No way they both redshirt...I'd bet both to play next year (assuming Tuli comes around). After next year Gaines, Johnson, and Bowman are all gone which means you only have Levi, a couple of walk-ons/try-hards (hopefully Bronson becomes a contributor and maybe Potoa'e moves inside), and the guys coming in this year (along with any true freshman) for 2019. That is WAY too thin on the DL...you have to get at least Taimani and Tuli PT in 2018 just to get them ready because they will be heavily depended on the following year. Liu and Bynum will both need a couple years before they can be counted on. And lets hope Levi doesn't go too nuts to the point he could go pro early...2019 DL class could be crazy chinteresting as well.
No way they both redshirt...I'd bet both to play next year (assuming Tuli comes around). After next year Gaines, Johnson, and Bowman are all gone which means you only have Levi, a couple of walk-ons/try-hards (hopefully Bronson becomes a contributor and maybe Potoa'e moves inside), and the guys coming in this year (along with any true freshman) for 2019. That is WAY too thin on the DL...you have to get at least Taimani and Tuli PT in 2018 just to get them ready because they will be heavily depended on the following year. Liu and Bynum will both need a couple years before they can be counted on. And lets hope Levi doesn't go too nuts to the point he could go pro early...2019 DL class could be crazy chinteresting as well. Taimani is almost a guaranteed redshirt. Kid doesn't know the position well. We have to get him rhino cummed up and work on his technique.I'm guessing Tuli would play but if we had a fortunate year injury wise I could see him redshirting too.
No way they both redshirt...I'd bet both to play next year (assuming Tuli comes around). After next year Gaines, Johnson, and Bowman are all gone which means you only have Levi, a couple of walk-ons/try-hards (hopefully Bronson becomes a contributor and maybe Potoa'e moves inside), and the guys coming in this year (along with any true freshman) for 2019. That is WAY too thin on the DL...you have to get at least Taimani and Tuli PT in 2018 just to get them ready because they will be heavily depended on the following year. Liu and Bynum will both need a couple years before they can be counted on. And lets hope Levi doesn't go too nuts to the point he could go pro early...2019 DL class could be crazy chinteresting as well. Taimani is almost a guaranteed redshirt. Kid doesn't know the position well. We have to get him rhino cummed up and work on his technique.I'm guessing Tuli would play but if we had a fortunate year injury wise I could see him redshirting too. So putting him on the scout team vs. the 2/3 deeps is going to get him ready to be a possible starter/heavy contributor in 2019? I'd say its exactly the opposite...all the more reason he should play next year and get as much PT as possible when we can afford to play him (i.e. blowouts, etc).
No way they both redshirt...I'd bet both to play next year (assuming Tuli comes around). After next year Gaines, Johnson, and Bowman are all gone which means you only have Levi, a couple of walk-ons/try-hards (hopefully Bronson becomes a contributor and maybe Potoa'e moves inside), and the guys coming in this year (along with any true freshman) for 2019. That is WAY too thin on the DL...you have to get at least Taimani and Tuli PT in 2018 just to get them ready because they will be heavily depended on the following year. Liu and Bynum will both need a couple years before they can be counted on. And lets hope Levi doesn't go too nuts to the point he could go pro early...2019 DL class could be crazy chinteresting as well. Taimani is almost a guaranteed redshirt. Kid doesn't know the position well. We have to get him rhino cummed up and work on his technique.I'm guessing Tuli would play but if we had a fortunate year injury wise I could see him redshirting too. So putting him on the scout team vs. the 2/3 deeps is going to get him ready to be a possible starter/heavy contributor in 2019? I'd say its exactly the opposite...all the more reason he should play next year and get as much PT as possible when we can afford to play him (i.e. blowouts, etc). He's not going to be a starter in 2019 unless we whiff on Tuli and maybe not then (and I don't think that's happening anyway). With Tuli, best case scenario for Taimani is he's on the Levi path. Redshirt year, solid contributor as a RS Frosh, major contributor/possible starter as RS Soph.If you're expecting him to be a starter by 2019 I think you're going to be disappointed. If he is a starter in 2019 you're going to be very disappointed. He's super raw for the position.
No way they both redshirt...I'd bet both to play next year (assuming Tuli comes around). After next year Gaines, Johnson, and Bowman are all gone which means you only have Levi, a couple of walk-ons/try-hards (hopefully Bronson becomes a contributor and maybe Potoa'e moves inside), and the guys coming in this year (along with any true freshman) for 2019. That is WAY too thin on the DL...you have to get at least Taimani and Tuli PT in 2018 just to get them ready because they will be heavily depended on the following year. Liu and Bynum will both need a couple years before they can be counted on. And lets hope Levi doesn't go too nuts to the point he could go pro early...2019 DL class could be crazy chinteresting as well. There is no way Levi is leaving after 2018. He isn't even going to be a starter.I think you're overrating the significance of scrimmage mop-up experience especially for DT/NT. More important is getting them physically ready. Mentally it is the least complicated position on the field.
No way they both redshirt...I'd bet both to play next year (assuming Tuli comes around). After next year Gaines, Johnson, and Bowman are all gone which means you only have Levi, a couple of walk-ons/try-hards (hopefully Bronson becomes a contributor and maybe Potoa'e moves inside), and the guys coming in this year (along with any true freshman) for 2019. That is WAY too thin on the DL...you have to get at least Taimani and Tuli PT in 2018 just to get them ready because they will be heavily depended on the following year. Liu and Bynum will both need a couple years before they can be counted on. And lets hope Levi doesn't go too nuts to the point he could go pro early...2019 DL class could be crazy chinteresting as well. There is no way Levi is leaving after 2018. He isn't even going to be a starter.I think you're overrating the significance of scrimmage mop-up experience especially for DT/NT. More important is getting them physically ready. Mentally it is the least complicated position on the field. Who's starting next to Gaines then? Can't find the snap count played but Levi had more tackles than Johnson last year...The mop up is only a small part of it...its the practice repetitions when you are in the 2-deeps that makes the biggest difference. Its why if you have somebody you are going to be counting on (starting or first guy off the bench) in year 2 you would like to get them as much experience in year 1 as possible.Either way it will be chinteresting...
No way they both redshirt...I'd bet both to play next year (assuming Tuli comes around). After next year Gaines, Johnson, and Bowman are all gone which means you only have Levi, a couple of walk-ons/try-hards (hopefully Bronson becomes a contributor and maybe Potoa'e moves inside), and the guys coming in this year (along with any true freshman) for 2019. That is WAY too thin on the DL...you have to get at least Taimani and Tuli PT in 2018 just to get them ready because they will be heavily depended on the following year. Liu and Bynum will both need a couple years before they can be counted on. And lets hope Levi doesn't go too nuts to the point he could go pro early...2019 DL class could be crazy chinteresting as well. There is no way Levi is leaving after 2018. He isn't even going to be a starter.I think you're overrating the significance of scrimmage mop-up experience especially for DT/NT. More important is getting them physically ready. Mentally it is the least complicated position on the field. Who's starting next to Gaines then? Can't find the snap count played but Levi had more tackles than Johnson last year...The mop up is only a small part of it...its the practice repetitions when you are in the 2-deeps that makes the biggest difference. Its why if you have somebody you are going to be counting on (starting or first guy off the bench) in year 2 you would like to get them as much experience in year 1 as possible.Either way it will be chinteresting... Honestly Levi and Jaylen will probably share snaps pretty evenly next to Gaines, and all three will be out there on occasion.
We have had basically one DL a year have a much better year than expected every year under Pete. I think Levi will be that guy this year.
This thread is going to be great when Tuli reaffirms his commitment to USC
No way they both redshirt...I'd bet both to play next year (assuming Tuli comes around). After next year Gaines, Johnson, and Bowman are all gone which means you only have Levi, a couple of walk-ons/try-hards (hopefully Bronson becomes a contributor and maybe Potoa'e moves inside), and the guys coming in this year (along with any true freshman) for 2019. That is WAY too thin on the DL...you have to get at least Taimani and Tuli PT in 2018 just to get them ready because they will be heavily depended on the following year. Liu and Bynum will both need a couple years before they can be counted on. And lets hope Levi doesn't go too nuts to the point he could go pro early...2019 DL class could be crazy chinteresting as well. Taimani is almost a guaranteed redshirt. Kid doesn't know the position well. We have to get him rhino cummed up and work on his technique.I'm guessing Tuli would play but if we had a fortunate year injury wise I could see him redshirting too. So putting him on the scout team vs. the 2/3 deeps is going to get him ready to be a possible starter/heavy contributor in 2019? I'd say its exactly the opposite...all the more reason he should play next year and get as much PT as possible when we can afford to play him (i.e. blowouts, etc). He's not going to be a starter in 2019 unless we whiff on Tuli and maybe not then (and I don't think that's happening anyway). With Tuli, best case scenario for Taimani is he's on the Levi path. Redshirt year, solid contributor as a RS Frosh, major contributor/possible starter as RS Soph.If you're expecting him to be a starter by 2019 I think you're going to be disappointed. If he is a starter in 2019 you're going to be very disappointed. He's super raw for the position. Sounds great, but the Levi path had Vita, Gaines, Johnson, Bowman, etc in front of him as he redshirted and then played as a RSFreshman. Literally zero chance anyone can go on that path the next two years with the shitty DL recruiting the last couple of years. Go look at the depth after next year...on the DL ignoring this class it literally is only: Levi (4*) Josiah Bronson (walkon) Jason Scrempos (medically retiring soon?) Jared Pulu (walkon)Maybe Potoa'e moves over, but that is still incredibly thin for a group we played 6 deep this year. Tuli and Taimani are both playing a ton in 2019 (unless you think Liu and Bynum are passing them up)...redshirting them knowing you are going to depend on them the next year just seems nuts to me.Plus playing them allows you to balance your roster out classwise...if you redshirt them along with Liu and Bynum and you have 4 guys in the same class in basically the same position.
No way they both redshirt...I'd bet both to play next year (assuming Tuli comes around). After next year Gaines, Johnson, and Bowman are all gone which means you only have Levi, a couple of walk-ons/try-hards (hopefully Bronson becomes a contributor and maybe Potoa'e moves inside), and the guys coming in this year (along with any true freshman) for 2019. That is WAY too thin on the DL...you have to get at least Taimani and Tuli PT in 2018 just to get them ready because they will be heavily depended on the following year. Liu and Bynum will both need a couple years before they can be counted on. And lets hope Levi doesn't go too nuts to the point he could go pro early...2019 DL class could be crazy chinteresting as well. Taimani is almost a guaranteed redshirt. Kid doesn't know the position well. We have to get him rhino cummed up and work on his technique.I'm guessing Tuli would play but if we had a fortunate year injury wise I could see him redshirting too. So putting him on the scout team vs. the 2/3 deeps is going to get him ready to be a possible starter/heavy contributor in 2019? I'd say its exactly the opposite...all the more reason he should play next year and get as much PT as possible when we can afford to play him (i.e. blowouts, etc). He's not going to be a starter in 2019 unless we whiff on Tuli and maybe not then (and I don't think that's happening anyway). With Tuli, best case scenario for Taimani is he's on the Levi path. Redshirt year, solid contributor as a RS Frosh, major contributor/possible starter as RS Soph.If you're expecting him to be a starter by 2019 I think you're going to be disappointed. If he is a starter in 2019 you're going to be very disappointed. He's super raw for the position. Sounds great, but the Levi path had Vita, Gaines, Johnson, Bowman, etc in front of him as he redshirted and then played as a RSFreshman. Literally zero chance anyone can go on that path the next two years with the shitty DL recruiting the last couple of years. Go look at the depth after next year...on the DL ignoring this class it literally is only: Levi (4*) Josiah Bronson (walkon) Jason Scrempos (medically retiring soon?) Jared Pulu (walkon)Maybe Potoa'e moves over, but that is still incredibly thin for a group we played 6 deep this year. Tuli and Taimani are both playing a ton in 2019 (unless you think Liu and Bynum are passing them up)...redshirting them knowing you are going to depend on them the next year just seems nuts to me.Plus playing them allows you to balance your roster out classwise...if you redshirt them along with Liu and Bynum and you have 4 guys in the same class in basically the same position. As I stated earlier, a year of redshirting and Rhino cum made Gaines an immediate contributor as a RSF. Tuli and Taki seem to be comparable prospects as Gaines was coming in. Hence, seems to me that a developmental year may help them be immediate 2019 assets and maybe help them avoid potential injury.
As I stated earlier, a year of redshirting and Rhino cum made Gaines an immediate contributor as a RSF. Tuli and Taki seem to be comparable prospects as Gaines was coming in. Hence, seems to me that a developmental year may help them be immediate 2019 assets and maybe help them avoid potential injury.
