6 Comments

    • ianaboyd

      I’m suspicious of Spencer’s philosophy but I don’t think Barnwell’s work on the NFL can be applied here, college is a totally different animal.

      My suspicion about Spencer’s philosophy is that it makes it hard to develop top cornerbacks because there’s so much scheme and technique to master and it has to come against such great offenses.

  1. Davey OBrien

    OSU has had 6 corner backs end up either being drafted or UDFA with NFL teams since 2013 so talent at the position is not the problem.
    I can’t think of any other B12 team who is even close over that period of time. Obviously there has been physical talent, but not all that talent has been in the program very long.

    Three of those six (Michael Hunter, Tyler Patmon, and Lenzy Pipkins) were grad transfers who came in and played one year before heading to the NFL. Very difficult to master anything when you are on campus for such a short time and even more so if they weren’t there in the spring.

    • ianaboyd

      Well they were good at corner in 2013 and whenever else Justin Gilbert was there. It’s been since his departure that the problems have occurred, in my estimation. And it’s not that they been terrible every year, but that their scheme often asks them to be great.

      • Davey OBrien

        Gilbert was there in 2013 and since 2013 they have had 5 corners end up on NFL rosters. As I said above I don’t think it is talent and I won’t rule out Spencer’s scheme. Three of those five were basically one year players and without going back and confirming I can’t even tell you if they were on campus for more than the summer and one semester. If that is the case and Spencer is asking them to do multiple things without any real time in the system I think he is being foolish, but this is also the guy who last year against OU went from a 4-man front to a 3-man front and smoothly gave up 300+ yards on the ground against an offense that was known to feature the run.

        • ianaboyd

          NFL probably likes them because they learn some man coverage techniques and have film playing NFL coverages without help but OSU has been hurt doing it without Gilbert so…

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