(08-14-2018 06:55 PM)stpnum4 Wrote: (08-14-2018 06:11 PM)marcuscan Wrote: Another, CLF, interview. This time with, Dan Hoard.
https://twitter.com/GoBearcatsFB/status/...16832?s=09
mc
MC, what is your take on the team for the upcoming season? How do you think Fickell and staff are doing with the rebuild?
Working backwards with respect to your questions....
I think CLF is doing an excellent job with the rebuild. One thing of note is that he's taking a patient approach. While conference mates like, Houston (and others to a lesser degree), are going hard after transfers, and JUCO kids, our staff is putting in good ol fashion work in recruiting HS kids. Not only that, they're bringing in high caliber kids who CAN develop...sure...but they're also ready to contribute sooner rather than later (which was the MO for the previous staff - long developing kids).
IMO, this is a complete departure from anything we've seen at UC previously. MD didn't have anything -prestige wise- to leverage as he went about recruiting so he basically had to get kids that would in time develop. Meanwhile BK was able to bear the fruits of MD's kids, and juice the results in large part to his sizable strategic advantage in coaching relative to his peers. He was again recruiting development projects. Those projects helped BJ succeed. At this point in our history, of course, we're no longer rebuilding. We're an established program.
CLF is benefiting from a) his excellent connections within the state, and b) the success of the program being just recent enough that he can sell the narrative that "we're going to bring us back to where we were." A) is bringing in talent on a consistency basis like we've never experienced. He's adding size like we've never seen in a position groups that are vital (OL & DL), and he's adding speed by moving kids around. A strategy he's had success with at OSU. He's sprinkled in some gems who
maybe can contribute right away, but more than likely will be true contributors next year. When this talent infusion really comes online (again, i believe that's next year, and not this year) I think we're going to see a turnaround that's going to be pretty impressive. We'll no longer be in such a large talent deficit....which is where we've been the past 2 seasons....and are likely to be this season....relative to the upper echelon teams in our league.
The biggest question in my mind is coaching/ scheming. Last year didn't show us much. I thought we looked like we were run by a rookie staff. If we're going to reach our potential we'll need some higher quality coaching....and I think this year will give us some more insight to that end.
Regarding the former question - i think we're going to be pretty average. While a lot of the focus is on OL & QB (understandably so) I think the key to this season is our most talented position group (DL) acting like they're our most talented position group. If we can't get more output from the best collection of talent on the team it doesn't bode well for our season. If they can perform up to their talent it makes life for the OL & QB much easier. Hayden is gonna Hayden. I'm over the handwringing about him. He is who we think he is. However, who he is is good enough as a game manager. If he can stretch the field occasionally, he can then turn around and hand it off to perhaps our 2nd most talented position group - the RBs. Run blocking is easier than pass blocking, so that could instantly help with the OL question marks. But we gotta be in games, and not trailing. We need that DL to protect our young/ inexperienced DBs.
mc
/
2018 Bearcats Football Season Commences: Friday, August 3rd Camp Higher Ground
