Toggle sidebar

Bama's 2006 O-line class

T

tideman2679

New Member
Oct 9, 2005
4
0
0
47
I was just sitting here reading my new issue of bama mag about the new signees and I really think that with this incoming o-line clas that we could be geetting ready to watch history in the making here guys. I mean do yall realize that this was probably the best line class in the nation even before we got big Andre. Once you put him in there as well this could be on paper one of the best ever in college football period. All I have to say is just get ready guys cause this is going to be a fun ride watching these guys for the next 4-5 years.
 
Here are some rising freshmen from the class of 2006 poised to make an immediate impact.

Lemming's Impact Players: SEC
OL Andre Smith, Alabama

Rarely would I pick a lineman to make an impact as a first-year player, but the fleet-footed Smith was the premier offensive lineman in the country and is headed to a school that needs help at that position after the Crimson Tide lost entire chunks of their line to graduation.

The 6-foot-5, 315-pound product of Birmingham Huffman has demonstrated extraordinary quickness, balance, strength and a take-no-prisoners attitude against opponents both great and small. It didn't matter, he steamrolled them all. Smith is the best drive blocker I saw during my travels last year, but he also showed the very quick setup, mobility, balance and technique requisite of an exceptional pass blocker. Andre is in a class by himself.
Click to expand...
 
Bamabuzzard said:
Funny, he calls Smith the "best drive blocker" he saw last year. Too bad we don't drive block. :D
Click to expand...

Last time I checked anytime we run the ball we "DRIVE BLOCK"! I get your point, but it's frankly one that has been beaten to death and given the fact that we had the 2nd leading rusher in the league and actually the leading rusher through 11 games, I'll take another "DRIVE BLOCKER" with those feet who will quickly grasp our OL system and will start (IMHO) by the 3rd or 4th game and frankly if he progresses quickly this summer, he may just take the starting spot immediately.
 
Alanbama27 said:
Last time I checked anytime we run the ball we "DRIVE BLOCK"! I get your point, but it's frankly one that has been beaten to death and given the fact that we had the 2nd leading rusher in the league and actually the leading rusher through 11 games,
Click to expand...


This is news to me. Has anybody informed Coach Connelly of this? :biggrin2: I thought that is what all of the "ruckus" on the forum (coming from Mods as well) was about. That we DIDN'T drive block yet used the "Catch and Hinge" technique for a "one size fits all" approach.

Credit Darby for those yards because he got A LOT of them on his own and AFTER he was hit in the backfield. Great runner not a great line.
 
In a (futile) attempt to move this thread away from yet another discussion on blocking technique and back to the original point...

I think Andre Smith will earn a starting position in the OL by the first game. David Ross will earn a starting position by the 4th game. Alex Stadler will be in the rotation and playing regularly by the 5th game. He won't be a starter but he may very well be the 1st substitution. Hopefully Taylor Pharr and Brian Motley will be able to redshirt and bulk up a little, but injuries could press them into playing time next fall.
 
David Ross will earn a starting position by the 4th game.
Click to expand...

Who will he unseat?

In three years, our OL should be stout. Next year, I expect it to be decent with a front five of Andre, BJ Stabler, Antoine Caldwell, Marlon Davis, and Kyle Tatum. In three years, this is what we are looking at:

LT: Andre Smith (Jr.) - Taylor Pharr (So.)
LG: Marlon Davis (Sr.) - David Ross (Jr.)
C: Antoine Caldwell (Sr.) - Evan Cardwell (Jr.)
RG: BJ Stabler (Sr.) - __________
RT: Mike Johnson (Jr.) - Alex Stadler (So.)

Obviously, it will likely be different in a few years, but I think one has already established himself as a future All-SEC pick, two have both looked decent as freshmen, the left tackle is the best prospect we've had in years.
 
Ross has a future - possibly an immediate one - at LG along side Andre Smith at LT. If Andre comes to Fall drills in great shape, he might be able to beat Capps to the starter's position pretty quickly (maybe even before the start of the season). I know we have a policy not to call our guys bad which I've been scolded for in the past, but I'll put it this way: Chris Capps is the opposite of good, you do the math. ;) The way he got handled is not something that is completely CBC's fault, he is just to dang slow to play tackle in the SEC. Andre may not be completely ready for SEC play, but his athleticism should be able to contain most guys we'll face.
 
Last year I made the prediction that the offensive linemen would sense the spotlight placed on them after the Minnesota game and would take the bull by the horns. Except for the USC and UF games, I don't think that happened for one or two reasons you can debate, ability or technique.

The disconcerting thing about this time period is that after the spring game, you have to send the players off and cross your fingers that they will do the right thing until Fall practice starts. Will this group do the right thing? Truth be told, there's probably not a single position on the O-line that is secure at this point. CMS will no doubt want to put the best five on the field, and I don't think that will be known until the first few weeks of Fall practice. With Andre Smith and Taylor Pharr working with James Eyer in Birmingham, they're setting the bar pretty darn high not only for the other incoming linemen, but also for returning linemen. I think of the incoming bunch, Pharr probably has more potential than results at this point, but working with Eyer, he may report as the Hulk.



I would guess that almost every lineman can sense either a)a good possibility of getting playing time, or b)a good possibility of losing playing time. That's got to be a strong motivation, and if not, they shouldn't be wearing crimson.
 
drsmithofga said:
Last year I made the prediction that the offensive linemen would sense the spotlight placed on them after the Minnesota game and would take the bull by the horns. Except for the USC and UF games, I don't think that happened for one or two reasons you can debate, ability or technique.

The disconcerting thing about this time period is that after the spring game, you have to send the players off and cross your fingers that they will do the right thing until Fall practice starts. Will this group do the right thing? Truth be told, there's probably not a single position on the O-line that is secure at this point. CMS will no doubt want to put the best five on the field, and I don't think that will be known until the first few weeks of Fall practice. With Andre Smith and Taylor Pharr working with James Eyer in Birmingham, they're setting the bar pretty darn high not only for the other incoming linemen, but also for returning linemen. I think of the incoming bunch, Pharr probably has more potential than results at this point, but working with Eyer, he may report as the Hulk.



I would guess that almost every lineman can sense either a)a good possibility of getting playing time, or b)a good possibility of losing playing time. That's got to be a strong motivation, and if not, they shouldn't be wearing crimson.[/QUOTE]


Excellent post and dead on. The OL and the staff that handles the line has a lot of pressure on them going into the 2006 season. There's no way performances like last season will be tolerated this season without some severe backlash. My biggest fear is that during our "BIG GAMES" (LSU, Barn, UT, UF) that we revert to our 2005 ways and we begin to have turmoil within the program. I'm not amongst the "powers at be" or someone who has any say so about the program but I can just about promise you that if our line even resembles the second half of last season there will be some major backlash from the Crimson Tide community that could cause problems within. Hope I'm wrong.
Click to expand...
 
Crimson Surfer said:
According to Kirk McNair of Bama Mag it looks like Ross may get a look at center.

Football Fight: Center
Click to expand...

What wouldn't come as a shock would be seeing Ross move past Cardwell on the depth chart at center: IF, given the reps.

I've mentioned it here a few times...not really making a point about it but thought it was interesting...

While a lot of fans consider Andre' to the the "star" of this OL class...other OLmen on campus have been rated higher on recruiting boards around the SEC. UT, as example, was recruiting the same OLmen that we were and didn't have Andre as high on their list as Ross...due to the experience Ross had in a passing offense.

Buzzard: We talked quite a bit about the "drive blocking" before the '05 season and the fact it wasn't concentrated on/taught to our OL. However, it was being integrated at times in our OL scheme last season. That move, lead to other problems.

When we were in a passing situation or running situation the opposing DC's were able to accuractely predict what we were about to do based on the stance of the OL.
 
I don't know if it has been talked about much, but I have some hope about Taylor Britt joining the O-line, and hopefully instilling some of his attitude to the tackle position (and maybe rub off on the guards, too). Same for Andre on the other side of the line.
 
TerryP said:
Buzzard: However, it was being integrated at times in our OL scheme last season. That move, lead to other problems.

When we were in a passing situation or running situation the opposing DC's were able to accuractely predict what we were about to do based on the stance of the OL.
Click to expand...


I don't disagree....."at times" is correct. We integrated drive blocking "at times" which is much different than what the poster I was responding to said. He said "Anytime we run the ball we drive block" which simply isn't true. We did it (like you said) "at times".
 
pike said:
I don't know if it has been talked about much, but I have some hope about Taylor Britt joining the O-line, and hopefully instilling some of his attitude to the tackle position (and maybe rub off on the guards, too). Same for Andre on the other side of the line.
Click to expand...

I thought Taylor was out of eligibility.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

New Posts

Advertisement

Trending content

Advertisement

Latest threads

Top Bottom
Back