The linebacker group is going to have to find a replacement for Craig Young. He was by far, the most versatile LB on the team. When Brian Borland went to his nickel defense, Young gave them versatility and stayed on the field and moved to an inside position. That is going to be difficult to replace.
Although Rich Miller was exposed in space, I have been told by a couple people his leadership will be missed. He was the one who made calls for the linebackers the last three years and was the leader of the group.
They are going to have to rely on the players returning from last season. They did not land a linebacker in the portal.
The most snaps coming back belong to JB Brown. Along with Cornell Wheeler they are the two highest-rated returners by PFF (Wheeler- 66.8, Brown 67.3).
Brown can be a solid linebacker and Wheeler should be ready to take the next step and get on the field more. Last year Wheeler played 220 snaps and I thought he looked good in limited snaps.
The next two players returning with experience are Jayson Gilliom (138 snaps) and Taiwan Berryhill (302 snaps). I have heard Gilliom may go back to the HAWK position in spring after he moved around to different positions last year. For two, straight fall camps Berryhill has earned praise, but he really struggled last season. He finished with a 29.6 PFF score for the season.
Going into the last week of fall camp, I heard Alex Raich and Gilliom were neck-and-neck for the back-up HAWK position. I am hoping Raich can continue to develop and earn some snaps. That would also help Gilliom who played more snaps on special teams than any player on the roster. Raich graded out as one of the top special teams performers with a 77.5.
Logan Brantley redshirted, and this will be an important spring in a couple ways. First is getting to know the system and working his way up the depth chart. The other is adding weight and getting stronger. He’s hovering around the 210 mark and needs to get bigger. Brantley has the ideal skillset to play the HAWK.
Final Thoughts and Looking Ahead:
Young’s production and versatility will be missed. And don’t discount the value Miller brought as a leader. That is something told to me by more than one person, and it is something we don’t see watching the team from the stands.
What you see is what you get at the LB spot. There are no new names on the roster from 2023. They will be looking at the portal to see if they can add someone.
I like Wheeler and Brown. Gilliom has to continue to develop, and Berryhill has to improve the last season in the program.
I want to see Brantley get on the field and show what he can do. I think the has the skills to help this year. Raich to me, is somewhat of a wild card. I heard good things about him during fall camp, but he could not get on the field much.
This is not a deep group. There is very little room for error. Coming in the summer will be Jon-Jon Kamara and JaCorey Stewart. However, it is a lot to ask a true freshman to provide playing time.
Although Rich Miller was exposed in space, I have been told by a couple people his leadership will be missed. He was the one who made calls for the linebackers the last three years and was the leader of the group.
They are going to have to rely on the players returning from last season. They did not land a linebacker in the portal.
The most snaps coming back belong to JB Brown. Along with Cornell Wheeler they are the two highest-rated returners by PFF (Wheeler- 66.8, Brown 67.3).
Brown can be a solid linebacker and Wheeler should be ready to take the next step and get on the field more. Last year Wheeler played 220 snaps and I thought he looked good in limited snaps.
The next two players returning with experience are Jayson Gilliom (138 snaps) and Taiwan Berryhill (302 snaps). I have heard Gilliom may go back to the HAWK position in spring after he moved around to different positions last year. For two, straight fall camps Berryhill has earned praise, but he really struggled last season. He finished with a 29.6 PFF score for the season.
Going into the last week of fall camp, I heard Alex Raich and Gilliom were neck-and-neck for the back-up HAWK position. I am hoping Raich can continue to develop and earn some snaps. That would also help Gilliom who played more snaps on special teams than any player on the roster. Raich graded out as one of the top special teams performers with a 77.5.
Logan Brantley redshirted, and this will be an important spring in a couple ways. First is getting to know the system and working his way up the depth chart. The other is adding weight and getting stronger. He’s hovering around the 210 mark and needs to get bigger. Brantley has the ideal skillset to play the HAWK.
Final Thoughts and Looking Ahead:
Young’s production and versatility will be missed. And don’t discount the value Miller brought as a leader. That is something told to me by more than one person, and it is something we don’t see watching the team from the stands.
What you see is what you get at the LB spot. There are no new names on the roster from 2023. They will be looking at the portal to see if they can add someone.
I like Wheeler and Brown. Gilliom has to continue to develop, and Berryhill has to improve the last season in the program.
I want to see Brantley get on the field and show what he can do. I think the has the skills to help this year. Raich to me, is somewhat of a wild card. I heard good things about him during fall camp, but he could not get on the field much.
This is not a deep group. There is very little room for error. Coming in the summer will be Jon-Jon Kamara and JaCorey Stewart. However, it is a lot to ask a true freshman to provide playing time.
