On the Nose

[Fishhead]

This is probably the biggest thing I'm looking forward to this season, the Nose Tackle position.  

Look at these guys move at that size!  While Sopsher is over there is Tuscaloosa fat and winded, Shelvin and Ika are motoring right along in the thick BR air. 

 

[Herb]

Glad to literally HEAR Eaux's involvement in those drills.

[houtiger]

Shelvin looked agile and hostile!  Looked like he was pushing hard.

The position was solid last year, it is possible that we are upgraded this year.

[Fishhead]

3 hours ago, houtiger said:

 

The position was solid last year, it is possible that we are upgraded this year.

Towards the end of the year, Shelvin came on more. But most of the year you had fehoko at nose and he's way undersized for that. 

Shelvin's in way better shape and Ika may be better, per O.

Shelvin and Ika are way more well equipped to play nose in Aranda's system.  Fehoko opposite Lawrence is gonna also be improvement. 

This is huge for a team that struggled at times to stop the run AND pressure the QB without blitzes. 

[Hatchertiger]

I am hoping that Lawrence's absence is more precautionary than problems related to the surgery  which is what they are saying.  Regardless, Neil Farrell and Glen Logan are going to get PT at DE.  And I am anxious to see Fehoko return to his natural position.

[Fishhead]

I think they're resting him, giving him breaks. He's practiced quite a bit taking a couple days off in a row here and there. 

[houtiger]

I just looked at Tyler Shelvin's Rivals page.  #1 ranked player in La. in 2017, 5*, #3 DT in the nation, #34 overall player in the nation.  They had him listed at 6' 3", 360.

Of course he redshirted his freshman year for academic reasons, and we heard he gained weight up to 380.  Going into 2018 he was told to get down to 355 and apparently he did not quite make it by the start of the season.  The first game he did not play a down.  He stated some frustration on twitter, but it came down quickly.  O said he and Tyler spoke and Tyler understood what he needed to do.  I think it took a couple more games and we started to see Tyler get more and more plays, and I thought he was doing well when he was in. 

Now he's a redshirt sophomore, supposedly at 345, which is about exactly where O wanted him.  He looked pretty scary in that one drill, he can be an intimidating force.

This from Aranda, which has been posted before, but I like it:

Quote

 

LSU may have upgraded at nose tackle in 2019. Aranda is confident that he can create mismatches with 6-foot-3, 362-pound sophomore Tyler Shelvin, who Aranda said has "athleticism for a big man" that he hasn't "really seen anything like," and with 6-foot-4, 347-pound true freshman Siaki "Apu" Ika, who Aranda said has "sheer athleticism and savvy."

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/sports/lsu/article_78491eb8-9a73-11e9-ba9a-cb4c166520a2.html

 

By the way, for you X's and O's people, the whole article looks good.

If Aranda says he has athleticism like he has not seen in a big man, that says a LOT to me.  Tyler has not had an easy path to get where he is.  I hope he gets to hang around the top of the mountain for a while, make a huge contribution to LSU football, and enjoy success in his life. 

PS:  The rivals article shows Tyler only took one visit in his recruitment, to LSU, he committed and that was that.  No doubt the man wants to be here.