Unfortunately, not everybody on a team can be good. Sometimes, a player just never gets "it". Sometimes, circumstances lead to a player never reaching his potential. I respect all the players on the team, but the guys listed below just haven't proven to me that they belong on the field.
Jamaal Jackson: Jackson has seen plenty of time on the field, playing mostly on special teams as a freshman, and then seeing time at safety in the past two seasons. He played a lot in 2005, especially late in the season after Nate Lyles' injury. In 2006, his playing time decreased with the emergence of Byron Glaspy. I expect that trend to continue this season, with not only Glaspy and Lyles, but some of the younger guys like Rico Bell, Brandon Woods and Matt Leemhuis seeing some time at S.
Jackson has very good size, at 6'3" and 212 lbs. However, he probably has below average speed for a DB. His play against the run is solid, as he is good at beating a block from a WR and is generally a solid tackler. However, in pass coverage, Jackson falls somewhere between bad and a disaster. His strength is playing downhill. If he's used as an extra pass rusher, on a safety blitz, he can be dangerous. However, in the 2-deep zone, I cringe when I see him back there. Maybe Jackson should've been slotted at LB when he first came to Charlottesville, but its too late now.
When Jackson is used on first down or a 2nd and 5 type situation, I don't mind because its almost like having another LB on the field. Jackson's speed and range is poor for a DB, but its pretty good for a LB. However, I do not understand why he is on the field in a 3rd and long situation, or against a 2 minute offense. He can't cover anybody man to man, even a TE or a RB. In the deep zone, his range and instincts aren't good enough to make plays on the ball.
Chris Gorham: There's a reason why Gorham was moved to WR during the offseason. He was pretty terrible at CB. He'd been passed on the depth chart, not only by guys like Vic Hall and Chris Cook, but he was likely to be passed by incoming freshmen such as Ras-I Dowling. Most of his action came in 2005, after Cook's injury. All told, Gorham has 2 INTs and 48 tackles in over 700 total plays. In the Virginia Tech disaster 2 years ago, I remember early on seeing Gorham lined up opposite Eddie Royal on a play, and thinking that we were in a lot of trouble. True enough.
Gorham certainly has good speed. At 6', he's got good height for a CB. However, he was just never very fluid as a DB. His man to man coverage was terrible, and even in zones he looked out of place. He was also never any better than average in terms of run support either. Gorham's size and speed translate well to the WR position, and a good season there should gain him at least an NFL tryout.
Basically, at DB, Gorham's was a waste. Hopefully, his size and speed combination will play well at WR. Considering the lack of experience we have at WR, maybe Gorham's time at CB will help. At least Gorham has seen the field during actual games, and won't have to spend time getting used to the speed of DI football. He may be a surprise at WR, and I hope for his sake that he does. Otherwise, it will be hard to consider his career a complete bust.
Josh Zidenberg: Zidenberg is placed here only a FB. As a special teams performer, Zidenberg has tremendous value, and is one of our best. There were two reasons we spent most of last year in a one back set on offense. The first reason was that Jason Snelling is better suited for a one back set because of the style of runner that he is. The second reason was that we didn't have a FB who belonged on the field.
Zidenberg, at 6' and 213 lbs, simply is not big enough to play FB. Honestly, he's really a LB, listed at FB. If he's playing FB for us, there's a problem. Zidenberg's strength on special teams is his determination, as well as his football IQ. He is very good at kick coverage because he knows where to go and what to do when he gets there. And he never gives up. However, as a FB, he's simply too small. He has adequate hands and because of the same football IQ, he is able to get open at times.
Zidenberg will see almost all of his playing time on ST. He's one of our most consistent special teams players, and will play on almost every special teams play. In that role, he's immensely valuable. However, as a FB, he's basically useless.
I almost felt bad writing this part of my preview. I like these guys, I really do. Especially Gorham, who I feel never really got put in places that he would succeed in. I really hope Gorham succeeds at WR, similarly to what Art Thomas did after a similar switch. The good news is that there are only 3 players on this list (and Zidenberg is really only here because I forgot about him earlier).
The rest of my preview will be dedicated to guys I know little or nothing about. This includes the redshirt freshmen, incoming freshmen, and anybody else who has seen little or no time on the field.
Up next: The redshirt freshmen.