Was anyone else extremely disturbed that Ryan Grant was starting at LB?

Donate To GopherHole
S

sonnygarcia

Active member
Joined
Nov 21, 2008
Messages
1,715
Reaction score
0
Points
36
All we hear from Brew is how he has increased the talent level and Ryan Grant was one of our starting LBs against Wisconsin. I don't care if someone was injured for him to start, Brew has had 4 years to "upgrade" the talent and this is where we are at in year 4. No offense to Ryan but he should be no more than a "special teams standout" during his time here. I just cringed seeing that.
 

Also Kyle Henderson. I get that there are injuries (how much do we need Royston!) and all - but seeing Clay just toy with those guys and Collado as he ran over them reminded me of a big brother dragging his little brother along while the little brother hopelessly clings on to his leg.
 

I have absolutely no reason to believe he didn't earn it.
 

I was more extremely disturbed to see the continuation of defensive players trying to tackle guys around the shoulders.
 

Goldmember said:
I have absolutely no reason to believe he didn't earn it.
Click to expand...

I also 100% believe that he earned that spot, which is the problem (sorry if I missed your sarcasm). As Josh said, all this "talent" that we got has looked like JV vs Varsity all season, its just disturbing.
 


sonnygarcia said:
All we hear from Brew is how he has increased the talent level and Ryan Grant was one of our starting LBs against Wisconsin. I don't care if someone was injured for him to start, Brew has had 4 years to "upgrade" the talent and this is where we are at in year 4. No offense to Ryan but he should be no more than a "special teams standout" during his time here. I just cringed seeing that.
Click to expand...

Not to make excuses for Brewster but...
Some of the talent he recruited were Juco's who have already moved on. Those schollies could have been used on high school seniors who would just now be moving into the starting line up. However, we needed players like Simoni, Traye, and Tremaine Brock at that time.
Some of the talent he recruited found out they had a heart ailment, a tumor in their calf, and then drank themselves out of school.
I was surprised to see Ryan Grant, but not disturbed. Maybe he's a low star rated kid who developed into a good player. Your allowed to get better.
 

We were excellent at linebacker last year. We had three guys who could go sideline to sideline. All were legitimate Big Ten starters, which was the first time I've seen that in my life.

We miss them.
 

Let's keep this in perspective. He may not have proved to be top-flight talent because he may not be exceptional in any one area. But Ryan Grant was a man among boys on what was probably the best 5-A HS football team ever in Minnesota. He played 2-ways, was the starting quarterback, coach's son (which insiders always say is a +), and was clearly the team leader.

Regardless of the "stars" of Texas or Florida recruits or whatever, this is the perfect example of a guy who could very easily grow into a legitimate Big Ten starter, regardless of who the coach at the U is.
 

Goldmember said:
Let's keep this in perspective. He may not have proved to be top-flight talent because he may not be exceptional in any one area. But Ryan Grant was a man among boys on what was probably the best 5-A HS football team ever in Minnesota. He played 2-ways, was the starting quarterback, coach's son (which insiders always say is a +), and was clearly the team leader.

Regardless of the "stars" of Texas or Florida recruits or whatever, this is the perfect example of a guy who could very easily grow into a legitimate Big Ten starter, regardless of who the coach at the U is.
Click to expand...

I don't doubt Ryan is a hard worker and he was tough at EP, but he is way to slow he's a special teamer at best in the Big Ten. He could be starter for UMD or SCSU but shouldn't be for the in running to start for the Gophers makes me very concerned about the real talent level of the program.
 




sonnygarcia said:
All we hear from Brew is how he has increased the talent level and Ryan Grant was one of our starting LBs against Wisconsin. I don't care if someone was injured for him to start, Brew has had 4 years to "upgrade" the talent and this is where we are at in year 4. No offense to Ryan but he should be no more than a "special teams standout" during his time here. I just cringed seeing that.
Click to expand...

Slow - wouldn't get a scholarship at PSU, OSU, MI, MSU, WI or IA
 


Ryan Grant has been playing regularly at LB for 2 or 3 games after some injuries to previous starters.I really haven't watched film or do I know the assignments of the linebackers the past games well enough to judge his performance.
I believe that natural talent is a great asset to have. However preparation and good decisions on each play have great importance also. Ryan is a very smart kid and I am sure is doing his best.

I believe there is a place for Minnesota kids like Ryan Grant and Mike Rallis for our Gopher program. We should be proud of them. I am not trying to be critical of your post. However,why are you picking on him?
 



GophersInIowa said:
Neither did Decker...just because he wasn't offered by those programs doesn't mean he can't improve and become a good player.
Click to expand...

Exactly. If ever their was a likely candidate to outperform his "recruiting ranking" or "star-level" or whatever. And it doesn't matter who the coach is.

Singling out Ryan Grant for starting is like contemplating whether you like the pictures hanging on your wall while your house is on fire.
 

Grant has played better than Aaron Hill so far.
 

Uffda said:
I believe there is a place for Minnesota kids like Ryan Grant and Mike Rallis for our Gopher program. We should be proud of them. I am not trying to be critical of your post. However,why are you picking on him?
Click to expand...

It was not in my intentions to be picking on Ryan and there is a place for kids like Ryan on the Gophers, I totally agree. When I saw Ryan was coming into the program I thought "great, a MN kid who will work his tail off and probably be an impact special teamer".

I'm just using him as an example. Brew has always had us believing we have all this talent (and in return we think we have the talent in place we just need a good coach), but what does it say about the current talent level of our roster when people like Ryan, Henderson, A Hill and A Hahn are logging significant minutes (all walk-ons to start their Gopher careers)??? It tells me the next coach is going to have to bring in some talent to coach up, he is not just going to be able to walk in here in coach up the talent that is perceived to be in place.

Watching the games this year I don't think Brew has brough in much talent, nor does he coach it up.
 

How would anyone know he's even playing? I haven't heard his name once-if you are making plays doesn't your name usually get called out? I guess that is the point of the post-our guys on D are basically irrelevant.
 

alphagopher said:
How would anyone know he's even playing? I haven't heard his name once-if you are making plays doesn't your name usually get called out? I guess that is the point of the post-our guys on D are basically irrelevant.
Click to expand...

They televise these things now.
 

GophersInIowa said:
Neither did Decker...just because he wasn't offered by those programs doesn't mean he can't improve and become a good player.
Click to expand...

Sure he'll improve but it's hard can't coach up speed and players at other Big Ten schools will improve as well...watching the WI game he was no factor
 

sonnygarcia said:
It was not in my intentions to be picking on Ryan and there is a place for kids like Ryan on the Gophers, I totally agree. When I saw Ryan was coming into the program I thought "great, a MN kid who will work his tail off and probably be an impact special teamer".

I'm just using him as an example. Brew has always had us believing we have all this talent (and in return we think we have the talent in place we just need a good coach), but what does it say about the current talent level of our roster when people like Ryan, Henderson, A Hill and A Hahn are logging significant minutes (all walk-ons to start their Gopher careers)??? It tells me the next coach is going to have to bring in some talent to coach up, he is not just going to be able to walk in here in coach up the talent that is perceived to be in place.

Watching the games this year I don't think Brew has brough in much talent, nor does he coach it up.
Click to expand...

Welcome to the darkside young skywalker.

I agree.
 

Big Ten Mind said:
Sure he'll improve but it's hard can't coach up speed and players at other Big Ten schools will improve as well...watching the WI game he was no factor
Click to expand...

Did you watch him on every play? And, who on defense, was a factor in that game for us?

He may have not stood out for making great plays, but I don't remember him sticking out for making terrible plays either. I have no idea if he played well or not because I wasn't watching him all day.

The point I was making was that just because the Ohio St.'s, Iowa's, and Wisconsin's didn't offer him, doesn't mean he can't develop into a good player; a player that down the road could play for those teams. Decker is an example of that, he could have played for any school in the country even though he was hardly even recruited (not saying Grant will ever be as good as Decker).
 

Didn't notice him in the Wisconsin game (pobably a good thing) but against Northwestern he was badly exploited in pass defense he was just too slow to drop into coverage or stick with the backs or TEs. Nothing against the kid seems like the kind of hard worker I would want on my team but as special teamer not a starter.
 

Studwell55 said:
We were excellent at linebacker last year. We had three guys who could go sideline to sideline. All were legitimate Big Ten starters, which was the first time I've seen that in my life.

We miss them.
Click to expand...

Lets not get carried away here. Excellent? This year's LBs are brutal and last year they were average.
 

I heard a rumor that this was a great way for EP players to keep considering the 1-11 gophers....
 

sonnygarcia said:
All we hear from Brew is how he has increased the talent level and Ryan Grant was one of our starting LBs against Wisconsin. I don't care if someone was injured for him to start, Brew has had 4 years to "upgrade" the talent and this is where we are at in year 4. No offense to Ryan but he should be no more than a "special teams standout" during his time here. I just cringed seeing that.
Click to expand...

If I could list the top 5 things that disturbed me in life they would be as follows (in order from least disturbing to most disturbing):
1. Cannibalism
2. Bob Seger in the Rock n Roll HOF
3. The Catholic Church promoting and covering up the molesting of all those children
4. The Holocaust
5. Ryan Grant starting at LB for the Gophers
 

kellyleeks said:
If I could list the top 5 things that disturbed me in life they would be as follows (in order from least disturbing to most disturbing):
1. Cannibalism
2. Bob Seger in the Rock n Roll HOF
3. The Catholic Church promoting and covering up the molesting of all those children
4. The Holocaust
5. Ryan Grant starting at LB for the Gophers
Click to expand...

Kelly...u r a disturbed individual. U forgot Brett Favre's elbow though.
 

Get used to seeing Grant on the field. The next coaching staff could well go with a 3-4. The starting LBs just might be Rallis-Beal-Grant-Cooper.
 

Yup

sonnygarcia said:
It was not in my intentions to be picking on Ryan and there is a place for kids like Ryan on the Gophers, I totally agree. When I saw Ryan was coming into the program I thought "great, a MN kid who will work his tail off and probably be an impact special teamer".

I'm just using him as an example. Brew has always had us believing we have all this talent (and in return we think we have the talent in place we just need a good coach), but what does it say about the current talent level of our roster when people like Ryan, Henderson, A Hill and A Hahn are logging significant minutes (all walk-ons to start their Gopher careers)??? It tells me the next coach is going to have to bring in some talent to coach up, he is not just going to be able to walk in here in coach up the talent that is perceived to be in place.

Watching the games this year I don't think Brew has brough in much talent, nor does he coach it up.
Click to expand...
I knew what you meant Sonny. I agree with you. Our talent is not what we were led to believe and the coaching isn't helpful.
Just real clear Brewster has to be replaced at the end of the year. He can't be given another year, but I fear that might be the situation with the AD and the president each hanging on.
 

sonnygarcia said:
Brew has had 4 years to "upgrade" the talent and this is where we are at in year 4.
Click to expand...

He has had three years. Unlike most coaches in their fourth year, he wasn't given the time to recruit what are now the team's redshirt juniors/seniors. If he was hired in, say, November, like Dantonio, the defense might not be so young and inexperienced.
 

I think I'm more disturbed that Reeves isn't starting in front of him or Rallis for that matter.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom