Mindset check on our D-line

[RV]

99 Adrian Middleton 298 SR
98 Tymere Dubose 315 SR
92 Phil Hoskins 306 JR
90 TJ Carter 265 JR
91 CalvinTaylor 300 JR
59 Kordell Looney 297 SO
95 Quinton Bohanna 340 SO
4 Josh Paschal 278 SO
94 Abule Abadi-Fitzgerald 281 RSFR
93 Jerquavion Mahone 308 FR
50 Marquan McCall 368 FR
55 Davoan Hawkins 271 FR

Above are the listed scholarship D-linemen we have for 2018 so how about you listing them in the order (1 thru 12) of your choice from best to perceived worst. Once you've done that compare your 4th listed guy to the starters for the 2016 team and determine if your 4th guy would be starting over one of the three listed.

2016 starters
94 Courtney Miggins 285 SR
69 Matt Elam 350 JR
99 Adrian Middleton 303 SO

How about your 7th ranked guy who would be third team on this year's team. How would he stack up to those 2016 starters?

I'll play later because I don't want to influence any opinions early on.

[Old School]

This is little more than guesswork and speculation, and I would not wager on it.

4 Josh Paschal 278 SO
95 Quinton Bohanna 340 SO
50 Marquan McCall 368 FR
90 TJ Carter 265 JR
99 Adrian Middleton 298 SR
98 Tymere Dubose 315 SR
92 Phil Hoskins 306 JR
94 Abule Abadi-Fitzgerald 281 RSFR
59 Kordell Looney 297 SO
91 Calvin Taylor 300 JR
93 Jerquavion Mahone 308 FR
55 Davoan Hawkins 271 FR

Bohanna could be the best of the bunch by the end of the year (or end of September). McCall could be the best of the bunch by the end of the year (or end of September). Dubose or Middleton could put it together this year (the Music City Bowl looked good for one of them). Hoskins could be much improved in health and performance this year. I could easily see those guys relegating Carter to #7.

Carter, Middleton and Dubose (or Hoskins)
vs.
Miggins, Elam, Middleton:

I have to hope the first group is better, and would predict that to be more likely.

This is a part of the roster that continues to concern me, though I'm cautiously optimistic that a few of the guys I list at the top will be surprisingly good.

Bygones are bygones, but Denzil Ware was a performer.

I loved when we had Jeremy Caudill and Dewayne Robertson anchoring the middle of the defensive line and I'd love to have a tandem like that again. We've had some really good DEs come through here and I'd love for another one to emerge.

[Brasslock]

I haven't seen enough of several of these guys so based on what I have seen: 1) Bohanna, 2) Pascal, 3) Hoskins, 4) T.J. Carter, 5) Middleton, 6) Calvin Taylor. As long as you put Bohanna at NG and Pascal, you can choose from the rest. Middleton has to step his game up. So I have 4 ahead of the #1 group referenced above.

[Jload]

Haven’t had a good D-Line since coach S got here, a few individuals have been good but as a unit they haven’t gotten it done at least not well enough to get us out of the middle of SEC pack.Part of the problem also lies in a decidedly slow linebacker corps, had some tough guys there but the overall team speed is subpar by SEC standards. Compare our guys to say Georgia when we play and it will be crystal clear.

[RV]

Rating our guys on experience and talent IMO would be:
1) 99 Adrian Middleton 298 SR
2) 95 Quinton Bohanna 340 SO
3) 92 Phil Hoskins 306 JR
4) 4 Josh Paschal 278 SO
5) 90 TJ Carter 265 JR
6) 91 Calvin Taylor 300 JR
7) 59 Kordell Looney 297 SO
8) 98 Tymere Dubose 315 SR
9) 94 Abule Abadi-Fitzgerald 281 RSFR
10) 50 Marquan McCall 368 FR
11) 55 Davoan Hawkins 271 FR
12) 93 Jerquavion Mahone 308 FR

That would put Josh Paschal as my #4 and there's no way he wouldn't be starting over one of those 2016 starters. If I listed them solely on talent IMO they would be:

1) 4 Josh Paschal 278 SO
2) 95 Quinton Bohanna 340 SO
3) 50 Marquan McCall 368 FR
4) 55 Davoan Hawkins 271 FR
5) 93 Jerquavion Mahone 308 FR
6) 92 Phil Hoskins 306 JR
7) 94 Abule Abadi-Fitzgerald 281 RSFR
8) 90 TJ Carter 265 JR
9) 98 Tymere Dubose 315 SR
10) 99 Adrian Middleton 298 SR
11) 59 Kordell Looney 297 SO
12) 91 Calvin Taylor 300 JR

[40bill]

The futures so bright, I gotta wear shades.

[Old School]

Ranking for 2018, I went mostly on how I perceived talent and ability, but without knowing much at all about Hawkins and Mahone other than that they’ll be true freshmen right out of high school in the most physical spot on the field. You seem pretty high on the talent or potential of them both. Any clues or hints?

You take Middleton from #1 in experience + talent to #10 on talent alone; that’s a huge drop. You have Dubose at 8 and 9 in the two categories. What are your thoughts on those two and how they’ll fare in 2018? Dubose performed like I don’t recall ever seeing in the bowl game, and Middleton fared well that day too. I hoped it might be a sign of things to come this year and that maybe at some point in the extra bowl practice something finally clicked for those two. Any chance of that? Any thoughts on why those two had some big moments against that solid, ground-based opponent?

[RV]

Ranking for 2018, I went mostly on how I perceived talent and ability, but without knowing much at all about Hawkins and Mahone other than that they’ll be true freshmen right out of high school in the most physical spot on the field. You seem pretty high on the talent or potential of them both. Any clues or hints?

You take Middleton from #1 in experience + talent to #10 on talent alone; that’s a huge drop. You have Dubose at 8 and 9 in the two categories. What are your thoughts on those two and how they’ll fare in 2018? Dubose performed like I don’t recall ever seeing in the bowl game, and Middleton fared well that day too. I hoped it might be a sign of things to come this year and that maybe at some point in the extra bowl practice something finally clicked for those two. Any chance of that? Any thoughts on why those two had some big moments against that solid, ground-based opponent?

Marquan McCall was ranked as a 4 star OG. Many thought his upside was even greater on the defensive side. If you've seen his dash up the incline at the UK practice facility you would know he certainly has some physical prowess and not just a big tub o' goo. This man child was offered by Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, Ole Miss, Penn State, Wisconsin and many others. He's actually better thought of than Bohanna was coming out of high school. My hopes are they can red shirt him to get some space between he and Bohanna but I suspect he will be too good to stay on the sideline.

BullyBallMcCall

Davoan Hawkins was lightly recruited when he committed to UK but subsequently received offers from Miami, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, NC State, West Virginia and others. In watching his film you see a kid that has a similar skill set to Josh Paschal. Miami wanted him bad and put on the full court press to no avail.

Hawkins Beast Mode

D-Tackles are always at a premium so when you can get a big guy that can move, especially one from a hotbed state such as Georgia you can bet he's got some good upside. His only other big offer was Tennessee. This 300 pounder is very nimble and light on his feet and changes direction like a kid that weighs 100 pounds less. 12 sacks as a DT in the state of Georgia should tell you a lot.

Check out Quay

Middleton is a great kid but his Mom admitted to me a while back he just didn't have that mean streak needed to excel. Maybe that has changed. He has worked hard to get where he is but most of the guys we have are more athletic and aggressive than he is. He gets the most out of his ability and has loads of experience but if he had another year's eligibility he would have to take a back seat to our other guys. Heck, he may not be able to hold off Hoskins this year. Either way we should be much deeper at DT than we have been.

Dubose has never played up to his ability for whatever reasons. Perhaps it will all click for him this year which would probably guarantee we could red shirt McCall which would be the optimum situation for the program. MOF, if we are able to red shirt all three of these Frosh that will be a very good thing for our D-line going forward.

[Old School]

I'm eager to see McCall. I'm now more optimistic about Hawkins and Mahone.

Was there any particular reason Middleton and Dubose seemed to have better games against Northwestern, a pretty good team, than against a lot of other opponents?

[RV]

I can't say for sure as I have erased the broadcast and didn't particularly focus on them previously. I would submit that perhaps during the interim from the end of the season and the bowl game that 1) perhaps Middleton had gained back some of the weight he had lost prior to the season and 2) the 25watt light for Dubose may have finally replaced by a 100w. He's always had the size and ability - just didn't seem to apply it all that well.

[40bill]

None of these kids or coaches live in a vacuum. Perhaps through all the negative stuff that was heaped on the team the message 'you can do better, NOW DO IT!!!' came through as well.
fingers crossed that message holds.