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| Some people swear by Marvin Gardens and her yellow sisters, some people hate the yellows. Personally, I think if you can properly develop them (no easy task), they really help you win. |
Easy enough. He's the best player on the team, a future first round draft pick, and a shutdown cover corner with great ball skills. [The interesting thing to watch unfold this season will be the "Chase Effect." As Minnifield renders his half of the field radioactive, passers will be forced to go to the other side, where young players Tra Nicholson and Rijo Walker await. If either (or both!) of those guys can emerge as bonafide playmakers, we could have a defense that is quite inhospitable to opposing passing games, which would allow us to roll a safety up into the box to assist with stopping the run. But back to Chase...] He's a stud; the kind of difference-making defender who can change the whole complexion of games and elevate the play of an entire defense. Every year he's been in the program, he's improved by leaps and bounds. If he makes a similar improvement from his junior to senior season, look out. He's not the physical freak of a Ras-I Dowling, but he's a cerebral guy who plays with great technique and the best coverage instincts I've seen in a UVA cornerback since Marcus Hamilton. I don't want to gush (too late!) but this is one of those situations where great natural ability marinates with an ever-increasing skill level and is grilled to perfection with on-field experience to create a thick, juicy elite player. Chase Minnifield is the best player on the team, and I'm not sure he isn't the best overall player UVA has had since Chris Long. (And yes, I just made a T-bone analogy. Sports and food, dog. Always on my mind.)
He's one part Muffin Curry, one part Darrelle Revis, and one part Predator. He's a true freshman, so he's going to be a little raw, and he's going to make some mistakes, but he has the physical capabilities and natural cornerback savvy to overcome those occasional gaffes, and take full advantage of the "Chase Effect." It didn't take Tra long to leapfrog Rijo Walker in training camp, and I think that's for good reason. Not because Walker is bad, but because Nicholson is THAT GOOD. He'll be an All-ACC candidate by his sophomore season, this year is just going to be the bridge from his illustrious high school career to his illustrious college career. Some people worry about his slight (5-11, 165) build, but I do not. If you've got the goods, you've got the goods. He'll get steamrolled in run support, but he's not in there to come up and stop the run, he's in there to stick to receivers and pick off passes. I think he'll quickly emerge as an impact player in our more-aggressive 43 scheme. Cam Johnson pass rush pressure + the "Chase Effect" = lots of INT chances for Tra Nicholson. Keep your eyes glued to #1 this season -- I think he'll easily make a believer out of you, too.
Last year, he was one of only three true freshman to play (along with Morgan Moses and Mike Rocco), but logged most of his time on special teams. No doubt about it, he was (is?) an A+ player on 'teams. But now he has a shot at big chunks of PT in the base defense. Dom Joseph will probably be the primary nickel back, but Walker has a chance to wrestle that distinction away from the veteran. Meanwhile, if either Minnifield or Nicholson go down, Walker would likely become a starter at corner. I don't know a lot about his game, other than the fact that the coaches see him as well-rounded and extremely capable. His high school career suggests that he might be a bit of a ballhawk... which plays extremely well as the #3 corner behind Minnifield and Nicholson.
Community Chest:
- Dom Joseph, senior -- Talked about him with the safeties. He's a no-frills / no-worries backup, who has the coaching staff's full trust. He'll fill in whatever cracks the young players leave in the secondary.
- Brandon Phelps, true freshman -- Well, he's a four-star recruit with incredible upside. He's fast, and at 6-0, he's relatively tall for a corner. Conventional wisdom says he'll redshirt, but I'm not expecting that; I think London is aching to get more pure speed and talent on the field, and Phelps offers both of those traits.
- Drequan Hoskey, redshirt freshman -- He's a track star who is probably eager for people to stop mentioning the fact that he's a track star, and start mentioning the fact that he's a good cornerback. He's still very raw and must develop some skill and some instincts for coverage. Until those things come, he'll play special teams and likely won't even sniff action in the secondary.
Chance -- Six (plus) picks for Tra Nicholson, via the "Chase Effect." Good, solid, reliable play from Rijo Walker, establishing him as an above-average future starter. A handful of great moments from Dom Joseph, who makes us glad that he's on the team as a senior. A handful of great moments from Brandon Phelps, who makes us feel okay about his burned redshirt. And of course, an All-ACC season from Chase Minnifield, and a top-25 draft pick in April 2012. The cornerbacks secure us an unexpected upset win with game-changing interceptions. I'm looking at you, Mike Glennon and NC State.
Minnifield is going to be a Thursday night NFL draft pick. Nicholson is going to be a four-year starter if he doesn't go pro early. Rijo Walker is a rock-solid future multi-year starter. Phelps has star potential, and Hoskey has incredible speed. Add it all up, and this is a group that simply has a TON of talent. And that talent will emerge this season in a very real way. Plays will be made, and quarterbacks embarrassed. Jesus H. Logan Thomas, I'm looking at you. Chump.
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