Weekly Position Discussion: Week 4, Cornerbacks

[BWahlberg]

Week 4, I’m a little late getting this one up – I was out of town this weekend. I figure we’ll hop again to the other side of the ball and finish up our discussion of the secondary, talking about the corners. This is the one position where the term “starter” is probably a loose term, we’re going to see a heavy rotation.

CBs: Sean Murray, Anthony Goodwin, Nate Harris, Josh Dennard, JR Nelson, Jamaal Anderson, Zach Gratton (?). Incoming freshman: Marquin Russell, Chris Parker, Ryan McKinley

Projected Depth
Starters: Anthony Goodwin (Senior), Josh Dennard (Junior)
Backup: Sean Murray (Senior), Nate Harris (Soph)
Depth: JR Nelson (RS Frosh), Jamaal Anderson (Soph)
Red-Shirt: Russell, Parker, McKinley

Strengths/Weaknesses

Anthony Goodwin – “Chief” appears to be following the path we see quite often from JuCo corners, an up and down first year that molds into a solid second year. It appeared to me in practice he was usually with the 1s more often than others. Chief sticks to his cover well and plays fairly smart on the field. He’s not one to get beat deep much, however sometimes he slips into a little safer play and allows easier receptions in front of him. I think another year will help him with communicating with the safeties as well because I’d bet he’ll be on an island more than the other corners. Tackling is good but could always be better, sometimes angles to ball carriers isn’t the best – a common issue with our secondary.

Josh Dennard – What surprises me about Josh is that guys like Goodwin, Murray, and Harris look stronger, more muscular, however Josh hits real hard and plays more physical than the other corners. He appeared to make good strides in spring camp coming off a 2012 where he was gradually improving in a trial by fire on the field. Josh’s issue can be playing too physical down the field and getting overly aggressive to get to the ball. He’s maybe the better corner for run support but will need more help over the top. Being a WR convert he’s got good intuition to make moves on the ball, he just needs to keep the amount of down-field contact to a minimum.

Sean Murray – Sean was knocked all the way down to 3rd string in spring camp (I was told for an attitude adjustment). Hopefully it’s been a wake up for the guy, he’s got good size and is the tallest of our corners. He’d go from some good games last year to some bad games – consistency is key this year. Sean has shown flashes of brilliance in year’s past both in games and during camps. I think with his head screwed on properly and focused for his senior year he could rise up and challenge to grab a starter spot.

Nate Harris – Nate had a pretty good spring camp with a pick-6 in the windy scrimmage up in Ronan. He’s maturing better and his focus on football seems to be improving. As you all recall he was benched in the home opener due to some off-field stuff, nothing horrible just bone-headed. I think Nate is yet another one of our young corners who is ready to show Griz fans some great improvement. This spring we saw lots of sets with three corners on the field at one point or another, Nate makes good sense as a nickel corner – he’s a strong guy and wraps up pretty well. He’s very quick on the field and his athletic ability will come on display as his confidence grows.

JR Nelson – JR redshirted last year after what I thought was a pretty good fall camp. In spring ball he had some good moments and others where he still looked like what he is, a freshman corner still adapting to the speed of the game. JR, given some spot opportunities, should get some ST reps and the possible chance to see the field as well. He’s going to be relied upon in 2014 to be a key rotation player, best to get him experience this year.

Jamaal Anderson – Really struck me as a guy getting used to the team and system this spring. Jamaal didn’t really stand out to me, but I was just watching a handful of scrimmages. ST might be his best fit this year.

Russell/Parker/McKinley – I wouldn’t be totally shocked if one of these three foregoes his RS and gets some time in. It would all depend on Nelson and Anderson and building depth. If Anderson or Nelson falter there could be a chance for one of these three to grab a spot on the roster to contribute on ST or in spot situations.

Zach Gratton - I passed over Zach in the safety talk b/c I thought he was going to play corner, but the roster lists him at SS. Zach covered slot WRs frequently and I thought played some corner. My mistake there on him. He’s a hard hitter but was having issues in coverage, especially 1-on-1.

 

[Pounder29]

B-Dub, you nailed it. This is an easy one to pick over and under and all around. DBs/corners are natural cerebal players. They can't afford to hear/read criticism because it just cracks the egg on their shoulders, and the tail spin begins. They have to be tough minded, wear blinders and concern themselves with what they have to do to support the defense. As the position goes, they are alone and everybody can see what happens. As for starters and rotation. I do believe that the mix of experience is enough to share in the ups and downs of the position this year. Picking any clear 12 game starter(s) from the position would be tough with all the skill sets that are available. I like the competiton back there, and all the GRIZ nation have their favorites, and I do beleive that will come out in this thread. I have mine and I hope he does well.

Just an opinion

 

[BDizzle]

Not sure about the other Freshman but Marquin Russell is already in Missoula working out with the team.

 

[BWahlberg]

B-Dub, you nailed it. This is an easy one to pick over and under and all around. DBs/corners are natural cerebal players. They can't afford to hear/read criticism because it just cracks the egg on their shoulders, and the tail spin begins. They have to be tough minded, wear blinders and concern themselves with what they have to do to support the defense. As the position goes, they are alone and everybody can see what happens. As for starters and rotation. I do believe that the mix of experience is enough to share in the ups and downs of the position this year. Picking any clear 12 game starter(s) from the position would be tough with all the skill sets that are available. I like the competiton back there, and all the GRIZ nation have their favorites, and I do beleive that will come out in this thread. I have mine and I hope he does well.

Just an opinion

I think Coach Williams does this well when working with the corners. It's a position more than any other that seems to develop players that not only need to be some of the best overall athletes on the team but also guys with swag, ego, and confidence. No other group that I've observed at the UM has as much attitude as the corners, and I think a lot of it is mental when matching up against WRs.

 

[Pounder29]

B-Dub, you nailed it. This is an easy one to pick over and under and all around. DBs/corners are natural cerebal players. They can't afford to hear/read criticism because it just cracks the egg on their shoulders, and the tail spin begins. They have to be tough minded, wear blinders and concern themselves with what they have to do to support the defense. As the position goes, they are alone and everybody can see what happens. As for starters and rotation. I do believe that the mix of experience is enough to share in the ups and downs of the position this year. Picking any clear 12 game starter(s) from the position would be tough with all the skill sets that are available. I like the competiton back there, and all the GRIZ nation have their favorites, and I do beleive that will come out in this thread. I have mine and I hope he does well.

Just an opinion

I think Coach Williams does this well when working with the corners. It's a position more than any other that seems to develop players that not only need to be some of the best overall athletes on the team but also guys with swag, ego, and confidence. No other group that I've observed at the UM has as much attitude as the corners, and I think a lot of it is mental when matching up against WRs.

Good call, Coach Williams having been a corner, definitley has to be able to "mind meld" the egos, swag, and keep the confidence higher than any other position. He may have some athletes, but in this position its easy to lose one.

 

[George Ferguson]

Regardless of the secondary play last season, the Griz are VERY LUCKY to have Aric Williams on staff. He has the players' full respect and attention and he's as good a cornerback's coach is there is in the Big Sky Conference. When he moves on, it will be no surprise to me, and it will be a big loss for the coaching staff.

 

[BWahlberg]

Regardless of the secondary play last season, the Griz are VERY LUCKY to have Aric Williams on staff. He has the players' full respect and attention and he's as good a cornerback's coach is there is in the Big Sky Conference. When he moves on, it will be no surprise to me, and it will be a big loss for the coaching staff.

Williams work, either directly or just partially has given 3 Montana DBs a shot at the NFL, Jimmy Wilson in 2010 (remember he started as a corner before injuries moved him), Tru Johnson in 2011, and Donny Lisowski in 2011. He also brought along two JuCo kid to have solid senior years, Dodson in 2010 and Roots in 2011.

I had heard the way Williams coaches and the attitude he instills in his players did not sit well with our prior safeties coach Burtnett, but honestly I think Aric has done a great job in his position and I think this year's CB corps is going to be pretty good.

 

[monte13fan]

Week 4, I’m a little late getting this one up – I was out of town this weekend. I figure we’ll hop again to the other side of the ball and finish up our discussion of the secondary, talking about the corners. This is the one position where the term “starter” is probably a loose term, we’re going to see a heavy rotation.

CBs: Sean Murray, Anthony Goodwin, Nate Harris, Josh Dennard, JR Nelson, Jamaal Anderson, Zach Gratton (?). Incoming freshman: Marquin Russell, Chris Parker, Ryan McKinley

Projected Depth
Starters: Anthony Goodwin (Senior), Josh Dennard (Junior)
Backup: Sean Murray (Senior), Nate Harris (Soph)
Depth: JR Nelson (RS Frosh), Jamaal Anderson (Soph)
Red-Shirt: Russell, Parker, McKinley

Strengths/Weaknesses

Anthony Goodwin – “Chief” appears to be following the path we see quite often from JuCo corners, an up and down first year that molds into a solid second year. It appeared to me in practice he was usually with the 1s more often than others. Chief sticks to his cover well and plays fairly smart on the field. He’s not one to get beat deep much, however sometimes he slips into a little safer play and allows easier receptions in front of him. I think another year will help him with communicating with the safeties as well because I’d bet he’ll be on an island more than the other corners. Tackling is good but could always be better, sometimes angles to ball carriers isn’t the best – a common issue with our secondary.

Josh Dennard – What surprises me about Josh is that guys like Goodwin, Murray, and Harris look stronger, more muscular, however Josh hits real hard and plays more physical than the other corners. He appeared to make good strides in spring camp coming off a 2012 where he was gradually improving in a trial by fire on the field. Josh’s issue can be playing too physical down the field and getting overly aggressive to get to the ball. He’s maybe the better corner for run support but will need more help over the top. Being a WR convert he’s got good intuition to make moves on the ball, he just needs to keep the amount of down-field contact to a minimum.

Sean Murray – Sean was knocked all the way down to 3rd string in spring camp (I was told for an attitude adjustment). Hopefully it’s been a wake up for the guy, he’s got good size and is the tallest of our corners. He’d go from some good games last year to some bad games – consistency is key this year. Sean has shown flashes of brilliance in year’s past both in games and during camps. I think with his head screwed on properly and focused for his senior year he could rise up and challenge to grab a starter spot.

Nate Harris – Nate had a pretty good spring camp with a pick-6 in the windy scrimmage up in Ronan. He’s maturing better and his focus on football seems to be improving. As you all recall he was benched in the home opener due to some off-field stuff, nothing horrible just bone-headed. I think Nate is yet another one of our young corners who is ready to show Griz fans some great improvement. This spring we saw lots of sets with three corners on the field at one point or another, Nate makes good sense as a nickel corner – he’s a strong guy and wraps up pretty well. He’s very quick on the field and his athletic ability will come on display as his confidence grows.

JR Nelson – JR redshirted last year after what I thought was a pretty good fall camp. In spring ball he had some good moments and others where he still looked like what he is, a freshman corner still adapting to the speed of the game. JR, given some spot opportunities, should get some ST reps and the possible chance to see the field as well. He’s going to be relied upon in 2014 to be a key rotation player, best to get him experience this year.

Jamaal Anderson – Really struck me as a guy getting used to the team and system this spring. Jamaal didn’t really stand out to me, but I was just watching a handful of scrimmages. ST might be his best fit this year.

Russell/Parker/McKinley – I wouldn’t be totally shocked if one of these three foregoes his RS and gets some time in. It would all depend on Nelson and Anderson and building depth. If Anderson or Nelson falter there could be a chance for one of these three to grab a spot on the roster to contribute on ST or in spot situations.

Zach Gratton - I passed over Zach in the safety talk b/c I thought he was going to play corner, but the roster lists him at SS. Zach covered slot WRs frequently and I thought played some corner. My mistake there on him. He’s a hard hitter but was having issues in coverage, especially 1-on-1.

I don't see a clear favorite here either except from Chief...the rest is open competition it seems like. I had hope in JR last year coming in and making an immediate impact, but I agree that he is still adjusting to the next level. With this years class, pertaining to the corners; McKinley is the one with the most potential to not RS in my opinion. I see many similarities from the 2008 team and one especially regarding DBs. This uncertainty relating to this position was very similar back in 2008. Hell maybe even one of these freshmen corners can be the next Tru (on-the-field) and fill the void at this position since his departure to the Nfl. Again, just a thought..

 

[CV Griz Fan]

Week 4, I’m a little late getting this one up – I was out of town this weekend. I figure we’ll hop again to the other side of the ball and finish up our discussion of the secondary, talking about the corners. This is the one position where the term “starter” is probably a loose term, we’re going to see a heavy rotation.

CBs: Sean Murray, Anthony Goodwin, Nate Harris, Josh Dennard, JR Nelson, Jamaal Anderson, Zach Gratton (?). Incoming freshman: Marquin Russell, Chris Parker, Ryan McKinley

Projected Depth
Starters: Anthony Goodwin (Senior), Josh Dennard (Junior)
Backup: Sean Murray (Senior), Nate Harris (Soph)
Depth: JR Nelson (RS Frosh), Jamaal Anderson (Soph)
Red-Shirt: Russell, Parker, McKinley

Strengths/Weaknesses

Anthony Goodwin – “Chief” appears to be following the path we see quite often from JuCo corners, an up and down first year that molds into a solid second year. It appeared to me in practice he was usually with the 1s more often than others. Chief sticks to his cover well and plays fairly smart on the field. He’s not one to get beat deep much, however sometimes he slips into a little safer play and allows easier receptions in front of him. I think another year will help him with communicating with the safeties as well because I’d bet he’ll be on an island more than the other corners. Tackling is good but could always be better, sometimes angles to ball carriers isn’t the best – a common issue with our secondary.

Josh Dennard – What surprises me about Josh is that guys like Goodwin, Murray, and Harris look stronger, more muscular, however Josh hits real hard and plays more physical than the other corners. He appeared to make good strides in spring camp coming off a 2012 where he was gradually improving in a trial by fire on the field. Josh’s issue can be playing too physical down the field and getting overly aggressive to get to the ball. He’s maybe the better corner for run support but will need more help over the top. Being a WR convert he’s got good intuition to make moves on the ball, he just needs to keep the amount of down-field contact to a minimum.

Sean Murray – Sean was knocked all the way down to 3rd string in spring camp (I was told for an attitude adjustment). Hopefully it’s been a wake up for the guy, he’s got good size and is the tallest of our corners. He’d go from some good games last year to some bad games – consistency is key this year. Sean has shown flashes of brilliance in year’s past both in games and during camps. I think with his head screwed on properly and focused for his senior year he could rise up and challenge to grab a starter spot.

Nate Harris – Nate had a pretty good spring camp with a pick-6 in the windy scrimmage up in Ronan. He’s maturing better and his focus on football seems to be improving. As you all recall he was benched in the home opener due to some off-field stuff, nothing horrible just bone-headed. I think Nate is yet another one of our young corners who is ready to show Griz fans some great improvement. This spring we saw lots of sets with three corners on the field at one point or another, Nate makes good sense as a nickel corner – he’s a strong guy and wraps up pretty well. He’s very quick on the field and his athletic ability will come on display as his confidence grows.

JR Nelson – JR redshirted last year after what I thought was a pretty good fall camp. In spring ball he had some good moments and others where he still looked like what he is, a freshman corner still adapting to the speed of the game. JR, given some spot opportunities, should get some ST reps and the possible chance to see the field as well. He’s going to be relied upon in 2014 to be a key rotation player, best to get him experience this year.

Jamaal Anderson – Really struck me as a guy getting used to the team and system this spring. Jamaal didn’t really stand out to me, but I was just watching a handful of scrimmages. ST might be his best fit this year.

Russell/Parker/McKinley – I wouldn’t be totally shocked if one of these three foregoes his RS and gets some time in. It would all depend on Nelson and Anderson and building depth. If Anderson or Nelson falter there could be a chance for one of these three to grab a spot on the roster to contribute on ST or in spot situations.

Zach Gratton - I passed over Zach in the safety talk b/c I thought he was going to play corner, but the roster lists him at SS. Zach covered slot WRs frequently and I thought played some corner. My mistake there on him. He’s a hard hitter but was having issues in coverage, especially 1-on-1.

Great job Brint. I think this group could be good. I agree Chief has a "leg up" on the rest.

 

[BWahlberg]

I don't see a clear favorite here either except from Chief...the rest is open competition it seems like. I had hope in JR last year coming in and making an immediate impact, but I agree that he is still adjusting to the next level. With this years class, pertaining to the corners; McKinley is the one with the most potential to not RS in my opinion. I see many similarities from the 2008 team and one especially regarding DBs. This uncertainty relating to this position was very similar back in 2008. Hell maybe even one of these freshmen corners can be the next Tru (on-the-field) and fill the void at this position since his departure to the Nfl. Again, just a thought..

On the field, ha - yeah gotcha.

We will see, all four of our top corners coming into camp have now a season under their belt. Inexperience can't be an excuse anymore. And I don't think that Chief is "locked" in at starter either, although he does appear to get more reps with the 1s, there's enough confidence in the other players that if he starts slipping or having issues they could move Murray or Harris right into his spot.

I think if JR shows improvement from the summer he'll be pushing for time as well. Might not get a lot esp if the other 4 CBs stay healthy and don't have their game fall to hell - he's going to be a good corner for us, I believe, in the future. Come 2014 we'll lose Goodwin and Murray and will need at least 2 other CBs that will be ready to play.