Re-build or Re-load (Re-filling)

[AikenGameFan]

I sure am glad our Strength and Conditioning group seems to have got things improved. Very limited injuries this season and having the same starters week in and week out, really did help.
I know we are losing several starters, but we were substituting players so often during the games, our younger (2nd string) players will be able to fill right in.

It seemed like, on both Offense and defense, every other play we were substituting 3 or 4 players. I know that helped keep our players "fresh", but I also think that helped limit injuries and improved our results. Unlike last year, we did not have worn out players having to play entire game because other players were out of the game with injuries.

We had 15 OL on our roster this year and 16 DL. We are losing 5 OL and 6 DL. most of them bigtime players that were recognized because they were the starters, but those other 20 guys did get a lot of playing time. We recruited 3 new OL and 5 new DL.
As far as the portal, we had 1 OL and 1 DL leave us but as he is so good at, Beamer as several for each line that may be coming here. I know we have 6 RB left on the roster, but no one with many accolades. It would be great if one became a huge name this year. Maybe Beamer will find another one like Rocket in the Portal..

I know when a team loses so many seniors, they say they need to "rebuild". I really do not feel that is the case here. I just feel Beamer is "reloading / refilling".

He has players with way more experience than most other schools because of the way they did substitute so much. I know a couple more freshman and new transfers may get a chance to be starters like last season, but I know several sophomores and juniors that are more than ready to fill the shoes.

 

[crowcutta]

Reloading absolutely, it may be hard to replicate last offseason but it was night and day compared to the previous year and i'm sure our staff will put in the effort. In the portal we signed 4 rotation guys at wr, 2 starters on ol, 3 rotation guys 1 starter on dl, 1 rotation guy 1 starter at lb, 1 backup 1 future rotation 1 starter at rb, backup qb who started a game, and a backup te. We brought in 3 all sec players including a nagorski winner and dknight was an all sec caliber player too. Thats a hell of a haul.

Our roster is much better off entering the last two offseasons but this staff wont take its foot off the gas. I think there are spots where you definitely need to bring in guys who will challenge for starting spots like at dt and lb, interior oline, maybe safety, but i almost look at everywhere else as luxury. Thats not to say you dont try to upgrade because you bring in whoever will help your football team and thats the way Beamer looks at it.

Imo we're losing 3 all sec caliber players on offense in Rocket, Simon, and Simpkins. On defense we're losing conservatively i'd say 4 all sec caliber players and you could go as high as 8. Then an all sec punter as well. Returning on offense i think we have Sellers and thats it, thats not to say i dont like our returning talent because i do but it would be a stretch to say anyone is expected to be all sec caliber. To be fair not many we're expecting anyone other than Rocket to be all sec caliber and we ended up with 4. On defense its probably Stewart and Kilgore considering he tied for the league lead in interceptions. I'm high on Swain and Thomas Jr to potentially be those kind of impact players.

So theres a gap to make up there in lost all sec talent, but theres talent with potential on the roster and we have roster spots available and we can sell portal targets on the success our guys had last year. We've got guys who only had one year in our program and boosted their nfl stock like Rocket, Simpkins, Kennard, Knight and they are all great ambassadors.

 

[kingofnerf]

Still disappointed we didn't make it in, but Shane is now both USA Today's and the AP's SEC Coach of the Year, so he has some power in the room right now.

Will be disappointed if we don't have another stellar class next year, portal be damned.