The Cardinal Countdown: 74 Days Until Kickoff

#74 Adonis Boone

Class: Sophomore

Ht/Wt: 6-5/298

Position: Offensive Line

Hometown: Daytona Beach, FL

Twitter: @Ajb1_

Thoughts: Boone was a true freshman who had the potential to get some playing time last season depending upon two big factors. 1. How the talent in front of him played 2. How he developed as the season wore on. Well, we all saw how the season went as the play along the line was a bit tough to swallow at times, so the stars aligned and Boone got some reps against WKU, Virginia, Georgia Tech, and Boston College as a true freshman. In a bit of a head-scratcher to me, Boone having only played in four games last season should fall under the new rule allowing him to take a redshirt and retain a year of eligibility, but it appears that is not happening as all official documentation now lists him a Sophomore. Whether he has three years or four years left, the point of it all is that Boone can contribute, and a thinned out group will need him too.

When I covered a couple of the tight ends earlier this summer I spoke about the importance of downfield blocking and having quick feet in this Satterfield offense. Ditto for the O-Line group. Having big bodies up front is nice, but if they move like the Johnny U Statue they are of no use to Ledford or Satterfield in this system. The shifts, the pulls, the attacking downfield; it’s a big ask of guys like Boone who is dragging around close to three bills worth of weight as he looks for a linebacker to block 7 yards beyond the line. So what does that mean for these bigger guys? Typically it means your team needs to be deep at the position to take on any forthcoming injuries and on a smaller scale, the general level of fatigue that occurs. Satterfield spoke in the Spring about wanting to get to a number around 15-17 offensive lineman on the roster. Currently there are twelve guys on the roster in that group, but the staff did put some focus there when they got hired on and pulled in another 4 in this recruiting class, plus a grad transfer in TJ McCoy who will fight for time as well. That would put the number right at 17, with the understanding that few of the freshman will not be prepared to play this season.

My take is that Boone works his way from a reserve to a starter at some point this season. Maybe it’s in Fall camp, or maybe it’s not until ACC play, but Boone has shown enough raw talent that I think Ledford can make him an impact player. He obviously has the size and strength to play at this level, but we as fans need to understand that this offense will have us looking at offensive lineman differently in the future. The guys on the roster right now can be successful, but the players of the future will likely not be Boone or Becton types. I’ll throw some video at you to explain myself better in the days to come.

Sweet Tweet:

Adonis Boone could place me…and my wife….and my two small children…and maybe even a random countdown reader on a bar which sat on his shoulders……and then proceed to lift us all up off the ground with ease. I just helped a buddy move a couple weeks ago and had trouble lifting a small chair.

Come to me for all your fitness tips.