With all the discussion about CKD wanting a lighter, quicker, more agile OL, I wondered what does that really mean, and also what are the indications that we're really working toward that goal? also, do we think it would be effective?
Looking at the 2023 UW starters who won the Joe Moore award, only Brailsford was under 300. They also got completely thrashed by UM in the championship game. Even with Brailsford, they averaged 306
The smallest starter for IU this season was 309 and they averaged 311 and were pretty consistent between 310 and 315. Even their depth players were mostly in this range. two guys are 6'4", 4 at 6'5" and 4 are 6'6".
Bama has proctor tipping the scales at one end, but brailsford on the complete opposite so our average is kinda meaningless at 327, so what about who CKD has brought in and how players have evolved - gaining or losing weight in the offseason.
First transfers in were GVDM and Brailsford. VDM came in in the 320's, and has stayed there gaining a couple pounds. Brailsford gained a good bit of weight but is still undersized. This signing class was mostly Saban recruits - Ionata, Sanders, Poe. that said, all were under 300 when signed, so maybe Saban wasn't all in on the massive guys anyway. Poe gained the most up to 318 first year and added two more to 320. Ionata moved up to 310 then down to 306 and Sanders also hit 310, but then lost down to 308.
Next season, we brought in Dewberry, who was over 340 and Anugwon at around 330. Not exactly getting smaller... Dewberry lost 13 pounds down to 332 - still kinda a bigger guy.
The signing class OL was Carroll listed at 315, Llyod at 280. Debose at 335, Waldrop at 325. Carroll put on weight up to 321, Lloyd gained to 310 by by spring, then 318 by fall camp. Debose slimmed down to 319 and Waldrop was pretty steady down to 324.
Incoming class: Cooley at 315, Doughty at 300, Booker at 285, Miller at 305 and Fretwell at 295. So slightly lighter than the prior class, but we don't know what they'll do on campus, and this group also isn't as highly rated as the prior one. ALL these guys have a lot of length, other than Booker though.
Saban generally had prototypes for positions, and pretty much every offseason you could see guys at a position all moving in a general direction toward that. It would sometimes change as the game changed, and there could be exceptions, but the trend was usually there. For example, ILBs were McClain/Hightower types, but then changed to be foster/mosely/moses types as more speed was needed.
Does CKD have the same philosophy and what does that mean on the OL?
If he does, I can't really figure it out based on the players he's brought in, and how weights are moving around.
Most guys over the last couple of years appear to be targeting low-mid 320s, and that's where Saban era guys like Roberts, Formby and Alinen generally ended up as well, but then guys like Sanders dropped weight to under 310.
The only trend I see in the signing class is length - we're clearly prioritizing 6'4" plus guys.
So what's the thought? What exactly does "smaller" look like on the OL for CKD? I think we all know it's not Proctor, but it also doesn't appear to be Brailsford.
Looking at the 2023 UW starters who won the Joe Moore award, only Brailsford was under 300. They also got completely thrashed by UM in the championship game. Even with Brailsford, they averaged 306
The smallest starter for IU this season was 309 and they averaged 311 and were pretty consistent between 310 and 315. Even their depth players were mostly in this range. two guys are 6'4", 4 at 6'5" and 4 are 6'6".
Bama has proctor tipping the scales at one end, but brailsford on the complete opposite so our average is kinda meaningless at 327, so what about who CKD has brought in and how players have evolved - gaining or losing weight in the offseason.
First transfers in were GVDM and Brailsford. VDM came in in the 320's, and has stayed there gaining a couple pounds. Brailsford gained a good bit of weight but is still undersized. This signing class was mostly Saban recruits - Ionata, Sanders, Poe. that said, all were under 300 when signed, so maybe Saban wasn't all in on the massive guys anyway. Poe gained the most up to 318 first year and added two more to 320. Ionata moved up to 310 then down to 306 and Sanders also hit 310, but then lost down to 308.
Next season, we brought in Dewberry, who was over 340 and Anugwon at around 330. Not exactly getting smaller... Dewberry lost 13 pounds down to 332 - still kinda a bigger guy.
The signing class OL was Carroll listed at 315, Llyod at 280. Debose at 335, Waldrop at 325. Carroll put on weight up to 321, Lloyd gained to 310 by by spring, then 318 by fall camp. Debose slimmed down to 319 and Waldrop was pretty steady down to 324.
Incoming class: Cooley at 315, Doughty at 300, Booker at 285, Miller at 305 and Fretwell at 295. So slightly lighter than the prior class, but we don't know what they'll do on campus, and this group also isn't as highly rated as the prior one. ALL these guys have a lot of length, other than Booker though.
Saban generally had prototypes for positions, and pretty much every offseason you could see guys at a position all moving in a general direction toward that. It would sometimes change as the game changed, and there could be exceptions, but the trend was usually there. For example, ILBs were McClain/Hightower types, but then changed to be foster/mosely/moses types as more speed was needed.
Does CKD have the same philosophy and what does that mean on the OL?
If he does, I can't really figure it out based on the players he's brought in, and how weights are moving around.
Most guys over the last couple of years appear to be targeting low-mid 320s, and that's where Saban era guys like Roberts, Formby and Alinen generally ended up as well, but then guys like Sanders dropped weight to under 310.
The only trend I see in the signing class is length - we're clearly prioritizing 6'4" plus guys.
So what's the thought? What exactly does "smaller" look like on the OL for CKD? I think we all know it's not Proctor, but it also doesn't appear to be Brailsford.
