2016 Spring Practice Thread

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koonja

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Not on the bod squad = not very athletic. Simple as that. I agree with Wooly.
 

IrishLax

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You got me! He has two career sacks in two years of playing. Definitely elite.

I mean... I give zero shits about this discussion... but his sack rate per snaps (especially for linebackers) is probably through the roof, especially when you factor out snaps against option teams.
 
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Bogtrotter07

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Thank you for the clip of the only sack of his career. It really wasn't this big time play, he came in untouched on a broken play. Good for him, but it wasn't this big time athletic play.

Also... when I say "he doesn't make plays" (ie plural), it doesn't mean just show me a clip of one time when he tackled someone. That's not really a representative sample.

Wooly,

Most of the time we are on the same page. But this Martini thing is more than a Mauk for you!

2015 Game Log Tackles Interceptions
DATE OPP RESULT TOT SOLO AST SACK FF
9/5 Texas W 38-3 No statistics available.
9/12 @Virginia W 34-27 No statistics available.
9/19 Georgia Tech W 30-22 8 3 5 0.0 0
9/26 Mass. W 62-27 8 5 3 0.0 0
10/3 @Clemson L 24-22 No statistics available.
10/10 Navy W 41-24 9 3 6 0.0 0
10/17 USC W 41-31 No statistics available.
10/31 @Temple W 24-20 No statistics available.
11/7 @Pittsburgh W 42-30 No statistics available.
11/14 Wake Forest W 28-7 4 4 0 0.0 0
11/21 Boston College W 19-16 3 2 1 0.0 0
11/28 @Stanford L 38-36 3 2 1 1.0 0

Now check these stats against minutes played.


By the way, see the Stanford stats? Martini has at least two sacks!
 

Sherm Sticky

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I usually agree with Wooly, but on Martini I can't.

Martini stuffed the USC RB on 4th and 1 and it was a hell of play, it's the play he got hurt on. When Martini has gotten in he has flashed.

Wooly mentioned Martini wasn't as highly ranked when a recruit. This isn't true. Martini was a 4 star player and in some services ranked higher than Bilal or Barajas.

Finally I couldn't disagree more that Barajas should be playing Sam. He is way to bulky to play there. Kid is a thumper MLB.


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woolybug25

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I usually agree with Wooly, but on Martini I can't.

Martini stuffed the USC RB on 4th and 1 and it was a hell of play, it's the play he got hurt on. When Martini has gotten in he has flashed.

Wooly mentioned Martini wasn't as highly ranked when a recruit. This isn't true. Martini was a 4 star player and in some services ranked higher than Bilal or Barajas.

Finally I couldn't disagree more that Barajas should be playing Sam. He is way to bulky to play there. Kid is a thumper MLB.


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He wasn't a top 250 player in any service.
 

Rocket89

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For what it's worth...

SNAPS PER TACKLE (2015)

Smith- 7.23
Martini- 8.91
Schmidt- 11.47
Onwualu- 14.31

I like Martini. He's played two different positions in two years. Moves really well for his size. Versatility is really valuable. Somewhere around our 4th best linebacker IF we're lucky and a few unproven players take big steps this year.
 

Rocket89

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Not on the bod squad = not very athletic. Simple as that. I agree with Wooly.

For a white boy though?

CMo7v4WWUAAHznF.jpg
 

Sherm Sticky

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He was rated 255 on ESPN. Wow missed it by 5 spots. But ESPN does top 300 not 250.

Haters are just going to hate.


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Barajas and Bilal were were not ranked in ESPN 300.


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Who'saWildManNow

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Spring practice reports are a guilty pleasure.

I don't care who's abs look sick or who the coaches talked up this day.

I simply want to know whether or not we've taken the next step as a program yet. Kelly has taken ND one step closer to a championship level squad since he arrived.

My question is this:

Are we now capable of demolishing Nevada, Syracuse and Army? Are we capable of using our superior talent for 4 full quarters to pull away from Texas, Duke, NC State, Navy, Virginia Tech and Miami? Are we tough enough to gut out wins against Michigan St, Stanford and @USC?

Has our strength and conditioning program done anything to alleviate the injury bug? Will the defense understand BVG this year?

Are we ready to truly compete for a national championship? That's all I want to know.
 

JD Irish

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Martini has played great during the playing time he has received. He absolutely has been a playmaker. I really hope the injury does not set him back.
 
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Wild Bill

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I didn't ask for "a play". I asked to show me plays (see: plural) as evidence. Do you think that showing one untouched sack from two years ago represents a body of work?

Speaking of body of work, can you show me plays, or even a play (singular), that evidence bilal or Barajas "awesome" athleticism?
 

woolybug25

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Speaking of body of work, can you show me plays, or even a play (singular), that evidence bilal or Barajas "awesome" athleticism?

Sure. Look at their recruiting highlights, look at their practice videos, look at freaking pictures of them (bod squad).

I'll take that over what Martini brought to the table as a recruit and the several years of him actually being on the team. You guys are acting like I'm crazy to not take heralded players with high expectations over a dude that didn't come in with those expectations nor has proven he is going to exceed them with his play on the field.
 

stlnd01

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I mean, yes, it's tempting to compare Martini with Joe Schmidt because they're both white guys with relatively low recruiting rankings who top the depth chart at a linebacker position.

And there may even be something to it. All things being equal I'd rather the bigger, faster, stronger, more athletic guys be on the field, because I think those guys put us in best position to beat the elite teams that field four-star freaks in spades.

But if all things aren't equal - in terms of understanding the game and our defense - then I'd probably rather play the less-talented guy who gets it than the great athlete who's out of position all the time. But I'd also maybe start to wonder why the coaching staff has so many great athletes who don't get it. And in the long run I'd probably be pulling to see guys like Bilal and Coney playing over guys like Martini and Onwualu. Because they seem to have a higher ceiling.

So in spring practice I guess I hope the more athletic guys get the first-team reps. But if we've got a game to win Saturday, let's go with the guy who understands the defense this week. You know?
 

Wild Bill

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Sure. Look at their recruiting highlights, look at their practice videos, look at freaking pictures of them (bod squad).

I'll take that over what Martini brought to the table as a recruit and the several years of him actually being on the team. You guys are acting like I'm crazy to not take heralded players with high expectations over a dude that didn't come in with those expectations nor has proven he is going to exceed them with his play on the field.

We don't have to talk about martini as a recruit. He earned tick his freshman year while Barajas and Bilal played on the scout team. Maybe he was just lucky.

I watched Barajas live in high school and he's not a better athlete (my opinion) and certainly not a better player. Maybe Barajas will develop, though. He's still young. Bilal is a better athlete, I agree. Hopefully he develops into a player.
 

Sherm Sticky

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Sure. Look at their recruiting highlights, look at their practice videos, look at freaking pictures of them (bod squad).



I'll take that over what Martini brought to the table as a recruit and the several years of him actually being on the team. You guys are acting like I'm crazy to not take heralded players with high expectations over a dude that didn't come in with those expectations nor has proven he is going to exceed them with his play on the field.


You make Greer Martini to be a walk on like Joe Schmidt. Martini was a 4 star recruit coming out of high school. ESPN had him as the 255th player over all in their top 300. Sure ESPN scouting is probably the worst of the services. But, most would agree 247 is the best. They had Martini has a 4 star recruit.

Martini isn't a Joe Schmidt or even a Farley. Martini was a legit 4 star recruit out high school. Who in his limited college snaps has shown to be athletic enough and a play maker.


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dublinirish

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<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jBTG6z66TrA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
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Bogtrotter07

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He wasn't a top 250 player in any service.

He also committed a year-and-a-half before his signing day, and didn't attend one other camp, or get on the 'circuit' in any way. Many said he would have been rated very high had he participated, and remember he also did quite well as an offensive player.
 

Irish#1

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At this point in time, I think it's safe to say Wooly has a different opinion of Martini (shaken) then most everyone else (stirred).
 

woolybug25

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You make Greer Martini to be a walk on like Joe Schmidt. Martini was a 4 star recruit coming out of high school. ESPN had him as the 255th player over all in their top 300. Sure ESPN scouting is probably the worst of the services. But, most would agree 247 is the best. They had Martini has a 4 star recruit.

Martini isn't a Joe Schmidt or even a Farley. Martini was a legit 4 star recruit out high school. Who in his limited college snaps has shown to be athletic enough and a play maker.


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Very convenient of you to cherry pick the two sites where they had him ranked higher, meanwhile... completely ignoring that he was a three star on the other two. You also mention 247, but fail to mention how much lower his composite rating is to both Bilal and Barajas. He had a composite three star rating, which I think is far more accurate than cherry picking the ratings that fit your narrative best.

I also never compared his skillset to Schmidt, I compared their situation on the team. He is a better player than Schmidt, I just think that there are players better than him at his position.

You guys can feel free to keep telling me how stupid I am for projecting guys that haven't seen the field yet, and i'll keep pointing out that the player you are projecting has seen the field.... and hasn't done squat...
 

goldandblue

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Very convenient of you to cherry pick the two sites where they had him ranked higher, meanwhile... completely ignoring that he was a three star on the other two. You also mention 247, but fail to mention how much lower his composite rating is to both Bilal and Barajas. He had a composite three star rating, which I think is far more accurate than cherry picking the ratings that fit your narrative best.

I also never compared his skillset to Schmidt, I compared their situation on the team. He is a better player than Schmidt, I just think that there are players better than him at his position.

You guys can feel free to keep telling me how stupid I am for projecting guys that haven't seen the field yet, and i'll keep pointing out that the player you are projecting has seen the field.... and hasn't done squat...


Tyler Eifert 247 composite 0.8567
Greer Martini 247 composite 0.8833

I don't think anyone is telling you you are stupid because you think there may be better players. Maybe because you say Martini is not athletic and hasn't done anything in his time on the field. You seem awful hung up on stars from recruiting services and often times they are not accurate of who the player will become.
 
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