Some thoughts on the upcoming season:
1)Marcus Vick is the QB of the future. He's arguably the most accurate passer on team already. He'll be #3 this year and will hopefully keep his redshirt on. He needs a year to get bigger and learn the system.
2)The LSU is almost a must-win for Beamer. Too many long term implications from that game.
3)I hope Bryan Randall gets the nod to start. Grant Noel simply doesn't have it to be our starting QB. He's decent on the short pass, but can't really throw deep, can't run the option, can't scramble, loses his confidence easily, and now....doesn't have an ACL.
4)People will have to step up on D. We lost our entire 2 deep at tackle and linebacker. Vegas Robinson and Cols Colas are two guys that IMO could become household names before the year is over.
5)Somebody will have to step up at wide receiver. We had about 12-13 players at the position and somebody will need to become a guy that can consistently catch the ball and make things happen. Ernest Wilford has all the tools and is a Zeus-like physical specimen. He can really make a difference if he becomes the man.
6)The offense is what I'm really interested in. A new OC and a new QB coach. From what I've heard about practice, we've got a much more open passing game with a lot of crossing routes and slants. Even if Grant Noel gets the nod at QB, this type of offense is ideal for him. But in the end, Beamer is the head coach, and he'll be the guy with the final say.
7)KJ and Suggs will be awesome.
7)As far as a prediction, there are too many variables to have chance to be accurate. The QB position is not settled, and IMO, the difference between Noel and Randall could be 2-3 wins. The offensive coordinator and QB coach are different. We have the toughest schedule of the Beamer era. We have a young team, especially on D.
I'll go out on a limb and say things will come together nicely and we'll go 10-3. We'll lose to Miami, LSU, and Syracuse, and we'll win our bowl game.
The team is more talented this year than it ever has been. But a lot of the talent is very young. This year will be a learning experience.
Next year, we'll be truly awesome. |
