I know we had a heck of a defensive end class come in. There's a lot of depth at that position. Some of those guys probably need redshirting. Thoughts?
So far, the only true freshmen to play have been: Terrance Toliver the two kickers Chad Jones Jarvis Jones Joseph Barksdale No one else has seen the field. Not even Stefoin Francois, which surprises me quite a bit. At this point, you have to anticipate that everyone who hasn't played already will redshirt unless circumstances require them to play.
Does red shirting need to be redefined? With so any players leaving early for the NFL it seems like a tough call for coaches and players. If I were a player with no interest or chance to play in the NFL I would want to be red shirted my first year. Any thoughts?
I personally think redshirting should be the exception rather than the rule. To me, you need to look at the situation not thinking, "Why should this guy play?" but rather, "Why should this guy sit out?" If a guy can contribute and help your team, he should play. Period. If he can't, he should redshirt. Part of the reason for this is not just the thought of people leaving early, but also the mechanics of the recruiting process. You get to add 25 scholarships per year, but only until you get to 85. Keeping players around for 5 years get you bumping up against that 85 limit a lot more often, unless you run a bunch of people off. Also, it helps recruiting to be able to tell people they'll be able to play early if there is any way they can help the team. Obviously, if a guy a) wants to redshirt or b) needs to develop more before he can be of any help, he should redshirt. Otherwise, he probably shouldn't.
I think he probably redshirts unless either Flynn or Perrilloux gets hurt (or suspended). If a player hasn't gotten into a game yet, I can't see him getting into a game in the future unless injuries make it necessary for us to pull a redshirt off a guy.
Every player that hasn't played yet will almost certainly redshirt. This gives them extra time to develop, and adds some longevity to our depth. My stance is that about 50 percent of every incoming class should redshirt. That gives us enough young guys playing to show recruits that we'll play you if you are good enough, and redshirts enough of them so that they have the chance to develop & perhaps put some space between themselves and other young guys they are competing against so they stand a better chance of starting later on.
