RB Maurice Hall (official thread)

[jlb1705]

Where does everybody think he fits in this year? He's been frustrating to watch at times, but if he can stay healthy this season, does anybody think he can hold off Haw, Pittman, Guilford and Joe? I think the starting job is Ross's to lose, just by the way JT seems to be handling the situation. I guess it's possible that one of the freshmen could overtake him a la Clarett, but the Clarett situation was very different and I don't see that happening here. Will he get touches on special teams? There are alot of gamebreakers on the team right now, such as Bam, Santonio, Hiley and Ginn. Hall is extremely fast, but given that he has had his chances returning kicks, and hasn't really capitalized, do you see him getting more chances?

After hearing about how he was playing injured last season, I am rooting for him. I can't honestly see where he will get a chance this season, but I hope for everybody's sake that he is able to make the most of his senior season.

[MililaniBuckeye]

If his knees are 100%, you can bet the house that he'll be no worse than #2 at RB.

[Oh8ch]

Agree with Mili. If Ross and Hall stay healthy and Guillford stays at TB (as his number indicates he will) Haw and Pittman may have trouble avoiding a redshirt year. I wont be so bold as to predict that Ross and Hall will make it through the season without missing time.

[MililaniBuckeye]

Let me build on Oh8ch statement on Haw and Pittman possibly redshirting....I think that would be great to have them both an extra year, since this will be the senior season for both Ross and Hall.

if ross stays healthy all year then i absolutely say reshirt pittman and haw.....most especially haw......haw is going to be a stud....but jumping from city league cbus to tosu is tough....an extra year would be great for him.....

order would be:
ross
hall
ira
pittman (only cause hes in for the spring)
haw

edit: however; if ross goes down....all bets are off and the best player plays at that point....

[BuckNutty]

After Hall, Ross and Joe graduate the only TB on the roster with any game experience next year will be Guilford if Haw and Pittman graduate. If we were just looking at this year clearly we could afford to redshirt both those guys but I don't know how comfortable I would be going into the 2005 season with Guilford, who some would like to see moved to safety, two redshirt freshmen, Kennedy and whoever else we get this year. Kennedy, Haw or Pittman need a few carries this year, IMO.

[Oh8ch]

nutty - don't know how I forgot about Joe, which strengthens my argument about redshirting Haw and Pittman.

I agree with your logic about getting PT for the Frosh, but I made the same argument about Zwick his Frosh season, arguing that he would have to get PT in case one McMullen or Krenzel went down and we needed him - but he didn't play a down. Again last year we saw minimal reps for he and Smith even though they are all we have this season. It doesn't seem to bother JT that players not see reps on the field.

[BuckNutty]

I suppose we're about to find out if not getting Smith and Zwick many reps is gonna hurt or not. I'm ok with redshirting Haw and Pittman, I just worry about the year after. I guess I shouldn't be thinking so far ahead.

Originally Posted by Oh8ch

nutty - don't know how I forgot about Joe, which strengthens my argument about redshirting Haw and Pittman.

I agree with your logic about getting PT for the Frosh, but I made the same argument about Zwick his Frosh season, arguing that he would have to get PT in case one McMullen or Krenzel went down and we needed him - but he didn't play a down. Again last year we saw minimal reps for he and Smith even though they are all we have this season. It doesn't seem to bother JT that players not see reps on the field.

[jlb1705]

I too would like to see the young guys getting some carries. I think we need someone to step up and push the older guys the was Lydell did a few years ago with Wells. I totally forgot about Kennedy (please forgive me, Helpinghand). If Hall is healthy, I think he'd make the best no.2, and as a hard-working senior, I think he deserves some carries. With his performance in the Fiesta Bowl, I think Joe also deserves some consideration, but I think the lack of a suitable alternative at FB will keep him from playing much TB.

This is the point I was getting at when I started this thread, which I don't think I really made explicit. Hall has never really shown signs of having that "RB instinct". He may be fast, and he may be experienced, but it seem like he just never finds the darn hole. I hope and pray that the Brothers Tressel can make the light bulb come on for him this year. If it doesn't though, then what? I haven't seen any film of Kennedy, but after seeing film of Haw, I am impressed with his RB instincts. I know that that was against City League competition, but the videos don't lie, they're there. We will know much more come fall, I guess.

[Buckskin86]

Guilford looks like he has bulked up a bit- the weight training looks to be paying off- maybe he could be a bigger factor this year??

[tibor75]

Maurice Hall makes Pepe Pearson look like Archie.

[IronBuckI]

Regarding the comments about players getting PT early in their careers. JT probably isn't worried about it because, these are the guys that have to face our first team defense in practice. If you redshirt a player, and have him on the practice squad. The experience that they'll get is, IMO, more important than getting some game experience in garbage time, against an inferior team. If the score is bad enough that our third and fourth QB's or RB's are getting into the game, then they're learning more by going against our starters in practice.

[jlb1705]

Good point, and I agree. Someone made a similar point on the Santonio thread. It makes tons of sense.

[ysubuck]

Has anyone heard whether or not Mo Hall is ready to go this season?

I was one of the idiots blasting him for not making any cutbacks last season and it turns out that he was taking one for the team and playing on two bum knees.

With the way that the offense was playing the run to the outside in the spring, I think this would be tailor made to his speed game.

Anyone heard anything?

[brutus2002]

He will become OSU's all-time kickoff return yardage leader this weekend. He needs 5 yards to pass Garcia Lane.