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LBs next year - BostonCard - 01-05-2016

Since we've had a thread on defensive linemen and defensive backs, I thought it would make sense to go through our linebackers.

Departures:
ILB Blake Martinez (140 tackles)
OLB Kevin Anderson (40 tackles)

Significant Returnees:
OLB Peter Kalambayi (52 tackles, 4.5 sacks)
OLB Joey Alfieri (40 tackles, 3.5 sacks)
OLB Mike Tyler (17 tackles, 5 sacks)
ILB Kevin Palma (43 tackles)
ILB Noor Davis (11 tackles)
ILB Jordan Perez (29 tackles)
ILB Mustafa Branch (18 tackles, and one hellacious block on offense)
ILB Bobby Okereke (6 tackles)

Additions:
ILB Sean Barton (redshirt)
?ILB Jordan Fox (delayed enrollment) [does anyone know his status]
ILB Bailey McElwain (verbal, ***)
OLB Casey Toohill (redshirt)
OLB Curtis Robinson (verbal, ****)

Still being recruited:
OLB Jeffrey McCulloch (****)

Overall, the situation at linebacker looks pretty good.  Losing Martinez and his ungodly number of tackles is significant, but we actually have reasonable depth returning, with Palma, Perez, and Davis all having had significant playing time.  Branch, Okereke and Barton are promising.

Outside, again, losing Anderson is signficiant, but his injury this year gave us a glimpse of what it will be like, and Alfieri looks like he will be a good replacement.  I think Kalambayi has to have been disappointed with his first season as a starter, but I think he still has promising future.  Tyler was a surprise as our second leading sacker, and will provide depth, and Robinson is a highly ranked recruit.  My projected starters right now are Kalambayi and Alfieri outside, Palma and Davis (or possibly Perez) inside, but I wouldn't be shocked if Branch pushes for the second ILB spot.

Overall, I think the floor for the unit is "deep and serviceable", and if Kalambayi lives up to the glimpses he showed as a freshman, and the other guys progress as expected, this should be a good to very good unit.

BC

Re: LBs next year - ThePassionOfTheChryst - 01-05-2016

Bold prediction: I think Branch is going to compete for a starting spot.

Re: LBs next year - OutsiderFan - 01-05-2016

(01-05-2016, 01:40 PM)ThePassionOfTheChryst link Wrote:Bold prediction: I think Branch is going to compete for a starting spot.

Not bold.  If I had to bet, my LB 2-deep:

OLB Kalambayi - Tyler
ILB Davis - Palma
ILB Branch - Okereke*
OLB Alfieri - Veach

* I'm just not a fan of Perez to date

Intriguing players:

Lane Veach - He looked very big in the Rose Bowl.
Sean Barton - Freak athlete for his size IIRC.
Casey Toohill - Have read positive things about him.
Curtis Robinson - Does a five star redshirt?
Jeffrey McCullough - Talented enough to play as a Frosh?

Stanford's back seven depth will be the greatest its ever had in 2016.  If Watkins, Kaumatule, or Cotton step up on the DL, the 2016 defense could once again be dominant.

Re: LBs next year - kuz - 01-05-2016

(01-05-2016, 01:39 PM)Boston Card link Wrote:Since we've had a thread on defensive linemen and defensive backs, I thought it would make sense to go through our linebackers.

Departures:
ILB Blake Martinez (140 tackles)
OLB Kevin Anderson (40 tackles)

Significant Returnees:
OLB Peter Kalambayi (52 tackles, 4.5 sacks)
OLB Joey Alfieri (40 tackles, 3.5 sacks)
OLB Mike Tyler (17 tackles, 5 sacks)
ILB Kevin Palma (43 tackles)
ILB Noor Davis (11 tackles)
ILB Jordan Perez (29 tackles)
ILB Mustafa Branch (18 tackles, and one hellacious block on offense)
ILB Bobby Okereke (6 tackles)

Additions:
ILB Sean Barton (redshirt)
?ILB Jordan Fox (delayed enrollment) [does anyone know his status]
ILB Bailey McElwain (verbal, ***)
OLB Casey Toohill (redshirt)
OLB Curtis Robinson (verbal, ****)

Still being recruited:
OLB Jeffrey McCulloch (****)

Overall, the situation at linebacker looks pretty good.  Losing Martinez and his ungodly number of tackles is significant, but we actually have reasonable depth returning, with Palma, Perez, and Davis all having had significant playing time.  Branch, Okereke and Barton are promising.

Outside, again, losing Anderson is signficiant, but his injury this year gave us a glimpse of what it will be like, and Alfieri looks like he will be a good replacement.  I think Kalambayi has to have been disappointed with his first season as a starter, but I think he still has promising future.  Tyler was a surprise as our second leading sacker, and will provide depth, and Robinson is a highly ranked recruit.  My projected starters right now are Kalambayi and Alfieri outside, Palma and Davis (or possibly Perez) inside, but I wouldn't be shocked if Branch pushes for the second ILB spot.

Overall, I think the floor for the unit is "deep and serviceable", and if Kalambayi lives up to the glimpses he showed as a freshman, and the other guys progress as expected, this should be a good to very good unit.

BC

McElwain is being recruited as a FB, not an ILB. And Jordan Fox is an OLB, not an ILB.

I can't see Curtis Robinson seeing the field next year if he's still hovering around 210. So he probably needs a redshirt year. Actually, I'm not sure whether he fits best as a 3-4 OLB or an ILB; his highlight film shows him looking natural in coverage, but most of his sacks are weakside blitzes, and you don't see him having to fight through blocks all that much.

Re: LBs next year - Hulk01 - 01-05-2016

"Serviceable?"  Perhaps--if five projected two-deep guys get hurt. 

Otherwise, this will be a terrific group.  The four backs up are likely to be guys who would start for at least half the teams in the conference; Robinson and McCulloch, who might end up not even making the second unit, look like starters for that many, too.

The ceilings for Alfieri, Branch, Barton, Robinson, and McCulloch are crazy high, and Toohill has been very impressive already.  Tyler is getting wicked off the edge.  Alfieri is one of the ten best athletes at LB in the country. And that omits Kalamabayi, who is trending upward now--a light went on?--and a finally healthier Davis, speaking of terrific athletes, plus a improved and good ILB in Palma.  Perez is a puzzle; freakish strength, not quite the speed, but there must be situations where he can help; short yardage and red zone D is a bet.  And this still omits a four star kid in Okereke.

Barton and Branch put on stuff on their hs tapes we hadn't seen for any linebacker commits before them; now Robinson and the Shark have done that, too, and one better.  At LB, these are the best of our times,

For sheer potential, this is like no group we've seen at Stanford.

Re: LBs next year - AthleticsDynasty - 01-05-2016

I think Tyler is gonna be an upgrade from Anderson

Re: LBs next year - BostonCard - 01-05-2016

(01-05-2016, 02:42 PM)Hulk01 link Wrote:"Serviceable?"  Perhaps--if five projected two-deep guys get hurt. 
...

For sheer potential, this is like no group we've seen at Stanford.

I called "deep and serviceable"  the floor.  I agree the ceiling is very high.  But we are losing our leading tackler.  Davis has been injured.  Perez has had issues.  Kalambayi didn't quite live up to our projected potential.  If all that continues next year, that's not a horrible floor.

My expectation is that this will be a good to very good unit.  I neglected to write what the ceiling was, and I agree it is very high.

If Kalambayi lives up to the pass rushing potential he showed as a freshman (6.5 sacks as a back-up), Tyler becomes wicked off the edge, Aliferi takes advantage of his athleticism, we may have the best set of outside linebackers in the Pac-12.  On the inside, if Davis is healthy all year, Branch blows up as we think hem might, Palma continues to develop, and Perez figures it out... I expect we will be among the top units in the P12.

BC

Re: LBs next year - CTcard - 01-05-2016

(01-05-2016, 02:02 PM)OutsiderFan link Wrote:If I had to bet, my LB 2-deep:

OLB Kalambayi - Tyler
ILB Davis - Palma
ILB Branch - Okereke*
OLB Alfieri - Veach

My guess,

OLB: Kalambayi - Toohill
OLB: Alfieri - Tyler
ILB: Davis - Perez
ILB: Palma -  Barton

Kalambayi, Alfieri, and Palma seem in line for starting spots.

Tyler was really coming on. Finished the year second to Scarlett in sacks with 5.0.
Davis was getting more playing time by the Rose Bowl and I thought was starting to look better.
Perez is a bit of a mystery. Has looked bad at times (and clearly a fan non-favorite) but good others. Played a fair amount and appears the coaches like him.
Toohill I heard the most positive buzz about for the guys not playing.

Barton seems very talented and might have an advantage being older. Branch is an obvious competitor here. Don't really have a feel for this position.


Re: LBs next year - ThePassionOfTheChryst - 01-05-2016

Barton is a very tantalizing combination of size and speed.  He's very lean though, any reports of him bulking up?

Re: LBs next year - terry - 01-05-2016

Noor Davis was introduced as a graduating senior at the football banquet. I haven't heard of a final decision about whether he will be back.

Re: LBs next year - Hulk01 - 01-05-2016

Our ILBs will always be our leading tacklers because our scheme funnels the ball carriers to them; hold the edges, have the Dls funnel the carrier to the gaps, and let the ILBs close them out. 

Re: LBs next year - CTcard - 01-05-2016

(01-05-2016, 04:53 PM)terry link Wrote:Noor Davis was introduced as a graduating senior at the football banquet. I haven't heard of a final decision about whether he will be back.

Well, I guess that would make me rethink my guess at the starters.

Re: LBs next year - needle - 01-05-2016

I like Palma, but he has had a real tendency to get dinged.

Outside of him, I just see a whole lot of question marks at ILB.

I am worried. If there's a true freshman who can play, he will get a shot.


Re: LBs next year - larkinforever - 01-05-2016

I agree with much of what has been posted in this thread, but I have a question regarding Palma - he seems very good against the run, but it seems like his coverage skills need to continue developing - anyone with more expertise have thoughts?

Re: LBs next year - winflop - 01-06-2016

(01-05-2016, 01:39 PM)Boston Card link Wrote:Overall, the situation at linebacker looks pretty good. 

BC

I have to disagree at ILB where I don't see anyone in whom I have confidence.  Palma lacks the speed to cover passes well or get to the edge.  Perez is undersized and seemed lost and out of position all year long.  Davis is a question mark.  And if the rest of them couldn't get significant PT this year then I don't have confidence in them.  Willing to play wait & see on reports from spring ball but this is my second-biggest concern behind DL.

Re: LBs next year - Stymie - 01-06-2016

Agree with winflop re: ILB's, but we have a lot of talent at LB overall.  Gotta play Tyler more.  He's not just a one-trick edge rush pony.

Re: LBs next year - BostonCard - 01-06-2016

Branch played as a true freshman.  I'm not sure the fact he couldn't beat out the guys who did play is that significant.

BC

Noor - Redrum - 01-06-2016

Oddly, it's good news of a sort that he's been injured...and, I guess, injured a lot of his career.  I wasn't real connected to some of the finer elements of the depth chart.  Based on the comments I'd read,  the critique was that the light never really went on for him and that's the way he would finish his career: as a backup.  That is striking given his honors and kudos coming out of high school.  Sic transit gloria mundi.  Hope he comes back just to prove his rep wasn't just smoke and mirrors.

I watched the Rose Bowl with the same Chicago friend of mine who had the misfortune to attend the Northwestern game.  As an old HS linebacker, he spent a lot of time commenting on #4 just didn't make plays.  I couldn't argue with him either way because so much of the team wasn't making plays.  Glad to say this same friend was quiet and simply cheering this version of the Cardinal that was on the field.

God I hope Sean Barton lives up to his HS rep and grows up quickly.  Having a DL funnel the play to linebackers who can't make the play or can't cover receivers sounds like a recipe for nothing good.

Re: Noor - CTcard - 01-06-2016

(01-06-2016, 02:09 PM)Redrum link Wrote:As an old HS linebacker, he spent a lot of time commenting on #4 just didn't make plays.

From the context of your story, it appears that you mean to say #3 just didn't make plays.
Is that correct?

On the other hand, I am kind of confused.

#3 (on defense) didn't play vs Northwestern, which presumably would limit his ability to make plays.
#4 had 14 tackles on the game, which is making at least a few plays.

Good catch... - Redrum - 01-06-2016

...I omitted the part where-- very good friend though he is-- I still mostly tuned him out because I was taking in the catastrophe as a whole and didn't have time or focus to fact-check him.  He watched, I didn't. My comment was that even my critical friend became a believer in Martinez.  None of my comments were directed at #3 one way or the other.