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Who Can Play On Defense?


BillySee58

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DL- Colvin (R-SR), Novil (SR), Dotson (R-FR), Rausaw (FR), Pickett (FR), LeBlanc (R-SO) Murphy Twins (RS FR) Believe they got moved to some DL at one point in the season, Devontae McCrae (RS SO)

LB- KD Davis (JR), Tyreke Davis (SR), Jordan Brown (FR), Kevin Wood (SO) Larry Nixon (SO), Taylor Jacobs (RS FR) my favorite but didn't see much action Jacobi Johnson (FR) 

DB- Upton Stout (FR), Deshawn Gaddie (RS FR) Cam Johnson (SR) Alex Morris (JR) Gibbs (SO) 

The DB room is the most concerning to me, I believe we had multiple DB's opt out bc of COVID, the group is not deep but there is definite skill there, add on the pieces we signed and this defense is not as bad as what was put on the field this year.  Being asked to do what some of those guys were asked to do vs Power teams was unfair IMO.  

 

I also feel like we need to know pretty quick which Seniors will stay and use the extra year and which ones are going to graduate and move onto the working world.  That would also sway where and how I look.  Offensively I would use a transfer on a QB, maybe 1/2 Max OL, the rest DB/OLB types

What do you think?

Edited by GMG24
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25 minutes ago, GMG24 said:

DL- Colvin (R-SR), Novil (SR), Dotson (R-FR), Rausaw (FR), Pickett (FR), LeBlanc (R-SO) Murphy Twins (RS FR) Believe they got moved to some DL at one point in the season, Devontae McCrae (RS SO)

LB- KD Davis (JR), Tyreke Davis (SR), Jordan Brown (FR), Kevin Wood (SO) Larry Nixon (SO), Taylor Jacobs (RS FR) my favorite but didn't see much action Jacobi Johnson (FR) 

DB- Upton Stout (FR), Deshawn Gaddie (RS FR) Cam Johnson (SR) Alex Morris (JR) Gibbs (SO) 

The DB room is the most concerning to me, I believe we had multiple DB's opt out bc of COVID, the group is not deep but there is definite skill there, add on the pieces we signed and this defense is not as bad as what was put on the field this year.  Being asked to do what some of those guys were asked to do vs Power teams was unfair IMO.  

 

I also feel like we need to know pretty quick which Seniors will stay and use the extra year and which ones are going to graduate and move onto the working world.  That would also sway where and how I look.  Offensively I would use a transfer on a QB, maybe 1/2 Max OL, the rest DB/OLB types

What do you think?

Littrell said in a recent presser that they basically know who will be coming back and who will be leaving from the senior class already. Tyreke Davis has said publicly that he is coming back but no clue who else. 

Offensively the only position I think we really need to look at is QB. Someone who can run the whole skeleton. With Bean it was limited what routes we ran and with Aune he had the ability but, because of his inaccuracy, they couldn’t always trust him. 

We have so many guys defensively who had the offer lists and film out of high school, but we aren’t developing or putting them in position to be successful. Add some guys to help out, but ultimately it falls on the coaches because they have the horses to at least be average defensively.

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32 minutes ago, Hunter Green said:

I think any help we get up front is going to make everyone behind them better. We just need guys who can dominate the line of scrimmage. IMHO.

I keep thinking back to the 2013 defensive tackles. We had Richard Abbe at the 1-tech using his size to keep the linemen off of Orr and Akunne, and then converted DE Ryan Boutwell at the 3-tech using his quickness and strength to not allow linemen to have clean blocks and releases to the second level. A size/quickness combo like that would be great. We had decent size this year at the 3-tech, but weren’t quick enough off the ball to muck things up for OL.

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DE's  is going to be the key. (worst have ever seen) The twins are big enough for the jack with the other moving to the standard weak side or strong. They also have good quickness. I also think you could play both at the jack, by rotating them on their side of the field from linebacker to the jack. Also this off season these guys need to add some size maybe 10 to 15 lbs at most positions.  Does Norvill stay? I could definitely see an advantage for another year.

 

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19 minutes ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

Uptown Stout is gonna be a player for us....    outside of him (and if Novil comes back), I don’t see a lot of guys who would be starting elsewhere.

Of course, we might have 3-4 all conference guys on defense but the scheme is hurting them.

The Murphy twins still have a good upside if the coaches find the right positions for them. We have to get more size and strength on the D-line or we will continue to see other teams run wild. 

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11 minutes ago, El Paso Eagle said:

The Murphy twins still have a good upside if the coaches find the right positions for them. We have to get more size and strength on the D-line or we will continue to see other teams run wild. 

Yep it’s hard when you’re going from OLB to DE and perform at a extremely high level when you’re a freshman.

They definitely have a high ceiling, but transfers or even grad transfers are needed to give this defense either some sort of confidence or veteran leadership.

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4 minutes ago, TheReal_jayD said:

In obvious passing situations get both Twins in at the same time

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17 minutes ago, TheReal_jayD said:

I’d take McCrae off the field & start one of the twins on the weak side.

Slide KD back to the other LB spot and put Gibbs back at S.

Otherwise, yeah, I’m really starting to buy in on a 4-2-5.

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2 minutes ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

I’d take McCrae off the field & start one of the twins on the weak side.

Slide KD back to the other LB spot and put Gibbs back at S.

Otherwise, yeah, I’m really starting to buy in on a 4-2-5.

The reason I moved murphy off dline is because its hard for someone 215 to set the edge. think he can do more damage rushing from lineback spot. KD was recruited at P5 for safety. I would like to see him in an old school ss role

 

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2 hours ago, BillySee58 said:

Littrell said in a recent presser that they basically know who will be coming back and who will be leaving from the senior class already. Tyreke Davis has said publicly that he is coming back but no clue who else. 

Offensively the only position I think we really need to look at is QB. Someone who can run the whole skeleton. With Bean it was limited what routes we ran and with Aune he had the ability but, because of his inaccuracy, they couldn’t always trust him. 

We have so many guys defensively who had the offer lists and film out of high school, but we aren’t developing or putting them in position to be successful. Add some guys to help out, but ultimately it falls on the coaches because they have the horses to at least be average defensively.

I completely agree, the last 3 signing classes should NOT have yielded us one of the worst defenses in the country.  If our defense is just AVERAGE we win 4 more games, and probably the bowl game.  I agree with you. 

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1 hour ago, TheReal_jayD said:

The reason I moved murphy off dline is because its hard for someone 215 to set the edge. think he can do more damage rushing from lineback spot. KD was recruited at P5 for safety. I would like to see him in an old school ss role

 

This.  As fun as they are to watch, they have no business playing with their hands on the ground.

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8 minutes ago, Wag Tag said:

I also believe we have to go to a 4 man front maybe it would attract Norvil to come back. DE play was by far our biggest weakness, Not sold on the existing guys ( slow). 

DE's as in the Murphy twins? They are playing out of place. When you say "not sold" do you mean on them at this position? Both were named to the All Freshman team.

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4 minutes ago, El Paso Eagle said:

DE's as in the Murphy twins? They are playing out of place. When you say "not sold" do you mean on them at this position? Both were named to the All Freshman team.

To small at 215.. this off season they need to get to 225 - 230 and stay at linebacker or a Jack type position would definitely work. 

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44 minutes ago, GMG24 said:

I completely agree, the last 3 signing classes should NOT have yielded us one of the worst defenses in the country.  If our defense is just AVERAGE we win 4 more games, and probably the bowl game.  I agree with you. 

We added a former P5 DE in Mccrae and two P5 DBs in John Davis and Jordan Rucker (opted out a few games in). We can add three more P5 transfers to the defense but if that’s all the coaches can get out of them, it’s not going to make a difference. We have signed talent, make it work.

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33 minutes ago, glick1980 said:

They are listed at 235 and 238.

I think JayD’s implying he doesn’t buy those listings. Which is fine, but I think they’re big enough with an offseason and more practice in that role. Joshua Wheeler played that role pretty well in 16 and 17 and he was listed at 6’3” 229 lbs. Ozougwu and King were similar sized on the 2018 defense which was really good. The issues lie elsewhere IMO.

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I don’t think it’s a talent issue, or perhaps really even a scheme issue.  It’s a toughness issue.  
 

I don’t mean to imply that they are weak or soft, but they are not “tough” like a Dickey defense or the 2013 defense.  Those defenses looked to intimidate and they HIT people...and by hit I don’t mean throwing a shoulder into the offensive player or trying to “blow them up.”  They arrived at the ball carrier, wrapped up, and drove through them.  And they broke down so as not to overrun the play.  
 

You didn’t break Taylor Casey tackles.  Jonas Buckles planted you.  If Booger got his hands on you, that is where you ended up.  And if Zach Orr met you two yards behind the line of scrimmage you didn’t get a 4 yard gain.  
 

I watched Spring ball in the Dickey era.  It was competitive and those who weren’t tough were exposed.  By the time we could hit someone in an opposing jersey we brought bad intentions.  

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We need P5 transfers, but how many of them have ever become impact players for us? 

Marcus Trice for sure. 
Pegram kinda. 
Hedlund? (But he’s a kicker)

That linebacker from Oregon was ok.

Does Aune count? I don’t think he was ever on a Fall roster for Arkansas or TCU. 

Seth’s inability to land these blue chip DFW bouncebacks has been pretty frustrating. 

Where were we on Ja’quinden Jackson? He signs with Utah to sit behind Charlie Brewer?

The UNT defense has the same problem as the Texas Rangers. They get decent players, they just can’t develop them. 

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