I use the word average to describe a player that is, in a word, average. At times, this player may be dominant, but at times, they may be completely lost. At times, this play may be doing exactly what he's supposed to do, and at times, he may be doing the complete opposite. All of this combines to be average.
Once again, alphabetical order.
Will Barker: Barker is the only starting OL I have not rated as great or good. It is no coincidence that he is also the youngest of the OL. Barker had a decent season in 2006, as he started every game during the season, and saw most of the snaps at RT. He looked raw at times, which was to be expected. He was still getting used to the weight he put on during his redshirt year. He was also getting used to the speed of the college game. In truth, he probably wasn't ready to play as much as he did. However, that trial by fire will almost certainly help him in the long run, as he clearly became a better player as the season went on.
Barker has the body of an OT. 6'7" and 306 lbs as a 20 year old. Thats a big guy. He's got strength, and his athleticism is fantastic for a man his size. He also has good feet and quickness (he played lacrosse in HS). Once he locks on to a defender, he's not going to lose too many battles due to a lack of strength or quickness. His biggest problem is making the right decision on who to block. He missed far too many blocks. As I've mentioned previously, this was a problem for the entire offensive line, especially early in the season. But while it improved as a whole, Barker still struggled with this through the end of the season. One other problem is that, like Jordy Lipsey, Barker doesn't seem to have the intensity of other OLs. At times, he seems passive, almost bored.
Barker is a bright young man, and he seems willing to put in the work to succeed. The question is only whether this will be the year, or if he takes another year.
Allen Billyk: Billyk reminds many people of Andrew Hoffman, in that he's a very workman-like NT. It is interesting to note that Hoffman has been moved to OL in the NFL. Billyk, like Hoffman, is not going to make a lot of plays in the backfield, but he never quits on a play, and he will occupy blockers on every play. In the 3-4 defense that we play, this is often the role of the NT.
Billyk isn't going to play with much range, which is a main reason he was moved inside from DE. He just isn't going to beat anybody with quickness. While he doesn't have great strength, he does have adequate strength. Against the run, Billyk is very good at holding blockers up, and keeping them from getting to the second level. Again, in the 3-4, this is his job. He will often tie up two OLs and let the ILBs make plays on the RB. Similarly, against the run, Billyk is going to get past the OL and into the QBs face very often. Any sacks that he gets are probably coverage sacks, where the OL breaks down after decent initial protection. But Billyk will keep blockers busy, while the LBs or Safeties can come on blitzes.
Last year, Billyk was the de facto starter, but Nate Collins saw plenty of action, especially in passing situations. Keenan Carter also saw some time at NT. Billyk will not get many snaps in the nickel package, because rushing the passer is not his strength. Look for Billyk to again maintain the starting nod because of his consistency, and his determination. However, Collins and manchild Nick Jenkins should continue to take plenty of snaps away from him, as they give the defense a little more athleticism along the line.
Aaron Clark: Clark hasn't really gotten too many opportunities to play, and therefore many people do not much about him. Clark has spent time at both OLB and DE, although most of his actual playing time has been on special teams. It's unfortunate, for both him and the fans, that Clark hasn't seen the field more.
Clark has very good size, and good quickness. He'd probably be ideal as a DE in the 4-3, whereas in our 3-4 he's a bit of a tweener. This is why he's jumped around from DE to OLB, based on where we've needed him. Also, it seems like he's constantly been passed on the depth chart at both positions. He's apparently put some bulk on, and has been practicing exclusively at DE, but with the recent news about Olu Hall's suspension, this may change yet again.
Many people have been clamoring for a mid-career redshirt for Clark. Considering he's moved from position to position several times, this would make some sense, if he could ever get set in one position. If the news about him moving fulltime to DE is true, a redshirt would be beneficial, since it is unlikely he will see much time there this season. He has enough talent that if his career continues as it has gone so far, it would be a tremendous waste. Here's hoping he finds his way onto the field at some point and shows his potential.
Maurice Covington; Due to the injury to Kevin Ogletree, MoCo comes in as our leading returning receiver among the WRs, with all of 11 catches. Covington should earn the starting nod at the Y position due to his experience. I'm of the opinion that Covington should've redshirted as a true freshman, considering he played only 5 games and had only 5 receptions. However, that didn't happen, and the chances of a mid-career redshirt are basically nil, especially considering KO's injury.
Convinton is a WR in the same mold as Fontel Mines. He's a big guy who is going to use his size to get open, and his height to catch passes over a DB. Covington isn't the type of receiver who is going to run fly routes and post routes and beat people downfield. He's got good speed for a big receiver, but not elite speed by any means. Covington, however, is the perfect complement to a faster receiver who can get open downfield. He's very good at running underneath routes such as a drag, or a in. He's good in goalline situations on a fade route, because of his height and his ability to go up and get a pass.
Convington never seemed to develop any chemistry with Sewell, or any of the other QBs. He had 6 catches last year, while getting a decent amount of playing time. One problem is that his strength basically mimics that of our TEs. If you're Sewell, and you're looking for a guy underneath, are you gonna throw to Stupar or to Covington? With the injury to Ogletree, it appears to be time for Covington to step up and have more of an impact. If we can find somebody to run the deep routes and put some pressure on a team's secondary, Convington can be valuable going over the middle on short and intermediate routes. But because Covington is not going to step into Ogletree's role, we need somebody to step up first, before MoCo can really have much impact.
Jermaine Dias: Dias has played 4 years at OLB now and has yet to really distinguish himself. At times, he's looked good in pass coverage, and on outside running plays. However, too often he seems lost and never makes an impact on the game.
Dias is almost the opposite of his OLB mate, Clint Sintim. While Sintim is at his best going into the backfield, getting after the QB, Dias is more of an all a round LB. He's very adept at pass coverage, and will usually cover the TE or RB on passing plays. Against the run, Dias often has a problem beating blocks, but he usually does a good job of staying home and forcing a RB inside, where his fellow LBs can make plays.
I believe much of Dias' struggle has been due to a confidence problem. With a little bit of extended success, Dias' game could grow quickly to the point where he's a real asset to the defense. If this does not happen, look for some of the younger LBs (Olu Hall, anybody?) to see a lot of time at Dias' OLB spot.
Chris Gould: Is Gould a PK or a P? That question has yet to be answered. Last season, he spent much of the year in both roles. This happens quite a bit in college, as oftentimes a team will have one kicker who is the best at both. However, it is difficult for the player, because the two roles have such drastically different kicking techniques. Gould, as others have in other situations, struggled in both roles. Eventually, Ryan Weigand came on to do much of the punting, allowing Gould to focus on PK. Gould still handled the pooch kicks, simply because he was still better at it than Weigand was.
Gould's brother, Robbie, is the PK for the Bears. While a good punter, Gould's strength is placekicking. His strength as a punter is pooch kicks, because he simply does not have tremendous leg strength. However, he's consistent as a punter, has good hands and gets his kicks off quickly. As a PK, his leg strength is adequate, as evidenced by his career long of 48 yards and 21 touchbacks last season.
Gould's problem as a PK appears to be consistency, although there are other factors that go into FG kicking. Still, at the end of the day though, it comes down to the kicker being able to execute, and 11 of 19 last season is just not getting it done. We brought in Chris Hinkebein as a PK, although it looks like Gould will hang on to the job, at least for now. It also looks like Weigand is getting the nod at punter, and this is good. Perhaps spending all his time and focus on PK will help Gould's consistency and will give us confidence in the 3 point opportunities.
Byron Glaspy: We all know that Glaspy is a great story. A former walk-on who made the team as a reserve safety, Glaspy worked his way into the starting lineup and became a mainstay in the defensive secondary. Glaspy is a high IQ playerwho rarely makes mistakes and is very good at bringing down a ballcarrier, although will not make the big hit that Nate Lyles often delivers.
Just because Glaspy was a walk-on, doesn't mean he isn't a very gifted athlete. Glaspy does not give up much size or speed to Lyles. In fact, Lyles and Glaspy are very similar safeties. This, however, is the problem. Both of their strengths are moving towards the line of scrimmage, and both are very strong against the run. However, neither of them are much of a centerfielder type, and both will get beaten on the deep ball at times. A perfect set of safeties will complement each other, as one will be more a coverage safety (generally called a FS) and the other will be more like a LB, playing closer to the line and laying the big hit on a ballcarrier (generally called a SS). Lyles and Glaspy are both SS types. Against the run, this is an advantage because both will get into a ballcarrier and prevent the big run. However, since neither of them are good in pass coverage, our defense becomes susceptible to multiple WR sets.
So if they are so similar, why is Glaspy Average, while Lyles is Good? The main reason is that I believe Glaspsy has probably reached his maximum potential, whereas Lyles still has room to improve. If a younger safety, with more range in coverage (read: Brandon Woods) steps up, Glaspy will probably lose more snaps than Lyles will. This is because Glaspy lacks the intimidationg factor that Lyles has. Those big hits that Lyles delivers are why teams will be tentative when throwing over the middle. Nobody dreads throwing in front of Glaspy. That said, Glaspy will see plenty of time on the field, and will do the most he can on every snap.
Vic Hall: Hall moved to CB after being one of the most successful QBs in Virginia high school history. CB seems like the best position for Hall's future in football. You can't play QB in the NFL at 5'9", no matter how quick you are. That said, there aren't really a whole lot of 5'9" CBs in the NFL either.
Hall might be the most athletic player on the team. He has very good speed, tremendous quickness, good hands and displays good strength for his size. Obviously, this bodes well for his success as a CB. He has the speed and lateral quickness to cover the quickest of receivers. While he may lack the height to defend jump balls and fade routes against taller receivers, he does have the strength to make a solid jam at the line. Hall's instincts on the field are good, and its likely that his QB background helps him understand defending against the pass. Experience is really the only thing holding him back.
One place I am very excited to see Vic is on punt returns. Hall ran for something like 100 million yards as a HS QB, and that skill bodes well for returning punts. He has to prove he can catch the ball consistently, but once he gets his hands on the ball, he could be very dangerous.
Once again, the biggest question mark here is experience. Is Vic Hall ready to be an all-ACC CB? Can Mike London put him on an island against a WR like eddie royal, and expect Hall to get the job done? This will go a long way towards determining if our defense is only very good, or if its phenomenal.
Andrew Pearman: After a season at Hawaii where he was injured most of the season, and then a redshirt year following his transfer, APII again missed much of last year with an injury. Missing spring practice as well didn't help. It's time for him to step into the role he should've been in from the start, before he spurned us for the Warriors.
Physcially, APII is as gifted a WR as we have on the team. APII is faster than his brother, although probably not as strong (thus being a WR instead of a RB). The problem with Pearman is going to be rust. He hasn't really played meaningful football since in almost 4 years. Thats a long time, especially for a skill position guy. It is going to take Andrew some time to regain the feel for running routes, and get used to the speed of the game again.
At this point in his career, Andrew's biggest impact will probably be felt on special teams, and possibly on end arounds, or WR screens. Someplace where he can get his hands on the ball in space and use his superior speed and running ability. Alvin was one of the best on the team at punt coverage. Maybe he can pass some of that on to his brothere. Skills such as route running will probably take some time, as will catching the ball at full speed. Hopefully, by the end of the season, and into next season, APII can be where back where he was in high school, and can have the type of impact that his brother did. Thus far, it would be difficult to call his college career anything other than a bust.
Cedric Peerman: A lot of people are predicting big things for Peerman this season. I'll believe it when I see it. People say he is back to the one-cut running style that was successful for his in the past. But that success was a 3.4 ypc season in 2005. To me, even for a freshman, that is not really success. Peerman has had success as a KR. I do believe he can excel in that role. As a KR, he has time to get up to max speed and pick a hole. As a RB, there are defenders on you right away and Peerman has not shown the ability to avoid those defenders.
Peerman certainly has a good combination of size and speed. He has good hands out of the backfield. He's an adequate blocker. So where does he fail? I don't know. Sometimes he just doesn't look like an instinctive running back. I've seen him miss the hole. I've seen him stand around looking for a place to go. I've seen him try to run over guys for no reason. The number of poor runs he's had far exceed the number of good runs.
There is no question that Peerman will be the starter for the first game. There is also no question that other backs will get chances to run the ball. Peerman seems like the kind of back who could be successful at wearing down a defense, and being better in the fourth quarter. But will he get enough carries to do it? I would be thrilled if Peerman has a big year and maintains his hold on the starting TB spot. But I would also be thrilled if one of the other backs stepped up and passed Peerman.
Gordie Sammis: Gordie is the first non-starter to be featured on either of my lists. I suppose Jon Stupar isn't technically a starter, but he may as well be, because he'll play as many snaps at Santi. Sammis is not a starter by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, for the opening two games, he won't even dress. He's not eligible, due to "accidentally" burning his redshirt year. In one of the few inteligent decisions the NCAA has ever made, they granted him an extra year of eligibility, to make up for that "accident."
Gordie has been a career backup, albeit a valuable one. He's played both guard positions, as well as seeing action on the FG team. Once his two game suspension is up, he will likely backup both guard positions. He may not be as talented as some of the younger OLs, such as B.J. Cabbell, but his experience helps keep him on the depth chart. Gordie is a hard worker, and gets by mostly on inteligence and perseverance, as opposed to athleticisim and strength. That isn't to say he isn't strong, because he is. His strength is that he will not blow assignments, he will work hard with the other OLs and he will not give up on a play. Those attributes go a long way for an OL.
All that said, I do not expect Gordie to play much. If the starters sub out late in a blowout, Cabbell will be the first guard to come in, because he needs the game reps. However, if any of our OGs go down with an injury (knock on wood), Gordie will be the replacement. I put him here not because I expect him to have a productive season, but because having a suitable backup lineman is important, and we'll need Gordie if anybody does go down.
Jameel Sewell: Don't get me wrong, I like Sewell. He's tremendously talented. The team was much better with Sewell at the helm than they were with Olsen or McCabe. He threw for 1300 yards and 5 TDs as an 18 year old. That is impressive. I put him here because there are too many question marks coming into this season. First of all, there is the wrist surgery. How strong is the wrist? How will he feel the first time he takes a hit and has to use his hands to brace the fall? How much was the wrist injury affecting his accuracy last year? Second, who will he throw to. The only receiver he really developed any chemistry with was Kevin Ogletree and KO is (likely) out for the year. He'll pretty much have to learn on the fly with very green WRs. Thankfully, he still has security blankets in his TEs. Third, will the OL be good enough to let him make plays. This was the biggest problem last year. Early in the season, the OL couldn't block anybody. Makes it rough on a QB, especially a young one.
Sewell has a good arm, and combines that with good legs. He also throws a nice ball, with a good quick release. His accuracy is an issue, especially on the deep ball, but maybe that was because of the wrist injury. Added experience may help the accuracy issue, as his mechanics are sound. The other issue is his reads. At times, it seemed like he would lock onto KO and never look elsewhere. Being a young QB, it may be that the staff was giving him simple plays where he wouldn't have to make many reads. But that will have to change if he is to succeed. He's going to have to read coverage and make the right throw, especially with no KO out there.
Sewell is probably the biggest question mark on the team this season. Obviously, there is no position on the field with more responsibility that the QB. If Sewell has a strong season, the offense will be much improved. With a defense as good as ours, that could be the difference between a mediocre season and a great season. If Sewell struggles with his wrist, or with his reads, it could be another long season for Hoo fans.
Zak Stair: If Zak was going to ever be a real starter on this football team, it would've been last year. He started at LT a few times last year, because of HooGene's health issues. It might have been nice if Stair had taken the starting RT job, and Barker could've been the backup. Maybe they could've switched once it became clear that Monroe's body wasn't right. But, it was clear from the beginning that Barker was going to see the majority of the snaps at RT.
Zak is the type of OL who gets by on grit and determination. He's not quick enoungh to stay with speed rushers on the edge. He's also not going to drive defenders off the ball on a running play. He's limited athletically, and while he's certainly strong, he does not have elite strength. However, he's willing to get his hands dirty, and once he gets engaged he's not going to get outworked.
Because Stair is the best (only?) backup OL we've got, he will see plenty of snaps at OT, and may even see some snaps at OG while Sammis serves his suspension. But if he ends up seeing extended action, we may be in some trouble offensively.
That ends my Average players preview. Obviously there are still a lot of players left out of my previews. I have one more section remaining for experienced players, "The Crappy Ones". I will then write about the younger players, such as the incoming freshman and the redshirt freshman. It is harder to judge them because I've never actually seen them on the field. I will also write about the walk-ons and other players who are unlikely to see the field much (the Scott Deke's and Josh Zidenberg's of the team).
Next up: The Crappy Ones.