Some good season wrap-up articles floating around today so we’ll jump right in. NOTE that we’ll have our own takes later this week, but for now, the mainstream media is doing their jobs. So just some links for today.
Howie Stalwick has a good read in the P-I. Among the items out there are that there will be a couple of four-year transfers enrolling in January. Might there be a surprise or two coming from another program?
Grippi weighs in with his wrap-up. Some good nuggets here as well, especially in regards to the QB competition next year. Wulff also laid out the expectation regarding strength and the weight room.
Wulff said the Cougars are going to be stronger next year through a more intense weight-lifting program featuring more accountability.
“They have to embrace it,” Wulff said. “They don’t have a choice. … If we have players that can’t embrace that, they have to go some place that will allow them not to develop.
“As coaches we have to make sure they make a lot of improvement in the weight room. … For us to take a huge step as a program, every single individual has to take ownership of that. And they way to do it is to get yourself bigger and stronger as a player.”
But Wulff tried to temper expectations about a huge strength improvement in one year.
“I think you see some change,” he said of next year, “but I’ve been around long enough to know, when you have a good weight program, you don’t reap the true fruits of its labor for 3 to 4 years.”
I know I have been holding on to hope that we would see a big change next year, as some of these kids will have been in the new system for a year+ in the weight room. But as Wulff said, it might take a few years to really see the change in strength.
Bud Withers has this article from the same press conference. A lot of the same stuff is hashed here, but Withers does touch on what Wulff said about Chris Ivory.
Asked about running back Chris Ivory, Wulff noted his persistent hamstring injury and some academic issues and said, “There’s a lot of things we have to clean up with Chris.”
Hmmm. Might we have seen the last of Ivory? Given the projected depth at running back next year, adding James Montgomery to the mix of Dwight Tardy, Logwone Mitz, and probably a healthy return for Chantz Staden, maybe that will be it for Ivory. He’s the last link to that Texas class with Greg Trent and Jason Stripling.
Cougfan had a few stories yesterday. One from the press conference, here, and it’s free for all to read. The others are premium, which includes another verbal commit to this year’s recruiting class. Arthur Burns is a 3-star running back from Corona, CA, who has a reported 4.46 40-time at 5-11, 212 lbs.
Burns has had a big senior year, rushing for over 1500 yards and 23 TD’s, averaging 6.87 yards per carry. Here’s an ESPN scouting report on Burns:
Evaluation
Burns is a hard in-line runner with good body composition when projecting for the next level. Built low to the ground and his thick, compact frame is very strong and durable. Hits the hole hard and fast; is most productive as a one-cut and go downhill runner. Runs behind his pads with good body tilt. Very difficult to arm-tackle and get a clean shot on. Shows adequate burst out of his cuts and consistently bounces off initial contact. Determined back who looks to finish runs. While he shows deceptive speed in the second level and a sneaky extra gear, he is not going to pull away from many D-I corners at the college level. Lacks great elusiveness in space and between the tackles trying to make the first defender miss. Looks to bounce outside at times but lacks great lateral quicks and perimeter speed. May be limited to downhill power-running schemes in college; we did not see great pick and dart zone running skills. That said Burns could grow into a good change of pace power-back and has the strong downhill running style to potentially wear down a defense.
Sounds like a nice addition! That’s now 11 commits to the 2008 class, but that number includes Gino Simone and Geoff Meinken, two kids we know are out there “exploring their options”. We’ll see if they can hold onto these guys all the way into February.
That’s it for today. ENJOY YOUR TUESDAY, and GO COUGS!
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