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USCe - Your 2014 Defense and Signees
Posted on 7/1/14 at 10:16 am
Posted on 7/1/14 at 10:16 am
I know that your offense is expecting big production this year and rightfully so. However, I want to know more about your defense and your signee situation. I've read in a few places that your signee situation looks bleak at the moment, particularly on the defense side of the ball. I've also read that you'll be experimenting with new fronts and that Brison Williams may be moving to CB.
Who all graduated/left early? Clowney, Sutton, Quarles, Legree and Hampton? 3 of 4 DL and your top 2 CBs? Is that correct? It looks like a lot of production, but I haven't looked at the stats yet. May do so later.
Who will provide the pass rush? Who is going to play corner?
Is it safe to say your LBs will be the strength of the defense?
Who all rounds out the projected starting lineup?
What signees have already been ruled ineligible? What other signees are in jeopardy? How does this effect you defensively?
Who all graduated/left early? Clowney, Sutton, Quarles, Legree and Hampton? 3 of 4 DL and your top 2 CBs? Is that correct? It looks like a lot of production, but I haven't looked at the stats yet. May do so later.
Who will provide the pass rush? Who is going to play corner?
Is it safe to say your LBs will be the strength of the defense?
Who all rounds out the projected starting lineup?
What signees have already been ruled ineligible? What other signees are in jeopardy? How does this effect you defensively?
6
Posted on 7/1/14 at 10:45 am to MenloDawg
Our D is going to take a step back this year. You don't lose Clowney, Quarles, and Hampton and not. Our LB's will be a strength this year. Skai Moore is going to be a beast this year. Brison Williams has been croos training as a corner, but we have an ex-RB Jamari Smith who is looking good back there supposedly. As far as ends go, Darius English will be our main one. He is on the light side though and we've been trying to put weight on him. Think Devin Taylor with him, light, tall, but quick. Our interior DL returns experience and talent with both Dixons and JT Surratt.
As far as signees go, the only one who definitely wont be here is Jhaustin Thomas. It's still 50/50 on Dexter Wideman who would immediately get playing time if he can qualify. Of the CB's we signed the only ones not on campus yet are Wesley Greene and Lammons. Both were expected to play a lot, but both project to qualify, its just a NCAA clearinghouse issue. (I still have no clue what those arse clowns do there and how long it takes to review transcripts.)
We will be experimenting some with a 3-4 this year asit fits our personnel better. Bryson Allen-Williams will be our stud freshman and he's going to play a hybrid DE/LB role kind of like Eric Norwood did. Al Harris Jr. is turning heads as a CB so we may be better there than originally thought. We should be good at safety though between Williams, Kadetrix Marcus, and Chaz Elder. Our SPUR returns a lot of experience in Sharrod Golightly and Jordan Diggs. Our big recruit last year is going to get snaps too Larenz Bryant.
Overall, you don't lose Clowney and not take a step back. It may get dicey early, but I have confidence in Ward to field a good D by mid year. We'll see.
As far as signees go, the only one who definitely wont be here is Jhaustin Thomas. It's still 50/50 on Dexter Wideman who would immediately get playing time if he can qualify. Of the CB's we signed the only ones not on campus yet are Wesley Greene and Lammons. Both were expected to play a lot, but both project to qualify, its just a NCAA clearinghouse issue. (I still have no clue what those arse clowns do there and how long it takes to review transcripts.)
We will be experimenting some with a 3-4 this year asit fits our personnel better. Bryson Allen-Williams will be our stud freshman and he's going to play a hybrid DE/LB role kind of like Eric Norwood did. Al Harris Jr. is turning heads as a CB so we may be better there than originally thought. We should be good at safety though between Williams, Kadetrix Marcus, and Chaz Elder. Our SPUR returns a lot of experience in Sharrod Golightly and Jordan Diggs. Our big recruit last year is going to get snaps too Larenz Bryant.
Overall, you don't lose Clowney and not take a step back. It may get dicey early, but I have confidence in Ward to field a good D by mid year. We'll see.
Posted on 7/1/14 at 10:59 am to MenloDawg
quote:
Who all graduated/left early? Clowney, Sutton, Quarles, Legree and Hampton? 3 of 4 DL and your top 2 CBs? Is that correct? It looks like a lot of production, but I haven't looked at the stats yet. May do so later.
Clowney, Quarles and Hampton left early (the first two going early in the draft, the last... not so much), Sutton and Legree graduated. In addition to that we had CB Ahmad Christian transfer out. He was being penciled in at one of the starting spots this coming season by many, but if that were the case for the coaches I don't think he would be gone.
quote:
Who will provide the pass rush?
Darius English (Former Georgia HS defensive POY) seems to have bulked up to a solid 250 lbs on his 6'6" frame and saw pretty good playing time last year backing up Clowney. On the other side, right now, I would probably say that Gerald Dixon (6'2" 265ish lbs RS JR) has the edge at SDE. English has a nose for the ball, so will be the one getting after the QB off the edge of the line. In the middle we return Surratt (6'2" 305 lb RS SR) who started last year and will probably pair him with Gerald Dixon, Jr. (actually half brother to the other, not son... 6'3" 325 RS JR).
quote:
Who is going to play corner?
We'll probably have one or more of the freshman make an impact on the CB corps, but I'll wait til they actually start practicing to predict which ones. Returning we have Rico McWilliams who backed up both corner spots last year and Ali Groves who redshirted after an injury, but showed promise early on. We also moved Jabari Smith over from RB in the spring and he showed flashes in his limited experience. Brison Williams did play there in the spring and some early in the summer, and we have a very capable guy behind him at SS in TJ Gurley, but I think if some of the new guys show promise then he will migrate back to the safety spot.
quote:
Is it safe to say your LBs will be the strength of the defense?
Yes and the safeties as well.
quote:
Who all rounds out the projected starting lineup?
Kadetrik Marcus should continue to start at FS but he is being pushed by RS SO Chaz Elder who has showed great promise. Skai Moore (OLB), Kaiwan Lewis (MLB) and Sharrod Golightly (SPR) should form a solid starting corps with Jordan Diggs (SPR), Larenz Bryant (SPR, OLB), Jonathan Walton and TJ Holloman (LB) pushing themselves to get some starting time as well.
quote:
What signees have already been ruled ineligible? What other signees are in jeopardy? How does this effect you defensively?
Jhaustin Thomas (JUCO who couldn't get his grades up and is probably never going to put on the Garnet and Black), Dante Sawyer (already inrolled in CC and on pace to join our 2015 class in January, if he keeps his grades up) and Kalen Ritchie (probably headed to JUCO) are out. All three would have helped out our DE position, but I think it would have added depth more than pushing for starting spots. Dexter Wideman is still waiting on some grades to see if he will make it in, and depending on the week it's either looking good or dire. Joe Blue looks like he will make it in in August, as of right now, but he's going to be on the offensive side of the ball at FB and not ILB like 247 shows.
The only one I think who would realistically pushed for playing time is Thomas, but we still have plenty of talent behind English and Dixon (Mason Harris, Cedric Cooper and Devin Washington most notably).
All the CB freshman should report by Summer II or the start of Fall at the latest. Al Harris is already on campus and from all reports seems to be taking the field by storm. He does have the added benefit of spending the offseason in the Chief's training facility with his dad, though... so that's nice.
The closer we get to kickoff the more confident I get that Ward will have a dangerous defensive unit for the Aggies to test out in August. I can't wait to see what they can do.
Posted on 7/1/14 at 11:08 am to MenloDawg
quote:
MenloDawg
If you're hoping we're going to be down on the D side of the ball, you're probably going to be disappointed.
We've been recruiting well there so we're not dependant on the new class for success on that side of the ball this year.
I'm not convinced we'll take a step back. To the contrary, there's a chance we'll be better.
From what I:be been told for several weeks now, and I shared this on our board, last year there were some chemistry issues and work issues. This year, as recently alluded to by the HBC himself, this is the hardest working, most focused team in the off season he's had in awhile.
The chemistry is very good on this team ... and they are talented.
We've got guys who have been patiently waiting their turns playing in the shadow of the others. We've been reloading ... so our cupboard is not bare in the least.
DLine and LB are most important to us vs UGA. We'll be better there this year than we were last year IMHO without all the attention and distration on Clowney. Different chemistry, more of a team thing than an individual thing.
Posted on 7/1/14 at 12:52 pm to MenloDawg
quote:One thing I'm not sure has been mentioned is that after the 2012 season we had to replace our entire 2 deep at LB. We've been in the position of having to replace an entire position group before.
3 of 4 DL and your top 2 CBs? Is that correct?
quote:According to Phil Steele we're returning 71% of our tackles from last year.
It looks like a lot of production, but I haven't looked at the stats yet. May do so later.
quote:Absolutely. Our leading tackler last year was true freshman Skai Moore. We return everybody at LB including 2nd team All-SEC Sharrod Golightly at SPUR.
Is it safe to say your LBs will be the strength of the defense?
Posted on 7/1/14 at 7:54 pm to MenloDawg
They'll still likely beat us, but our offense is going to clown their secondary.
Posted on 7/2/14 at 9:50 pm to MenloDawg
Since we're all here, how do USCe fans expect their rushing offense to change this year? Obviously the talent and experience is there on the OL, which is irreplaceable. But, and correct me if I'm wrong, Thompson isn't a threat with his legs like Shaw was. Shaw accounted for at least 400 yds rushing each of the last 3 seasons. Will the offense be reworked? Will that contain Mike Davis some?
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