2022 Outlook

[AstroDin]

^^^ I think your list is the obvious possible starters…
but we have a lot of quality depth this year.

Take CB…
Ike Yates and Cally Chizik are back and will see lots of action and could be starters.
We have two very highly recruited DBs coming in Charles Ingram and Tre McLeod.

D Line and DE…
Bryce Stanfield is now listed at DE. Hopefully, his foot is healed cause the man can cause havoc.
Bryce will get some starts.
On the DL look for transfer Xaiver Stephens to get a lot of PT and maybe a few starts.

Bandit…
I hear great things about Alex Maier - we probably will see a heavy rotation between Maier and Clark.

on offense…
I wouldn't be surprised to see the Texas duo of Myion Hicks and Grant Robinson getting a lot of PT at RB and a start or two depending on matchups.

Speed guys…
In the spring with JR at the helm, we saw Gunn and Hughes getting more snaps and throws their way. I'm not saying they'll start but they'll get PT.

TE…
Ty Youngblood was impressive in the spring game - plays with a physical edge. Again we're not sure what formations JR is going to employ - FU could come out with two TEs. I'd look for Youngblood or Gissinger getting major PT.

[AstroDin]

Nice to finally see FU in this countdown series. Also, kudos to our social media team for having great highlights so readily available so national outlets can link to them.

Do we have any WRs faster than Miller? That dude is deceptively quick.

Prolly not.

Prolly have some faster runnin’ on the clock. Prolly don’t have any faster runnin’ for the end zone!

I'm just guessing - Kelton Gunn was a high-level track guy in HS same for Bailor Hughes - I would pick those two as the fastest on the team.

[AstroDin]

Good looking group…

[FUBeAR]

Nice to finally see FU in this countdown series. Also, kudos to our social media team for having great highlights so readily available so national outlets can link to them.

Do we have any WRs faster than Miller? That dude is deceptively quick.

Prolly not.

Prolly have some faster runnin’ on the clock. Prolly don’t have any faster runnin’ for the end zone!

I'm just guessing - Kelton Gunn was a high-level track guy in HS same for Bailor Hughes - I would pick those two as the fastest on the team.

Oh…FUBeAR would bet some of those CB types have much better clock times than Miller, but if’n they was a-wearin’ a different color jersey on Game Day, FUBeAR would bet they’d have a hard time a-catchin’ him if he was a-runnin’ for 6 pints!

[The Jackal]

I was intrigued about what Dean's addition could do for our offense, but realized that Zach Peterson no longer appears to be on the roster.

Even still, there's a lot of size and athleticism for Furman out wide with Josh Harris, Ethan Harris, Shiflett, and Dean.

I think we are all waiting on Bell to really showcase his talent, but don't forget Wayne Anderson was moved to FLK and is going to be an interesting matchup given his size, speed, and toughness. Hughes and Gunn still have a lot of potential as well.

Even excluding the freshmen (and I've really liked what I saw from Ferguson on film), that should give us some pretty good WR depth and an ability to do a lot of different things. I expect we'll see a lot more 3-4 WR sets than we've seen in quite some time.

I think biggest advantage, again, may be in setting up matchups with Ryan Miller. Miller is a problem for defenses, and the more folks we've got that can go catch a pass the more likely our offensive staff can get him matched on safeties and linebackers.

[gofurman]

Nice to finally see FU in this countdown series. Also, kudos to our social media team for having great highlights so readily available so national outlets can link to them.

Do we have any WRs faster than Miller? That dude is deceptively quick.

Prolly not.

Prolly have some faster runnin’ on the clock. Prolly don’t have any faster runnin’ for the end zone!

I'm just guessing - Kelton Gunn was a high-level track guy in HS same for Bailor Hughes - I would pick those two as the fastest on the team.

Oh…FUBeAR would bet some of those CB types have much better clock times than Miller, but if’n they was a-wearin’ a different color jersey on Game Day, FUBeAR would bet they’d have a hard time a-catchin’ him if he was a-runnin’ for 6 pints!

Personally, I bet dollars to donuts that FUBeAR could run at least one good forty time if he was headed for SIX PINTS

[gofurman]

I was intrigued about what Dean's addition could do for our offense, but realized that Zach Peterson no longer appears to be on the roster.

Even still, there's a lot of size and athleticism for Furman out wide with Josh Harris, Ethan Harris, Shiflett, and Dean.

I think we are all waiting on Bell to really showcase his talent, but don't forget Wayne Anderson was moved to FLK and is going to be an interesting matchup given his size, speed, and toughness. Hughes and Gunn still have a lot of potential as well.

Even excluding the freshmen (and I've really liked what I saw from Ferguson on film), that should give us some pretty good WR depth and an ability to do a lot of different things. I expect we'll see a lot more 3-4 WR sets than we've seen in quite some time.

I think biggest advantage, again, may be in setting up matchups with Ryan Miller. Miller is a problem for defenses, and the more folks we've got that can go catch a pass the more likely our offensive staff can get him matched on safeties and linebackers.

a lot of focus on WR - I haven't heard much about Kendall Thomas. He seems to have a ton of potential. I hope we can get him the ball (RB is fine) somehow as he seems to be very quick

[AstroDin]

The depth at running back is impressive…
I kind of stack the depth this way.

Roberto (242) (JR) has a huge upside. If he continues to develop, he's a complete weapon.
Abrams (215) (SR) is a solid, dependable back who can catch and run.
> this duo played a lot together in the same backfield last year. I'm not sure how this will flush out in the JR era. Both players can be a lead feature back.

*Anderson (200) (JR) I'm dropping Wayne here with an asterisk. Anderson is fast and runs hard; he's also an excellent receiver and has shown a knack for getting open and making a big catch. Again we don't know what JR will run this season. Anderson will be a dangerous weapon in the slot.

>>>

KT (193) (SO)) He is the smallest running back and IMO a tad quicker than Anderson. I hope one of JRs goals is how to weave KT's talent and abilities into the offense. KT can do it all; run between the tackles, hit the edge fast, and catch the ball.

>>>

The following Texas Duo — Myion Hicks (216) and Grant Robinson (218) are redshirt freshmen. I've watched a few games in person from the conference/region where both of these guys played — very high-level football. I would categorize them this way; Hicks is a power back, very physical also started at linebacker. Robinson is a slasher-type tailback with size. Furman has always done an excellent job giving its runningbacks opportunities. Hicks and Robinson will get plenty of PT this season. They should be fun to watch.

>>>

Jayquan Smith (190) (FR) is a highly-recruited true freshman. Offers from: Georgia State, Miami-Ohio, Air Force, Arkansas State, Charlotte, Richmond, Austin Peay, Yale, Tennessee Tech, Southern Illinois, and Gardner-Webb. My guess is Smith will redshirt in 2022, but who knows. Smith has the talent to get some PT this season, but I'd bet the coaches are looking towards the future. Smith should quickly reach 200 plus pounds and be groomed as a future Paladin featured back.

>>>

Utility guy Tyler Reid (6-0, 198). Reid is a PWO from CPA and played for Ingle Martin. Reid got a lot of snaps in the spring game. And is more than a backup, backup. Reid could be a special teams contributor in 2022, he also appears to have a similar skill set to Chase Abshier.

[Paul C]

At C - wouldn't be surprised if someone like Lamb were to challenge Jumper....seemed like he fell out of favor a bit last year....

[The Jackal]

The running back rotation raises some interesting questions. Obviously, there is depth and talent.

Another program that jumps to mine (perhaps because I am more familiar with them) is UGA. While I'm not making an across-the-board comparison to the national champs, UGA is a team that runs a lot of single back sets that manages to rotate a deep corps of running backs.

I liked watching what UGA did offensively. While they had an excellent group of running backs, those players were routinely rotated during their games. Zamir White, UGA's leading rusher, averaged about 10 carries a game while the offense put up a healthy 190+ yards a game on the ground.

I think that running back by committee approach is a good one. UGA averaged 36 or so rushing attempts per game, and their leading rusher had fewer than 1/3 of those carries. Not only does that keep your key players fresher during the course of a game and season, but also gives you a chance to build a depth chart for the future by starting to work younger players into the rotation.

Just my opinion, but over the past few years, you might have seen Furman get a little too feature-back heavy. I think a lot of SoCon teams can fall into this pattern. There were 3 SoCon backs last year with over 200 carries and 7 with 130+ carries, most in 11 or so games.

And since we're on the subject, NDSU had 5 players average over 40 rushing yards per game. Their leading rusher had a little over 8 carries a game. I suppose it is worth wondering if SoCon teams get into the post season and their key guys are more worn down by that point in the season than their opponent. I know everyone likes those eye popping rush numbers, but the better course is probably to get 200 yards rushing not with one player, but with four or five players.

Furman has done well recruiting the RB position and has very good depth there. Hopefully Coach Roper uses it wisely.

[FUBeAR]

The running back rotation raises some interesting questions. Obviously, there is depth and talent.

Another program that jumps to mine (perhaps because I am more familiar with them) is UGA. While I'm not making an across-the-board comparison to the national champs, UGA is a team that runs a lot of single back sets that manages to rotate a deep corps of running backs.

I liked watching what UGA did offensively. While they had an excellent group of running backs, those players were routinely rotated during their games. Zamir White, UGA's leading rusher, averaged about 10 carries a game while the offense put up a healthy 190+ yards a game on the ground.

I think that running back by committee approach is a good one. UGA averaged 36 or so rushing attempts per game, and their leading rusher had fewer than 1/3 of those carries. Not only does that keep your key players fresher during the course of a game and season, but also gives you a chance to build a depth chart for the future by starting to work younger players into the rotation.

Just my opinion, but over the past few years, you might have seen Furman get a little too feature-back heavy. I think a lot of SoCon teams can fall into this pattern. There were 3 SoCon backs last year with over 200 carries and 7 with 130+ carries, most in 11 or so games.

And since we're on the subject, NDSU had 5 players average over 40 rushing yards per game. Their leading rusher had a little over 8 carries a game. I suppose it is worth wondering if SoCon teams get into the post season and their key guys are more worn down by that point in the season than their opponent. I know everyone likes those eye popping rush numbers, but the better course is probably to get 200 yards rushing not with one player, but with four or five players.

Furman has done well recruiting the RB position and has very good depth there. Hopefully Coach Roper uses it wisely.

Though he hates to admit it since Jackal posted it, FUBeAR was just analogizing the FU RB Room to UGA’s, to his family (Mrs. FUBeAR & Little Miss FUBeAR are Alumnae) earlier this AM. He also mentioned the bizuns and one not stated in your post…but obviously influential on Coach Smart…the RB Room In Tuscaloosa has, for many years, been similarly structured … what used to take 1, 2, or 3 (at most) now, if you want to play for National Championships, takes 5 or 6 with slightly different skill sets and levels of development.

Very excited about the opportunties that exist for the FU Offense in 2022!

[AstroDin]

a timely Twitter post… looks like Jace is working hard on his craft and getting bigger.

[The Jackal]

The running back rotation raises some interesting questions. Obviously, there is depth and talent.

Another program that jumps to mine (perhaps because I am more familiar with them) is UGA. While I'm not making an across-the-board comparison to the national champs, UGA is a team that runs a lot of single back sets that manages to rotate a deep corps of running backs.

I liked watching what UGA did offensively. While they had an excellent group of running backs, those players were routinely rotated during their games. Zamir White, UGA's leading rusher, averaged about 10 carries a game while the offense put up a healthy 190+ yards a game on the ground.

I think that running back by committee approach is a good one. UGA averaged 36 or so rushing attempts per game, and their leading rusher had fewer than 1/3 of those carries. Not only does that keep your key players fresher during the course of a game and season, but also gives you a chance to build a depth chart for the future by starting to work younger players into the rotation.

Just my opinion, but over the past few years, you might have seen Furman get a little too feature-back heavy. I think a lot of SoCon teams can fall into this pattern. There were 3 SoCon backs last year with over 200 carries and 7 with 130+ carries, most in 11 or so games.

And since we're on the subject, NDSU had 5 players average over 40 rushing yards per game. Their leading rusher had a little over 8 carries a game. I suppose it is worth wondering if SoCon teams get into the post season and their key guys are more worn down by that point in the season than their opponent. I know everyone likes those eye popping rush numbers, but the better course is probably to get 200 yards rushing not with one player, but with four or five players.

Furman has done well recruiting the RB position and has very good depth there. Hopefully Coach Roper uses it wisely.

Though he hates to admit it since Jackal posted it, FUBeAR was just analogizing the FU RB Room to UGA’s, to his family (Mrs. FUBeAR & Little Miss FUBeAR are Alumnae) earlier this AM. He also mentioned the bizuns and one not stated in your post…but obviously influential on Coach Smart…the RB Room In Tuscaloosa has, for many years, been similarly structured … what used to take 1, 2, or 3 (at most) now, if you want to play for National Championships, takes 5 or 6 with slightly different skill sets and levels of development.

Very excited about the opportunties that exist for the FU Offense in 2022!

UGA offers a few other interesting comparisons outside of the running back rotation. I would further be neglectful not to mention that the last time Furman was in the national title conversation, they had a healthy running back rotation lead by a bruising back and mobile QB.

The Bulldogs utilize a lot of single back sets, their QB is a shorter player they like to put on the move, their best offensive weapon is a TE who runs like a receiver, and much of their passing game is distributed to non-wide receivers.

Obviously, UGA is an elite FBS program. They have more scholarships and have five star players riding the pine. At the same time, you can see some of the creativity that can come with this personnel framework. Defenses spend a lot of time running east and west to keep up with the backs and the horizontal passing game and then get beat on play action over the middle.

[gofurman]

8-3, we were 2 plays from 8-3 last year. If we have a little luck for once, 9-2 at least.

I am going 7-4. Have to see the Qb WR connections (and we are still possibly on a R-FRqb which isn't ideal).. plus a new offensive system etc. IE, if JW is running it (or the kid from PC) it will again be a first year system for the QB ... Not necessarily a freshman QB but a first year system for the QB. That's tough.. Glad Quarles is running ETSU but we may a year or so away from better than 7-4.

Please COMPLETE the easy passes. And please - new OC and WR coaches etc - set us up for early confidence with easy passes. Then go deep. Sometimes I felt we weren't throwing enough 'easy completions' to get everyone confident early in the game.

[The Jackal]

Hard to know.

These QBs all look to have run something similar to Ropers offense at previous stops in their careers, so maybe the learning curve won’t be that steep.

In interviews, Roper seems to favor this system because it is actually easier on the offense. By just keeping one back, he can manipulate the defense to declare their strength based on the TE. Essentially, he knows how the defense will likely line up.

Hendrix mentioned this last season, but I think we will also see benefits from Wilson having a full spring, off-season, and time in weight room.