Harrell: OL has chance to be 'really really good'

[Texan4Auburn 1,626]

7 hours ago, AUght2win said:

In the age of the internet, nobody moves in silence. It's a shame really. I remember Jeremy Johnson talkimg smack about doubters on his IG before his senior year. Like you said, just shut up and go to work. You (the OL) haven't earned the credibility to tell us how great you're gonna be.

Except in the age of the internet with all the pay sites and player access etc, they are not afforded the environment to just shut up and go to work. They are kids and really young adults that aren't really groomed for public relations dealing with "professional" (kinda) journalist

Now if you do it on your own media account different story.

I'd actually favor a team rule disallowing social media and keeping players away from the professional media.

Hence dammed if you do and damned it you don't.

At $100 dollars a year you aren't gonna get many subscriptions if the players just shut up and go to work.

[Texan4Auburn 1,626]

12 hours ago, Auburn2Eugene said:

I feel ya, but that's the wrong way to go about saying what you said. Being passive aggressive is rarely, if ever, the solution.

It was Margarita Aggressive thank you!

[Tigger1985 812]

Got plenty of room for improvement. Let's hope it works out. Like to see them drive someone in the ground for once instead of seeing an OT not even touch a DE

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,684]

They just cant be worse at the center position. If that could just be average against the elite teams, they'll be fine. 

[AUght2win 6,857]

2 hours ago, Texan4Auburn said:

Except in the age of the internet with all the pay sites and player access etc, they are not afforded the environment to just shut up and go to work. They are kids and really young adults that aren't really groomed for public relations dealing with "professional" (kinda) journalist

Now if you do it on your own media account different story.

I'd actually favor a team rule disallowing social media and keeping players away from the professional media.

Hence dammed if you do and damned it you don't.

At $100 dollars a year you aren't gonna get many subscriptions if the players just shut up and go to work.

If Auburn banned social media we would never sign another high school recruit.

[Auburn2Eugene 2,317]

8 hours ago, AUght2win said:

If Auburn banned social media we would never sign another high school recruit.

I agree. I feel its already difficult enough for us with the UA contract. This is much more a basketball issue, but i can absolutely see it being a football issue as well..  Kids these days grow up wearing Nike. When they sign to a college they don't want to be told "well you have worn Nike your entire life, but here, at this university, you will only be allowed to play in UA gear, no Nike." 

Banning social media, along with keeping anything to do with Nike away from the field/court, and we may as well abolish the athletics department. That, or move to DIII. 

[shabby 1,958]

I'm buying it. This line will be great next year.  Cant wait for the continuous naysayers to eat their words

[Auburn2Eugene 2,317]

1 hour ago, shabby said:

I'm buying it. This line will be great next year.  Cant wait for the continuous naysayers to eat their words

Even if this OL becomes the absolute best OL in the entire nation next season, there will be plenty to complain about as they are are all seniors so the next season, we will be starting all over with 5 new starters. 

So while next seasons OL has the potential to be very good, let's not pretend we are in great shape with the OL as a whole.

[tigerman1186 537]

All I want is 5 NASTY guys getting after it on every play.....

[Texan4Auburn 1,626]

On 2/23/2019 at 10:09 PM, AUght2win said:

If Auburn banned social media we would never sign another high school recruit.

Like I said. Damned if you do and damned if you don't.

I bet someone would sign though lol. Hell, I got eligibility I will go kick and get another masters or doctorate paid for.

[alexava 6,973]

12 hours ago, Auburn2Eugene said:

Even if this OL becomes the absolute best OL in the entire nation next season, there will be plenty to complain about as they are are all seniors so the next season, we will be starting all over with 5 new starters. 

So while next seasons OL has the potential to be very good, let's not pretend we are in great shape with the OL as a whole.

By all means don’t enjoy it. 

[Auburn2Eugene 2,317]

9 hours ago, alexava said:

By all means don’t enjoy it. 

No, you miss understand. I'm not giving any personal opinions either way. I'm just saying there will still be those who complain since regardless of how the 2019 line turns out, the 2020 line will start all over. 

We are not in good shape on the OL. There is no sense pretending we are. 

There will still be people complaining about the future. But sure. Make it out as me complaining. 

Believe it or not, there are people who neither think the sky is falling, nor think Gus is the best thing since sliced bread. Just because you are on one side of that extreme, doesn't mean everyone is...

[shabby 1,958]

2 hours ago, Auburn2Eugene said:

No, you miss understand. I'm not giving any personal opinions either way. I'm just saying there will still be those who complain since regardless of how the 2019 line turns out, the 2020 line will start all over. 

We are not in good shape on the OL. There is no sense pretending we are. 

There will still be people complaining about the future. But sure. Make it out as me complaining. 

Believe it or not, there are people who neither think the sky is falling, nor think Gus is the best thing since sliced bread. Just because you are on one side of that extreme, doesn't mean everyone is...

But the argument has been way more than a simple Auburn isn't recruiting well. No one argues that. But there has been a persistent critique that Grimes is not able to coach the talent he has. I don't think the facts support that. I found notable improvement in line play later in the season. It's left me optimistic. If this line plays really well its a great sign going forward. It seems that the recruiting issues are being addressed as well. Yes 2020 will be a young line. But it's looking more and more likely as if there will be some recruits in the wing. Until then I am optimistic about next year and hope this line lives up to their potential

[IronMan70 3,277]

As far as the OL is concerned, we will be in better shape if and when we can get our OL recruiting up to the same level as our DL recruiting. On another note, some of us chuckle a little when we read the discussion about not being able to recruit without social media. Yes, that is very true today, most definitely. Those of us a tad older can remember the days when fans didn't learn about an Auburn player committing or signing until it was printed in the newspaper the next day, if we were lucky. Times have really changed.

@augolf1716  @Mikey

 

[alexava 6,973]

3 hours ago, shabby said:

But the argument has been way more than a simple Auburn isn't recruiting well. No one argues that. But there has been a persistent critique that Grimes is not able to coach the talent he has. I don't think the facts support that. I found notable improvement in line play later in the season. It's left me optimistic. If this line plays really well its a great sign going forward. It seems that the recruiting issues are being addressed as well. Yes 2020 will be a young line. But it's looking more and more likely as if there will be some recruits in the wing. Until then I am optimistic about next year and hope this line lives up to their potential

There will be growing pains in 2020 on the o line. How bad it will be depends on some variables we don’t know yet. I just don’t see a need to play the dread game two years out. 

[meh130 1,043]

From a raw talent and experience standpoint, this OL could be very good. The question is coaching, technique, and execution.

I would love to see some position battles in Spring and Fall camp. Brahms and Kim at Center, Driscoll and Troxell at RT, and Hamm pushing for an OG spot.

[Auburn2Eugene 2,317]

On 2/25/2019 at 1:49 PM, alexava said:

How bad it will be depends on some variables we don’t know yet

What we do know is that at the very least, 4 of the 5 OL will be completely new. 5 out of 5 will be replaced if Kim starts this season. 

That in itself is plenty to worry about. Saying otherwise is putting your head in the sand. 

What are the other variables? Injury. Yes that could happen and force someone into starting on the line during the 2019 season which would give them a few games returning. I'll give you that one. That's one variable that is something that could happen. What else? True freshman starting? That's never good. Transfers? Some work, some don't. There is a very real concern about the 2020 line. 2021 and further looks to be in better shape as it seems we now remember we need to sign OTs... But 2020 is a real concern...

Granted, the 2018 line was atrocious at first but did improve. Grimes can coach that hasn't ever been a question. So I have no doubts he will get them in order after a season, but 2020 is going to be rough with the OL... 

[alexava 6,973]

1 hour ago, Auburn2Eugene said:

What we do know is that at the very least, 4 of the 5 OL will be completely new. 5 out of 5 will be replaced if Kim starts this season. 

That in itself is plenty to worry about. Saying otherwise is putting your head in the sand. 

What are the other variables? Injury. Yes that could happen and force someone into starting on the line during the 2019 season which would give them a few games returning. I'll give you that one. That's one variable that is something that could happen. What else? True freshman starting? That's never good. Transfers? Some work, some don't. There is a very real concern about the 2020 line. 2021 and further looks to be in better shape as it seems we now remember we need to sign OTs... But 2020 is a real concern...

Granted, the 2018 line was atrocious at first but did improve. Grimes can coach that hasn't ever been a question. So I have no doubts he will get them in order after a season, but 2020 is going to be rough with the OL... 

A transfer like for instance Braun who has two years left, one or more younger players like Irvin stepping up it could get better or worse. We don’t know. Let it play out. It doesn’t look ideal at the moment, but that doesn’t mean it will implode. 

[milehighfan 1,240]

On 2/23/2019 at 8:05 AM, NCTiger1982 said:

Thanks you ! When you see a team like GA playing sophomores with major success you have to ask why not at Auburn? 

It’s failure at recruiting, development & coaching and the HC holding position coaches responsible for their results or lack of results in this case. 

Don't sugar coat it, how do you really feel? Actually, I totally agree with you.  

[McLoofus 35,182]

16 hours ago, alexava said:

A transfer like for instance Braun who has two years left, one or more younger players like Irvin stepping up it could get better or worse. We don’t know. Let it play out. It doesn’t look ideal at the moment, but that doesn’t mean it will implode. 

You know I'm no sunshine pumper with regards to this offense, but I agree that there's no sense in freaking out over 2020 when we've still got 2019 to freak out about, lol.