[CTcard]

[quote author=Stymie link=topic=17193.msg197545#msg197545 date=1503422302]
So Solly T as a Freshman was an inferior interior to Nate C?  Or even the then group of OLB's?  Give me a break, coaching staff.....

Remember that we burned Harrison Phillips' redshirt that year (as he and Thomas were both in the same class), so it clearly wasn't a case that the staff was unwilling to burn a defensive lineman's redshirt.  More likely, they thought that Phillips was closer to being ready than Thomas. 
[/quote]

The 2014 choice of Philips over Thomas as the emergency injury replacement is really quite fascinating. At the time it raised my interest, and Thomas' steep rise and short career only adds to the curiosity. I suppose many things could have been going through the coaches' minds, but it is hard to believe that in the end it was anything other than "Philips is more ready to contribute where we need him at this moment."
At any rate, if I were a good buddy of Randy Hart and could get a few beers into him, it's a topic I'd love to hear him expound upon.

On other matters, is Nate C = Nate Lohn?
He didn't play enough snaps in 2014 that his role really had an impact on any decisions regarding redshirting Phillips or Thomas.

The OLB in 2014 were good - with Anderson and Vaughters starting and Kalambayi the top backup. Don't see that group had an impact on Thomas' redshirt decision either.

[CTcard]

[quote author=Stymie link=topic=17193.msg197545#msg197545 date=1503422302]
So Solly T as a Freshman was an inferior interior to Nate C?  Or even the then group of OLB's?  Give me a break, coaching staff.....

Remember that we burned Harrison Phillips' redshirt that year (as he and Thomas were both in the same class), so it clearly wasn't a case that the staff was unwilling to burn a defensive lineman's redshirt.  More likely, they thought that Phillips was closer to being ready than Thomas. 
[/quote]

The 2014 choice of Philips over Thomas as the emergency injury replacement is really quite fascinating. At the time it raised my interest, and Thomas' steep rise and short career only adds to the curiosity. I suppose many things could have been going through the coaches' minds, but it is hard to believe that in the end it was anything other than "Philips is more ready to contribute where we need him at this moment."
At any rate, if I were a good buddy of Randy Hart and could get a few beers into him, it's a topic I'd love to hear him expound upon.

On other matters, is Nate C = Nate Lohn?
He didn't play enough snaps in 2014 that his role really had an impact on any decisions regarding redshirting Phillips or Thomas.

The OLB in 2014 were good - with Anderson and Vaughters starting and Kalambayi the top backup. Don't see that group had an impact on Thomas' redshirt decision either.