The Cardinal Countdown: 77 Days Until Kickoff

#77 Linwood Foy

Class: RS Junior

Ht/Wt: 6-4/312

Position: Offensive Line

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA (Product of College of the Canyons)

Twitter: @LinwoodFoy_3

Thoughts: Foy was a late addition to the 2016 class last season via Junior College out in La-La-Land. Foy was pulled into the fold to try and help bolster an offensive line which struggled during 2015, and add some much needed depth to a thin position group. Foy arrived right before Fall ball and although he was getting reps it appeared he wasn’t going to unseat any of the starters that Coach Klenakis and Petrino had already penciled in. Foy appeared in the first four games of the season and then didn’t see any action again in 2016. Although I couldn’t 100% confirm I’m fairly certain Petrino decided to uses a redshirt on Foy to try and help fill some roster spots in 2017 and beyond. You have to remember now that four games into the 2016 season the Cards as a whole were looking pretty damn good, and the offensive line had frankly manhandled a couple decent teams, including a hefty FSU front. Petrino likely assumed he had a solid grasp on the group he needed to be successful in the trenches and didn’t want to burn anymore eligibility of a talented Foy.

This Spring Foy was getting lots of reps with the first team and was basically rotating with Toriano Roundtree at both guard and tackle. Coach Summers said Foy will most likely play a little of both positions this season, but if I had five bucks on it I’d bet he gets the majority of his PT at the tackle spot, with Christian staying on the inside. While I’m excited to see what the incoming freshman can do this fall I think Foy will be a critical piece of the puzzle in trying to get the offensive line playing at a much higher, and more consistent, level.

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Game 3: Clemson Tigers

Key Player: Dexter Lawrence, Sophomore, Defensive Tackle

For the second week in a row the easy answer to the question about who will be the key to the opposing team’s success should be “the guy replacing the All-American QB” but once again, we dig deeper on this countdown, and look for who could really impact the game in a not so obvious fashion. There is no denying that Clemson, the defending National Champion, will have one of the nastiest defensive lines in the country next year returning both Christian Wilkins and my highlighted player, Dexter Lawrence. Lawrence was a menace last year against the Cards grabbing seven tackles and getting in the backfield on a fairly regular basis. If Pudue was the appetizer and UNC was the soup or salad, the Cards O-line will be presented with a hell of an entrée in week three, and we should have a pretty solid grasp on what Coach Summers has along the line after this game. Limit the push and pressure from Wilkins and Lawrence up the middle and I think the Cards finally get over the Clemson hump and head into Week Four at 3-0, looking to make some national headlines once again.

Sweet Tweet:

You ever seen a grown man eat a dozen donuts in one sitting, Foy? We all got goals bud, some of us are just chasing adult onset diabetes instead of a professional football career.

Tom-a-to, To-mah-to