Middle Linebacker

[okienole3]

Is Reynolds a lock for the MLB position or does he have some competition?

[badger]

Is Reynolds a lock for the MLB position or does he have some competition?

I know he's on some people's bad side right now for his questionable play last year, but the coaching staff loves him, so he's probably a lock there, yes.

I would also like to point out how funny these abbreviations are when it comes to video games. My favorite defensive play is not with the MLB, but rather, the LOLB. It is what I call the "LOL BLITZ" The ROLB, on the other hand, is the ROFL BLITZ ;)

Let that mess with your play calling a little next time you play Maden or NCAA Football :D

[Collier11]

We talked about this in a different thread before so I am repeating myself so bear with me, I like the guy and the coaches like the guy but the problem is that he has never regained his speed after those knee problems and he is now a 5.0 guy who has to be taken off the guy during passing downs. According to AL, the coaches have told him that If Box cant beat out Lewis for OLB he would then move over and compete against Reynolds for MLB and is quite a bit faster which is what the coaches are moving towards, more speed. Take it for what its worth but thats just what is being said

[StoopTroup]

I feel for Ryan.

Knee injuries are teh suc.

Would getting him a Medical Redshirt maybe by him some more healing time or are the knees as good as they can get?

I ask as after my surgery...I didn't think I would even recover enough to go back to work. It's been six months now and I'm working OK but I'm sore from time to time. At Ryan's Level in D-1 Football...would it be better to let a guy like him to take more time?

Just a thought.

[badger]

We talked about this in a different thread before so I am repeating myself so bear with me, I like the guy and the coaches like the guy but the problem is that he has never regained his speed after those knee problems and he is now a 5.0 guy who has to be taken off the guy during passing downs. According to AL, the coaches have told him that If Box cant beat out Lewis for OLB he would then move over and compete against Reynolds for MLB and is quite a bit faster which is what the coaches are moving towards, more speed. Take it for what its worth but thats just what is being said

This is the world of college football - positions are competed for and earned. Nothing is given out for free, except your scholarship, but that only lasts as long as you can play and you're eligible.

It is hard to believe that this is the same coveted recruit with all the speed and talent in the world, but just like Jason White showed, you don't need speed or knees to win the Heisman :D

Ryan Reynolds can still play. He just needs to adjust his gameplan to meet his abilities a la Jason White. Roy Williams was not faster than svelt and tall receivers, but yet TRRW still knocked them on their butt to force fumbles and intercepted the ball. Reynolds, if he adjusts accordingly, might be able to play smarter to make up for his lack of knees. Thus, whatever area he covers becomes a no-pass, no-rush zone. Go RR!

[Collier11]

He is smart and instinctive, he just has problems keeping up. Hopefully a full summer of conditioning will help him get some speed back since he hasnt gotten that since he has been on campus.

[okienole3]

What I hear is that the coaches are hoping that Box will beat him out at Middle Linebacker.

[badger]

What I hear is that the coaches are hoping that Box will beat him out at Middle Linebacker.

The best players need to play, so the coaches are probably hoping that all positions will be competitive.

I am rooting for both RR and Box, even if I seem to be pro-RR. I would love to see another Oklahoma recruit starting for Oklahoma (Box was a star at Enid and met Jenks in the state championship game in 2007).

However, one has to feel a tad bit of sympathy for the studly recruit RR and the college career full of injuries. Happens to the best of players (like AD).

[htownsooner7]

We talked about this in a different thread before so I am repeating myself so bear with me, I like the guy and the coaches like the guy but the problem is that he has never regained his speed after those knee problems and he is now a 5.0 guy who has to be taken off the guy during passing downs. According to AL, the coaches have told him that If Box cant beat out Lewis for OLB he would then move over and compete against Reynolds for MLB and is quite a bit faster which is what the coaches are moving towards, more speed. Take it for what its worth but thats just what is being said

Collier, you are pretty knowledgeable. Are you sure you are right about RR being a 5.0? If he is, that's a problem. With the advent of spread offenses, tackling in space is critical. Hell, we have moved a de facto safety into the backer position with Lewis Baker last year and now with K Clayton. RR was fine downhill last year and made tackles at the line of scrimmage. He was not good in coverage. However, now he has had time to heal more form the surgery and the acl should be much better now. He was a 4.5 guy, he needs to have some speed.

[tulsaoilerfan]

We talked about this in a different thread before so I am repeating myself so bear with me, I like the guy and the coaches like the guy but the problem is that he has never regained his speed after those knee problems and he is now a 5.0 guy who has to be taken off the guy during passing downs. According to AL, the coaches have told him that If Box cant beat out Lewis for OLB he would then move over and compete against Reynolds for MLB and is quite a bit faster which is what the coaches are moving towards, more speed. Take it for what its worth but thats just what is being said

we need more speed at linebacker; Lofton made a ton of plays, but Baker and Reynolds were too damn slow to be what we need at those other 2 positions

[tulsaoilerfan]

This is the world of college football - positions are competed for and earned. Nothing is given out for free, except your scholarship, but that only lasts as long as you can play and you're eligible.

It is hard to believe that this is the same coveted recruit with all the speed and talent in the world, but just like Jason White showed, you don't need speed or knees to win the Heisman :D

Ryan Reynolds can still play. He just needs to adjust his gameplan to meet his abilities a la Jason White. Roy Williams was not faster than svelt and tall receivers, but yet TRRW still knocked them on their butt to force fumbles and intercepted the ball. Reynolds, if he adjusts accordingly, might be able to play smarter to make up for his lack of knees. Thus, whatever area he covers becomes a no-pass, no-rush zone. Go RR!


Comparing the 2 and their knee injuries is like comparing apples and oranges; you can't afford to have a linebacker on the field that only runs a 5.0 against all these big 12 offenses no matter how smart he may play; there are going to be plays in space that he just can't make

[jackietreehorn]

It is hard to believe that this is the same coveted recruit with all the speed and talent in the world, but just like Jason White showed, you don't need speed or knees to win the Heisman :D

Ryan Reynolds can still play. He just needs to adjust his gameplan to meet his abilities a la Jason White.

see, qb's sometimes have two tools they can rely on... hence the name dual threat. however, defensive players cannot showcase their arm if they blow out their knees a couple times like jason did.

while it is terribly sad that all of his talent is overshadowed now by lingering speed questions, but if you're not fast enough to make the plays... you shouldn't be on the field, sorry ryan. you guys may or may not have noticed our defense playing like they were under water against WV.

i guess i'm sayin i don't know what kind of adjustments you can make to be .4 seconds faster. when he got here he was running in the 4.6 range i believe. as we all know, .4 seconds is like a lightyear at this level. of course this is all assuming whoever said he is currently running a 5.0 knows what they're talking about, and i'm sure they do

i'm just sayin, if everything else is equal, go with the faster guy. imho

[jackietreehorn]

oh and 1 more thing, no defensive player is winning the heisman ever again. one and done on that deal.

....and that one should just about be put to bed.

[sooneron]

I think we're going to see more of Lamont this year. I'm not bagging on RR, but he needs to step up and the coaches were talking about how LR has been.

[Collier11]

Collier, you are pretty knowledgeable. Are you sure you are right about RR being a 5.0? If he is, that's a problem. With the advent of spread offenses, tackling in space is critical. Hell, we have moved a de facto safety into the backer position with Lewis Baker last year and now with K Clayton. RR was fine downhill last year and made tackles at the line of scrimmage. He was not good in coverage. However, now he has had time to heal more form the surgery and the acl should be much better now. He was a 4.5 guy, he needs to have some speed.

Well thanks for that, better than what some people around here call me :D

I dont know that first hand, what I do know is that Eshbach said according to the coaches we are making a move getting more speed on the field and that Clayton, Lewis, and Box are 4.5-4.6 guys while RR is closer to 5 than 4.9. If Lewis holds onto his OLB spot then they will let Box compete against Reynolds and Box already has speed on him so it just depends on him knowing what the hell he is doing from that point forward

[Curly Bill]

I feel bad for RR because of all the hype he came here with and dealing with the injuries, but if he's running a 5.0 fourty, that's not at all good for a LB'er, and isn't especially good for a DE. For a 5.0 fourty guy to be on the field at LB'er, that tells me that there just isn't any other good options at that position.

[StoopTroup]

oh and 1 more thing, no defensive player is winning the heisman ever again. one and done on that deal.

....and that one should just about be put to bed.

With all of the different awards available every year, it's going to be one heck of a defensive guy if it does ever happen again.

In 1997 when Woodson won...Peyton Manning missed out by 282 votes.

There hasn't even been a Defensive Player come in at the number two spot since Woodson won it.

As far as being put to bed...I think it's more of a shot in the dark kind of thing.

[JLEW1818]

You know what guys I’m going to go way out on the limb. When I think knee problems, you know who comes to mind. JASON WHITE. Therefore, as far as the beginning of the season, I am going with Ryan Reynolds.
Yes I know it’s an entirely different position.

[Curly Bill]

You know what guys I’m going to go way out on the limb. When I think knee problems, you know who comes to mind. JASON WHITE. Therefore, as far as the beginning of the season, I am going with Ryan Reynolds.
Yes I know it’s an entirely different position.


:confused: right? ...
and one requires trying to catch up to very fast opponents so as to tackle them, in some cases requiring the chasing player having to run considerable distances to do so, changing direction rapidly in order to do so, or even in other circumstances having to defend said fast opponets in space. The other in our system requires executing a few steps so as to hand the ball off, or to set up to pass the ball.

Equating Jason White and Ryan Reynolds is a FAIL.

...and that's not to say that RR doesn't start, but if he's truly running a 5.0 and he's starting at LB, or let me put it this way: if he's playing a lot of LB, then we will not be as good as we think we might be.

edit...What I really hope is that the 5.0 talk is bogus, his knees are as if they've never been hurt, he's running like he supposedly could out of HS, and he's an absolute beast!

[tulsaoilerfan]

:confused: right? ...
and one requires trying to catch up to very fast opponents so as to tackle them, in some cases requiring the chasing player having to run considerable distances to do so, changing direction rapidly in order to do so, or even in other circumstances having to defend said fast opponets in space. The other in our system requires executing a few steps so as to hand the ball off, or to set up to pass the ball.

Equating Jason White and Ryan Reynolds is a FAIL.

...and that's not to say that RR doesn't start, but if he's truly running a 5.0 and he's starting at LB, or let me put it this way: if he's playing a lot of LB, then we will not be as good as we think we might be.

edit...What I really hope is that the 5.0 talk is bogus, his knees are as if they've never been hurt, he's running like he supposedly could out of HS, and he's an absolute beast!

Has he red-shirted yet? If he's really struggling getting back up to speed, then maybe a year on the sidelines would really help him out; i would hate to see another Jamelle Holieway situation

[Curly Bill]

Has he red-shirted yet? If he's really struggling getting back up to speed, then maybe a year on the sidelines would really help him out; i would hate to see another Jamelle Holieway situation

I think he has already used his shirt, but I don't really know.

Now equating RR and Holieway would have been an apt compariosn because of the way we used our QB's then.

[JLEW1818]

:confused: right? ...
and one requires trying to catch up to very fast opponents so as to tackle them, in some cases requiring the chasing player having to run considerable distances to do so, changing direction rapidly in order to do so, or even in other circumstances having to defend said fast opponets in space. The other in our system requires executing a few steps so as to hand the ball off, or to set up to pass the ball.

Equating Jason White and Ryan Reynolds is a FAIL.

...and that's not to say that RR doesn't start, but if he's truly running a 5.0 and he's starting at LB, or let me put it this way: if he's playing a lot of LB, then we will not be as good as we think we might be.

edit...What I really hope is that the 5.0 talk is bogus, his knees are as if they've never been hurt, he's running like he supposedly could out of HS, and he's an absolute beast!

I hope that it is bogus too. He did better than more than half the Linebackers in the nation did last year. I do not get what we are trying to ask for. Sorry people Teddy Lehman is not coming back.

[olevetonahill]

Is Reynolds a lock for the MLB position or does he have some competition?

I hope Like Hell he has some Competition
I want None Of our young Men feeling Like they are a Lock

[adoniijahsooner]

Mike Balugon will be the starter before the season ends.

[Collier11]

Mike Balugon will be the starter before the season ends.

I always love declerations like this :rolleyes:

[soonerfan28]

I don't think it's right comparing JW and RR. JW never had to cover anybody down the field or out of the backfield. JW rarely had to scramble with the line he had. I hope they give Balogun a chance.

[MojoRisen]

Why is everyone down on Ryan Reynolds? He got beat against Texas did he have a lot of other bad games to go along with that?

I think he will have a big year in the middle - you don't need 46 speed in the middle.

[NormanPride]

Why is everyone down on Ryan Reynolds? He got beat against Texas did he have a lot of other bad games to go along with that?

I think he will have a big year in the middle - you don't need 46 speed in the middle.

Yeah. Our losses weren't entirely on him, but he was the weakest link in the D last year. WV went nuts in the second half because other players were trying to compensate for his misses, not sure about tech, but he certainly never helped in pass situations. Colorado stayed on the field a lot because Ryan was injured and couldn't tackle. Later in the game he was out of position a ton because he was tired and hurt. That is, of course, when they made their run on us.

[Collier11]

He wasnt in the middle last year and thats why he got hurt. He still had 60 tackles, 2 sacks, and a pick. The middle will be good for him but like I said, his speed will hurt him only if Box plays equal or better

[NormanPride]

He wasnt in the middle last year and thats why he got hurt. He still had 60 tackles, 2 sacks, and a pick. The middle will be good for him but like I said, his speed will hurt him only if Box plays equal or better

Agreed, but you asked why people were down on him, and I gave a reason. :) Personally, I love the kid's attitude and intelligence, but it was obvious he was out of position. Supposedly he fits better at MLB, so that's good.

[JLEW1818]

Just got my Bookie's predictions in.

He's taking Clemson over Oklahoma in the finals. This guy hates Oklahoma too.

NFL wise, he's taking Titans over cowboys.

Just throwing that out there. He has a huge article over Texas high school football, college, and NFL if anybody is interested in reading it.

[soonerfan28]

I like Reynolds and I hate to see a kid lose what he had when he got here, but if Stoops is going to try an improve on the speed of the defense then he's not the answer. I can't see him covering a RB out of the backfield.

[StoopTroup]

Funny how sometimes...with a little time off....people surprise you when it's crunch time.

[Echoes]

Don't get me wrong, I am definetly pro Box. He has been a good friend for a long time and I am excited to see him succeed on the field for OU.

But, RR can still play. His slow speed was definetly a problem on the field last year, and his position as a weak link is not good. However, I am a firm believer smarts can make up for speed. He may not ever get any faster from his knee injuries, but he can study more film, get better at reading offenses, work on being in position, etc. With some discipline, RR can be a great defensive player, even if he is a little slower.

[htownsooner7]

Just got my Bookie's predictions in.

He's taking Clemson over Oklahoma in the finals. This guy hates Oklahoma too.

NFL wise, he's taking Titans over cowboys.

Just throwing that out there. He has a huge article over Texas high school football, college, and NFL if anybody is interested in reading it.

Your bookie is an idiot. Clemson and the Titans??? I've never heard of a bookie's "predictions" really ever mattering, but please let me know if he is offering those two predictions as a sort of a wager.

[JLEW1818]

Your bookie is an idiot. Clemson and the Titans??? I've never heard of a bookie's "predictions" really ever mattering, but please let me know if he is offering those two predictions as a sort of a wager.

haha I will. He does not bet on predictions that just his picks. And I agree, I don't see Clemson's O-line holding up, or the titans offense.

[tulsaoilerfan]

Don't get me wrong, I am definetly pro Box. He has been a good friend for a long time and I am excited to see him succeed on the field for OU.

But, RR can still play. His slow speed was definetly a problem on the field last year, and his position as a weak link is not good. However, I am a firm believer smarts can make up for speed. He may not ever get any faster from his knee injuries, but he can study more film, get better at reading offenses, work on being in position, etc. With some discipline, RR can be a great defensive player, even if he is a little slower.

I don't care how smart you are you had better be at least 4.7 or better to be an effective linebacker against all these spread offenses

[tulsaoilerfan]

I think he has already used his shirt, but I don't really know.

Now equating RR and Holieway would have been an apt compariosn because of the way we used our QB's then.

Actually what i meant by that comparison was that Jamelle tried to come back in 88, but he obviously wasn't ready to play; a red-shirt year might have helped him out and if he was playing in 89, i don't think OU goes 7-4 or whatever the record was

[OUgradJeff]

I don't care how smart you are you had better be at least 4.7 or better to be an effective linebacker against all these spread offenses

1. Guys recovering from knee injurues usually run better in year 2, so I have hope that Reynolds will regain some of his speed.

2. Football & athletics in general are never purely about speed & raw physical ability. It's about the brains too, which Reynolds apparently has. How many LBs has OU had that were faster &/or stronger than Rocky Calmus? And how many were better? Instincts & football IQ can take a player a long way.

[JLEW1818]

Let's just hope he gets faster.

[Sooner_09]

At least MLB doesn't have too many coverage responsibilities.

[JLEW1818]

Ya I'm sure the coaches will handle it when practice starts. Either way we still have a solid D.

[stoopified]

I'm thinking RR played in '05 as a true frosh,redshirted in '06 and played last year as a RS so. If so he has no redshirt year to sit out.