JeffGollin
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This from the Mich. St. - Pitt game:
Despite catching 14 (that's no typo) passes in his previous game, Trannon was shut out until some point in the 3rd quarter.
Throughout the game, the announcers were asking why Trannon wasn't being thrown to (not that the Spartans lacked for offensive scoring punch without him). They alluded to his basketball career and speculated on whether or not he'd be able to pursue a dual-sport career professionally.
Trannon is a big, tall guy and the one thing that stood out was his ability to wall-off block effectively downfield. It was almost as if the DB (usually Cox) had conceded that he couldn't get past Trannon and simply didn't try very hard. (I may be using the wrong terminology here - by "wall-off block", I mean he'd go downfield and execute a pass-protection type block on his man straight up, preventing him from moving from the sidelines toward the middle of the field.
This was his assignment on most plays. He consistently made contact with his man and executed the block consistently throughout the game. On one or two occasions, his block helped spring the ballcarrier for long gains. This may be a bit picky, but there were a few occasions where it would have been nice to see him sustain his block for a few more seconds and move his man farther downfield (He seems to be a willing and able blocker - this might simply be a matter of the Cardinal coaches teaching him to consistently finish the play better).
Trannon didn't seem to be running very many pass routes, and the ones he ran didn't always seem to be "serious" (i.e. he'd take his man toward the sidelines and then just stand there not expecting to be thrown to).
I can't help but wonder whether Trannon's best shot as a pro might be as a Novacek-type tweener TE and receiver. (Certainly, you can't sneeze at 14-catches. Man! Would I liked to have seen footage of that!)
Despite catching 14 (that's no typo) passes in his previous game, Trannon was shut out until some point in the 3rd quarter.
Throughout the game, the announcers were asking why Trannon wasn't being thrown to (not that the Spartans lacked for offensive scoring punch without him). They alluded to his basketball career and speculated on whether or not he'd be able to pursue a dual-sport career professionally.
Trannon is a big, tall guy and the one thing that stood out was his ability to wall-off block effectively downfield. It was almost as if the DB (usually Cox) had conceded that he couldn't get past Trannon and simply didn't try very hard. (I may be using the wrong terminology here - by "wall-off block", I mean he'd go downfield and execute a pass-protection type block on his man straight up, preventing him from moving from the sidelines toward the middle of the field.
This was his assignment on most plays. He consistently made contact with his man and executed the block consistently throughout the game. On one or two occasions, his block helped spring the ballcarrier for long gains. This may be a bit picky, but there were a few occasions where it would have been nice to see him sustain his block for a few more seconds and move his man farther downfield (He seems to be a willing and able blocker - this might simply be a matter of the Cardinal coaches teaching him to consistently finish the play better).
Trannon didn't seem to be running very many pass routes, and the ones he ran didn't always seem to be "serious" (i.e. he'd take his man toward the sidelines and then just stand there not expecting to be thrown to).
I can't help but wonder whether Trannon's best shot as a pro might be as a Novacek-type tweener TE and receiver. (Certainly, you can't sneeze at 14-catches. Man! Would I liked to have seen footage of that!)
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