Ron Brown: I want to find a role for Collins Okafor

[Fuzzy]

Wow, the negativity is suffocating in here. I hope everyone realizes Okafor is probably our #2 IB right now. Until the frosh prove otherwise, and I would never bet on true frosh contributing, we need at least 1 and preferably 2 guys behind Rex to step up. Collins might be a guy who saves our a$$ this year when the time comes. Have to wait and see.

Disagree. Austin Jones and Lester Ward are both higher in the depth chart right now, but I fully expect Green and Heard to fight for the no. 2 spot

Isn't Ward moving to TE? I thought I read that somewhere.

I believe this is correct. Bo said something to that effect (more along the lines of moving him around and seeing what they can do with him, possibly at TE) in an interview after the first spring practice.

If that is true it would be like having another Kyler Reed at the tight end spot. One thing i realized as well, the FB spot as grown substantially, 3 players made a switch to FB. JR Defensive End Colin McDermott 6'2" 255 lbs, SO Linebacker Mitch Hron 6'2" 230 lbs, and RFR Linebacker Tyson McGill 6'2" 225 are listed as Fullbacks.

SR Safety Jim Ebke 6'0" 205 lbs, who I saw play on special teams last year, switched to Linebacker.

 

[Saunders]

Jones is a TE/H-Back.

 

[RedNLeader]

Man there is a lot people in this conversation that have no trust or confidence in either Ron Brown or Okafor... Say if the kid becomes our 2nd string back and does well for us during the season. Then i hope that the some of you eat what you say. Arent we as fans exposed to have confidence in all of our players and not just the starters and super freshmen that are exposed to be comming in.

 

[EZ-E]

He said he wanted to find a role for him. Not that Collins is going to carry the rock for us 30 times.

 

[Husker Richard]

He said he wanted to find a role for him. Not that Collins is going to carry the rock for us 30 times.

Thank you voice of reason.

 

[zoogs]

He said he wanted to find a role for him. Not that Collins is going to carry the rock for us 30 times.

yeah, take it easy guys. He's just pumping up one of his players. We get so many of this articles year-round.

 

[kchusker_chris]

We're gonna have the speed come fall. What we're gonna lack is a guy other than Rex that can pound it up the middle. This new offense wants to be able to attack a defense where they are weak... thus we need to have the big back that can pound it up the middle in case that's what the defense gives us.

I'm not sure I am reading your post right. Are you saying Rex is a guy who can pound it up the middle, and we need another? Or are you saying we need someone in addition to Rex——we need a guy who can pound it up the middle? (I think you're saying the second thing, which I agree with.)

I'm not trying to argue, or slam you, it's just that this is the second time in a month I've heard Rex being called a back who can pound it up the middle. Thing is, Rex just isn't a short yardage back. He's listed as 210, but I doubt he actually weighs that much. Prolly closer to two bills. And he's mighty tough for his size. But Rex is not a short yardage big back.

I would call Rex a short yardage back, not because of his size or his ability to pound the ball - but because I rarely (if ever) saw him lose yards. He always was able to fight his way to the line of scrimmarge and always seemed to get 3 yards out of nothing. Now I know 3rd and short was a passing down for Watson - but I think if there is anyone on the roster I would trust to gain 2-3 years on 3rd it would be Rex - kid has heart, and it shows in these situations.

 

[junior4949]

To me this says that the Marrow kid is not going to make it, or if he does he's not going to play RB. I don't think Ron is worried about RB depth here... he knows he'll have the talent and players come fall with the addition of 4 new RB's (Aaron Green, Ameer Abdullah, Braylon Heard & walk on Richard Wynne Jr.) He's gonna have the guys, but for the first half of the season they're gonna be swimming a little bit. Rex is gonna need a back up to take some snaps to give him rests the first few games of the season so that these new kids can get a few reps and a lot of practice.

I forget who said this, it was a coach on halftime of a game last year on ABC, but he said that of all the positions on the football field... Running Back is the easiest transition out of high school. That's why you see freshmen play here a lot more than other spots... i.e. Roy Helu, Marlon Lucky, Rex Burkhead, etc. Aaron and Ameer are smart kids... one of them is gonna see the field early next year. I think it will take Braylon a little time to learn especially with being out of football for a year.

Summary: Spring we need to build some guys. Fall we'll be okay. Next year we're gonna bring in a big back and be rollin.

I hate to disagree with the coach, but wide receiver is easiest transition. Most NFL coaches agree that even if players could skip playing college ball from high school that wide receiver is about the only position where a high school rookie in the NFL would have a chance. I think we'll see some freshmen running backs play, but their time will be limited.

 

[Spooky Tooth]

We're gonna have the speed come fall. What we're gonna lack is a guy other than Rex that can pound it up the middle. This new offense wants to be able to attack a defense where they are weak... thus we need to have the big back that can pound it up the middle in case that's what the defense gives us.

I'm not sure I am reading your post right. Are you saying Rex is a guy who can pound it up the middle, and we need another? Or are you saying we need someone in addition to Rex——we need a guy who can pound it up the middle? (I think you're saying the second thing, which I agree with.)

I'm not trying to argue, or slam you, it's just that this is the second time in a month I've heard Rex being called a back who can pound it up the middle. Thing is, Rex just isn't a short yardage back. He's listed as 210, but I doubt he actually weighs that much. Prolly closer to two bills. And he's mighty tough for his size. But Rex is not a short yardage big back.

I would call Rex a short yardage back, not because of his size or his ability to pound the ball - but because I rarely (if ever) saw him lose yards. He always was able to fight his way to the line of scrimmarge and always seemed to get 3 yards out of nothing. Now I know 3rd and short was a passing down for Watson - but I think if there is anyone on the roster I would trust to gain 2-3 years on 3rd it would be Rex - kid has heart, and it shows in these situations.

This is exactly correct.

No one is going to mistake Rex for Quentin Castile (save the mj jokes), but the similarity re: short yardage is due to Rex's ability to rarely get stopped for a loss.

I have seen few runners on ANY team who have his ability to, by hook or crook, get something out of nothing. That he is also a great young man and budding leader on the team is just a bonus.

 

[T_O_Bull]

Personally i think this is the staff's attempt to get a 3rd down back. Since D-Tray left, we are lacking a big back, so I think this is them attempting to work with what they got. Honestly I would be very surprised if I saw Okafor turn anything here, but with Brown coaching I guess can never tell. That dude's got some coaching skills.

My uncle described Coach Brown as a "man who could coach a Coke bottle to pour Pepsi."

I haven't the foggiest of what he meant, though, as I'm more of a RC man. chuckleshuffle

Lame.

 

[T_O_Bull]

If Collins Okafor and Lester Ward both add some yards to the offence watch out here comes BIG RED.

T_O_B

:throwdabones1: :bigredn: :bonesflag: :bigredn: :throwdabones1:

 

[Hunter94]

all i can say is wow, just wow. :facepalm:

 

[corncraze]

To me this says that the Marrow kid is not going to make it, or if he does he's not going to play RB. I don't think Ron is worried about RB depth here... he knows he'll have the talent and players come fall with the addition of 4 new RB's (Aaron Green, Ameer Abdullah, Braylon Heard & walk on Richard Wynne Jr.) He's gonna have the guys, but for the first half of the season they're gonna be swimming a little bit. Rex is gonna need a back up to take some snaps to give him rests the first few games of the season so that these new kids can get a few reps and a lot of practice.

I forget who said this, it was a coach on halftime of a game last year on ABC, but he said that of all the positions on the football field... Running Back is the easiest transition out of high school. That's why you see freshmen play here a lot more than other spots... i.e. Roy Helu, Marlon Lucky, Rex Burkhead, etc. Aaron and Ameer are smart kids... one of them is gonna see the field early next year. I think it will take Braylon a little time to learn especially with being out of football for a year.

Summary: Spring we need to build some guys. Fall we'll be okay. Next year we're gonna bring in a big back and be rollin.

I hate to disagree with the coach, but wide receiver is easiest transition. Most NFL coaches agree that even if players could skip playing college ball from high school that wide receiver is about the only position where a high school rookie in the NFL would have a chance. I think we'll see some freshmen running backs play, but their time will be limited.

Depends on the offense. Some schemes require WRs to know a lot of routes. For the most part I too think RBs have the easiest transition, unless they had bad field vision in high school, because all it is is running through holes at a certain time. Anymore, RBs already have the speed coming out of high school. Besides, look how early of an impact Rex made. He was a vital part of the offense in his freshman year.

 

[Apathy]

Man not a whole lot of love in here for Collin. I have faith in Coach Brown to develope Collin into the type of back that they are looking for.

 

[bshirt]

Personally i think this is the staff's attempt to get a 3rd down back. Since D-Tray left, we are lacking a big back, so I think this is them attempting to work with what they got. Honestly I would be very surprised if I saw Okafor turn anything here, but with Brown coaching I guess can never tell. That dude's got some coaching skills.

The whole "big back" concept is kind of trite I think, especially within our system (or what I think our system will be). Rex Burkhead is a perfectly capable 3rd down back. Even when we had D-Tray last year, we never used him (and I don't think that's where the offense went wrong). Furthermore, it appeared that he transferred because he was a "big back," and we were clearly not going to have any real use for him in our offense.

I think the coaching staff wants guys who are every-down backs, like Roy Helu and Rex Burkhead were. I think they're working Okafor not because we need a "big back" or a "3rd down back," but because without the three freshmen coming in, we are very shallow at RB, and we desperately need someone with some athleticism like Okafor to step up.

Right on the depth. But we do need a smash mouth short yardage back and Okafor is built for that.

I disagree. Your best running back on first down should be no different than your best running back on third down.

Well, it's a totally different deal this year as with a new OC we might even try to run the ball on 2nd or 3rd & short (than the usual sling the ball around for another 3 & out). Everything is open so we'll see!

Is it Sept yet??