Holes in the current roster

[jimmy12]

Here's a topic that no one really has brought up (at least explicitly). Where are the holes in the roster and where do we need depth. Consider transfers (as best we can) and graduations.

1) Offensive Tackle (with Kinglsy going, george graduating and committed recruits going to Texas, this is urgent) 2-3 OTs
2) Corner (With James transfering, we need Portal depth 1-2 CBs
3) Outside LB (KT going, we need a rush end) 1-2
4) QB (the great unknown). Portal depth 1
5) DT 1

Anything else?

I am also interested where people believe the team is just weak in the position and we therefore need fresh talent?

[GrandpaDuck]

Every position but running back, wide receiver, TE and center.

[rockthief]

Yep most positions. LB and a KT type DE would be ace, especially considering how our LBs played this year.

[Phalanx]

This is impossible, because I've been hearing over and over that Cristobal left Oregon with a full cupboard.

[greenyellow]

This is impossible, because I've been hearing over and over that Cristobal left Oregon with a full cupboard.

He was still filling holes with this recruiting class, just like they do every year.

[Phalanx]

This is impossible, because I've been hearing over and over that Cristobal left Oregon with a full cupboard.

He was still filling holes with this recruiting class, just like they do every year.

...so then it wasn't a full cupboard? This is so confusing. I just read in another thread that there is barely room to sign more than a dozen or so players. In this thread, I am reading that there are at least that many 'holes' in the roster. So does this mean they have to hit on every recruit coming in this year? Seems like there is more need to rebuild than has previously been represented up to now.

[greenyellow]

This is impossible, because I've been hearing over and over that Cristobal left Oregon with a full cupboard.

He was still filling holes with this recruiting class, just like they do every year.

...so then it wasn't a full cupboard? This is so confusing. I just read in another thread that there is barely room to sign more than a dozen or so players. In this thread, I am reading that there are at least that many 'holes' in the roster. So does this mean they have to hit on every recruit coming in this year? Seems like there is more need to rebuild than has previously been represented up to now.

People have been saying the cupboard is stocked, not full. That means they have plenty of talent on hand but are still needing a few more pieces to get where they want to get.

[Phalanx]

Ah, I will try to pay for attention to that nuance next time I hear the glowing reviews of how Mario left the roster. I have to be reminded of these things after watching Utah, the only Pac 12 team with a pulse, stomp Oregon two times in three weeks. It doesn't help when I hear that we need to go after a transfer QB, despite the three 4-star guys on the roster (or was Thompson a five-star?). And speaking of 4-stars on the roster, why is DB a concern? Is Wright not coming back? Don't we have four and five star guys waiting in the wings? Manning, Dickerson, and Davies? That isn't a ̶f̶u̶l̶l̶ stocked cupboard?

[karlhungis]

George isn't coming back for his 8th year?

[GrandpaDuck]

Every position but running back, wide receiver, TE and center.

To clarify, there are bodies at the positions other than the exemptions I listed above, many of them highly ranked. By holes in Safety, DL, OLB, ILB, CB, OL, QB I am saying that at least one starter in each of those groups will likely be manned by a player who has not been proven average or above in 2021 actual play.

ILB belongs in the exemption list if all of them on the roster today come back and are healthy.

[Phalanx]

Every position but running back, wide receiver, TE and center.

To clarify, there are bodies at the positions other than the exemptions I listed above, many of them highly ranked. By holes in Safety, DL, OLB, ILB, CB, OL, QB I am saying that at least one starter in each of those groups will likely be manned by a player who has not been proven average or above in 2021 actual play.

ILB belongs in the exemption list if all of them on the roster today come back and are healthy.

So would you say the cupboard is 'stocked' or 'not, in fact, stocked' at the positions you mentioned?

[GrandpaDuck]

Every position but running back, wide receiver, TE and center.

To clarify, there are bodies at the positions other than the exemptions I listed above, many of them highly ranked. By holes in Safety, DL, OLB, ILB, CB, OL, QB I am saying that at least one starter in each of those groups will likely be manned by a player who has not been proven average or above in 2021 actual play.

ILB belongs in the exemption list if all of them on the roster today come back and are healthy.

So would you say the cupboard is 'stocked' or 'not, in fact, stocked' at the positions you mentioned?

Not sure how I would say it. Lots of good players, a lot of unproven inexperienced players with good star rankings. Were I a new coach I would take a really good transfer at those spots I listed but there is still the constraint of being so close to the scholarship limit while at the same time there are undoubtedly X number of players leaning towards leaving.

This roster is no where near as good as Belotti left for Chip, and no where even close to what Chip left for Helfrich. I would argue Taggart left better for Mario, because this is football and a great QB is worth a whole lot more than slightly better at several other positions and he left a better O-Line. If one of the 3 freshmen QBs turn out to be Masoli-Thomas, Mariota, or Herbert good, I'll revise my ranking.

[Duck07]

The roster is stocked with a lot of unproven young players.

Phalanx, go to Chile Duck's website and look at the Desktop version of the Depth Chart and click the neon green "Show Scholarship/Class Table" and you'll see the breakdown by class

https://web.nmsu.edu/~ogden/oregon/dept ... ml?Desktop

In essence, we've got 50 Freshmen, 18 Sophomores and 11 Juniors pending a few leaving/transferring (KT, Jayson Jones, Sala etc haven't been updated yet). Mario described the team as "there are 3 top-10 classes in that locker room and they're all puppies." That's a good description as we're still waiting to see what a lot of these guys have. Dontae Manning got a lot of action this year at CB and while it didn't look good, a new coach and the growth that comes from any young CB is something that we can hope for.

If I'm prioritizing a position of need its probably Tackle on Offense and CB on Defense and yet its also possible we've already got the guys on roster they just need time to grow into those spots. I feel pretty good about the Interior OL, especially if Forsyth comes back, the RBs, TEs and WRs and the QB is still TBD but I'm okay with who we have (and Dom Montiel should get a committable offer now with Dillingham's style of mobile QB).

Defensively today we've gotten signings from a DT and ILB so we're keeping the middle of the Defense stout and the DL as a whole looks to be a solid group and I think Dorlus can really change his draft status with another year as it's a Strong class and even KT may not go #1. Bassa and Swinson got a lot of experience and there are talented guys at the DB spots, they just need to be coached and schemed up. Fortunately for us, Georgia's defense has been one of, if not the best team at preventing big passing plays as well as causing 3 and outs over the last several seasons. Getting off the field quickly helps everyone in the Secondary look better.

[Phalanx]

Well, Grandpa, thanks for the honest assessment. I have a feeling this is going to come up in the future, so it is good to take stock when a coach is leaving to see how he left, and how he will be viewed in future years. The fact that there are holes in the roster runs counter to the narrative that Mario himself was trying to establish on the way out. Frankly, I am actually considering whether the roster Helfrich left when he was fired was better than this one. Herbert at QB, a solid O-line, Royce Freeman and Tony Brooks-James at running back, Dillon Mitchell and Charles Nelson at receiver...the offense was clearly better - it isn't close. The defense was in disarray, but there were still some good players - Troy Dye, Justin Hollins, Arrion Springs, Ugo Amadi, Brady Breeze, La'Mar Winston, Gary Baker, among others. If one looks at performance rather than stars, is the team Mario is leaving better? It's at least an interesting argument.

[Duck07]

Well, thanks for the honest assessment. I have a feeling this is going to come up in the future, so it is good to take stock when a coach is leaving to see how he left, and how he will be viewed in future years. The fact that there are holes in the roster runs counter to the narrative that Mario himself was trying to establish on the way out. Frankly, I am actually considering whether the roster Helfrich left when he was fired was better than this one. Herbert at QB, a solid O-line, Royce Freeman and Tony Brooks-James at running back, Dillon Mitchell and Charles Nelson at receiver...the offense was clearly better - it isn't close. The defense was in disarray, but there were still some good players - Troy Dye, Justin Hollins, Arrion Springs, Ugo Amadi, Brady Breeze, La'Mar Winston, Gary Baker, among others. If one looks at performance rather than stars, is the defense Mario is leaving better? It's at least an interesting argument.

If we return Dorlus, Sewell and Flowe next year then it is absolutely a stacked defensive roster by and large.

As for the talent on Offense, no debating the QB spot but honestly, we've got a lot of guys on Offense I feel good about taking the next step. McGee will flourish in Norvell/Dillingham offense as its based around creating and exploiting matchups. Devon Williams, TMac coming on board and who we have behind them is a great WR group to start with. There are definitely a lot of reasons to be excited about the youth on the roster even if they haven't had their chance to shine yet. Bram Walden could explode this year at Tackle and we are talking about the OL a lot differently if Walden and Jackson Powers Johnson are holding down the Left side. In other words, we haven't really reached a point where its even fair to write these young guys off.

My expectation is this is a roster that can win the North and the P12. Don't get blown out in Week 1 and beat BYU in Week 3 and there is a chance that Playoff talk could become real late in the season.