Why does it always have to be Guilbeau? LSU moves Russell Shepard to wide receiver | shreveporttimes.com | Shreveport Times
LSU to move Shepard solely to WR LSU moves Russell Shepard to wide receiver | shreveporttimes.com | Shreveport Times Dude simply can't throw the football. This is not a big surprise.
Re: LSU to move Shepard solely to WR Mistake if you ask me... He seems to be a natural at runningback.. no reason he can't beef up and be a Reggie Bush sized guy...
Re: LSU to move Shepard solely to WR I like the move and think they'll still get him a few touches out of the backfield. Use him like Harvin or Felix Jones and get him out in space.
Just as well if Les has no intention of letting him throw the ball. Doesn't mean he couldn't do the occasional trickeration like that halfback read play Keiland did a couple of times. In addition, Miles said the "Wildcat" formation that frequently featured Shepard last season would not be much of a priority in the 2010 season. "We'll eventually get to 'Wildcat' some time during this spring," he said. "I don't know to what extent we'll run it and how big a piece it will be, but we'll have a look at it. There'll be some of those experiments." My first impression is this is a smart move. Get back to the basics with a focus on solid fundamental play at the position instead of throwing random sets and formations at the wall to see if anything sticks. You have to walk before you can run.
It's unrealistic to expect see a true freshman throw the ball. If Shep's career at QB at is over, that's a pretty impressive coup by the LSU coaches, because I was under the assumption that Shep came to LSU because we'd let him be a QB--that we were stuck having to let him train to be a QB. Yeah, he could possibly have been the next Charlie Ward at QB, but Charlie Ward didn't see the field until he was a junior. By wasting time practicing at QB instead of at WR and kick/punt returner...Shep didn't get to see the field as much as he would of had he been a WR since the beginning. Another thing that was worrying me was that he'd have to beat out JJ and Chris Garrett (meaning he might not be starting QB until he was a senior... and even then he might not be the sole QB starting). I'm very pleased that the LSU coaches convinced Shep to give up on being a QB. Big win by the coaches, and big win for Shep's college career (and pro future), IMO.
Re: LSU to move Shepard solely to WR When the OP titled this thread "solely to WR" he meant that Shep is done at QB. Even the article he cited said that Les said "He'll [still] get...running back play." 5 foot, 5 inch Trindon Holliday was a listed as WR for LSU, and he got carries, didn't he? 6 foot, 1 inch Shepard will also get carries... think Percy Harvin or Dexter McCluster (both WRs that got a great deal of carries). The problem was that, unlike Percy Harvin or Dexter McCluster, we had to train Shep as a QB as well. Now we don't have that problem. So now, in addition to carrying the ball like Shep already does, he will also be a receiver (and hopefully a kick and/or punt returner as well). "This gets him on the field every down," Miles explained. "When you're at (situational) quarterback, it's very difficult to be on the field every play. So if he starts with base at wide receiver, then...it allows us to play him [more]...the opportunity to give him the ball will be easier."
Re: LSU to move Shepard solely to WR Florida coach or no Florida coach, would be no different. Any coach would give him both carries and receptions if they weren't stuck having to train him at QB. But I do wonder if Gonzales was a big help to the coaches in talking Shep into give up on being a QB. "Russell, I coached Harvin for 3 years and you remind me of him...and I'm telling you... you are missing out by not moving to WR like the other coaches would like you to do... I agree with them that moving to WR would be a much better move for your college career and your future in the Pros."
Re: LSU to move Shepard solely to WR The beginning of the Russell Shepard era at LSU. My only question is can he run routes well enough to be a legitimate WR. If so, he'll be deadly.