Over the past two days we have looked at MVPs on offense and defense. Today we look at offensive players we think will take a jump over their performance last season. Of course leave your thoughts in the comment section.
AJ Black: My pick is going to compliment what I picked for MVP on Offense, running back Jon Hilliman. He had a poor 2016 season coming back from a tough injury. With an improved offensive line, and hopefully an offense that isn’t just three yards and a cloud of dust, Hilliman should make more explosive plays like we saw against Penn State in 2014 and against Georgia Tech to begin the 2016 campaign.
Matt O’Neill: I like wide receiver Jeff Smith here. In an offense that will be throwing the ball more (supposedly), why not go with a wide receiver with great speed? Smith was one of the best receivers on the team last year, and he can play as either a deep threat or out of the slot, which will be hard to defend, assuming our quarterbacks can get him the ball.
Coach JF: I am going to go way off the board and pick a position, that would be the tackle position. There was a lot of hope around Jimmy Lowery as a grad transfer stepping into the right tackle role, but he struggled mightily, particularly with penalties and seemingly acclimating to the FBS level. Aaron Monteiro moving to the right side and bringing in West Virginia transfer Marcell Lazard at left tackle should be an upgrade. Monteiro improved as the year progressed and now has a real challenge protecting Darius Wade’s blind side.
Joe Parello: I really like the Jeff Smith pick, but in the interest of being a little different, I'll go with Aaron Monteiro. Ever since being thrown into the fire as a freshman, the left tackle from Brockton has steadily improved with each game. Now leaner and meaner, expect Monteiro to have his best year in pass protection.
Eric Hoffses: My choice is Ben Glines. Reminds me of Sweeney in the sense that I’ve seen him make plays in spring and summer scrimmages and wondered why the hell he doesn’t play more. Sweeney is now the best receiver on the team. I think Glines can be a dependable guy to go over the middle and make plays.