Monday, August 15, 2011

James Franklin sort of does believe in redshirting

After morning practice, James Franklin said that 250-pound Conor Hart is moving inside to defensive tackle, and he expects him to weigh 270 pounds by spring practice.

He also said that while Jimmy Stewart and Darien Bryant are listed as both defensive ends and linebackers, he wants those guys to stick as ends and to “grow into” that position.

Speaking of gaining weight, he also talked about tight ends Steve Scheu and Dillon van der Wal each putting on another 10-15 pounds – to get in the neighborhood of 265 – to become “some of the most dominating blockers in the nation.” I’ve talked before about van der Wal having the potential to be an offensive lineman. Not sure that that’s what Franklin is talking about here, but it’s definitely a possibility.

It could also mean that all these guys – Hart, Bryant, Stewart, Scheu and van der Wal – could be redshirting.

You know he said he doesn't believe in redshirting. Well, he meant that he doesn't believe in talking about redshirting to kids you just told will get every opportunity to play. A few days ago, he was talking about the progress of Spencer Pulley and Jake Bernstein and said they could play if needed. Clearly, he'd like to redshirt all his offensive linemen.

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