Johnson and Gilmore are the names that really stand out. Both were unanimous picks as #1 DT recruits and supposed difference makers, neither have been better than below average despite obvious God given physical talent. Bain, Bowers and others though young are yet to be developed. I believe the defensive staff has been good at evaluating talent and getting that talent on campus. However development of DL and LB has been much less successful. I'm hoping that staff changes improve development. Pendergast and Yaw Yaw have proven ability in that area. I'm hoping Miles pulls a mystery candidate out of his ass that can get the job done.
Want a list of guys that were 5* players that missed? Remember Chris Davenport at LSU? An I'm just not talking from LSU. I gave you a list of DL players, want a list of LB's from LSU? One mystery candidate coming right up.
Chris Pettaway was a 5-star Parade All-American guard out of Florida in the early 80's who was supposed to be a can't-miss player. He had size and strength. But he never even lettered in his four years of elligibility at LSU. Apparently he just didn't have the aggressiveness and work ethic to succeed at the college level, where he wasn't a man among boys.
Nice kid, played a little soft. Chris Davenport transferred to Tulane, the LSU staff tried to get him on the OL, but Chris thought he knew better. Another can't miss player.
I've always been the eternal optimist. Always believed the brightest days were ahead. I've remained ever optimistic that this would be that moment when the impossible was seized. That moment when the hand reaches out of the raging waters, grabs the shore and the hero saves the day. This was it! A blank check, a big time University, a hot bed of talent in (still) the best conference in the country. And this is what they (had to be more than just Miles in the selection and approval process right?) came up with after all that searching. And it couldn't have been that hard to search. This is a highly desirable place. I could have sold this job to just about anyone save for HRH Saban himself. And I even like my chances there. As the optimist it is my nature to get behind the new coach and hope for the better outcome. Sadly, as an optimist I also have to believe that a new beginning for this program is not too far off. Maybe he will prove us all wrong and the Hat will have the last laugh. I hope he makes us look like the fools! My only knowledge of Steele is through the articles I saw posted here. So maybe I don't have a clue. But I just keep going back to what's here, what's available, what's possible and what's at stake. And I keep thinking the same thing ... it feels like he settled. This is not the best possible solution available on the market. You don't have to save the money for anything. We don't have a cap. Go get that badass who pounds offenses into submission and uses the bones of opposing QB's to pick running backs out of his teeth. Unfortunately the same approach to picking QB's has been used for picking the next DC. I mean it's not like it's your job ...
