Posted by LARRYTHESPARTAN on 2/7/2009, 5:52 pm, in reply to "Returning Spartans -- Tight Ends"
207.200.116.134
Ray Rodriguez is a tremendous football player. Whether he plays Defensive End or Tight End, he will leave SJSU in 4 years as a dominant player and leave a legacy. He was recruited out of Los Altos High School in Hacienda Heights.
--Previous Message--
: Signing day has come and gone, and we have
: about 18 new Spartans who have joined our
: football program, and we'll probably add a
: couople more walk-ons between now and Fall
: practice.
:
: This series focuses on returning players.
: We've already covered the main offensive
: line -- Centers, Offensive Tackles,
: Offensive Guards.
:
: Future posts will go through the rest of the
: returners at each position. Then I will
: take a look at how the new recruits fit in,
: and take a stab at guessing how our
: two-deeps will stack up.
:
: The idea is to get better acquainted with
: our football team, and to anticipate how
: this team may perform in 2009. I hope this
: series also helps readers to assess the
: progress our program is making, even if the
: won/loss results don't necessarily reflect
: it. The Spartan football program is
: improving.
:
: Now, on to the players. Our returning
: Tight Ends are:
:
: Julian Harris, SR, 6-2, 250: Harris
: played in just two games in 2008, making no
: catches. He transferred to SJSU from the
: University of San Diego in 2006. He was a
: first-team all-league player in his senior
: year of high school. At 6 - 2, I think he
: has marginal height to be a standout tight
: end at the Division 1A level, but he does
: pack 250 pounds, and could be tough to bring
: down. But we really don't know because he
: has had very little playing time or
: opportunity to show us. He is the only
: returning Senior at the position.
:
: A. J. Moosa, RS/FR, 6-0, 200: Moosa will
: be a red-shirt freshman in 2009, having not
: made any game appearances in 2008. He is
: listed on most rosters as a Tight End, but
: the 2008 Media Guide also describes him as a
: linebacker hopeful! Moosa joined the
: Spartans as a walk-on in 2007, and I do
: have a soft spot for walk-ons. He was an
: all-league defensive end in his senior year
: at Cleveland H.S. in Reseda, California, but
: doesn't really have the size to play that
: position in FBS college footall. He doesn't
: really have a "classic" Tight End
: build, but he may have intangibles -- talent
: and determination. It will be interesting
: to see how Coach may use him in 2009.
:
: Ryan Otten, RS/FR, 6-5, 215: This kid
: could be great. At 6-5, he's plenty tall to
: create mis-matches against pass defenders.
: His weight is listed as 215, which is a bit
: on the light side for his height, but I'd
: bet he comes into Spring practice a good
: 10-to-15 pounds heavier this year, hopefully
: all muscle weight. By his prime, I'd look
: for him to have a playing weight of around
: 240 or so. Otten joined SJSU in the Fall of
: 2008 as a true freshman, and made no
: appearances. He was a 2007 first-team All
: Nor-Cal selection, a first-team slection on
: the Sacramento Bee's All-Metro team,
: first-team all league, his team MVP and
: Captain. The guy has credentials. In
: addition to Tight End, Otten played outside
: linebacker his senior year, and snagged 3
: interceptions! Even this kid's mother is
: a stud -- she played softball for Sierra
: College and is a member of that school's
: Sports Hall of Fame. Otten will almost
: certainly get his share of chances in the
: 2009 season, and I think he has the
: potential to be one of SJSU's best-ever at
: the position.
:
: Ray Rodriguez, FR, 6-1, 245: Rodriguez
: was listed as a "Newcomer" in the
: 2008 Media Guide, as both a Tight End and
: Defensive End prospect. I would guess that
: where he ends up, nobody knows. In terms of
: build, he is similar to Moosa and Harris.
: If he doesn't get into the line-up at the
: Tight End position in 2009, look for him on
: special teams, and maybe at a different
: position.
:
: Analysis
:
: Before the arrival of Avelino Valencia as a
: preferred walk-on, this position was looking
: pretty thin, and the players we do have on
: roster looked a bit too short and a might
: too heavy to be pass receivers . They do
: have good, builds, though, to work in as
: blockers, and with the speed implied by
: their position, to be great special teams
: players.
:
: In 2008, our Tight Ends (Jeff Clark and
: Brian Elledge) caught 37 passes for a toal
: of 366 yards and two TDs. That works out to
: a 9.89 yard per catch average, and a little
: over 3 catches per game. Many folks
: questioned whether we really utilized our
: Tight Ends as well as we could have in 2008.
: The yards per catch average of 9.89 is not
: too shabby, but the number of catches per
: game suggests this position was a bit
: under-utilized, and just two TDs all year by
: our Tight Ends indicates they were not much
: relied on in scoring situations.
:
: I am very jazzed with Otten, but senior
: Julian Harris is more likely to get the
: starting job (if it is not filled by
: Valencia). But Harris also lacks game
: experience at SJSU, and if Otten shows he is
: able, he could challenge for the starting
: job.
:
: If Coach is able to implement a more
: run-oriented offense next year, it could
: open up more opportunities to hit the Tight
: Ends on play-action, or delayed routes. The
: type of players Coach has stocked at Tight
: End (6-0 to 6-2, wide-bodied) also suggests
: we may see more two-tight end formations in
: 2009.
:
: We'll all just have to wait and see. Going
: into 2009, our Tight End position is a real
: big question mark because none of our
: prospects or returning players have played
: much. But there is certainly some
: flexibility at the position.
:
: As before, thanks for reading, please feel
: free to leave comments, but let's keep it
: focused on Tight Ends.
:
: Next up: Running Backs.
:
:
:
:
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