nd team behind an all-american in Okudah and a 2018 third-team all-american in Lavert Hill. I happen to think he did play at that level last year, but my point is trying to judge the level they're playing at as opposed to whether they'll actually make those teams.

 
If we have a middle Big ten offense, defense and special teams, that will put us around #40 imo.  That means about 7 big ten, 8 SEC, 3 Pac 12, 5 Big 12 and another 17 others around the country better.  That seems pretty reasonable.  

 
Undone said:
I like your exercise there - that's a fun little offseason thought experiment.

I'll be really honest: I think Martinez's absolute ceiling at this point is second team all-conference. Same with Mills.

I'd peg Wan'Dale's & Jaimes' at first team all-conference.

For anybody who hasn't played a down of live football under Frost yet, it's one of these guys for me -->  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Click to expand...


2018 AM in my mind has a ceiling of All-American for sure and possibly Heisman winner.

2019 AM is 2nd team All Conference or maybe even lose your starting job.

The key is going to be what 2020 and 2021 AM looks like. I lean towards him getting back to 2018 form and being a legit national playmaker, but I think it all comes down to him and his ability to focus on and use his skills to the highest ability.

 
Frankly, we need to get to the point where we have five solid starters before we worry about depth or the pipeline. I'm reasonably confident that the crew will be better this year than last year, but that's not saying a whole lot...

 
Toe said:
Frankly, we need to get to the point where we have five solid starters before we worry about depth or the pipeline. I'm reasonably confident that the crew will be better this year than last year, but that's not saying a whole lot...
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I don't think you get to five solid starters without worrying about (and developing) depth. They don't just show up from high school as a solid lineman, and they won't turn into one if the only concern is the starting five. Once they're gone, the depth guys have to be ready to be starters.

 
Mavric said:
Huh.  Rotating offensive linemen.  Interesting thought.
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Back in the day, we didn’t rotate offensive linemen much. But, I wonder if that was possible because we were so much more powerful and many games we were sitting the starters after 2.5-3 quarters. . Nowadays, we won’t have that advantage. 

 
BigRedBuster said:
Back in the day, we didn’t rotate offensive linemen much. But, I wonder if that was possible because we were so much more powerful and many games we were sitting the starters after 2.5-3 quarters. . Nowadays, we won’t have that advantage. 
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Yes that is rotating in guys.  We did play the 2s n 3s some a series or two in first halves of games.  Of course we were already confident in the game outcome. 

In Frost circa ‘18 & ‘19, we needed to be building future experience levels.  We struggled for entire games, often running out of gas and or ideas in 4th qtr or getting stifled in the 2nd.   We have NOT been the physically superior or dominant team more than three or four games in past 3 seasons. 

That is S&C and talent equivalency and a general lack of fire and grit. 

I dont expect Frost to present such teams going forward although there remain a residue of attitude issues.  A few bad apples can spoil a bunch.  Frost is culling but cancer only takes a few cells to spread and regrow.  

 
So after listening to  Coach Austin and given past discussion.  I think it's...

LT  Jaimes,Banks

LG  Piper or Bando or Hixon or Sichterman or Nouili  (5 guys competing here)

C Jurgens,W Farniok,Hixon or Sichterman

RG M Farniok,Wilson,Lynn

RT Benhart or Gaylord or Farniok if the first 2 don't work out and Wilson comes on strong.

 
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