Pre Spring Position Reports - FB
by John Berkowitz on Feb 17, 2009 6:00 AM PST
Email
PrintThe fullback position at Washington under Ty Willingham kind of disapeared as Washington spent a lot of time running in single back sets. That didn't mean there wasn't talent at the position.
Paul Homer and Luke Kravitz were a powerful duo who were pretty evenly matched. Kravitz spent last season in Willingham's doghouse after going abroad to study for winter quarter. I would really liked to have seen what he could have done catching the ball out of the backfield last season. Now we will never know what he was capable of.
Paul Homer enters his final season at Washington as a throwback to a different era. Homer is a great blocker and special teams leader. He also showed that when he has a hole he can pick up important yards in short yardage situations. We really never got to know him as a receiver because Washington seldom threw the ball in his direction. The reason for that is simple. He was usually in the backfield trying to protect Jake Locker and Ronnie Fouch from getting creamed.
Homer is a step too slow to ever be able to be a threat running the ball outside of short yardage situations. His hands are a bit suspect according to observers but then again it may be a question of not getting enough opportunity.
Under the offense Steve Sarkisian is bringing to Washington the FB is more prominent and it should give Homer more touches to show what he can do in 2009.
Austin Sylvester will be backing up Homer this season with the graduation of Luke Kravitz. Austin played right away once he arrived at Washington from Prep School on special teams. His play at FB has been extremly limited due to the depth ahead of him. It will be interesting to see what he can do with the opportunity this spring.
Like Homer.... Sylvester is a step too slow and may even be slower than Homer. We haven't had an opportunity to see him catch the ball yet so this spring will be make or break for him as far as regular playing time goes at FB.
The wild card at the fullback position could be one of the current TB's. Terrance Dailey and Willie Griffin could be candidates for playing time between the twenties next season. We all know that Homer and Sylvester are not great offensive threats and are best suited to blocking. Incoming freshmen Kimo Makaula and Tim Tucker are also potential possibilities for the position.
Blocking is important, but Sarkisan may be looking for someone who can get some big yards on the ground and be able to catch some balls over the middle this spring. With a log jam at TB expect some experimentation this spring to bring a little more firepower over to the the FB position.
39 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Homer
Love the guy as a tough blocker and short yardage pounder but as a receiver he sucks!
Washington Husky Football-1991 National Champions
How about coaching up players
There’s an article about Mike Leach, in it he talks about different methods he used to improve receivers hands and leg strength/durabilty. Hopefully this coaching staff can do a good job of taking a very solid FB like Homer and teaching him to catch. Great coaches teach players and make them into top caliber players.
"Bow Down to Washington"
"Kick the tires and light the fires!"
You can coach up to a point
But there are things that cannot be taught. Like great hands. It is very possible for a player to get better, but Homer is likely to never be more than barely adequate as a receiver.
Yee of little faith
I agree that some guys have natural talent that can’t be taught, but to believe you can’t teach somebody to have great hands is nonsense. Most anything can be taught, it’s just a matter of how hard you have to work at it. With the right technique, and lots and lots and lots of practice, you can teach a guy anything.
People told Mike Singletary he was too small, and too slow, I think he did just fine IMHO.
"Bow Down to Washington"
"Kick the tires and light the fires!"
Pyrrhic Victories?
"Kravitz spent last season in Willingham’s doghouse after going abroad to study for winter quarter. "
Can those who are closer to the program give me some insight into Willingham’s psychology? I’ve been reading similar statements like the above quote for different players. OK, sure, players — kids essentially — sometimes break or bend rules and they should be disciplined. But in seems in Ty’s case, even after you spend your time for the crime, you were never ever forgiven. All the more strange given how “young” these kids are.
Don’t get me wrong: I’m much more interested in going forward with Sark than looking back. But I can’t help but wonder: did Ty even think about his own self-interest? He cannot be happy with the way things went at UW — particularly last year. He’ll have to live with that 0-12 season forever on his resume…which could become even more embarrassing as Sark begins to turn the program around.
Why would he keep key players off the field after they paid their “fine” so to speak? Kravtiz and linebacker E.J. Savannah are two salient examples. This quote from E.J sums it up:
“Yes. I was doing everything I could to return to the team. It seemed like it was continually up in the air and in limbo. There was never a definitive answer from Willingham of when I could come back. I assumed from what he was saying that I was going to be back within a week after the Oregon game. But I never got a definitive answer.”
And it also became increasingly apparent, that short of an outright player revolt, and lot of his “kids” threw in the towel on their coach this past season.
Are we talking about cutting off your nose to spite your face?" Ty was so intent on disciplining kids at any cost that he lost site of the big picture: where the program was going?
I think the thing that killed Ty’s regime the most was his “closed door” policy. That would sum it all up. Look at some visual evidence- Ty had a closed door policy set in place the moment he set foot in Seattle. No media members allowed and practice is closed off to the public.
That philosophy has gone bye-bye many, many years ago. Now let’s move on…
All I saw was purple
Communication
I’ve been surprised at how poorly Willingham communicated with players and coaches. I’m with you, I keep hearing stories of players who didn’t know where they stood with Willingham. Even more so, a coach that “cared” so much about academics but put guys in the dog house for studying abroad. My opinion of him just keeps getting worse.
"Bow Down to Washington"
"Kick the tires and light the fires!"
Awesome Comment Thai
I will say in Willingham’s defense that EJ Savannah got more chances than most but they didn’t come last season when he really could have helped the defense. The problem is he kept EJ in limbo which cost him a season of eligibility rather than simply throw him off the team. He was never going to let him come back but he never told EJ that either. If you embarrass Tyrone and his program there are consequences.
I can’t rememeber Izbicki getting a single snap last season which was very odd considering the lack of depth at TE.
From what I hear there were different standards for different players. Some could do what they wanted without a lot of recourse. Others simply never saw the light of day.
by John Berkowitz on Feb 18, 2009 7:08 AM PST up reply actions
How much will Sark utilize the FB?
Sark might not use his fullbacks this next season and if he does it might be little to none. Our fullbacks are not atheltic enough to be big playmakers. Look at USC’s fullbacks. These guys could be featured backs at many other Pac 10 programs, that is how athletic they are down there.
Sark wants to use his fullbacks as a legit threat at both run and pass. And since we don’t have a fullback of this magnitude then I’m left here wondering how much Sark is going to use the fullback position this year.
We may see an athletic tailback switch to fullback so that we can use him for the out routes, wheel routes, and out in the flat (routes that are preferred at SC under Sark). I see us using our TE’s quite a lot so maybe for this year we scrap the FB as a serious threat and go more towards the tight end.
I’ve not been very impressed with our fullbacks for a very long time. They block well, but I think we can get blocking from our tailbacks just the same. In short yardage we haven’t been very good. More often then not on 3rd and short, time and again we’ve come up short.
If Sark is going to use the fullback as both a run and pass threat then we’ve got to recruit good for that position. The guys currently in the prgram do not fit into the plans. Sorry!
All I saw was purple
I think that you're on to something, crazidawg...
Sark’s made it pretty clear that he will be moving different players into new positions and roles. It makes perfect sense to bulk up a good (athletic) running back for a blocking + multipurpose role, given the type of offense we’ve seen Sark run (and presume that he will try to implement here).
So the question is, who amongst our current roster, or incoming players, can make that kind of jump in just a few months? Are there any hidden talents that would love to be exploited in this position? I’d even go beyond RB’s in my consideration, and include in my search guys who are “labeled” LB’s, DB’s, TE’s, even QB’s (but not Jake).
Position Switches
These are the projected position switches that I could see happening for guys who signed last year…
Ta’amu – DT to OG.
Noble – DT to OG.
Kurt Magnum – LB to FB
Blackman – QB to TE or DE
I'm not sure
I want both Noble and Ta’ amu switching, at least right now. I’d rather give the new staff some time with the current OL and see if they can get them up to speed. Spring practices will be very interesting to watch this year. I can’t express how glad I am that we’ll have some news about them this year.
by hairofthedawg on Feb 18, 2009 3:37 PM PST up reply actions
Sorry
I didnt mean to switch them both, just saying that those guys could possibly switch if needed.
USC
At USC they utilized the FB and TE so I expect them to continue that practice here.
by John Berkowitz on Feb 18, 2009 7:10 AM PST up reply actions
2009 class? Fogerson?
I’m not expecting a LenDale White to appear right out of the blocks, so your FB/TE shuffle may offer the best hope. Sark specifically mentioned Marlion Barnett as an H-Back type, and there are a few others on the list who are considered to have multi-position potential. But are any capable of being ready for the coming season? Dorson Boyce?
Awhile back in this blog, I advocated for Johri Fogerson to get another chance at RB because he has unique instincts for that position, and because I’m skeptical about whether he’s got the right stuff for a D-1 safety (being switched there was a desperate move in desperate times). I imagine he’s been bulking up in the off-season, and will be better suited for the punishment of a FB, if Sark chooses to go with a two-back scheme. Does anyone have a good analysis of his ability as a blocker?
Barnett
I can see Barnett in H Back situations but I don’t see him as a FB.
Zach Fogerson is going to be very good.
by John Berkowitz on Feb 18, 2009 10:13 AM PST up reply actions
Crazi quote of the day
[Our fullbacks] block well, but I think we can get blocking from our tailbacks just the same.
Let’s not get carried away. The last couple years Paul Homer has been one of the best blocking fullbacks in the Pac-10. (Maybe not as much last year as he battled some injuries.) I’m not putting words in anyone’s mouth, but some fans lamented that one of the positions of strength on the team was being underutilized in the spread offense. And now that we’re switching to an offense that uses more fullback, we’re going to just assume that the Terrance Daileys on the roster are equivalent blockers to Paul Homer? Really?
With the switch to the new offensive style, Paul Homer is probably the happiest guy on the team.
Homer will be the blocker
Homer is going to be the guy inside the 20’s and on obvious rushing downs.
by John Berkowitz on Feb 18, 2009 12:18 PM PST up reply actions
Backfield Blocking is not Rocket Science
busplunger- you are making it sound as if backfield blocking is the most important block in an offensive scheme. A FB does not have to sustain the block for an extended time. Basically a backfield block is a “rub” block. All the FB has to do is meet the defender and disrupt his path to the QB and usually all it takes is a rub block. Now if you are talking about lead blocking thru the A or B gaps then I agree with you and this is where the likes of Homer will be useful But bringing in a FB for that purpose leaves us without deception. Translation: the opposing defense will know it is run and will key run with the FB in the game.
I say we find someone (converted tailback or TE) that we can use in both run and pass schemes. A guy durable to assume a lead block roll in the A and B gaps, a guy durable to perform a rub block on passing downs, and a guy athletic enough to carry out a route assignment that can catch (out route or wheel route). Homer is not going to be that guy and if we use him for purposes of running the football then we’ve lost our deceptiveness.
I see us having a new starting fullback sometime between the start of fall camp and the first 3 weeks of next season. We can’t use Homer with deception and that is truly what has killed the Lappano-led offense. It was too predictable my fellow Husky fan. We’ve got to get better at disguizing our schemes. With Homer in the game, you will hear Carroll, Belotti, Wolff, Weis, and the Mad Hatter yelling from the sideline “RUUUUUNNNNN”
All I saw was purple
Sark & Co.
If Sark & Co. are the talented, all knowing, gift from heavan coaches you make them out to be . . . teaching Homer to catch should be a cake walk.
He’s a great competitor, with great heart and determination, he should do very well under Sark.
"Bow Down to Washington"
"Kick the tires and light the fires!"
Yk to fullback
Yak might be an option at FB – he’s got a defenders body, although he is injury prone.
Yak
Yak can catch the ball. Yak has also been hurt most of the time he has been at Washington. Most of it is chronic so I don’t know how well he will be able to overcome it.
Remember Shelton Sampson
I think he was the earliest case of what would happen to you if you made Tys crap list. He left the team then came back and Ty said welcome back, but he never played a meaningful down again his entire Sr season. That was the first inkling of what a little man syndrome coach we had.
Shelton
i think he even moved to DB to help out then was moved back to RB.
by John Berkowitz on Feb 18, 2009 12:19 PM PST up reply actions
What a shame
Sampson was a speed demon. He lit up Oregon like a Christmas tree, actually, I think that was the last time we beat Oregon.
"Bow Down to Washington"
"Kick the tires and light the fires!"
Sampson
Had great moves and awesome speed, What a waste, He should have been our starter, Ty is a total jerk.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
