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50 Days The Linebackers

Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2015 6:08 am
by ANGCatFan
Today is an open spot on the roster, so I will look at the linebackers as a group.

Here are the current linebackers on the roster:
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We are adding one more linebacker this year, Kendal Franklin, who is a 6-3, 240 Freshman from New Orleans.

That gives us 17 total linebackers and ties the offensive line as the largest position group on the team. This group is full of talent, experience and potential and quite a big change from 2012 when the coaches had to turn to a Freshman walk-on to find a starting linebacker.

Right now, Scooby Wright is the only guaranteed starter in the group. He will probably start at the Mike (middle) backer, but depending on match-ups and situations has also been used as the Sam (strong side) backer or a defensive end. Coach Rod has said that he hopes to use Scooby less on the D-line this year, but we will see if he really does that with his best pass rusher. What we can count on is that if it is a critical down Scooby will be on the field.

The open question is who will be the other 2 to 3 starters? The coaches won't even know until we get into camp, but here is one way to look at the competition.

Players with starting experience. Derrick Turituri (27 games, 8 starts), Jake Matthews (19 games, 6 starts), Cody Ippolito (21 games, 6 starts), and Sir Thomas Jackson (25 games, 12 starts). Matthews is the fastest of the group and the most likely to start at Will (weak side) backer, while Turituri and Ippolito are big, strong guys who will be competing for the Sam or Mike (when Scooby is on the line). Jackson is likely to be a reserve linebacker.

Players with game experience. DeAndre' Miller (16 games), Antonio Smothers (9 games) and Haden Gregory (6 games). Miller was injured in the 3rd game last year and Smothers is a highly rated JC transfer who was learning the system last year. Both could be positioned for breakout seasons and earning starting spots. I honestly don't know enough about either to say their most likely position. Gregory is likely to be a reserve linebacker.

First year players. Jamardre Cobb, Marquis Ware, and Kendal Franklin. Both Cobb and Ware were highly recruited, from the same high school, and redshirted last year. The question is, were they able to learn the system and get physically prepared during their redshirt year? Franklin is the only true Freshman among the linebackers and will be the only one with no experience in the system. All 3 have the talent to start, but are probably a year away from competing for a spot. Cobb and Ware should be key parts of the rotation and Franklin is likely to redshirt.

The long shots. Kevin Hamlett, Alex King, RJ Morgan, Brandon Rutt, Jason Sweet and Tre Tyler. All 6 of these guys were on the scout team last year and Morgan is the only one on scholarship. They are unlikely to earn a starting spot and will be fighting to make the linebacker rotation or gain playing time on special teams.

Re: 50 Days The Linebackers

Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2015 6:21 am
by azgreg
Who's that last guy on the list? Never heard of him.

Re: 50 Days The Linebackers

Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2015 6:31 am
by ANGCatFan
2 star recruit. No need to pay attention to him.

Re: 50 Days The Linebackers

Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2015 7:34 am
by ANGCatFan
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Javier Morales is starting his annual countdown looking at the top 50 games in Arizona history.
NO. 50

SCORE: Arizona Wildcats 32, Texas Tech Red Raiders 28

DATE: Oct. 18, 1975

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Jim Young made football at Arizona relevant in the early 1970s (Tucson Citizen archive photo)
Today's story also includes the 4 games that got bumped off the list because 4 games from last year made the grade.

Re: 50 Days The Linebackers

Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2015 10:16 am
by ANGCatFan
And the official site has started their countdown.

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Re: 50 Days The Linebackers

Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2015 7:38 am
by ANGCatFan
AZ Desert Storm is also doing their own countdown. 50 Days, 50 Mike Stoops losses.

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Re: 50 Days The Linebackers

Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2015 9:32 am
by ASUHATER!
We'd have to lose 7 games each of the next 5 years and basically have a losing season the next 5 years to equal that many losses under RR.

Re: 50 Days The Linebackers

Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2015 10:28 am
by ANGCatFan
Espn blog rates the linebacker groups in the south.
GREAT SHAPE

Arizona: When the best player in the conference and one of the best in the nation is in your position group, you’ll find yourself in the "great shape" category. At this point, I think Scooby Wright could find himself playing next to a few Pac-12 Blog writers and he’d still make the Arizona linebackers look good. Good thing Cody Ippolito, Jake Matthews and Derrick Turituri are far better linebackers than any of the Pac-12 Bloggers. Don’t get it confused though -- the headliner of this show is Wright, and his supporting cast is more than solid. The Wildcats could be a top five rush defense in the Pac-12 just a season after finishing second-to-last.

Re: 50 Days The Linebackers

Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2015 7:06 am
by Chicat
Apparently without Scooby our LBs would be a steaming pile of poop...

http://www.pacifictakes.com/2015/7/21/8 ... s-the-best

:roll:

Re: 50 Days The Linebackers

Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2015 9:22 am
by FightWildcatsFight
Chicat wrote:Apparently without Scooby our LBs would be a steaming pile of poop...

http://www.pacifictakes.com/2015/7/21/8 ... s-the-best

:roll:
Pacific Takes has always had questionable reporting on Arizona lately.

Re: 50 Days The Linebackers

Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2015 9:36 am
by ANGCatFan
Chicat wrote:Apparently without Scooby our LBs would be a steaming pile of poop...

http://www.pacifictakes.com/2015/7/21/8 ... s-the-best

:roll:
The pessimist's view. Here is the optimists view from Bill Connelly at SB Nation.
Wright was around the ball more than any defender in the country. If he were the only returning Arizona linebacker, this would still be a great linebacking corps.
After an entire off season of trying to keep pace with Scooby, I think our linebackers will be the most improved group on the team.

Re: 50 Days The Linebackers

Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2015 6:37 am
by ANGCatFan

Re: 50 Days The Linebackers

Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2015 6:57 am
by ANGCatFan
Bleacher Report The 25 Strongest College Football Positional Units Heading into 2015 Season.
Arizona Linebackers

Scooby Wright III is a name every college football fan should know by now. But Arizona boasts considerable depth behind its star linebacker as it prepares to defend its Pac-12 South crown this year.

Wright's 163 tackles and 14 sacks last season—as a sophomore—earned him the Nagurski, Lombardi and Bednarik awards on a Wildcats team that won 10 games. He's the clear leader of this position as he looks to take on more responsibilities in pass coverage, according to Ted Miller of ESPN.com.

Arizona returns seven of its top eight linebackers from a season ago, so Wright is surrounded by some experienced playmakers. Derrick Turituri broke into the rotation as a true freshman and became a regular starter last season, while DeAndre' Miller returns from a medical redshirt season to battle Jake Matthews for a spot. Sir Thomas Jackson and Cody Ippolito also have starting experience on this unit.

With the nation's top linebacker on the roster and plenty of experience across the board, Arizona's linebackers stand out, even though they don't have the recruiting stars of other top units on this list.
Boy, I'm a kool aid serving homer and I wouldn't put our linebackers as one of the top position groups in the country. They might not even be the best position group on the team (shout out to Arizona's wide receivers who did not make the list while Oregon's did). Can they be great? You bet, but that is going to require a big jump in production by the guys playing on each side of Scooby along with more help from the D-line.