B/c he is good player. Not this great thing we all expected to see. He has value, just not what we wanted/expected.
Why are you still concerned with high-school hype when the guy is a senior at LSU? He has more receptions than any receiver presently active and more than decent averages when he actually gets the ball. I just don't get all the hate on Shepard.
Its not hate. Its a lack of faith in what people expect vrs. reality. He is a senior now and nothing up to this point points to an LSU great like some expect. He isn't game changer we recruited him to be. You point to his averages “when he actually gets the ball” but I point to the gaffs he has trying to get the ball when there is a chance and those times he is so out of position he just falls down all on his own.
My biggest issue with Shepard is the dropped passes. He doesn't have great hands for a receiver--and may never have that. I believe that may be the reason that other posters are scoffing at the idea that Shepard needs the ball more. He has squandered a lot of opportunities and that wastes downs. Of course, his 5-star hype out of high school is what fuels the "hate" on Shepard. He hasn't lived up to the perceived hype. His size and his hands and maybe even being misused have all lead to this.
Utter nonsense. The people I talked to during the season had much more of an issue with inconsistency of passes. Would the ball sail over your head or even more likely hit at your feet or not be delivered at all because Jefferson couldn't make a decision. I appreciate Mettenberger's stronger arm but as I've said before, I more appreciate his quick decision making, ability to find the LBers and Safeties, and his QB presence which includes dropping back quickly and not throwing off his back feet. I couldn't care less if he throws a bunch of long passes...just delivery the ball accurately and on time and not make ever receiver stop for the ball.
Dropped passes are just the tip of the iceberg. For example, he CAUGHT the long pass against Alabama's busted coverage in game 1. What he did NOT do is score a TD. All the guy had to do was catch the ball with his hands and walk into the end zone. The guy caught the ball off balance against his chest and fell down on his butt. That alone cost LSU 4 points in that game (TD+PAT vs FG). That is an example of squandered opportunity even though he made the catch. Plus, he has cost LSU illegal formation penalties by lining up wrong and making someone an ineligible receiver. And have you noticed that many of those too short passes go to Shepard...that is because he runs his route too deep by rounding them off so SURPRISE....the ball comes up short. I have 0 hate on Shepard and do not hold his rating against him out of HS. To my knowledge, he did not pay Scouts or Rivals to give him 5*. That falls on them, not RS. However, for some LSU fans to be still drinking the RS Kool-Aid when at best he has been a mediocre situation player is downright laughable. When I watched video of him and Claiborne 4 years ago (Claiborne was playing QB at Fair Park in Shreveport), it was obvious to me that Claiborne was the better player even though at the time Rivals had him a 2* and Shepard a 5*. Shepard has not been "misused". God bless him, he simply isn't more than a high 3* caliber player.
Then why the hell didn't you call CLM up and warn him that he was making a terrible mistake? Gee, thanks for letting us squander a scholarship that we could've used on another solid 2* instead.
