It's time to use our big receivers

crazzymark

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We have two and three-star receiver recruits that are 6 12 ft 3 to 6 ft 6 big and fast and long that would keep passing to these guys are 5 ft 7 and 5 ft 8 makes no sense
 

fourthandshort

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Yeah, but ... I'm pretty sure if the tall receivers were capable of doing what the position requires to get more reps, they would .. wait for it ... be gettting more reps. Of course, everyone would love 6'3" receivers that could run routes, with good hands, not be afraid over the middle, get some YAC, block downfield, etc. But if they could do all that, they would probably be FBS with full rides, not partial schollies or PWO's.

On flip side, I don't have a lot of confidence in our pass game .. so who knows where all the problems lie. We had Edgar (all american) and Grimes (now all american) and lost them both to injuries at various points, and then transfer ... Edgar is looking to give it one more shot elsewhere, and Grimes had breakout season for IW.

We had some other guys that looked very solid (Kacper, Nagel, Bailey, Rogers) backing them up in 2019 ... but then sh-it hit the fan at the WR position, plus our questionable pass game.

For the record IMO .. we've consistently done very well with our WR group finding good players or diamonds in the rough over the Spack regime .. we don't always have good depth, but we always have enough to compete at WR. But it all comes back to OC and QB positions, and Spack's control over both.
 

Virginia Redbird

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Yeah, but ... I'm pretty sure if the tall receivers were capable of doing what the position requires to get more reps, they would .. wait for it ... be gettting more reps. Of course, everyone would love 6'3" receivers that could run routes, with good hands, not be afraid over the middle, get some YAC, block downfield, etc. But if they could do all that, they would probably be FBS with full rides, not partial schollies or PWO's.

On flip side, I don't have a lot of confidence in our pass game .. so who knows where all the problems lie. We had Edgar (all american) and Grimes (now all american) and lost them both to injuries at various points, and then transfer ... Edgar is looking to give it one more shot elsewhere, and Grimes had breakout season for IW.

We had some other guys that looked very solid (Kacper, Nagel, Bailey, Rogers) backing them up in 2019 ... but then sh-it hit the fan at the WR position, plus our questionable pass game.

For the record IMO .. we've consistently done very well with our WR group finding good players or diamonds in the rough over the Spack regime .. we don't always have good depth, but we always have enough to compete at WR. But it all comes back to OC and QB positions, and Spack's control over both.
I think any team is going to struggle to maintain quality receivers if the team just can't consistently pass the ball. Scheme (OCs) or execution (QB) has to be there. I was a big fan of Grimes. I was impressed in his fairly short tenure (receiving not punt returning) but he made the correct choice I think. He had a solid year and he would have been running and running, and running routes with not many chances to catch a ball. My guess is that is why Kacper left too. I plan on tuning in to a few NIU games next season to see how he does. He was not the big or "long" receiver being talked about but he seemed to have a knack for getting open and catching the ball at least in his freshman year before the latest Co-Coordinator experiment.
 

fourthandshort

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I think any team is going to struggle to maintain quality receivers if the team just can't consistently pass the ball. Scheme (OCs) or execution (QB) has to be there. I was a big fan of Grimes. I was impressed in his fairly short tenure (receiving not punt returning) but he made the correct choice I think. He had a solid year and he would have been running and running, and running routes with not many chances to catch a ball. My guess is that is why Kacper left too. I plan on tuning in to a few NIU games next season to see how he does. He was not the big or "long" receiver being talked about but he seemed to have a knack for getting open and catching the ball at least in his freshman year before the latest Co-Coordinator experiment.
I didn't know Kacper left ... we've got to figure out our pass game. We lost our top 3 receivers from 2019-20. Grimes leaving and doing well may have signalled Edgar and Kacper to try elsewhere.

AD needs to get involved in the hiring of next OC ... got to work with Spack to get this on a better track.

These 3 WR transfers appear to be a trend no doubt triggered partly by QB play AND so little confidence in pass game. WR is very hard position when you cant throw.
 

fourthandshort

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Random useless observation now that he is gone.

But Kacper initially reminded me of Spencer Schnell .. similar size and skill set. I always liked Schnell a lot, but I still managed to under-estimate him in that he pleasantly suprised me even more each year. I liked what little I saw of Kacper, though Im not sure Kacper was that level of receiver. Then again, i was a little wrong on Schnell for same reason ... guys like this can easily be under-estimated.

Back to main point ....

Let's get a real up and comer OC and give him some real reins !!! Some who will recruit and develop our QBs and help us keep ur WRs.

AD needs to steer this .. we could be top 5-10 quarterfinal + contender most years if we got a consistently respectable pass game. Just need to be good ... defense and run game will do must of the heavy lifting.
 
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