I have to admit, now that signing day is over and the staff is complete (assuming Hardesty is the guy), I'm a bit giddy about the upcoming 2021 football season. I haven't looked forward to a new year this much since the heydays of the Spurrier era back from 2010-2013. And that excitement may be for nothing, as we have no idea what to expect with all of the newcomers, both on staff and on the field. But that's what makes it so dynamic for me.
It's entirely possible that all of the changes still produce a two-win season. We don't know who our QB will be on day one, we have no idea if our patchwork secondary can hold up against the passing offenses in the SEC, and who knows if Satterfield's offense will show marked improvement or fall flat. I'm prepared for a rebuilding year that results in very few wins, but I'm still looking forward to a new product on the field. The past few seasons brought limited excitement for me, and gamedays were just another Saturday spent watching our failures repeat themselves week after week with no improvement. It made the old adage about "insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results" certainly ring true, at least in my eyes.
I'm excited to see how guys like Burch, PIckens, Tonka, and our other returning "stars" perform with another year under their belts. Our new "Debo" excites me with his passion for the game. I love Luke Doty, but I have to admit that Jason Brown intrigues me. Is he as good as advertised? Can he give us a different dynamic at the QB position that we haven't had in a long time? Can Marshawn Lloyd come back from that devastating knee injury and be the complimentary back to Kevin Harris and give us one of the best one-two punches in the SEC at running back? What will we get from Jenkins at WR? Can he be anything close to Sidney Rice or Alshon Jeffery, or are those expectations too much for a FCS transfer? Can Adkins teach our talented offensive linemen how to pass-block, and if so then how will our QBs perform when they actually have time to throw the ball down the field? And for that matter, WILL we throw the ball down the field?
I am approaching this season with cautious optimism and minimal expectations. I have no reason to think that we're going to light up our opponents and rebound to the upper-half of the conference in just one season with so many changes. I just want to see SOMETHING DIFFERENT on the field for the first time in a long time. I want to be surprised for once on offense and defense. I want those "I can't believe we ran that!" moments. September can't get here fast enough for me folks!
It's entirely possible that all of the changes still produce a two-win season. We don't know who our QB will be on day one, we have no idea if our patchwork secondary can hold up against the passing offenses in the SEC, and who knows if Satterfield's offense will show marked improvement or fall flat. I'm prepared for a rebuilding year that results in very few wins, but I'm still looking forward to a new product on the field. The past few seasons brought limited excitement for me, and gamedays were just another Saturday spent watching our failures repeat themselves week after week with no improvement. It made the old adage about "insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results" certainly ring true, at least in my eyes.
I'm excited to see how guys like Burch, PIckens, Tonka, and our other returning "stars" perform with another year under their belts. Our new "Debo" excites me with his passion for the game. I love Luke Doty, but I have to admit that Jason Brown intrigues me. Is he as good as advertised? Can he give us a different dynamic at the QB position that we haven't had in a long time? Can Marshawn Lloyd come back from that devastating knee injury and be the complimentary back to Kevin Harris and give us one of the best one-two punches in the SEC at running back? What will we get from Jenkins at WR? Can he be anything close to Sidney Rice or Alshon Jeffery, or are those expectations too much for a FCS transfer? Can Adkins teach our talented offensive linemen how to pass-block, and if so then how will our QBs perform when they actually have time to throw the ball down the field? And for that matter, WILL we throw the ball down the field?
I am approaching this season with cautious optimism and minimal expectations. I have no reason to think that we're going to light up our opponents and rebound to the upper-half of the conference in just one season with so many changes. I just want to see SOMETHING DIFFERENT on the field for the first time in a long time. I want to be surprised for once on offense and defense. I want those "I can't believe we ran that!" moments. September can't get here fast enough for me folks!
