DT Ron Coleman

[huskers1]

For right now anyway he can't go anywhere on schollie

 

[huskertim]

I remeber seeing Will Shields on one of these post season challange shows where they do position drills to compete as best whatever. Anyway, the one area he had trouble with, and said himself that it was common, was blocking the shorter sleds (translate tacklers). Problem is, when your 6-4,6-5,6-6, its hard to get your pad level down to 5-11 chest level.

I'm not saying I prefer little DT s, just that I think it's interesting how sometimes a player or coach can sometimes take advantage of a preceived shortcoming.

 

[Danimal]

For right now anyway he can't go anywhere on schollie

IMO he'd at-least have nonBCS offers but those teams are waiting to see what the nearby BCS teams are gonna do.

No way in hell do I see this kid walking-on, even on the off chance he didn't get a good football offer you know damn well the wrestling offers will come in.

 

[caveman99]

if he can play like Dorsey, sure, bring him on...not many like him, but UNDER 6' is a potential problem for a linemen.

I definately agree with you about O-Lineman and DE, but I am not so sure that is a requisite at DT anymore. Looking at the 2009 NFL draft, there were several shorter DT's taken. Here are the first 10 DT's taken:

B.J. Raji - Selected 9th by Greenbay is 6' 1.5" tall

Peria Jerry - Selected 24th by Atlanta is 6' 1.75" tall

Evander Hood - Selected 32nd by Pittsburg is 6' 2.875" tall

Ron Brace - Selected 40th by New England is 6' 3" tall

Fili Moala - Selected 56th by Indianapolis is 6' 4" tall

Sen'Derrick Marks - Selected 62nd by Tennessee is 6' 1.75" tall

Alex Magee - Selected 67th by Kansas City is 6' 2.625" tall

Jarron Gilbert - Selected 68th by Chicago is 6' 5.25" tall

Terrance Knighton - Selected 72nd by Jacksonville is 6' 3" tall

Roy Miller - Selected 81st by Tampa Bay is 6' 1.25" tall

Note only 2 of those players is over 6' 3" tall and 6 of the 10 are under 6' 3" tall. Also looking at the following excerpt from a story written about Cole Pensick last year, and you get the feeling that Bo and Carl want players that are a bit shorter so they can get leverage on the O-Linemen. How short is too short for a DT, I don't know but I wouldn't think 6' is out of the question looking at the size of players being taken in the draft and from what Bo and Carl already have said and who they have recruited.

LJS - Old-school Pensick learns from Dad

"When the coaching staff changed after the 2007 season, it was a relief because it took the pressure off having to make that decision," Dan Pensick said. "The old coaching staff (led by Bill Callahan) was showing interest in Cole, but they had their height and weight demands of linemen. And Cole is not quite in the height pattern of most of those guys' wishes. So we thought at that stage we had better look elsewhere."
What was the previous staff looking for height-wise?

"Six-foot-4 or 6-5, in that range," Dan Pensick said.

Notable exceptions were 2006 starters Ola Dagunduro and Barry Cryer, both 6-2. The 2008 starters were 6-4 Ndamukong Suh and 6-3 Ty Steinkuhler, with Jared Crick (6-6) and Terrence Moore (6-3) serving as top backups.

"Cole being 6-1 or 6-2, we were concerned about that," Dan Pensick said. "The previous staff didn't make any qualms about it. Every time they came up to Cole, it was, 'Is he going to get taller?' Then the staff changed, and things happened fast."

Bo Pelini took over as Nebraska head coach on Dec. 2, 2007. On Jan. 16, 2008, Pelini met with Cole and Dan and offered Cole a scholarship. Cole accepted on the spot, becoming the first player to verbally commit to the Huskers' 2009 recruiting class.

It was around that time when Cole stood next to former Louisiana State All-America defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey at the Outland Trophy banquet in Omaha.

"His body's bigger than mine, but he looked to be the same height as me," Cole said.

Dorsey is listed at 6-1, 297 on the Kansas City Chiefs' Web site.

"Bo told us, 'We're designing our defense in the middle to have guys who can plug it up and get underneath people's shoulder pads,'" Dan Pensick said.

Said Cole: "Coach Pelini and his staff never said anything to me about height. They said, 'If you can play, you can play.'"

 

[Ohio Pete]

Looking at the 2009 NFL draft, there were several shorter DT's taken. Here are the first 10 DT's taken:

B.J. Raji - Selected 9th by Greenbay is 6' 1.5" tall

Peria Jerry - Selected 24th by Atlanta is 6' 1.75" tall

Evander Hood - Selected 32nd by Pittsburg is 6' 2.875" tall

Ron Brace - Selected 40th by New England is 6' 3" tall

Fili Moala - Selected 56th by Indianapolis is 6' 4" tall

Sen'Derrick Marks - Selected 62nd by Tennessee is 6' 1.75" tall

Alex Magee - Selected 67th by Kansas City is 6' 2.625" tall

Jarron Gilbert - Selected 68th by Chicago is 6' 5.25" tall

Terrance Knighton - Selected 72nd by Jacksonville is 6' 3" tall

Roy Miller - Selected 81st by Tampa Bay is 6' 1.25" tall

Nice research. Of course as a ~16-18 year old, he is still growing. As far as weight, a shorter DT can play with less weight as leverage comes into play.

Regardless of what we all think, when he camps at Nebraska, we will find out what we need to know. If he does not get offered after camp, assume he doesn't quite measure up to Nebraska's needs.

I imagine UNO (among many other smaller programs) would love to have him so I think he won't be interested in walking on. My guess is this being a small class definitely hurts his chances; where he might have found a spot to fill out a 25-30 guy class.

 

[Ohio Pete]

Looking at the 2009 NFL draft, there were several shorter DT's taken. Here are the first 10 DT's taken:

In the fourth round Indy took this guy:

4. Terrance Taylor, Michigan 6-0, 306 Round 4/5: Not as heavy as an ideal nose tackle, but he’s a short, strong player who plays with the leverage to man the nose in a 3-4. Was power-lifting champion in high school in Michigan and also won a state wrestling title.

 

[caveman99]

Looking at the 2009 NFL draft, there were several shorter DT's taken. Here are the first 10 DT's taken:

B.J. Raji - Selected 9th by Greenbay is 6' 1.5" tall

Peria Jerry - Selected 24th by Atlanta is 6' 1.75" tall

Evander Hood - Selected 32nd by Pittsburg is 6' 2.875" tall

Ron Brace - Selected 40th by New England is 6' 3" tall

Fili Moala - Selected 56th by Indianapolis is 6' 4" tall

Sen'Derrick Marks - Selected 62nd by Tennessee is 6' 1.75" tall

Alex Magee - Selected 67th by Kansas City is 6' 2.625" tall

Jarron Gilbert - Selected 68th by Chicago is 6' 5.25" tall

Terrance Knighton - Selected 72nd by Jacksonville is 6' 3" tall

Roy Miller - Selected 81st by Tampa Bay is 6' 1.25" tall

Nice research. Of course as a ~16-18 year old, he is still growing. As far as weight, a shorter DT can play with less weight as leverage comes into play.

Regardless of what we all think, when he camps at Nebraska, we will find out what we need to know. If he does not get offered after camp, assume he doesn't quite measure up to Nebraska's needs.

I imagine UNO (among many other smaller programs) would love to have him so I think he won't be interested in walking on. My guess is this being a small class definitely hurts his chances; where he might have found a spot to fill out a 25-30 guy class.

I agree with that, it is too bad to. Maybe he will forgo other options to be a Preferred Walk On?

 

[BigWillie]

big discrepency in his size. somewhere between 210-260 makes a lot of difference and being only 6' or a tad less will limit his ability to play as a linemen. too slow to play LB, too short to play DE or interior linemen, a blocking FB, is about all i can project him as.....who knows...

Glenn Dorsey is 6-foot or shorter, he did all right. He does need to bulk up, but the height isn't as big of an issue in the middle of the line, it could actually help him with leverage.

Dorsey measured in at 6'1 at the combine.

Coleman's problem isn't that he is lacking talent, he just has no position on the next level. He's a good HS player that just doesn't project for us at the next level.

The biggest thing is that he just does not have that much projection to add weight to his frame. He might be in the Sam McGuffie category of someone who maxed out their body in HS leaving little to work with on the next level. And that's no fault of his own, just that his body cannot hold the extra weight while playing at a high level.

He could be a good FB for someone though. And if Zimmerer had not gotten his offer last year, Coleman really could have an offer by now.

 

[caveman99]

Coleman's problem isn't that he is lacking talent, he just has no position on the next level. He's a good HS player that just doesn't project for us at the next level.

The biggest thing is that he just does not have that much projection to add weight to his frame. He might be in the Sam McGuffie category of someone who maxed out their body in HS leaving little to work with on the next level. And that's no fault of his own, just that his body cannot hold the extra weight while playing at a high level.

<_< Doesn't this contradict points in our friendly genetics argument? Never mind, anyway if he truely doesn't project to be able to put on weight then he won't get more than a walk on shot at NU.

 

[HuskerJen]

I think Ron Coleman would make an excellent FB. People I know say that Coleman is about 5'10", which for a FB is absolutely fine.

But a 5'10" 290-300 pound DT? You've got to be kidding. :rollin

 

[huskers1]

Well its not like he would have to get up to 290 or 300 lbs. You can't tell me Ty Steinkhuler was more than 280 last year and he did just fine next to Suh. If Coleman is playing next to Baker Steinkhuler or someone of his caliber I think Coleman playing at 270 or 280 would be able to excel. Now if he can even get up to that and be able to move is another story.

 

[Danimal]

I would imagine they will be taking a very good look at him in camp to get a better idea of how he projects for the next level. Maybe he has a growth-spurt left in him.

 

[HuskerJen]

Well its not like he would have to get up to 290 or 300 lbs. You can't tell me Ty Steinkhuler was more than 280 last year and he did just fine next to Suh. If Coleman is playing next to Baker Steinkhuler or someone of his caliber I think Coleman playing at 270 or 280 would be able to excel. Now if he can even get up to that and be able to move is another story.

Well sure, but Ty Steinkuhler is 6'3". There's quite a substantial difference between 5'10" and 6'3".

 

[caveman99]

Well its not like he would have to get up to 290 or 300 lbs. You can't tell me Ty Steinkhuler was more than 280 last year and he did just fine next to Suh. If Coleman is playing next to Baker Steinkhuler or someone of his caliber I think Coleman playing at 270 or 280 would be able to excel. Now if he can even get up to that and be able to move is another story.

Well sure, but Ty Steinkuhler is 6'3". There's quite a substantial difference between 5'10" and 6'3".

I think as we pointed out above, if he is close to 6' height doesn't seem to be as big of an issue for DTs anymore. Is 5' 10" too short, I don't know but you definately don't need to be 6' 3" or taller to DT in CFB nor the pros anymore. Question is can he put on the requisite weight and maintain speed?

 

[BigWillie]

Coleman's problem isn't that he is lacking talent, he just has no position on the next level. He's a good HS player that just doesn't project for us at the next level.

The biggest thing is that he just does not have that much projection to add weight to his frame. He might be in the Sam McGuffie category of someone who maxed out their body in HS leaving little to work with on the next level. And that's no fault of his own, just that his body cannot hold the extra weight while playing at a high level.

<_< Doesn't this contradict points in our friendly genetics argument? Never mind, anyway if he truely doesn't project to be able to put on weight then he won't get more than a walk on shot at NU.

Nope. Coleman has the ability to gain speed, but he cannot put on size. He can put on size, but then he loses all agility and becomes a stiff.

Football is easy to dress out times and such during a combine, but it's harder finding that middle ground to play in a game to combine all those traits which would be the problem with Coleman.