I know there's a LOT of discontent with the Ash regime, but I wanted to summarize what I've heard, know and see/hear, vs the standard threads, which have run it's course.
First, I am not sure Chris Ash is going to survive 2019, BUT, I watched the spring game, have more than enough eyes and ears and here's how I see the next 6 to 18 months going and why I believe things are not as bad as they appear to be BUT how dangerously bad it can become.
There's one item lacking from the fan base, players, coaches.....it lacks confidence and swagger.
BUT, that can be restored quickly, just needs to have a couple of changes to the lineup and changes to performance coming from the QB position.
The recent transfers of Griffin Stewart, Jonah Jackson and now Travis Vokolek are hits to the depth chart and it all relates to the lack of confidence the roster has in the staff.
BUT I watched the spring game closely to see if a lot of the negative energy was still spread around and it's much better now than it appears to be.
So what's the solution...??
I try to evaluate a program from it's worst players to the best players and ask why are some programs more consistent than others. That doesn't mean the Ohio State's, Michigan's or Penn State's....but the Iowa, Wisconsin's of the B1G....The Mississippi State's, Virginia Tech's, Utah, the Iowa State's right now. The one item isn't how many 4 star players they have, it's how many 2nd and 3rd string players are closer to playing than the listed 1st stringers.
Ash (based on what I saw) had at least 25 different players on Saturday, make a sound/splashy play, that was within the game plan. I know people will ask me, what I watched, but I saw very little differences between 1st and 3rd stringers.
So why is RU struggling....?? It's missing confidence building players that can cover up holes in the roster.
I could argue that 10 to 12 years ago, RU enjoyed so many elite/front line players, that masked, carried or completely eliminated the need to depth, so much so that many 2nd or 3rd stringers are names we rarely talk about. The depth wasn't there under Schiano and Flood, where I can state that once you got past the starters, you had a comparable player. There wasn't quality or similar depth.
Ash (in my opinion, has accumulated a lot of C+ to B- players top to bottom)....and has a handful of B+ to A- players, that can play anywhere else in the B1G. In order for RU to quickly snap back to a 7-8 win level, just takes a couple of difference makers at certain positions, to lift the confidence of the fan base.
Maybe it's Singleton (I think it will be), I'm confident in both Young's (Avery and Aaron)....I still believe Blackshear finds carries on any other roster in the B1G and he's a future NFL player, if he shows improvement handling passes out of the backfield. Jonathan Lewis is a huge kid with upside and just needs reps at TE. He has more upside than the departing Vokolek. Damon Hayes will play on Sunday's....Tijuan Mason flashed some speed and the Linebackers in general are just flat out better than most years of recent RU football, from player 1 to 6 at linebacker.
There are pieces in place, scattered all over the roster. If Ash can accumulate a few more difference makers this spring and summer, it truly doesn't matter how many games he does or doesn't win. If he doesn't win enough, he'll be gone, a new more confident staff will energize and take this roster up 2 levels very quickly. If Ash can get this roster believing again or playing full speed for each other, RU wins 5 games and solves a lot of problems for all of us.
It's all a confidence issue and I don't know how that gets solved, but I don't believe RU has ever had a talent issue. This isn't a roster full of kids that can't play, where years ago, we all knew we were lacking legitimate Big East depth. You don't win consistently in any league, if your 65th to 85th players on your roster are not close enough to your 35th to 65th players. I think we've solved that problem now, moreso than years past.
Every B1G team has starters that can play at a high level. Most teams will beat RU because their top line players are just better in certain spots (QB specifically).....but Ash has fixed the depth and it needs to be coached up, which he hasn't done well or at all. I know it's gloom and doom and I'm not sold on Ash at all and I believe he should have been sent packing after last season. But the players on this roster are pretty solid and chemistry, which was horrific last year is much better..... Once we get the next wave of 3 to 4* kids this year or beyond, to mix with the depth here, RU starts bowling again very quickly.
First, I am not sure Chris Ash is going to survive 2019, BUT, I watched the spring game, have more than enough eyes and ears and here's how I see the next 6 to 18 months going and why I believe things are not as bad as they appear to be BUT how dangerously bad it can become.
There's one item lacking from the fan base, players, coaches.....it lacks confidence and swagger.
BUT, that can be restored quickly, just needs to have a couple of changes to the lineup and changes to performance coming from the QB position.
The recent transfers of Griffin Stewart, Jonah Jackson and now Travis Vokolek are hits to the depth chart and it all relates to the lack of confidence the roster has in the staff.
BUT I watched the spring game closely to see if a lot of the negative energy was still spread around and it's much better now than it appears to be.
So what's the solution...??
I try to evaluate a program from it's worst players to the best players and ask why are some programs more consistent than others. That doesn't mean the Ohio State's, Michigan's or Penn State's....but the Iowa, Wisconsin's of the B1G....The Mississippi State's, Virginia Tech's, Utah, the Iowa State's right now. The one item isn't how many 4 star players they have, it's how many 2nd and 3rd string players are closer to playing than the listed 1st stringers.
Ash (based on what I saw) had at least 25 different players on Saturday, make a sound/splashy play, that was within the game plan. I know people will ask me, what I watched, but I saw very little differences between 1st and 3rd stringers.
So why is RU struggling....?? It's missing confidence building players that can cover up holes in the roster.
I could argue that 10 to 12 years ago, RU enjoyed so many elite/front line players, that masked, carried or completely eliminated the need to depth, so much so that many 2nd or 3rd stringers are names we rarely talk about. The depth wasn't there under Schiano and Flood, where I can state that once you got past the starters, you had a comparable player. There wasn't quality or similar depth.
Ash (in my opinion, has accumulated a lot of C+ to B- players top to bottom)....and has a handful of B+ to A- players, that can play anywhere else in the B1G. In order for RU to quickly snap back to a 7-8 win level, just takes a couple of difference makers at certain positions, to lift the confidence of the fan base.
Maybe it's Singleton (I think it will be), I'm confident in both Young's (Avery and Aaron)....I still believe Blackshear finds carries on any other roster in the B1G and he's a future NFL player, if he shows improvement handling passes out of the backfield. Jonathan Lewis is a huge kid with upside and just needs reps at TE. He has more upside than the departing Vokolek. Damon Hayes will play on Sunday's....Tijuan Mason flashed some speed and the Linebackers in general are just flat out better than most years of recent RU football, from player 1 to 6 at linebacker.
There are pieces in place, scattered all over the roster. If Ash can accumulate a few more difference makers this spring and summer, it truly doesn't matter how many games he does or doesn't win. If he doesn't win enough, he'll be gone, a new more confident staff will energize and take this roster up 2 levels very quickly. If Ash can get this roster believing again or playing full speed for each other, RU wins 5 games and solves a lot of problems for all of us.
It's all a confidence issue and I don't know how that gets solved, but I don't believe RU has ever had a talent issue. This isn't a roster full of kids that can't play, where years ago, we all knew we were lacking legitimate Big East depth. You don't win consistently in any league, if your 65th to 85th players on your roster are not close enough to your 35th to 65th players. I think we've solved that problem now, moreso than years past.
Every B1G team has starters that can play at a high level. Most teams will beat RU because their top line players are just better in certain spots (QB specifically).....but Ash has fixed the depth and it needs to be coached up, which he hasn't done well or at all. I know it's gloom and doom and I'm not sold on Ash at all and I believe he should have been sent packing after last season. But the players on this roster are pretty solid and chemistry, which was horrific last year is much better..... Once we get the next wave of 3 to 4* kids this year or beyond, to mix with the depth here, RU starts bowling again very quickly.
