Immediate Results from our 2005 Class

[wadc45]

Originally Posted by BearBuck27

Don't forget Anderson Russell. Alum82 on BN (the most reliable poster on BN, imo) feels that Russell is the best safety on the team, and he will start with O'Neal as our two safeties. He also mentioned that Mitchell will be the nickelback because of his struggles against the run.

Edit here's the link.

I like the idea of O'Neal at one safety and a fierce competition between Russell, Lyons and Patterson for the other safety spot. I don't think Mitchell can be an every down safety, but I could be wrong...

[osustamm]

Mo Wells can be as good as he wants. He didn't look very impresive last year but Pittman didn't impress me too much his freshman year either (a bit more than wells did though).

If he wants it, he could be a good one.

[EdDantes22]

Originally Posted by wadc45

that's Gary Russell...I'm talking about the diminutive Fred Russell who was at Iowa (I think his last year there was 2003). he was 5-8 190 and was great at getting in behind his lineman and picking his way through the smallest holes that his line opened up.

I know that. Fred Russell was a good back. I was comparing Wells to some of the other backs we could have recruited in the '05 class, like Gary Russell and Sutton at NW.

[EdDantes22]

Originally Posted by MililaniBuckeye

The few times he did get to run early in the game and was given plays other than running into the pile, he did well. And no one is comparing Wells as a freshman to Pittman as a sophomore. As for Wells being too small, I think you'd better check your facts first:

Pittman: 5'11", 195
Wells: 5'10", 190

One inch and five pounds isn't much.

Finally, I don't know where you get "he's shown a big case of the fumbles" from...he's fumbled once (Michigan) that I can recall.

Even if those numbers are accurate, Pittman is obviously stronger. True, he's older, but Pittman runs like he's 215, whereas Wells runs more like he's 170. Also, I really don't think Wells weights 190. Maybe with his dreads soaking wet. That's a case of the listed weight being a bit inflated. Also, even if we compare Pittman as a freshman to Wells, I think Pittman comes out significantly on top. Wells is a good talent, but he'll never be the starter at tOSU and with Pittman and CWells I don't see his role growing too much past what he did this year. I hope he proves me wrong.

Also, that fumble against Michigan was not a helmet to ball contact or even a big hit. He simply got stripped, on his first carry, in the biggest game of the year. And the defender wasn't even going for the strip wholeheartedly. That kind of fumble speaks to strength problems. Again, hope I'm wrong, and feel free to say so.

[Oneshot]

I'm pretty sure MoWells is about... 2% Body Fat. Built like a rock.

You're being way too hard on him. I, for one, am more impressed with Frosh MoWells than Frosh Pittman.

I really thought our running game was going to be terrible in 2005.

Give Dick another season with MoWells and our lightning in a bottle will be unleashed in 2006.

Give this kid a chance. He set records in the highest division of Florida football. That says something.

[wadc45]

My bad, I thought you were confused about which Russell I was talking about since we were talking about Mo Wells, who is generously listed at 5-9 (I don't care what he is listed at, I see him on campus all the time), Gary Russell, who is 5-9 and Tyrell Sutton, who is 5-9...plus all three of them are typically used out of the shotgun formation. Gary Russell is 6-0 and Minnesota runs him out of the I or single back or pro set.

Sutton and Gary Russell are like night and day...like you said, Russell is a pounder. But look at how Sutton wore down over the season. He is more of a Wells-type back. He started out on a tear, but getting thrown into the fire, he obviously wore down over the course of the season (until the Illinois game). While Sutton had a great year, I am not ready to say I would have rather had him (or Russell) over anyone on our team...Pittman, Haw, Wells or otherwise.

I pretty sure Mo Wells is considered one of the strongest players on the team, relatively speaking.

[NightmaresDad]

Yes, if M Wells does better at squaring his pads and getting them lower, he will break some tackles. He showed flashes of being very dangerous once in the secondary. He just needs to quit trying to go sideways all the time. When C Wells gets on campus, he will show them what I mean.