RB3 Battle

Sherriff Coffee said:
I doubt he runs much more than last year, but that he is certainly more of a threat. Threat means not only that he is willing but when he does, he'll be more effective. Both of those would make the defenses pay more attention to the QB keeping the ball and opening up more room for the RBs.

I agree on the risk of injury. But that is just football.
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Franklin has 2 stud running backs and top oline....no need to risk Drew on designed runs. If they lose Drew bye bye playoffs
 
Sherriff Coffee said:
totally agree. I don't think JF will want to take meaningful snaps away from RB1&2. I did like the wildcat in short yardage and can see that happening again. What made Warren effective is his ability to pass. When he was on the field, he could go into motion and the D had to account for him running the ball, going deep, breaking off a route, screens and passing.

Also looks like Allar lost about 5 lbs and converted a lot of baby fat to muscle. At 235, he can be a load as a short yardage runner.
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I think the phrase "meaningful snaps" can be a source of debate in this new age, and for a team in our position. I expect the coaches to have the goals of the team as their top priority. And I also expect there to be plenty of opportunity for the younger backs to gain experience.

I'll be interested to see how the Colts use Warren.

IMO, Reynolds is really athletic for his size. He's not the same as Warren, but versatile and can be a star.

I hope, with the five pound loss, Allar has quicker feet and can extend passing plays. Maybe put Rojas in on short yardage.
 
I really want to see Martin get on the field more this year. He was the #1 player in PA a couple years ago and now has a couple years in the program. Someone mentioned using Singleton as a slot guy and having Allen on the field also. That is a great idea and I would like to see Martin get a shot at a slot role by shifting him into that once we are lined up. I would be shocked to see Grunk or Smolko in anything more than mop up duty this year.
 
ryoder1 said:
I really want to see Martin get on the field more this year. He was the #1 player in PA a couple years ago and now has a couple years in the program. Someone mentioned using Singleton as a slot guy and having Allen on the field also. That is a great idea and I would like to see Martin get a shot at a slot role by shifting him into that once we are lined up. I would be shocked to see Grunk or Smolko in anything more than mop up duty this year.
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Completely agree about getting Matin involved in any way possible . He is very talented himself and has stuck it out in the program in the portal era when nobody could’ve predicted that Allen and Singleton would return for another year.
 
LMTLion said:
Completely agree about getting Matin involved in any way possible . He is very talented himself and has stuck it out in the program in the portal era when nobody could’ve predicted that Allen and Singleton would return for another year.
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Martin knows that he will likely be the man in 2026. Why would he leave knowing that he gets a couple of years as the likely RB1 in a very strong run-oriented offense?
 
LudicrousSpeedGO! said:
Martin knows that he will likely be the man in 2026. Why would he leave knowing that he gets a couple of years as the likely RB1 in a very strong run-oriented offense?
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Plenty leave when they aren't the primary option. I'm not saying I agree with it, but our RBs sticking around is more an exception than the rule in the portal era.
 
Franklin is pretty predictable and I can't remember him EVER putting a RB as a punt returner. Ross, Tracy, Saunders, Denmark, or another WR/CB body type. But I'd put my money on one of those 4. Smaller, quicker athletes that make coverage defenders miss in small spaces and have the speed to take it to the house.
 
LudicrousSpeedGO! said:
Martin knows that he will likely be the man in 2026. Why would he leave knowing that he gets a couple of years as the likely RB1 in a very strong run-oriented offense?
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That is why we need to figure out how to get him on the field this season. First of all he is super talented and can be another offensive weapon but also it shows he is valued. If we let him just ride the bench he may look to portal at the end of the season. If he is not sure he will he the #1 RB in '26 he may opt for a place that could guarantee that. Not saying I agree with that approach but it is certainly in the realm of possibility. Or he tells Franklin he needs more NIL to come back. Obviously if other younger RBs are proving to he as good or better or as versatile than of course we probably could afford to lose him but I highly doubt this is the case.
 
ryoder1 said:
That is why we need to figure out how to get him on the field this season. First of all he is super talented and can be another offensive weapon but also it shows he is valued. If we let him just ride the bench he may look to portal at the end of the season. If he is not sure he will he the #1 RB in '26 he may opt for a place that could guarantee that. Not saying I agree with that approach but it is certainly in the realm of possibility. Or he tells Franklin he needs more NIL to come back. Obviously if other younger RBs are proving to he as good or better or as versatile than of course we probably could afford to lose him but I highly doubt this is the case.
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I wouldn't doubt if many schools take the opposite approach. If they have an underclassman gem behind 2 top returning seniors, they may try to hide them while telling the kid that he has the reigns next year. You try to appease a kid too much with game reps when they aren't 1 or 2 on the depth chart, that kid may just catch the eye of a rival team willing to offer him big money to jump the next year. It's a complicated dynamic these days. It's why teams are ditching the open spring games. They don't want competition to know exactly what they have on their roster.
 
LudicrousSpeedGO! said:
I wouldn't doubt if many schools take the opposite approach. If they have an underclassman gem behind 2 top returning seniors, they may try to hide them while telling the kid that he has the reigns next year. You try to appease a kid too much with game reps when they aren't 1 or 2 on the depth chart, that kid may just catch the eye of a rival team willing to offer him big money to jump the next year. It's a complicated dynamic these days. It's why teams are ditching the open spring games. They don't want competition to know exactly what they have on their roster.
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I see that point but my point is a bigger one. I contend that Martin can actually help us WIN games this year. Create a few plays for him. At the very least he needs to be seeing time in mop up duty so not sure the hide him from every opponent strategy would even work.
 
ryoder1 said:
I see that point but my point is a bigger one. I contend that Martin can actually help us WIN games this year. Create a few plays for him. At the very least he needs to be seeing time in mop up duty so not sure the hide him from every opponent strategy would even work.
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If he can help us win games this year, there is no hiding him. The staff has to be all in on 2025 more so than any other year. This is our best shot in a long time.
 
LudicrousSpeedGO! said:
If he can help us win games this year, there is no hiding him. The staff has to be all in on 2025 more so than any other year. This is our best shot in a long time.
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Yes, I agree and why we need to be creative with the talent we have. Who knows when we will get such a prime opportunity to win a NC again. The more options and packages we can employ with different personnel then the better as it will make us very unpredictable on offense thus difficult to defend.
 
GregInPitt said:
punt returner. Ross
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Unless Ross gets the yips in fall camp or is still recovering from his May injury/tweak, I put my money that he is our punt returner for '25. He also returned kicks his 2 years prior at Troy so I'd safely bet he is back there as well.
 
LudicrousSpeedGO! said:
You try to appease a kid too much with game reps when they aren't 1 or 2 on the depth chart, that kid may just catch the eye of a rival team willing to offer him big money to jump the next year. It's a complicated dynamic these days
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Look at Beau Pribula. I don't necessarily subscribe to the theory his reps were an appeasement (I think our staff liked the idea of a zone read rush threat at QB), but he put enough on film that Missouri offered him $1 million (I believe).
 
ryoder1 said:
I contend that Martin can actually help us WIN games this year. Create a few plays for him. At the very least he needs to be seeing time in mop up duty so not sure the hide him from every opponent strategy would even work.
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If he can help us win, I'm all for it. The reality is, if he wants to leave he will whether we play him or don't. Play him if he helps us. His RS is gone.

Kotelnicki seemed to favor him on the Bubble Screen (I remembered him catching 1 or 2, and zero memory of anybody else catching one but could drastically be mistaken). Like you, I think there are snaps for him and if he (or whoever) emerges, let them play.
 
Sherriff Coffee said:
I don't understand why Beau and Warren being gone affects RB3. I don't think RB3 will be on the field much. I see the departures of Beau and Warren as an opportuinty for Dinkins, RBs 1/2, and WRs. I suspect we'll see two back sets, Singleton in motion, and becoming a slot reciver as he has good hands and is a great open field runner. We also didn't run a lot of bubble screens last year.

My only real question is who is our changeup QB if any? I don't think our backups are any better runners than Allar. Do we have someone in the wildcat for short-yardage situations like Warren did last year? If so, who, Dinkins, Ripp, Reynolds? I wouldn't be shocked to see Tony Rojas playing some offense as it has been reported that he's running 4.4 40s at 235 lbs.
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If Rojas walks into the offensive huddle, it's going to be as a decoy I would hope. If there is a direct snap to a non-quarterback, I hope it's to Allen.
 
ryoder1 said:
What about Singleton in the wildcat?
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Definitely an option, but my guess is that since he's always been a straight line speed back that they've preferred he be an option on the read instead of the man making the read. Remember, his patience and reading the holes has long been the weaker aspect of his game.

Hence why Allen always got the Wildcat snap if an RB did.
 
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