so what you’re saying is that he is a true team player. well done coach, and well done young man.
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He is a classic in the box safety, but in todays game those type of players get exploited in pass coverage.
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Being involved with track for the last 40+ years, I’ve never heard that before from anyone
There is a reason why you mentioned the 200 and 400 it not the 100. The reason he couldn’t run the 100 is the reason he is poor in pass coverage. His initial speed is slow but he accelerates quickly as he runs which we saw when he ran down the UCONN running back.
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My favorite defensive player since Stewart.
Well you cant say that anymore. You’ve heard from me. You cant understate the value of relays when they are double points. That is the only reason they had a top 7 finish in the state.
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For my last parting shot I offer GS’s Hudl profile. It says 4.41 in the 40. Now I usually take those things with a grain of salt because they are usually inflated and there are not many true 4.4. guys. However, it does stand to reason that he is not slow, or even have average speed.
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Those on this board who think he’s slow would have a hard time convincing UConn of it. Me, I believed the 4.41 the first time I saw him fly down the field on special teams.
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There is quick and then there is fast. Stuard could be one of those players that can be fast but does not have quick first steps and it takes a few strides to get his motor going full speed. This is why some receivers can blow by him while he is back pedalling in coverage.
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I believe it is not so much not having quick twitch speed as it is having little experience in playing football. I understood when we were recruiting him that he had only played football in his Junior and Senior year of high school. If that is the case, he has only played organized football for 4 years, and this is his 5th year. He is learning to play football by having to immediately play at the college level, much like Peyton. They would have both benefited by starting football earlier in high school or in junior high. What is second nature to many still requires too much thinking because of lack of experience.
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I said it after the OU game, I like the play of Stuard. He’s an aggressive, never quit defensive engine.
He has the ability to be a LB in some systems . . . . maybe even Urlacher-esque. Brian was primarily a free safety at Univ. of New Mexico. When my Bears drafted him in the First Round, it was an interesting pick. A UNM FS was now going to be our strong side LB? Well, his aggressive play and beefing up at Halas Hall helped him become a Hall of Famer and one of the all time great Bears.
I’m not saying Stuard is going to follow the Urlacher path, but the tools and style of play are there in college. I think the guy can play at the next level for a team looking for a strong side backer who will fill the gaps and contain the edge.
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The only thing that I think might make it hard for him is that he is a little undersized to play LB in the NFL even compared to Urlacher. How tall is Urlacher?
Track speed and football speed are two different things. You can have a guy that is the fastest in the world have a poor start out of his block and be looking at the bottom of spikes the remainder of the sprint. In order to play football, at the nickel position, you have to be able to move laterally, make good tackles, and make some of the quickest reads on the field. If you over-run a play, take a bad angle, or don’t turn you hips in time, you’ll be exploited.
Stuard might have a good motor, and good top-end speed, but his lateral quickness and decision making is what puts him in jams. The UConn pursuit play was a beauty, but I’m sure CJC would rather not have his players allow it to happen to begin with.
Since he’s already playing so close to the line and is a downhill threat, why not plug him at LB? I think that’s what happened at UConn due to Kirven being out; Moore was at NB and Stuard was at LB. SMU loves to run Texas routes and I’d love to see Stuard light their running backs up!
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Stuard is a good player and leaves it on the field. He has made some key plays this year as a true sophomore, and he has also missed some plays, but he deserves to be on the field. He has earned it.
There… conversation over.
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Where is the actual discussion, because it’s not at NB. Coaches need to get him acclimated at LB.
Have we really gotten so frustrated this season that we’re gonna get overly critical of easily the best player we have on defense and arguably the best player on the entire team this season?
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If you are good enough, you do both the individual and the relay.
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“Easily” is getting carried away…
He is in the most plays
But anenih and Damarion Williams can easily make a case, they have less big plays as Stuard but also have way less bad plays as well
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I was not trying to put him down. I was just pointing out why he possibly struggles in pass coverage. He is great at blitzing and tackling and I think we definitely need to utilize him in blitzing packages even more.
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I don’t think anyone is trying to put him down. Just pointing out where he could be better, or where someone with the necessary skill set can relieve him, and where he might fit better at.