Let's go position by position and reflect on whether we're 40% worse than we were last year (3 wins vs. 5 wins).
Let's start with the HC and staff:
Wilcox vs. Dykes - Who do you like? I got 2017
QB - Webb + Forest vs. Bowers + Forest = 2016
RB - Muhammed + Watson vs. Watson + Enwere = Push
WR - Robertson + Singleton vs. Robertson + Veasy = 2017 (older and better)
WR - Stovall + Rivera vs. Stovall + Duncan = 2017
WR - Hansen + Wharton vs. Wharton + Singleton = 2016 (though on paper 2017 as Hansen was surprise)
TE/WR - Hudson + Veasy vs. Hudson + Ashton = 2017 (Hudson was lights out this Spring)
LT - Cochran + Mekari vs. Mekari + Bazekas = 2016
LG - Borrayo + Stuckey vs. Bennett + Uluave = 2016 (though Uluave > Stuckey)
C - Ooms + Granado vs. Ooms + Gibson = Push (Ooms with a year of starting under his belt)
RG - Wallace + Stuckey vs. Wallace + Prenevost = 2017 (Wallace with a year under his belt)
RT - Moore + Bennett vs. Curhan + Hinnant = 2016
FB - McMorris + Wells vs. McMorris + Norbeck = 2017 (Experience)
Because of the OL and QB, Offense looks to be down relative to last year though I think our overall depth of talent at RB and WR (beyond the two deeps) is better and Ooms + Wallace + Mekari isn't a bad place to start on the OL
DE - Wilson + Johnson vs. Johnson + Udeogu = Push (ZJ upside far higher than Wilson)
NT/DT - Mekari + Bequette vs. Mekari + Bequette = 2017
DE/DT - Looney + Manley vs. Looney + Becker = 2017 (Purely on Looney experience)
DE/OLB - Saffle + Westerfield vs. Saffle + Ude = 2017 (Ude beat out Westerfield in Spring)
ILB - Davison + Kunaszyk vs. Davison + Kunaszyk = 2017
ILB/Will - Downs + Brown vs. Downs + Anoi = 2017
OLB/Sam - Anoi+Walk on vs. Goode + Funches = 2017
S - Rambo + Rubenzer vs. Rambo + Brown = 2017
S - Vanderbilt + Psalms vs. Tartabull + Hawkins = 2017
CB - Franklin + Nkwochu vs. Franklin + Drayden = 2017
CB - Allensworth + Davis vs. Allensworth + Hicks = 2017
Defense is not close. We're better off this year
We return both our K and P and our returning talent is at least a push. Plus depth of scholarship athletes who can play on coverage is better. ST = 2017
If the OL crumbles or if our QB play doesn't translate from practice to games and Wilcox and staff are not the upgrade I believe them to be then perhaps 3 wins.
Otherwise, better coaching, much improved defense and strong skill talent says 6-7 wins.
Let's start with the HC and staff:
Wilcox vs. Dykes - Who do you like? I got 2017
QB - Webb + Forest vs. Bowers + Forest = 2016
RB - Muhammed + Watson vs. Watson + Enwere = Push
WR - Robertson + Singleton vs. Robertson + Veasy = 2017 (older and better)
WR - Stovall + Rivera vs. Stovall + Duncan = 2017
WR - Hansen + Wharton vs. Wharton + Singleton = 2016 (though on paper 2017 as Hansen was surprise)
TE/WR - Hudson + Veasy vs. Hudson + Ashton = 2017 (Hudson was lights out this Spring)
LT - Cochran + Mekari vs. Mekari + Bazekas = 2016
LG - Borrayo + Stuckey vs. Bennett + Uluave = 2016 (though Uluave > Stuckey)
C - Ooms + Granado vs. Ooms + Gibson = Push (Ooms with a year of starting under his belt)
RG - Wallace + Stuckey vs. Wallace + Prenevost = 2017 (Wallace with a year under his belt)
RT - Moore + Bennett vs. Curhan + Hinnant = 2016
FB - McMorris + Wells vs. McMorris + Norbeck = 2017 (Experience)
Because of the OL and QB, Offense looks to be down relative to last year though I think our overall depth of talent at RB and WR (beyond the two deeps) is better and Ooms + Wallace + Mekari isn't a bad place to start on the OL
DE - Wilson + Johnson vs. Johnson + Udeogu = Push (ZJ upside far higher than Wilson)
NT/DT - Mekari + Bequette vs. Mekari + Bequette = 2017
DE/DT - Looney + Manley vs. Looney + Becker = 2017 (Purely on Looney experience)
DE/OLB - Saffle + Westerfield vs. Saffle + Ude = 2017 (Ude beat out Westerfield in Spring)
ILB - Davison + Kunaszyk vs. Davison + Kunaszyk = 2017
ILB/Will - Downs + Brown vs. Downs + Anoi = 2017
OLB/Sam - Anoi+Walk on vs. Goode + Funches = 2017
S - Rambo + Rubenzer vs. Rambo + Brown = 2017
S - Vanderbilt + Psalms vs. Tartabull + Hawkins = 2017
CB - Franklin + Nkwochu vs. Franklin + Drayden = 2017
CB - Allensworth + Davis vs. Allensworth + Hicks = 2017
Defense is not close. We're better off this year
We return both our K and P and our returning talent is at least a push. Plus depth of scholarship athletes who can play on coverage is better. ST = 2017
If the OL crumbles or if our QB play doesn't translate from practice to games and Wilcox and staff are not the upgrade I believe them to be then perhaps 3 wins.
Otherwise, better coaching, much improved defense and strong skill talent says 6-7 wins.
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