Interesting note regarding the Kansas State depth chart

[Jameson McCausland]

As I was looking through the Kansas State depth depth chart I began to notice a trend: seemingly every starter had a redshirt year as a freshman. Out of the 22 starters on offense and defense, 15 players had redshirt years. Out of the other 6 starters, 4 came via Junior College and only TWO actually saw playing time as a true freshman. In the trenches, 4 out of 5 offensive lineman and all 4 defensive lineman had a redshirt year.

On Texas depth chart, the Longhorns have a total of 4 starters who had a redshirt year: Reggie Hemphill-Mapps, Jake McMillon, Chris Nelson and Naashon Hughes. McMillon is the only starting offensive lineman to have a redshirt and Nelson is the only defensive lineman.

Texas has not had the luxury of being able to redshirt players for while. Whether it's poor roster management, attrition or upperclassmen not cutting it, the coaching staff's have been forced to play guys early in their career. For Texas to get back to where it needs to be, they need to start getting to a level where guys are afforded a year to stand on the sideline and learn, especially in the trenches.

 

[DBut82]

As I was looking through the Kansas State depth depth chart I began to notice a trend: seemingly every starter had a redshirt year as a freshman. Out of the 22 starters on offense and defense, 15 players had redshirt years. Out of the other 6 starters, 4 came via Junior College and only TWO actually saw playing time as a true freshman. In the trenches, 4 out of 5 offensive lineman and all 4 defensive lineman had a redshirt year.

On Texas depth chart, the Longhorns have a total of 4 starters who had a redshirt year: Reggie Hemphill-Mapps, Jake McMillon, Chris Nelson and Naashon Hughes. McMillon is the only starting offensive lineman to have a redshirt and Nelson is the only defensive lineman.

Texas has not had the luxury of being able to redshirt players for while. Whether it's poor roster management, attrition or upperclassmen not cutting it, the coaching staff's have been forced to play guys early in their career. For Texas to get back to where it needs to be, they need to start getting to a level where guys are afforded a year to stand on the sideline and learn, especially in the trenches.

Very interesting observation...and spot on! And we will continue to experience these growing pains because, unfortunately, we can't recruit 5 Connor Williams every year. Good stuff Jameson!

 

[drgilbert]

I agree with your thought process but I wonder how many of the top players would come to Texas if they thought they would redshirt.  

 

[Jameson McCausland]

I agree with your thought process but I wonder how many of the top players would come to Texas if they thought they would redshirt.  

That’s a very good point. Not many recruits would be particularly happy with sitting their first year. The frustrating thing is looking at some of the players who didn’t redshirt and realizing how much they played their freshman year (like Denzel Okafor playing 3 plays against UTEP and then spending the rest of the season on the extra point unit)

 

[DBut82]

I agree with your thought process but I wonder how many of the top players would come to Texas if they thought they would redshirt.  

I'm sure you tell them the same thing you tell every recruit: that they'll compete for the starting job...

 

[North Texas Golfer]

I'm not convinced that it's about the number of redshirt's so much as it is about how many junior and seniors start.

For instance, Alabama's starting offense and defense has only 7 redshirt starters (5 offense, 2 defense) of the 24 shown on their depth chart. 

The big difference is that they have 18 juniors and seniors listed on the depth chart. The other six listed are 1 RS Fr, 2 true sophs, and 3 RS sophs. 

I would much rather emulate, or model, what Bama is doing versus what KSU is doing. But that's just me and what do I know. 

 

[Jameson McCausland]

I'm not convinced that it's about the number of redshirt's so much as it is about how many junior and seniors start.

For instance, Alabama's starting offense and defense has only 7 redshirt starters (5 offense, 2 defense) of the 24 shown on their depth chart. 

The big difference is that they have 18 juniors and seniors listed on the depth chart. The other six listed are 1 RS Fr, 2 true sophs, and 3 RS sophs. 

I would much rather emulate, or model, what Bama is doing versus what KSU is doing. But that's just me and what do I know. 

Absolutely agree. The amount of upperclassmen starting for a team is a telling sign for how stable the program is. Texas has 15 junior and senior starters, but out of those 15 the only two who were afforded a redshirt were Naashon Hughes and Chris Nelson. The overall meaning of the post was that Texas is at a point right now where players are being thrown into the fire early. I am of the personal opinion that almost every offensive and defensive lineman should redshirt. Are there exceptions? Of course, but it is healthy for a program when most players are able to redshirt and not have to play as freshmen. 

 

[North Texas Golfer]

Absolutely agree. The amount of upperclassmen starting for a team is a telling sign for how stable the program is. Texas has 15 junior and senior starters, but out of those 15 the only two who were afforded a redshirt were Naashon Hughes and Chris Nelson. The overall meaning of the post was that Texas is at a point right now where players are being thrown into the fire early. I am of the personal opinion that almost every offensive and defensive lineman should redshirt. Are there exceptions? Of course, but it is healthy for a program when most players are able to redshirt and not have to play as freshmen. 

Spot on. Texas's starting defense has 1 soph, 8 juniors, and 2 seniors. Not hard to see why they are playing as well as they are and based on the 2 deep it looks like that could certainly continue for years to come.

The offense is another story. Only 2 juniors (Vahe and McMillon) and 3 seniors (T Nickelson, WR Joe, and TE Moore). And, let's face it, the 3 seniors are easily replaceable. Not only that, the only other other JR's/SR's getting any playing time on offense are Warren and Leonard. That tells me it's going to be quite the challenge for our offense the rest of this year unless the offensive coaching staff can really get their act together. 

 

[DBut82]

That tells me it's going to be quite the challenge for our offense the rest of this year unless the offensive coaching staff can really get their act together. 

Coach Herman had interesting comments in the presser regarding himself, Beck and being "aligned" (which he says they are).  The interesting part imo was what he said regarding calling plays and head coaching responsibilities.  Basically, he & Beck are still learning one another and that he trusts him regarding personnel and play calls.  Brought up that he and Applewhite didn't work together prior to Houston.  I'll try to find the transcript.

On his relationship with Tim Beck and learning to make adjustments: I didn't work with Major prior to (him) calling plays for me. And that was a very seamless transition, even though it came to adjustments. I think the biggest thing is that as a head coach, one, you've got to manage the game. That's why -- I mean I envy those guys that are head coaches and call plays. I don't know how they do it. They've got a different skill set than me, maybe.I was always best calling plays from the box, too. And there were times in my career when a head coach would ask me to be on the field, whether it be a quarterback needs to be down there, the offense needs me. And I was a fish out of water. And so the biggest thing that we're learning, when I say we, myself and Tim Beck, is I can give you some really good input if you give me great communication of what you're seeing up there. Because I don't see the game really well down here, and I'm worried about getting the punt team on, are we going to fake a punt are go for it on the fourth down, I'm cheering up the defense, and doing all this, and hey, tell me what you see and I can help. And so that's where the very detailed communication of what's going on and what different down and distances is going on, when it's occurring and all of those things that I think has gone well. We can obviously still get better at it. But has gone well. And then, yeah, I mentioned on the call, you know, that it has nothing to do with talent. It's a trust issue and had some long, hard conversations with him and Coach Warehime that we've got to coach him to go to the right place with the right technique, with the right effort level because he's a talented guy that we need on the field. And I think even a guy like J.P. Urquidez is getting better week-by-week. Tope is not ready, but maybe by -- in a couple of weeks or towards the end of the year he would be. And then we've got Terrell Cuney, is a guy on the inside. The inside guys aren't playing awful right now. I mean outside guys aren't playing awful, either. But I think the inside guys are fairly solidified. We need to find some more consistency at tackle.

 

[DMAC]

The inside guys aren't playing awful right now. 

It appears Herman likes to spin subjectivity because yes the Offensive Tackles are awful especially Tristan.  At least Kerstetter is a freshmen and its expected but Tristan is awful

 

[doc longhorn]

I agree with your thought process but I wonder how many of the top players would come to Texas if they thought they would redshirt.  

If you are winning, they would be willing to wait.  Look at Bama.

 

[Embrey]

I keep a close eye on Tech and I have noticed they are supplementing quite a few JUCO players, particularly on the defense.  Like KSU, Tech does not have the recruiting riches like Texas has.  I think the reason KSU can afford to redshirt as much as they do is due to their annual infusion of JUCO talent.

Regarding graduate in-transfers, what do y'all think is the best position(s)?  I have not seen a ton of success when bringing in a graduate transfer at QB.  It kind of implies the guy got beat out or the HC is ready to go in another direction.

Also, as was the case with Ben Banogu (DE, TCU), he transferred to TCU after playing a year at somewhere like Arkansas State.  He was a Metroplex kid and I assume he didn't get the offer he wanted so he went where he could play immediately.  He lit up the conference at ASU as a true freshman and I assume he was on TCU's radar the previous recruiting season.  He used his sophomore eligibility to transfer to the Frogs and has become an impact starter immediately this season.  Do all universities keep an eye on recruits that slipped through the cracks, went to non P5 schools and immediately excelled?  If so, who contacts who?  Is it illegal for a P5 school to contact a non P5 school scholarship player in hope that he might transfer?

 

[Danny Hale]

I keep a close eye on Tech and I have noticed they are supplementing quite a few JUCO players, particularly on the defense.  Like KSU, Tech does not have the recruiting riches like Texas has.  I think the reason KSU can afford to redshirt as much as they do is due to their annual infusion of JUCO talent.

Regarding graduate in-transfers, what do y'all think is the best position(s)?  I have not seen a ton of success when bringing in a graduate transfer at QB.  It kind of implies the guy got beat out or the HC is ready to go in another direction.

Also, as was the case with Ben Banogu (DE, TCU), he transferred to TCU after playing a year at somewhere like Arkansas State.  He was a Metroplex kid and I assume he didn't get the offer he wanted so he went where he could play immediately.  He lit up the conference at ASU as a true freshman and I assume he was on TCU's radar the previous recruiting season.  He used his sophomore eligibility to transfer to the Frogs and has become an impact starter immediately this season.  Do all universities keep an eye on recruits that slipped through the cracks, went to non P5 schools and immediately excelled?  If so, who contacts who?  Is it illegal for a P5 school to contact a non P5 school scholarship player in hope that he might transfer?

Yes it is illegal to recruit players on other teams until they have release from school but there are always ways to let the player know a transfer would be accepted 

 

[CharcoalPuppy]

I'll be interested to see how Carlo Strickland plays for K-State... 4 star WR out of Dallas we lost out on in recruiting a couple years ago that transferred from CAL. 

 

[Sirhornsalot]

I'll be interested to see how Carlo Strickland plays for K-State... 4 star WR out of Dallas we lost out on in recruiting a couple years ago that transferred from CAL. 

I'll be interested in seeing DeShon Elliott light him up.

 

[DBut82]

I'll be interested in seeing DeShon Elliott light him up.

Hollywood says he and Elliot compete for the most int's and he's trailing him now so he has to step his game up to catch up.  I love that!  Can you imagine both of those ball hawks playing at an all conference/all American level at the same time???  I can't wait to witness it!!!