https://cubuffs.com/news/2019/4/2/football-buffs-junior-rakestraw-settling-in-at-safety.aspx
Safety is probably the biggest need position on the team and the one position I was surprised we didn't go out and get a grad transfer.
Derrion played admirably last season in his first at safety. Had a nice game against Arizona for the most part, but definitely was slow to read the defenses. Seems he is more built, less wiry, now. Looks more like a safety than a CB and maybe the experience will allow him to play faster. He has definite ball skills as we saw last year when he was able to read the play. Hoping for a poor man's Tedric T.
Lewis never broke into the lineup a year ago so not sure what to expect from him. He is very athletic though so intrigued with him, but he is like Fontenot on offense IMO. A lot was expected and then nothing. Wasn't ready for whatever reason a year ago but this is now spring #3 for him. It's kind of now or never for his development even though he's still an underclassman. After 3 springs though focusing primarily on safety, you would think he would have an idea of how to play the position.
Udoffia at safety definitely raised my eyebrow. He actually played some there a year ago early in the season when he wasn't getting much time at CB. I was not impressed. Watching the NU game film, Nebraska scored a pretty easy touchdown when he didn't recognize the hole and was both slow to fill and ended up filling the wrong gap. I noticed he did that twice early on. Not sure if it was a true safety or some nickel package where he lines up at safety, but run support was not really his thing. Probably just didn't have enough reps at it. Him being a bigger guy, it does seem like his natural position and like Rakestraw, he has ball skills and potentially better speed. Hopefully he gets it figured out here and we have 2 guys who can play the pass when we need it against the WSU's of the world.
Hypolite and Maddox being out is frustrating. Maddox was out last spring and Hypolite wasn't here last spring. Both of those guys could end up starting but it will be tougher now without the spring to really get the position down in this new defense. Maddox still seems pretty wiry to me. Hypolite looks like a LB with that body. Would love to see what he can do physically out there.
Curious where they are looking at Ray Robinson? Is he going to play that hybrid role that we're going to play Davion? Seems like 2 very similar athletes who are maybe more line backer than safety, but have safety speed. Haven't heard a thing about Ray Robinson though. He was such an athlete in high school. 10.7 100m for a guy over 200# as a junior! He is a Davion clone really. His legs were pretty scrawny last year though after healing from surgery. Hoping a year in the weight room got his size back but haven't heard a peep.
Safety is probably the biggest need position on the team and the one position I was surprised we didn't go out and get a grad transfer.
Derrion played admirably last season in his first at safety. Had a nice game against Arizona for the most part, but definitely was slow to read the defenses. Seems he is more built, less wiry, now. Looks more like a safety than a CB and maybe the experience will allow him to play faster. He has definite ball skills as we saw last year when he was able to read the play. Hoping for a poor man's Tedric T.
Lewis never broke into the lineup a year ago so not sure what to expect from him. He is very athletic though so intrigued with him, but he is like Fontenot on offense IMO. A lot was expected and then nothing. Wasn't ready for whatever reason a year ago but this is now spring #3 for him. It's kind of now or never for his development even though he's still an underclassman. After 3 springs though focusing primarily on safety, you would think he would have an idea of how to play the position.
Udoffia at safety definitely raised my eyebrow. He actually played some there a year ago early in the season when he wasn't getting much time at CB. I was not impressed. Watching the NU game film, Nebraska scored a pretty easy touchdown when he didn't recognize the hole and was both slow to fill and ended up filling the wrong gap. I noticed he did that twice early on. Not sure if it was a true safety or some nickel package where he lines up at safety, but run support was not really his thing. Probably just didn't have enough reps at it. Him being a bigger guy, it does seem like his natural position and like Rakestraw, he has ball skills and potentially better speed. Hopefully he gets it figured out here and we have 2 guys who can play the pass when we need it against the WSU's of the world.
Hypolite and Maddox being out is frustrating. Maddox was out last spring and Hypolite wasn't here last spring. Both of those guys could end up starting but it will be tougher now without the spring to really get the position down in this new defense. Maddox still seems pretty wiry to me. Hypolite looks like a LB with that body. Would love to see what he can do physically out there.
Curious where they are looking at Ray Robinson? Is he going to play that hybrid role that we're going to play Davion? Seems like 2 very similar athletes who are maybe more line backer than safety, but have safety speed. Haven't heard a thing about Ray Robinson though. He was such an athlete in high school. 10.7 100m for a guy over 200# as a junior! He is a Davion clone really. His legs were pretty scrawny last year though after healing from surgery. Hoping a year in the weight room got his size back but haven't heard a peep.
