A silver lining for the future

[LetsGoRoMo]

Attempting to look at the silver lining! Probably premature for this topic, but I feel like I should add some positivity after another tough loss and the overall cloud over program with coaching situation.. anyways...


If I am missing someone let me know, but it looks like these are guys that will be out of eligibility next year that have played a lot this year:
Marcelis Branch
Zach Cooper
Swiss Steve
Ryan Lewis
Andy Smigera (He has only played in one game, anyone know if he would RS and come back?)
Joe Carroll (Listed as junior, but was mentioned on board he might have a job lined up. Any chance coaches could talk him into being a grad student and come back? Could really use the depth)

Other RS Juniors:
These guys might be able to graduate, but I do not know about their situations
Luke Brumbaugh QB (Would be great to have back next year for a at the very least some depth)
Nic Lamica TE/DE (Really hope he comes back, he is a great athlete and would be able to help a lot if he sticks at D next year. Might have dueling Lamicas out there starting next year)

Transfers:
Rameses Owens
Kyle Buss
Not sure if there are others

Could these Freshman Resdshirt ?:
Max Potokar OL (Have not heard much about him lately, hopefully he is OK, anyone have any insight on him?)
Eric McAllister OL (I know he had a lot of solid offers, and I think was at Army Prep, think he will help a lot)
Stephon Mingo DE (Do not think he has played at all, I believe he also had a lot of offers and will probably be able to step in next year and get some PT)
Chase Bonerman QB (would think he would be able to get a medical RS)
Harrison Dreher WR (This kid is playmaker, assuming he is redshirting as we have not seen him)

Defense has the big losses obviously, HUGE if Smigera comes back, that fills a big void. Smigera, Allen, Richardson, Rogers, Stott and Lisbon are still a great secondary.

Swiss Steve and Ryan Lewis are studs, and losing them will hurt a ton. Zamiska, Stanford, Fenwick and Darian Smith will all be back . Hopefully Mingo, Nic Lamica, and some young guys can step up and be part of the rotation.

Zach Cooper is currently 2nd on team in tackles, and is all over the place so losing him will be rough. The good news at LB is Wollet, Uhatafe, Stanley, Tyler Lamica, Tapp will be back. Also, is Jimmy Mason coming back? Is he shirting this year?

Overall, I think if Smigera come back, the D will be good to great, as RMU D typically is.

Offense does not lose a lot. The biggest losses have been transfers or rumored transfers of Owens and Buss. I think both were great, and could be helping the team out a lot right now and especially next year.

Another big loss could be Joe Carroll and Brumbaugh. I think I will make another long and boring post about the QB situation.

Conclusion: RMU is going to/has lost a few truly GREAT players. Silver lining, it looks like they can reload at those positions on D, OL is going to get 2 pretty darn good prospects next year plus whoever they recruit.

 

[tyblake2]

Yes the positive about the offense is that they don't lose anybody, except maybe joe. They return every starter next season. I'm hoping Andy gets a medical redshirt and comes back at safety next season. And they will return almost everybody as well. They lose Ryan Lewis, tough to make up for. But at linebacker, you return 3 starters plus Gerald Ferguson and possibly Jimmy Masson so they have the potential to be even better than this season on defense. I think I will bring up some more about returning players in a few weeks when the season ends

 

[Original_RMC]

Outside of the staff, there are many questions marks even heading into 2017.
Do we have a QB? It's been an ongoing search for 3 seasons. Yes, there have been injuries but we still don't know who is our #1 QB.
Assuming Cole Blake comes back better than ever, he would more than likely be the favorite to be the #1 RB. But watch out for RB Harrison Dreher. The coaches him playing RB in camp and not one LB could cover him and perhaps one the fastest players on the team.
And who is the #1 WR? Vecchio?

But on paper, you return all 11 on offense.
The defense takes the big hit next season. They could lose 5 multi-year starters.

 

[GoRMU]

Speaking of Cole Blake, here is a tweet from the Robert Morris S&C twitter on October 14th.

This weeks VOW is STRENGTH and Cole Blake is the epitome of strength! @RMUFootball

 

[LetsGoRoMo]

With Wells, Satcher, Blake, Neal and Dreher, I think RB is depth is probably about as good as it ever has been.

 

[tyblake2]

I guess the secret was out at the beginning of the year when Cole was pronounced out for the season. In spring ball, he took a hit to the outside of the knee and blew it out. ACL was torn, patellar tendon torn, pcl torn, and partial tear in the meniscus, and the mcl was stretched out really bad. Had successful surgery may 5th, and has been rehabbing since. He squatted 405 last week and is running at about 90%, he will be cleared sometime around the new year and be back ready to go for next season

 

[GoRMU]

That's great news!
The young man is very impressive, and I am sure an inspiration to others.

 

[M4Fam]

If Tim Vecchio was 6'0 he would play at any school in the country. He is electric with great hands and runs damn near perfect routes.
In my opinion he will be the #1 for a long time.

 

[tyblake2]

I heard a guy from PT say that rmu was getting a stud when he committed last year. After watching him this season now I understand why. That kid doesn't drop a single pass. Any ball that touches his hand, he grabs. I'm glad we landed him, he will be all conference if he can get a few more passes thrown his way in the years to come

 

[tyblake2]

I also believe Reggie green comes back next season at tight end. And Jamison Williams had a hamstring injury for the first 4-5 weeks. I'm thinking that he wil redshirt and come back as well since I haven't seen him play, also add Delano Madison into that mix. The offense has some weapons moving forward

 

[LetsGoRoMo]

Agreed with all the comments on Vecchio, kid is just a flat out player. I really like to see him getting in on blocks, once he adds some strength he will be a big plus in that category also.

Lots of great young players coming, a few positions of worry, but overall I think this is most optimistic we could be in years.

Agreed with Sally. Has to be tough on the guys, coaches, admin, everyone. Wish this was Banny's second year, then I do not think any of this talk would be occurring, but it isn't, so it is. It really could have came down to Banny's choice to keep the OC. The tough spot for the admin is also, do you give all coaches one more year? What will expectations be for that one year? NEC champs? 2nd place and 2 OOC wins? Would 3rd place do it with every game being a toss up? would be interesting.

To paraphrase, I think was ORMC who said if they are given one year, the pressure will obviously still be there, even more so perhaps, and all the players would again be playing for their coaches.

If they do go another route, they better get a coach that can rally the troops as Sally mentioned. For any hope of this team improving drastically in the near term, it will be imperative to keep the kids they have now, and another class as good as this last one.

 

[tyblake2]

Here is the bright side for this team, returning players that have seen time or can immediately step in on offense:

QB: Barr, brumbaugh, bodeman, romanchak, possibly Carroll

RB: Blake, satcher, wells, woods, Neal

FB: Line, skuratowicz

TE: green, Gonzalez

WR: vecchio, Madison, robinson, Magee, Edwards, Blackmon, Howard

OL: Rodriguez, Chambliss, mundy, lamb, fennell, potokar, garbenis, Mcallister

I've watched the struggle of the offense this fall, and we all know injuries and transfer haven't helped. But I think this is the most experienced returning offense we will have seen in bannys short tenure

 

[tyblake2]

Hopefully the staff gets one more season to work with them

 

[tyblake2]

I forgot to add bjuro with the OL