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Could Andrew Olesh be a wideout and play this fall?

tboyer

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Sep 25, 2002
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Catching up on recruiting news, just saw this guy's highlights. Just incredible quickness, lateral movement and raw speed for someone 6-5. Based on his weight he is probably 2 1/2 years from being able to play TE in the B1G but geez, he could be a wide receiver now. He has size, speed, route-running skill and huge hands. As a wideout he looks ready to play right now.

Assuming the guy's true position is TE, his goal would be to play TE in the NFL, is there any precedent for playing wideout for a season or two and then transitioning to TE as he puts on mass. Or are the positions too different? Seems to me more than ever the NFL has appetite for Gesicki-type TEs who are really more wideouts than TEs, who are optimized for running routes and aren't going to be used too much in run blocking.

You want to keep Olesh's options open, but geez, PSU could use the help in the passing game now.

 
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I just saw where he earned his fifth star and is now considered the top TE prospect in the nation. A HUGE win for PSU.

it looks like he is in the 220 lb area so a WR at 6-5 and 220 isn't unheard of. However, the staff will have to decide if they want him to put on 20 to 30 lbs to be able to play a more traditional TE spot or if they want to keep his weight down so he can be more of a Gesicki. Gesicki is now 245 but I believe he played in the 230 range for PSU.

You make a great point given out needs at WR.
 
Catching up on recruiting news, just saw this guy's highlights. Just incredible quickness, lateral movement and raw speed for someone 6-5. Based on his weight he is probably 2 1/2 years from being able to play TE in the B1G but geez, he could be a wide receiver now. He has size, speed, route-running skill and huge hands. As a wideout he looks ready to play right now.

Assuming the guy's true position is TE, his goal would be to play TE in the NFL, is there any precedent for playing wideout for a season or two and then transitioning to TE as he puts on mass. Or are the positions too different? Seems to me more than ever the NFL has appetite for Gesicki-type TEs who are really more wideouts than TEs, who are optimized for running routes and aren't going to be used too much in run blocking.

You want to keep Olesh's options open, but geez, PSU could use the help in the passing game now.

I would hope that with the two receivers whom we got from the portal already, the addition of a few more receivers from the portal in the spring, and the hopeful maturation of the young receivers, it will not be necessary to play him as true wide receiver. Of course, if he's ready, he can be an effective weapon in the passing game, but I doubt that he'd be able to do some of the things that we would need a prototypical wide receiver to do.
 
I would hope that with the two receivers whom we got from the portal already, the addition of a few more receivers from the portal in the spring, and the hopeful maturation of the young receivers, it will not be necessary to play him as true wide receiver. Of course, if he's ready, he can be an effective weapon in the passing game, but I doubt that he'd be able to do some of the things that we would need a prototypical wide receiver to do.
I agree but if everyone stays healthy, he'd be fifth on the depth chart at TE.
  1. Dinkins
  2. Reynolds
  3. Rappleyea
  4. Schaffler.
If he's good, there is no place better than to be between the lines on Saturdays.
 
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I agree but if everyone stays healthy, he'd be fifth on the depth chart at TE.
  1. Dinkins
  2. Reynolds
  3. Rappleyea
  4. Schaffler.
If he's good, there is no place better than to be between the lines on Saturdays.
Oh, I agree with that. Frosh, and especially highly rated frosh like him, need to be able to contribute ASAP because you just don't know how long you're going to have them for various reasons. What I meant by what I said is that I don't expect that you can expect a player with his size and weight to be able to run many of the pass patterns that a typical wide receiver runs.
 
Catching up on recruiting news, just saw this guy's highlights. Just incredible quickness, lateral movement and raw speed for someone 6-5. Based on his weight he is probably 2 1/2 years from being able to play TE in the B1G but geez, he could be a wide receiver now. He has size, speed, route-running skill and huge hands. As a wideout he looks ready to play right now.

Assuming the guy's true position is TE, his goal would be to play TE in the NFL, is there any precedent for playing wideout for a season or two and then transitioning to TE as he puts on mass. Or are the positions too different? Seems to me more than ever the NFL has appetite for Gesicki-type TEs who are really more wideouts than TEs, who are optimized for running routes and aren't going to be used too much in run blocking.

You want to keep Olesh's options open, but geez, PSU could use the help in the passing game now.

I like the idea simply because I have little confidence that our current WR room even with the portals will be enough for us to actually beat OSU or Oregon much less win it all.

I don't think it happens though. I think we have been down the road with Reynolds. I don't see him ready as a WR in the fall. It is not his natural position and he is only a freshman. Plus he wants to get to the NFL and that will be as a TE so he doesn't want to delay bulking up for a year. That puts him off schedule. Finally, he flipped late so my guess is this was discussed with him and his parents prior to the flip. Like ...."you are not moving him to WR, we want him playing TE or we will stay with Michigan."
 
I agree but if everyone stays healthy, he'd be fifth on the depth chart at TE.
  1. Dinkins
  2. Reynolds
  3. Rappleyea
  4. Schaffler.
If he's good, there is no place better than to be between the lines on Saturdays.
If he is as good as advertised then he will see the field as a TE this season. He will play but keep a redshirt. Then I think Dinkins leaves next season and he will be right in the mix.
 
Joe Jurevicius was 6'5" and 225-230ish. He played WR at a high level, so there is precedent. It just depends on how well Olesh can run routes, quickly cut, and keep CBs off of him. I like the idea in principle. Why not?
In concept it certainly is feasible but in all practicality I don't see it. Jurevicious was never a TE first of all. Also I think it is a bit of a pipe dream to think a HS tight end can come out of high school and magically transform into a solid starting WR in the B10 as a freshman, 8 months later. Plus this would be a huge deal for him. He has to essentially give up bulking up to be a TE and then what happens at the end of the season? He goes back to TE? He's way behind then. TE is his meal ticket, he and his family don't want to muck that up.
 
Catching up on recruiting news, just saw this guy's highlights. Just incredible quickness, lateral movement and raw speed for someone 6-5. Based on his weight he is probably 2 1/2 years from being able to play TE in the B1G but geez, he could be a wide receiver now. He has size, speed, route-running skill and huge hands. As a wideout he looks ready to play right now.

Assuming the guy's true position is TE, his goal would be to play TE in the NFL, is there any precedent for playing wideout for a season or two and then transitioning to TE as he puts on mass. Or are the positions too different? Seems to me more than ever the NFL has appetite for Gesicki-type TEs who are really more wideouts than TEs, who are optimized for running routes and aren't going to be used too much in run blocking.

You want to keep Olesh's options open, but geez, PSU could use the help in the passing game now.

I don't think there's a rule against 2 or 3 "TEs" being on the field at one time. That said I don't expect a true freshman to be PSU's top pass catcher this fall.
 
In concept it certainly is feasible but in all practicality I don't see it. Jurevicious was never a TE first of all. Also I think it is a bit of a pipe dream to think a HS tight end can come out of high school and magically transform into a solid starting WR in the B10 as a freshman, 8 months later. Plus this would be a huge deal for him. He has to essentially give up bulking up to be a TE and then what happens at the end of the season? He goes back to TE? He's way behind then. TE is his meal ticket, he and his family don't want to muck that up.
Oh, I have no illusions about him making a contribution as a freshman at WR. I believe that he played a lot of time split out in high school, which you would expect from his being the best player on the field. He would require a year or two to learn the position at a collegiate level, although he is going to need time to make an impact at TE. Jurevicius was a beast at WR.
 
Catching up on recruiting news, just saw this guy's highlights. Just incredible quickness, lateral movement and raw speed for someone 6-5. Based on his weight he is probably 2 1/2 years from being able to play TE in the B1G but geez, he could be a wide receiver now. He has size, speed, route-running skill and huge hands. As a wideout he looks ready to play right now.

Assuming the guy's true position is TE, his goal would be to play TE in the NFL, is there any precedent for playing wideout for a season or two and then transitioning to TE as he puts on mass. Or are the positions too different? Seems to me more than ever the NFL has appetite for Gesicki-type TEs who are really more wideouts than TEs, who are optimized for running routes and aren't going to be used too much in run blocking.

You want to keep Olesh's options open, but geez, PSU could use the help in the passing game now.

In a word: no.
 
Oh, I have no illusions about him making a contribution as a freshman at WR. I believe that he played a lot of time split out in high school, which you would expect from his being the best player on the field. He would require a year or two to learn the position at a collegiate level, although he is going to need time to make an impact at TE. Jurevicius was a beast at WR.
Yeah it makes you think. If you are a high school coach with a kid like Olesh who has great athletic ability and who probably is already like 6'2" or 6'3" around 180 as a freshman in HS then put him at a wide receiver primarily and as a tight end secondary. He can grow to be 6'4" or 6'5". Naturally put on about 40 pounds or 35 pounds to get to that 215 to 220 range. All good muscle type weight that maintains all his athletic prowess. Get recruited as a WR. He can still play a little TE in high school to help with blocking because of his size but their main position is a WR. Not sure why they all play TE. To your point, Jurevicious was great for us and had a successful NFL career as a WR. And I still remember that huge catch he had in the Rose Bowl vs Oregon as a freshman. His height was a difference maker in making that catch.
 
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I don't think there's a rule against 2 or 3 "TEs" being on the field at one time. That said I don't expect a true freshman to be PSU's top pass catcher this fall.
One can dream!

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In concept it certainly is feasible but in all practicality I don't see it. Jurevicious was never a TE first of all. Also I think it is a bit of a pipe dream to think a HS tight end can come out of high school and magically transform into a solid starting WR in the B10 as a freshman, 8 months later. Plus this would be a huge deal for him. He has to essentially give up bulking up to be a TE and then what happens at the end of the season? He goes back to TE? He's way behind then. TE is his meal ticket, he and his family don't want to muck that up.

Way behind? More like way ahead as a pass catcher.
 
Yeah it makes you think. If you are a high school coach with a kid like Olesh who has great athletic ability and who probably is already like 6'2" or 6'3" around 180 as a freshman in HS then put him at a wide receiver primarily and as a tight end secondary. He can grow to be 6'4" or 6'5". Naturally put on about 40 pounds or 35 pounds to get to that 215 to 220 range. All good muscle type weight that maintains all his athletic prowess. Get recruited as a WR. He can still play a little TE in high school to help with blocking because of his size but their main position is a WR. Not sure why they all play TE. To your point, Jurevicious was great for us and had a successful NFL career as a WR. And still remember that huge catch he had in the Rose Bowl vs Oregon as a freshman. His height was a difference maker in making that catch.
And don't forget, perhaps the greatest of all time, Calvin "Megatron" Johnson. He was 6-5 and 235 in the NFL. Just looking it up, Johnson had 48 catches for 837 yards and was first-team All-ACC WR as a true freshman.
 
Move him to wr this year. He won't be behind because he will get more pt and reps.
 
WR will be getting pretty crowded with Olesh, the incoming and redshirt WR recruits, the incoming transfer WR's, Martin and a few other RB's that some here want moved to WR as well......
;) ;) :rolleyes: ;) ;)
 
I don't think there's a rule against 2 or 3 "TEs" being on the field at one time. That said I don't expect a true freshman to be PSU's top pass catcher this fall.

He doesn't need to be the top pass catcher to contribute. ONE catch can win a game.

With a minute left to win a game do you want Clifford or oLESH going up for a jump ball?
 
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I would hope that with the two receivers whom we got from the portal already, the addition of a few more receivers from the portal in the spring, and the hopeful maturation of the young receivers, it will not be necessary to play him as true wide receiver. Of course, if he's ready, he can be an effective weapon in the passing game, but I doubt that he'd be able to do some of the things that we would need a prototypical wide receiver to do.

Should have done it last year with Reynolds. It was necessary
 
WR will be getting pretty crowded with Olesh, the incoming and redshirt WR recruits, the incoming transfer WR's, Martin and a few other RB's that some here want moved to WR as well......
;) ;) :rolleyes: ;) ;)


Take your pick of WRs with zero catches and cut them.
 
Should have done it last year with Reynolds. It was necessary
Yes and why didn't they? Seems like the same situation. I just go back to what the player wants and don't forget his family can weigh in on this. This is not the 1970s where Joe can just tell a kid one day to go play LB you are no longer a RB and just shut up and do it. No one bats an eye. Different world today.
 
I agree but if everyone stays healthy, he'd be fifth on the depth chart at TE.
  1. Dinkins
  2. Reynolds
  3. Rappleyea
  4. Schaffler.
If he's good, there is no place better than to be between the lines on Saturdays.

Yes, highly unlikely he would play much TE this fall.

Really the only TE I've ever seen at PSU who was truly ready to play as a freshman was Freiermuth. But he was 250 coming out of HS, which is crazy, plus his blocking skills were fully developed.

Those Olesh highlights -- his athleticism, his quick feet, just crazy for someone 6-5. The guy was the punt returner on his HS team. I've never even heard of someone 6-5 trying to return punts -- it tells you now nimble he is and also how good his hands are.

What I don't know is -- if you put him in the wide receiver room, does it detract too much from his ability to learn the TE position, which is one of the hardest positions on the team to learn skill-wise?

But man, as far as I know PSU doesn't have any 6-5 wideouts right now -- they could really use one, especially with Warren on his way to the NFL. Especially given Allar's limitations as a QB, PSU desperately needs some big targets.

Plus, wideout is a position where top athletes can come in and make a big impact as freshmen. Jeremiah Smith is just the latest in a long line of wideouts who came in played at an all-B1G level as freshman. Highly unlikely that PSU has any other freshman recruits or transfers who are going to be competing for all-B1G this fall -- there's no one with the kind of eye-popping athleticism that Olesh has.
 
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Yes, highly unlikely he would play much TE this fall.

Really the only TE I've ever seen at PSU who was truly ready to play as a freshman was Freiermuth. But he was 250 coming out of HS, which is crazy, plus his blocking skills were fully developed.

Those Olesh highlights -- his athleticism, his quick feet, just crazy for someone 6-5. The guy was the punt returner on his HS team. I've never even heard of someone 6-5 trying to return punts -- it tells you now nimble he is and also how good his hands are.

What I don't know is -- if you put him in the wide receiver room, does it detract too much from his ability to learn the TE position, which is one of the hardest positions on the team to learn skill-wise?

But man, as far as I know PSU doesn't have any 6-5 wideouts right now -- they could really use one, especially with Warren on his way to the NFL. Especially given Allar's limitations as a QB, PSU desperately needs some big targets.

Plus, wideout is a position where top athletes can come in and make a big impact as freshmen. Jeremiah Smith is just the latest in a long line of wideouts who came in played at an all-B1G level as freshman. Highly unlikely that PSU has any other freshman recruits or transfers who are going to be competing for all-B1G this fall -- there's no one with the kind of eye-popping athleticism that Olesh has.
Agree. But I see TE evolving to where there is less and less difference between a TE and a WR. If you look at Kelce and Kittle they play all over the field. They line up as a TE, slot, wide slot and WR.
 
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Take your pick of WRs with zero catches and cut them.
That includes all the 7 true and redshirt freshmen other than Denmark, and Olesh and Martin.

Sooner or later the staff needs to identify WR that are performing in practice and actually give them playing time in games and throw to them. That's supposed to be what the OOC games are for but for example last season Denmark reportedly was making plays in practice for the start of Fall practice but they wouldn't play him. Same old song about blocking, which I'm not dissing. But it seems that Franklin needs to realize that not all talented WR's will block like Hines Ward and that by playing, talented WR's will help the team win and get better as blockers as they play.
 
Shannon Sharpe played wideout in college and TE in NFL. He was a small TE, but athletic. Olesh will be large and athletic.

Olesh should play if he's better than what we have. Probably a hybrid position created for him, Reynolds or even Gonzalez who's a big true WR. Would work with many formations we used for Warren. Just care that we get the best guys on the field.
 
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Joe Jurevicius was 6'5" and 225-230ish. He played WR at a high level, so there is precedent. It just depends on how well Olesh can run routes, quickly cut, and keep CBs off of him. I like the idea in principle. Why not?
This is pretty much exactly what I thought too. We'll see
 
That includes all the 7 true and redshirt freshmen other than Denmark, and Olesh and Martin.

Sooner or later the staff needs to identify WR that are performing in practice and actually give them playing time in games and throw to them. That's supposed to be what the OOC games are for but for example last season Denmark reportedly was making plays in practice for the start of Fall practice but they wouldn't play him. Same old song about blocking, which I'm not dissing. But it seems that Franklin needs to realize that not all talented WR's will block like Hines Ward and that by playing, talented WR's will help the team win and get better as blockers as they play.
Pretty sure Denmark had some injury issues.
 
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Catching up on recruiting news, just saw this guy's highlights. Just incredible quickness, lateral movement and raw speed for someone 6-5. Based on his weight he is probably 2 1/2 years from being able to play TE in the B1G but geez, he could be a wide receiver now. He has size, speed, route-running skill and huge hands. As a wideout he looks ready to play right now.

Assuming the guy's true position is TE, his goal would be to play TE in the NFL, is there any precedent for playing wideout for a season or two and then transitioning to TE as he puts on mass. Or are the positions too different? Seems to me more than ever the NFL has appetite for Gesicki-type TEs who are really more wideouts than TEs, who are optimized for running routes and aren't going to be used too much in run blocking.

You want to keep Olesh's options open, but geez, PSU could use the help in the passing game now.

Yes. We have 4 near- elite level TE’s and they should all be utilized, IMO. —Olesh could take a temporary role as H-back/WR like Gesicki/Brackett , with the first 3 TE’s utilized as both classic TE’s and Tyler Warren type TE’s. —There may also be a possible 4 TE red zone package….wih 4 potential receivers at 6’ 5” + . Would be difficult to defend.
 
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Smith at OSU said "no one can cover me one on one." He is 6-3, 225. Olesh ran a 4.18 shuttle as a Jr. which they say is lights out. Like to see him as a WR but the coaches will find a spot for him soon enough.

Would love to have someone counter Smith when we play the Buckeyes; this may be the guy.
 
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So who here has Franklin's cell so we can pitch the Olesh to WR move? You guys have sold me. I'm in if it means we have a WR with a pulse who can make some clutch catches.
 
Smith at OSU said "no one can cover me one on one." He is 6-3, 225. Olesh ran a 4.18 shuttle as a Jr. which they say is lights out. Like to see him as a WR but the coaches will find a spot for him soon enough.

Would love to have someone counter Smith when we play the Buckeyes; this may be the guy.
What is Olesh's 40? 4.5?
 
Yes. We have 4 near- elite level TE’s and they should all be utilized, IMO. —Olesh could take a temporary role as H-back/WR like Gesicki/Brackett , with the first 3 TE’s utilized as both classic TE’s and Tyler Warren type TE’s. —There may also be a possible 4 TE red zone package….wih 4 potential receivers at 6’ 5” + . Would be difficult to defend.
This. While it's great to have a lot of highly recruited tight ends and talent at the position, if you only field one on most plays especially with the issues at WR, it seems like wasted talent. Dinkins, Reynolds, Rap, and Olesh if ready should all have some role come fall. Hell if Cliff is out there just for blocking, might as well through Dinkins out there with another TE.
 
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Catching up on recruiting news, just saw this guy's highlights. Just incredible quickness, lateral movement and raw speed for someone 6-5. Based on his weight he is probably 2 1/2 years from being able to play TE in the B1G but geez, he could be a wide receiver now. He has size, speed, route-running skill and huge hands. As a wideout he looks ready to play right now.

Assuming the guy's true position is TE, his goal would be to play TE in the NFL, is there any precedent for playing wideout for a season or two and then transitioning to TE as he puts on mass. Or are the positions too different? Seems to me more than ever the NFL has appetite for Gesicki-type TEs who are really more wideouts than TEs, who are optimized for running routes and aren't going to be used too much in run blocking.

You want to keep Olesh's options open, but geez, PSU could use the help in the passing game now.

Juwan Johnson played WR for us and is now a TE in the NFL. Maybe Troy Drayton did the same?
 
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