Dude's film as a RB is like watching Marshawn run. Herky-jerky, fast but not blazing, and impossible to bring down on first contact. While I'm all for the idea of stacking our defensive backfield with STUDS.....the thought of him as a RB is an interesting one.
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Shaq Thompson as a RB at Cal?
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Last: 14 yr ago by Schroeder71
no.
i'd only want to see him as WR....IF he were to play offense.
He is not like Keenan Allen, who is as good on offense as defense. Shaq is a 5 star safety but is not a 5 star WR or RB. KA 21 is a 5 star on both sides of the ball.
pnaidu;537833 said:
He is not like Keenan Allen, who is as good on offense as defense. Shaq is a 5 star safety but is not a 5 star WR or RB. KA 21 is a 5 star on both sides of the ball.
What are you talking about?
Shaq rushed for 1900 yards last year and 25 TDs. The kid is a playmaker on either side of the field, period.
pnaidu;537833 said:
He is not like Keenan Allen, who is as good on offense as defense. Shaq is a 5 star safety but is not a 5 star WR or RB. KA 21 is a 5 star on both sides of the ball.
um....this is not true whatsoever. Shaq is a total athlete, athletes don't need to be 5* to be able to excel on both sides of the field. Stars are arbitrary rankings...let the stats speak for themselves.
My personal opinion is that when I see Shaq run, I feel like I'm watching a Safety that's running with an intercepted ball or returning a punt on special teams. That's actually how I still feel about it with Keenan Allen, to be totally honest... I still think his more natural position is at safety. I can't really describe it other than that it just "feels" that way when I see them play.
what i meant is that he is like a 4 star on offense, he would not have as big of an impact on the offensive side of the ball as he would on the defensive. He just has the looks of a defensive player not an offensive player.
He can play wherever he wants as far as I am concerned!
Just get him in the fold so that others may follow, and get that Bear uni on him!!!!!
Just get him in the fold so that others may follow, and get that Bear uni on him!!!!!
wanderingbear82;537842 said:
What are you talking about?
Shaq rushed for 1900 yards last year and 25 TDs. The kid is a playmaker on either side of the field, period.
He's great on offense in high school because he's physically superior. That said, he doesn't hit holes fast and runs too straight up to be a 5 star back and doesn't have separation (whether burst or moves) to be an elite receiver. You can't just look at HS stats- you have to watch him play. He is an incredibly elite defensive player at the next level- period.
CalBearinLA;537845 said:
um....this is not true whatsoever. Shaq is a total athlete, athletes don't need to be 5* to be able to excel on both sides of the field. Stars are arbitrary rankings...let the stats speak for themselves.
It's not about stars- it's about projection. Stats in high school are worthless. If they weren't Dano Graves would have been the most highly recruited player in the country! Watch Shaq play a game or two and you will conclude that he's a great athlete who can dominate on offense in high school but is much more suited for defense.
^ hit it on the head
& Cal moved him to offense. Is he a superstar WR? No. Imagine if he was quarterbacking the defensive unit that Cal is building. If the Bears had an elite centerfielder back there DC Pendergast could even take more chances...
Shaq Thompson is ranked as a 5 star DB (usually safety) because it's in the family genes. Remember SQT? Please let Cal build the best defense in the conference and at least the Bears will be in every game. It will be kinda of like the SF Giants pitching...I saw him play tailback for Grant in one game on tv and I was not overwhelmed by his elusiveness or speed...He was physical. Remember Grant possessed a super dominant high school line, too.
GO BEARS!
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Shaq Thompson is ranked as a 5 star DB (usually safety) because it's in the family genes. Remember SQT? Please let Cal build the best defense in the conference and at least the Bears will be in every game. It will be kinda of like the SF Giants pitching...I saw him play tailback for Grant in one game on tv and I was not overwhelmed by his elusiveness or speed...He was physical. Remember Grant possessed a super dominant high school line, too.
GO BEARS!
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touchdownbears43;537828 said:
Dude's film as a RB is like watching Marshawn run. Herky-jerky, fast but not blazing, and impossible to bring down on first contact. While I'm all for the idea of stacking our defensive backfield with STUDS.....the thought of him as a RB is an interesting one.
He's a great player but watch him as a running back this season with Vae Moala, Puka Lopa, etc, gone. GO BEARS!
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wanderingbear82;537842 said:
What are you talking about?
Shaq rushed for 1900 yards last year and 25 TDs. The kid is a playmaker on either side of the field, period.
Wrong. Shaq would be a 5 star RB. He can play where he wants. Running backs have short careers, though. More $$ long term if he becomes a great NFL corner.
pnaidu;537858 said:
what i meant is that he is like a 4 star on offense, he would not have as big of an impact on the offensive side of the ball as he would on the defensive. He just has the looks of a defensive player not an offensive player.
Best was a 4 star on offense. Are you saying shaq is just like best?
cubzwin;537910 said:
Wrong. Shaq would be a 5 star RB. He can play where he wants. Running backs have short careers, though. More $$ long term if he becomes a great NFL corner.
I respectfully disagree. He doesn't have a burst hitting the hole like a big time back. Please watch Bigelow's vids then watch Shaq. He also runs high imo. I've watched him a few times. Great athlete- not a natural running back.
Fyi, I was a proponent of Allen at WR and still think it's the right move. If Shaq would be an impact runner, I'd be all for it. i just don't see it. That said, I see him as a big-time impact defender!
tommie317;537927 said:
Best was a 4 star on offense. Are you saying shaq is just like best?
He was underrated as a recruit. Was Joe Mcknight better than Jahvid? Jahvid was a 5 star back in my opinion, he had like 3,000 yards in his senior year.
Schroeder71;537906 said:
& Cal moved him to offense. Is he a superstar WR? No.
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?
I think he had one of the finest (if not the finest) freshman seasons in Cal history as a WR. He showed great hands, outstanding open field running, and even completed a TD pass for good measure.
Just about every review I read about Cal includes some mention of him as a key offensive figure this coming year.
What does someone have to do as a true freshman to qualify as 'superstar' in your book?
pnaidu;537991 said:
He was underrated as a recruit. Was Joe Mcknight better than Jahvid? Jahvid was a 5 star back in my opinion, he had like 3,000 yards in his senior year.
I was just proving a point that stars don't matter, its how natural someone is. I actually think Allen fits WR better myself, he just doesn't look to me as a hitter and his smoothness translates better to WR but I'm sure he'd probably be a good Safety if he went that route.
calbb - "You can't just look at HS stats- you have to watch him play." Thank you. That says in a nutshell the basic point in recruit evaluation. Even then, you have to know what you're looking at, as you obviously do. There are plenty of HS kids who rack up the stats and appear to dominate on the field. People get all hyped about them, but it is obvious that they won't be able to do it in college. Why? What specifically tells you? Can't put my finger on it, but you just know.
Then, there's the kid whose stats aren't great, but you see him play and just know that he will be a good one. Few fans, including me, can do it, but it's an ability that fb coaches must have.
Then, there's the kid whose stats aren't great, but you see him play and just know that he will be a good one. Few fans, including me, can do it, but it's an ability that fb coaches must have.
Hail2Calif;537995 said:
?
I think he had one of the finest (if not the finest) freshman seasons in Cal history as a WR. He showed great hands, outstanding open field running, and even completed a TD pass for good measure.
Just about every review I read about Cal includes some mention of him as a key offensive figure this coming year.
What does someone have to do as a true freshman to qualify as 'superstar' in your book?
Plus he was injures and let's be real, Riley and mansion was throwing him the ball. Even desean would have mediocre stats
tommie317;538015 said:
I was just proving a point that stars don't matter, its how natural someone is. I actually think Allen fits WR better myself, he just doesn't look to me as a hitter and his smoothness translates better to WR but I'm sure he'd probably be a good Safety if he went that route.
I don't see him as a hitter either. I see him as a center fielder who could read and get good breaks on the ball.
calbb;538029 said:
I don't see him as a hitter either. I see him as a center fielder who could read and get good breaks on the ball.
Yeah but even that, he is at the taller end or above of most free safeties and I assume he's still growing. Maybe he'll get converted in the NFL but I'm sure he looks amazing as a WR with Maynard throwing him the ball
Shaq could be a 5* at S, RB, WR. He is the best skill position player in the West hand down...
Keenan had great hands and did make a couple of nice runs. The QBs were below average or weak whichever adjective that one chooses. I was disappointed that he did not display more speed. He didn't get open deep. I guess that I figured for a free safety to be rated 5 stars and the best in the nation that he would exhibit better downfield speed.
You're correct-Allen is a quality player on offense or defense. I love dominating defenses so I wish that he was allowed to play there. I hope that he develops into a Juron Criner (6'4" 210) type of receiver who takes over a game. He made two catches to beat Cal on the final drive of the game, remember?
GO BEARS!
You're correct-Allen is a quality player on offense or defense. I love dominating defenses so I wish that he was allowed to play there. I hope that he develops into a Juron Criner (6'4" 210) type of receiver who takes over a game. He made two catches to beat Cal on the final drive of the game, remember?
GO BEARS!
Hail2Calif;537995 said:
?
I think he had one of the finest (if not the finest) freshman seasons in Cal history as a WR. He showed great hands, outstanding open field running, and even completed a TD pass for good measure.
Just about every review I read about Cal includes some mention of him as a key offensive figure this coming year.
What does someone have to do as a true freshman to qualify as 'superstar' in your book?
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