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The Defense and Optimism
Posted on 1/6/14 at 4:49 pm
Posted on 1/6/14 at 4:49 pm
Just a quick positional breakdown, how we fared this year and where we go from here. This is entirely my opinion so obviously it may just be dead wrong. Just trying to generate positive discussion
WDE:
'13 players: Obioha's effort can't ever be questioned and he's a leader but was just bad here. He lacks the footspeed to hold the edge and occasionally would get matched up in a footrace vs speed backs with disastrous results. He also doesn't have a good enough first step to be an effective pass rusher. However, he played part of the year hurt after missing the entire off-season conditioning program so he's yet to go thru a Jackson remodel. Hall showed poor fundamentals and he wasn't physically ready but he showed flashes of brilliance. His 2h vs Duke was just outstanding. Was a liability vs power running and it kept him off the field a lot.
What to expect in '14: Obviously the guy everyone wants to talk about is Myles Garrett. He's a freak of nature but generally freshmen make mistakes and take a while to adjust to playing against 22-23 year olds that are also gifted athletes. Hall should be much better. He's really progressed technically through the year and given 8 months to work with LJ, I fully expect him to make a large leap into 2014. Qualen or JJ may also come in ready and surprise us as both have more talent than any DE on our roster but Hall. The biggest factor in all of this is the competition. If one guy isn't getting it done, there are actually options, unlike this year when the two options had polar opposite weaknesses we had to try to mask. We may not quite see Damontre Moore production out of WDE next year, but it may very well be close. That alone will make our defense so much better.
DT:
'13 players: Zo Williams began the year here and he was hit or miss. Didn't show to be a guy that should be starting yet and physically got dominated at times which resulted in huge running lanes. Golden and Walker and even Arnold played here a bit but the position was pretty bad til Ivan Robinson shockingly emerged post-injury. Ivan was solid and given the state of our defense, that's pretty impressive. Late in the season, with Robinson starting and Williams backing him up, we began to see production. Still a negative position but it really progressed.
What to expect in '14: Like WDE, DT will see a lot more competition in '14. Besides Robinson and Williams coming back, our highest rated defensive recruit from the '13 class, Justin Manning, will step into mix. Manning redshirted because he wasn't physically or mentally ready but he's an extremely gifted player who will have had a year of TP coaching and a year of LJ. And like WDE, we have a top notch recruit in Washington coming in who can push the others if they aren't getting it done. I don't think we're suddenly going to be elite at 3-tech, but I see no reason we can't get average SEC quality production from the position next year which would be a monster step forward.
NT:
'13 players: Obviously Kirby Ennis was the guy leading in. Ennis has always been a fireplug, not a playmaker but he's been a really good plug. His injury really set us back because he was dependable and a leader on the line. Golden emerged as a guy to watch. As an 18-year old, he played exceptionally well at times and is a star in the making. Walker is apparently a great practice player that hasn't translated it to the field just yet. Both are freshman though and made freshman mistakes, losing gaps, leverage, and just having bad technique at times.
What to expect in '14: NT may be the single hardest position to transition from HS to college because most elite NTs in high school can't be stopped by HS olinemen. They are bigger and quicker. When those guys get to college, suddenly they are facing guys their size and technique actually matters. It's still a position about size and strength though and these guys aren't going to mature overnight. I expect an uptick in both of their play but Ndamukong Suh ain't walking through that door just yet. So while we should see fewer gap mistakes, barring an Ivan Robinson type 1000 watt light coming on for one of them, I think best case scenario it's an average SEC quality position (which isn't bad)
SDE:
'13 players: With Stansbury's suspension, we saw a lot of Tyrone Taylor here early which was a disaster. But as the season wore on we saw Arnold move over as the backup. Stansbury was actually really good the 2nd half of the season and was named our Defensive MVP at the banquet (deservedly so imo). Gavin plays with an exceptional motor and like Ivan Robinson, the light seemed to really come on for him this year. I don't want to get carried away because he's hardly elite, but on a defense that was below average at basically every position in the front 7, he emerged as average, which is a lot more than anyone expected. Arnold also has a terrific motor but makes freshman mistakes. Him being forced to play 82 snaps in the Chicken Bowl shows just how epicly thin we are in places.
What to expect in '14: This is the only DL position where we lack elite talent. Stansbury is a JAG but he's proven what he can do and sets the bar here. I think Arnold is more athletic and thus has more upside but like Gavin, probably will never be an elite pass rusher. Obioha will also likely be back in this mix and like Stansbury, proved he can be an adequate SDE in the SEC. We may even see a bit of Hall or Garrett here if they make a case they should both be on the field. I feel confident that worst case scenario we remain average and best case we see a huge leap from Jay Arnold combined with the experience of Stansbury and Obioha and SDE turns into a position of strength.
Defensive Line Summary:
'13 players: When your various positions on the line range from horrific (WDE, DT) to slightly below average (SDE) you end up with the worst line in the SEC. Defense is about 11 guys doing their job and at times, the 4 up front have flat failed making everything else fall apart. Their inability to get pressure meant we had to blitz. Their inability to maintain gaps left our young LBs in bad positions over and over. It's hard to overestimate how much our dline play made everything else look bad. Every time it started to look better someone else was lost. They actually played halfway decently vs Mizzou and then lost Stansbury and Obioha for the Chicken Bowl.
What to expect in '14: There is reason to believe we will improve at every position on the line and that in and of itself is reason for optimism. Besides Ennis who didn't play but a few games, everyone is back. To many banging the drum, that's not a good thing. But if Stansbury and Robinson can just maintain their late season form, if one or two of this year's freshmen make the kind of leap S/R did, and if guys added into the mix like Garrett and Manning can be meaningful additions, a horrific unit can progress to a slightly above average one like in 2012. And by 2015 as these guys mature and with a guy like Daylon Mack added to the mix, I expect this is going to be a very very good unit and a strength of not only the defense, but the team.
WDE:
'13 players: Obioha's effort can't ever be questioned and he's a leader but was just bad here. He lacks the footspeed to hold the edge and occasionally would get matched up in a footrace vs speed backs with disastrous results. He also doesn't have a good enough first step to be an effective pass rusher. However, he played part of the year hurt after missing the entire off-season conditioning program so he's yet to go thru a Jackson remodel. Hall showed poor fundamentals and he wasn't physically ready but he showed flashes of brilliance. His 2h vs Duke was just outstanding. Was a liability vs power running and it kept him off the field a lot.
What to expect in '14: Obviously the guy everyone wants to talk about is Myles Garrett. He's a freak of nature but generally freshmen make mistakes and take a while to adjust to playing against 22-23 year olds that are also gifted athletes. Hall should be much better. He's really progressed technically through the year and given 8 months to work with LJ, I fully expect him to make a large leap into 2014. Qualen or JJ may also come in ready and surprise us as both have more talent than any DE on our roster but Hall. The biggest factor in all of this is the competition. If one guy isn't getting it done, there are actually options, unlike this year when the two options had polar opposite weaknesses we had to try to mask. We may not quite see Damontre Moore production out of WDE next year, but it may very well be close. That alone will make our defense so much better.
DT:
'13 players: Zo Williams began the year here and he was hit or miss. Didn't show to be a guy that should be starting yet and physically got dominated at times which resulted in huge running lanes. Golden and Walker and even Arnold played here a bit but the position was pretty bad til Ivan Robinson shockingly emerged post-injury. Ivan was solid and given the state of our defense, that's pretty impressive. Late in the season, with Robinson starting and Williams backing him up, we began to see production. Still a negative position but it really progressed.
What to expect in '14: Like WDE, DT will see a lot more competition in '14. Besides Robinson and Williams coming back, our highest rated defensive recruit from the '13 class, Justin Manning, will step into mix. Manning redshirted because he wasn't physically or mentally ready but he's an extremely gifted player who will have had a year of TP coaching and a year of LJ. And like WDE, we have a top notch recruit in Washington coming in who can push the others if they aren't getting it done. I don't think we're suddenly going to be elite at 3-tech, but I see no reason we can't get average SEC quality production from the position next year which would be a monster step forward.
NT:
'13 players: Obviously Kirby Ennis was the guy leading in. Ennis has always been a fireplug, not a playmaker but he's been a really good plug. His injury really set us back because he was dependable and a leader on the line. Golden emerged as a guy to watch. As an 18-year old, he played exceptionally well at times and is a star in the making. Walker is apparently a great practice player that hasn't translated it to the field just yet. Both are freshman though and made freshman mistakes, losing gaps, leverage, and just having bad technique at times.
What to expect in '14: NT may be the single hardest position to transition from HS to college because most elite NTs in high school can't be stopped by HS olinemen. They are bigger and quicker. When those guys get to college, suddenly they are facing guys their size and technique actually matters. It's still a position about size and strength though and these guys aren't going to mature overnight. I expect an uptick in both of their play but Ndamukong Suh ain't walking through that door just yet. So while we should see fewer gap mistakes, barring an Ivan Robinson type 1000 watt light coming on for one of them, I think best case scenario it's an average SEC quality position (which isn't bad)
SDE:
'13 players: With Stansbury's suspension, we saw a lot of Tyrone Taylor here early which was a disaster. But as the season wore on we saw Arnold move over as the backup. Stansbury was actually really good the 2nd half of the season and was named our Defensive MVP at the banquet (deservedly so imo). Gavin plays with an exceptional motor and like Ivan Robinson, the light seemed to really come on for him this year. I don't want to get carried away because he's hardly elite, but on a defense that was below average at basically every position in the front 7, he emerged as average, which is a lot more than anyone expected. Arnold also has a terrific motor but makes freshman mistakes. Him being forced to play 82 snaps in the Chicken Bowl shows just how epicly thin we are in places.
What to expect in '14: This is the only DL position where we lack elite talent. Stansbury is a JAG but he's proven what he can do and sets the bar here. I think Arnold is more athletic and thus has more upside but like Gavin, probably will never be an elite pass rusher. Obioha will also likely be back in this mix and like Stansbury, proved he can be an adequate SDE in the SEC. We may even see a bit of Hall or Garrett here if they make a case they should both be on the field. I feel confident that worst case scenario we remain average and best case we see a huge leap from Jay Arnold combined with the experience of Stansbury and Obioha and SDE turns into a position of strength.
Defensive Line Summary:
'13 players: When your various positions on the line range from horrific (WDE, DT) to slightly below average (SDE) you end up with the worst line in the SEC. Defense is about 11 guys doing their job and at times, the 4 up front have flat failed making everything else fall apart. Their inability to get pressure meant we had to blitz. Their inability to maintain gaps left our young LBs in bad positions over and over. It's hard to overestimate how much our dline play made everything else look bad. Every time it started to look better someone else was lost. They actually played halfway decently vs Mizzou and then lost Stansbury and Obioha for the Chicken Bowl.
What to expect in '14: There is reason to believe we will improve at every position on the line and that in and of itself is reason for optimism. Besides Ennis who didn't play but a few games, everyone is back. To many banging the drum, that's not a good thing. But if Stansbury and Robinson can just maintain their late season form, if one or two of this year's freshmen make the kind of leap S/R did, and if guys added into the mix like Garrett and Manning can be meaningful additions, a horrific unit can progress to a slightly above average one like in 2012. And by 2015 as these guys mature and with a guy like Daylon Mack added to the mix, I expect this is going to be a very very good unit and a strength of not only the defense, but the team.
7
Posted on 1/6/14 at 4:49 pm to tmc94
WLB:
'13 players: For being the most experienced guy in our front 7, I had higher expectations of Jenkins. But he is who he is which is simply an attack dog. When asked to read and react, he is very mistake prone but when given an absolute mission (blitz, gap control, etc) he does it effectively. Last year we mostly subbed him out in passing situations for this reason but this year we didn't have that luxury and in no small part to his talents, every Aggie, even the casual football fan, is now quite familiar with the wheel route. He was definitely frustrating, but he also made some top notch plays at times as well.
What to expect in '14: the plan right now is to move Darion Claiborne to WLB in the spring. Claiborne is a more natural fit here and clearly has an extremely high football IQ. His experience this year should help us maintain at the position as a worst case. Brett Wade seemed lost in the spring and I've not heard his name much over the fall so I don't really know what to expect but he projects here. I think Baggs can be an effective backup in a pinch and Josh Walker will join as possibly the most physically talented LB on the roster from day one. If Claiborne shows progression, I think we'll actually see improvement even though we will be replacing a 3-year starter. We might take a step back on the blitz and possibly even a slight downgrade in run support, but a huge leap forward in pass defense.
MLB:
'13 players: The Baggs experiment was a disaster. Claiborne showed tremendous flashes at times but he also was physically overmatched, showed a tendency to lose gap control and technically is not very sound. His tremendous instincts overcame some of that but he got abused against a few teams, most notably Auburn. Mastrogiavanni emerged as the primary backup late in the season and easily had his best game vs Mizzou. His tendency to think too much and stand still makes him seem slow but he actually shows good burst when he finally gets going. He was below average in the Chicken Bowl but not a glaring weakness like the position was early on.
What to expect in '14: Mastro heads into the spring as the projected starter and the coaches are very pleased with his head for the game. He's actually learned the vast majority of the defense and was helping veterans get lined up against Duke. But he's got to process faster if he's going to keep the job. That should come in time but we don't have the luxury of letting him develop. He has the size that Claiborne and Baggs lack though so if he can do that, we might see a nice uptick. Chevis was absolutely lost for a long time but apparently the light came on in a big way for him the last few weeks of the season. It will be interesting to see how hard he pushes here. Sanders is someone to keep an eye on because he's a very good nickel linebacker but just too small to be an every down guy. If he can gain some good weight, he may challenge. AJ Hilliard may also get some play here if others fail. And a guy like Kenny Young could also make a real push if he commits. And if all else fails, you move Claiborne back and put someone else at WLB. So at this point, it may be too early to guess how it will go because there are so many names in the mix. It could be a catastrophe again or one of them may emerge. The positive outlook is that unlike this year, when in the spring Baggs got the job by default, there are actually multiple guys to choose from.
SLB:
'13 players: No nice way to say it. SLB was simply a horror show this year. We tried Tommy Sanders who has the quickness but did not prove to be a very good blitzer, lacked the size to deal with TEs in the run game, and struggled with reading play action. We tried Askew who lacks LB instincts or the physicality you need to defend the run. We even gave Mastro a brief, but equally disastrous run. We finally came to Donnie Baggs who lacks any real strengths but has the fewest weaknesses. At least, in very limited action, Shaan Washington showed flashes of being a playmaker. But honestly, SAM is the one position that no one emerged and showed real signs of life this season at any point and we ended up playing a lot more 425 than I think anyone wanted just to get the SLB off the field. In the end, the gap from Sean Porter was Grand Canyon-like.
What to expect in '14: Another hard position to read. Baggs was the least horrible but you really have to hope he's not the guy in '14. Hilliard and Washington should be the primary competition but Sanders or even Josh Walker or a guy like Kenny Young could get a look here if the shite show continues. We desperately need someone who is a capable blitzer to emerge because sending 6 and still not touching the QB is just pathetic. On the positive side, it can't possibly be any worse.
Linebacker Summary:
'13 players: It's not a year where we will look back fondly on our linebacker play. With a new coach at the position, questions abound, but we also have to remember that only 2 LBs from the '12 roster were on the '13 team. Before the season I said we might look back at that and say we should have seen it coming. Well, I guess we should have.
What to expect in '14: It's time for Hagen to show why he's here. He's got 8 scholarship players returning and many are very talented and will have had at least a full year to learn the scheme. There are questions at every position though so projecting how it shakes out is very difficult. And while I don't expect them all to be world beaters, if we can't find 3 from the lot that can be competent, something is wrong on the coaching end. Simply put - no excuses. If we don't see a large improvement from our LBs next year, we're going to have some defensive coaches on the hot seat.
'13 players: For being the most experienced guy in our front 7, I had higher expectations of Jenkins. But he is who he is which is simply an attack dog. When asked to read and react, he is very mistake prone but when given an absolute mission (blitz, gap control, etc) he does it effectively. Last year we mostly subbed him out in passing situations for this reason but this year we didn't have that luxury and in no small part to his talents, every Aggie, even the casual football fan, is now quite familiar with the wheel route. He was definitely frustrating, but he also made some top notch plays at times as well.
What to expect in '14: the plan right now is to move Darion Claiborne to WLB in the spring. Claiborne is a more natural fit here and clearly has an extremely high football IQ. His experience this year should help us maintain at the position as a worst case. Brett Wade seemed lost in the spring and I've not heard his name much over the fall so I don't really know what to expect but he projects here. I think Baggs can be an effective backup in a pinch and Josh Walker will join as possibly the most physically talented LB on the roster from day one. If Claiborne shows progression, I think we'll actually see improvement even though we will be replacing a 3-year starter. We might take a step back on the blitz and possibly even a slight downgrade in run support, but a huge leap forward in pass defense.
MLB:
'13 players: The Baggs experiment was a disaster. Claiborne showed tremendous flashes at times but he also was physically overmatched, showed a tendency to lose gap control and technically is not very sound. His tremendous instincts overcame some of that but he got abused against a few teams, most notably Auburn. Mastrogiavanni emerged as the primary backup late in the season and easily had his best game vs Mizzou. His tendency to think too much and stand still makes him seem slow but he actually shows good burst when he finally gets going. He was below average in the Chicken Bowl but not a glaring weakness like the position was early on.
What to expect in '14: Mastro heads into the spring as the projected starter and the coaches are very pleased with his head for the game. He's actually learned the vast majority of the defense and was helping veterans get lined up against Duke. But he's got to process faster if he's going to keep the job. That should come in time but we don't have the luxury of letting him develop. He has the size that Claiborne and Baggs lack though so if he can do that, we might see a nice uptick. Chevis was absolutely lost for a long time but apparently the light came on in a big way for him the last few weeks of the season. It will be interesting to see how hard he pushes here. Sanders is someone to keep an eye on because he's a very good nickel linebacker but just too small to be an every down guy. If he can gain some good weight, he may challenge. AJ Hilliard may also get some play here if others fail. And a guy like Kenny Young could also make a real push if he commits. And if all else fails, you move Claiborne back and put someone else at WLB. So at this point, it may be too early to guess how it will go because there are so many names in the mix. It could be a catastrophe again or one of them may emerge. The positive outlook is that unlike this year, when in the spring Baggs got the job by default, there are actually multiple guys to choose from.
SLB:
'13 players: No nice way to say it. SLB was simply a horror show this year. We tried Tommy Sanders who has the quickness but did not prove to be a very good blitzer, lacked the size to deal with TEs in the run game, and struggled with reading play action. We tried Askew who lacks LB instincts or the physicality you need to defend the run. We even gave Mastro a brief, but equally disastrous run. We finally came to Donnie Baggs who lacks any real strengths but has the fewest weaknesses. At least, in very limited action, Shaan Washington showed flashes of being a playmaker. But honestly, SAM is the one position that no one emerged and showed real signs of life this season at any point and we ended up playing a lot more 425 than I think anyone wanted just to get the SLB off the field. In the end, the gap from Sean Porter was Grand Canyon-like.
What to expect in '14: Another hard position to read. Baggs was the least horrible but you really have to hope he's not the guy in '14. Hilliard and Washington should be the primary competition but Sanders or even Josh Walker or a guy like Kenny Young could get a look here if the shite show continues. We desperately need someone who is a capable blitzer to emerge because sending 6 and still not touching the QB is just pathetic. On the positive side, it can't possibly be any worse.
Linebacker Summary:
'13 players: It's not a year where we will look back fondly on our linebacker play. With a new coach at the position, questions abound, but we also have to remember that only 2 LBs from the '12 roster were on the '13 team. Before the season I said we might look back at that and say we should have seen it coming. Well, I guess we should have.
What to expect in '14: It's time for Hagen to show why he's here. He's got 8 scholarship players returning and many are very talented and will have had at least a full year to learn the scheme. There are questions at every position though so projecting how it shakes out is very difficult. And while I don't expect them all to be world beaters, if we can't find 3 from the lot that can be competent, something is wrong on the coaching end. Simply put - no excuses. If we don't see a large improvement from our LBs next year, we're going to have some defensive coaches on the hot seat.
Posted on 1/6/14 at 4:50 pm to tmc94
Nickel:
'13 players: Toney Hurd was solid for the most part but we ended up playing him in situations that really led to struggles. Him trying to tackle Yeldon at the goalline was just sad to watch because Hurd did everything right. He's just a safety in a corner's body. As Noel Ellis played, he really showed what he can be going forward. I was pretty impressed. He's already a better cover guy than Hurd but he showed a willingness to really stick his nose in there and play the run despite his size.
What to expect in '14: Ellis clearly is the frontrunner here and his primary competition will likely be from recruits Nick Harvey or even Armani Watts. A new DB coach though may move people around so it can be hard to know exactly. Ellis showed that he is capable of manning the spot though so whatever we do, we should be in good shape.
BCB:
'13 players: We asked a lot of our corners this year because we put them on islands constantly. Everett is a good corner. He's not elite, but he's good with nice instincts and good technique. He's also a great blitzer and a tremendous help in run support. His biggest weakness is just a lack of raw speed and it got highlighted because he has to cover too long since we get no pressure. When Everett was moved or injured, Jacobs was somewhat adequate but he got abused when he played extensively on an island. He just lacked the instincts to read the game. The limited time Sezer got on the field he showed speed and agility but played without much confidence.
What to expect in '14: Tough to know because it's going to depend on where Everett plays. If he stays and we get an improved pass rush, he should be a plus corner. If we move Everett then Ellis, Sezer, Garner, or incomers like Harvey or Watts could all factor in here. Another thought could even be Sabo moving from offense as he was a very good corner in HS. And Speedy even mentioned he might like to play defense.
FCB:
'13 players: Harris is our best man to man cover guy. He has the speed and quickness to play off and close hard. He has been quite prone to mental errors though and at times didn't commit himself to tackles with comical results. He had a 3-game stretch when he had 1 pass completed on his man. And yet, he's also made multiple highlight reels as he got tossed like a ragdoll. Love him or hate him, he made games exciting. Garner got a little playing time early here and I thought he looked very good in flashes.
What to expect in '14: Harris is extremely talented but the same list on the boundary side could challenge on the field (designations that may not exist in TJ's secondary however). Harris's speed and quickness seems like it would make him an ideal candidate for Joseph's more aggressive style. But he's simply going to have to show more physicality. With the possibility of Everett and Davis moving to safety and Garner likely to miss the spring, we may not have enough bodies to push him this spring which would be a shame. But if he doesn't improve, I'd hardly be shocked to see someone like Nick Harvey show up and flat win that job.
BS:
'13 players: Ahh, the enigma of Howard Matthews. At times he looks like a star in the making. At others he looks like he doesn't even know there is a game going on. Matthews is actually a decent centerfielder who brings some pain when he's coming down hill from his 2-deep or 3-deep spot. But he's awful when isolated in man coverage. His backup is actually Honeycutt but between injuries to Raven and Honey, he basically never had a backup which meant whatever Howard showed up was the one we had to live with. Matthews weaknesses were on full display in the Chicken Bowl as Cutcliffe found ways to isolate him time and again in the 1h. More than anyone else, the lack of a pass rush has exposed Matthews flaws this year. It just seemed every time he was forced to man up, he got burned.
What to expect in '14: Despite starting now for 2 years, I wouldn't be shocked to see Matthews end up a backup in '14. Honeycutt or Miles could very well be your starter at BS (or SS or whatever). We've seen very little of Wiggins but he's also in the mix. We may also see an incoming freshman get a chance but it's going to depend on how we close this class and what Joseph sees.
FS:
'13 players: On to more limited players. Honeycutt is not at all a good fit here and his physical limitations are on full display every game. Unlike Matthews, he has decent long speed, but he lacks the agility to make plays in space. That led to us trying to rework the secondary and put Everett at safety which highlighted Jacobs weaknesses. In the end, Honeycutt rarely makes mental mistakes which is why he earned the job back when he was fully recovered. During his absence, Raven showed us why Honeycutt won the starting job in training camp. He didn't go a game without making the opposing team's highlight reel and found himself benched vs UTEP in the 1st quarter. That took a lot because we sent Toney Hurd out there, who hadn't even practiced FS. The mental errors were so consistent that the second Honeycutt was fully healthy, despite his own obvious limitations, he was handed the job back.
What to expect in '14: Transition. Joseph needs to figure out who is best here and my guess is it will be Everett. Then he can began prepping the youngsters to take the job in '15. Last year we hoped Raven's athleticism would translate and Miles was a backup plan. When both got injured, the floodgates opened. I think we'll see multiple guys try out here in the spring and hopefully at least one shows himself capable.
Secondary Summary:
'13 players: It was a year when the secondary should have been the strength of the defense. But no one stepped up at FS, we had no semblance of a pass rush, and injuries forced us to mix and match a lot. Many were happy to see Yates leave because of how poorly they played but to be fair, the front 7 was so bad we put the secondary in a no-win position forcing them to play against their strengths in cover zero and man free.
What to expect in '14: The question of the new year. This is an area that will bear close watch in the spring as we'll have a new coach with new ideas and everyone will have to reprove themselves. The decommit of DSG leaves more question marks but it's a month to signing day so hopefully we can hold the class together and close strong. My real expectation is slight individual improvement with markedly improved results simply because we will have more opportunity to mix coverages. I have a feeling that a year from now most will see Joseph as a hero. Not to say he won't have fantastic results, but I do think the secondary has been somewhat unfairly maligned this year because we were so successful masking their individual flaws in 2012.
'13 players: Toney Hurd was solid for the most part but we ended up playing him in situations that really led to struggles. Him trying to tackle Yeldon at the goalline was just sad to watch because Hurd did everything right. He's just a safety in a corner's body. As Noel Ellis played, he really showed what he can be going forward. I was pretty impressed. He's already a better cover guy than Hurd but he showed a willingness to really stick his nose in there and play the run despite his size.
What to expect in '14: Ellis clearly is the frontrunner here and his primary competition will likely be from recruits Nick Harvey or even Armani Watts. A new DB coach though may move people around so it can be hard to know exactly. Ellis showed that he is capable of manning the spot though so whatever we do, we should be in good shape.
BCB:
'13 players: We asked a lot of our corners this year because we put them on islands constantly. Everett is a good corner. He's not elite, but he's good with nice instincts and good technique. He's also a great blitzer and a tremendous help in run support. His biggest weakness is just a lack of raw speed and it got highlighted because he has to cover too long since we get no pressure. When Everett was moved or injured, Jacobs was somewhat adequate but he got abused when he played extensively on an island. He just lacked the instincts to read the game. The limited time Sezer got on the field he showed speed and agility but played without much confidence.
What to expect in '14: Tough to know because it's going to depend on where Everett plays. If he stays and we get an improved pass rush, he should be a plus corner. If we move Everett then Ellis, Sezer, Garner, or incomers like Harvey or Watts could all factor in here. Another thought could even be Sabo moving from offense as he was a very good corner in HS. And Speedy even mentioned he might like to play defense.
FCB:
'13 players: Harris is our best man to man cover guy. He has the speed and quickness to play off and close hard. He has been quite prone to mental errors though and at times didn't commit himself to tackles with comical results. He had a 3-game stretch when he had 1 pass completed on his man. And yet, he's also made multiple highlight reels as he got tossed like a ragdoll. Love him or hate him, he made games exciting. Garner got a little playing time early here and I thought he looked very good in flashes.
What to expect in '14: Harris is extremely talented but the same list on the boundary side could challenge on the field (designations that may not exist in TJ's secondary however). Harris's speed and quickness seems like it would make him an ideal candidate for Joseph's more aggressive style. But he's simply going to have to show more physicality. With the possibility of Everett and Davis moving to safety and Garner likely to miss the spring, we may not have enough bodies to push him this spring which would be a shame. But if he doesn't improve, I'd hardly be shocked to see someone like Nick Harvey show up and flat win that job.
BS:
'13 players: Ahh, the enigma of Howard Matthews. At times he looks like a star in the making. At others he looks like he doesn't even know there is a game going on. Matthews is actually a decent centerfielder who brings some pain when he's coming down hill from his 2-deep or 3-deep spot. But he's awful when isolated in man coverage. His backup is actually Honeycutt but between injuries to Raven and Honey, he basically never had a backup which meant whatever Howard showed up was the one we had to live with. Matthews weaknesses were on full display in the Chicken Bowl as Cutcliffe found ways to isolate him time and again in the 1h. More than anyone else, the lack of a pass rush has exposed Matthews flaws this year. It just seemed every time he was forced to man up, he got burned.
What to expect in '14: Despite starting now for 2 years, I wouldn't be shocked to see Matthews end up a backup in '14. Honeycutt or Miles could very well be your starter at BS (or SS or whatever). We've seen very little of Wiggins but he's also in the mix. We may also see an incoming freshman get a chance but it's going to depend on how we close this class and what Joseph sees.
FS:
'13 players: On to more limited players. Honeycutt is not at all a good fit here and his physical limitations are on full display every game. Unlike Matthews, he has decent long speed, but he lacks the agility to make plays in space. That led to us trying to rework the secondary and put Everett at safety which highlighted Jacobs weaknesses. In the end, Honeycutt rarely makes mental mistakes which is why he earned the job back when he was fully recovered. During his absence, Raven showed us why Honeycutt won the starting job in training camp. He didn't go a game without making the opposing team's highlight reel and found himself benched vs UTEP in the 1st quarter. That took a lot because we sent Toney Hurd out there, who hadn't even practiced FS. The mental errors were so consistent that the second Honeycutt was fully healthy, despite his own obvious limitations, he was handed the job back.
What to expect in '14: Transition. Joseph needs to figure out who is best here and my guess is it will be Everett. Then he can began prepping the youngsters to take the job in '15. Last year we hoped Raven's athleticism would translate and Miles was a backup plan. When both got injured, the floodgates opened. I think we'll see multiple guys try out here in the spring and hopefully at least one shows himself capable.
Secondary Summary:
'13 players: It was a year when the secondary should have been the strength of the defense. But no one stepped up at FS, we had no semblance of a pass rush, and injuries forced us to mix and match a lot. Many were happy to see Yates leave because of how poorly they played but to be fair, the front 7 was so bad we put the secondary in a no-win position forcing them to play against their strengths in cover zero and man free.
What to expect in '14: The question of the new year. This is an area that will bear close watch in the spring as we'll have a new coach with new ideas and everyone will have to reprove themselves. The decommit of DSG leaves more question marks but it's a month to signing day so hopefully we can hold the class together and close strong. My real expectation is slight individual improvement with markedly improved results simply because we will have more opportunity to mix coverages. I have a feeling that a year from now most will see Joseph as a hero. Not to say he won't have fantastic results, but I do think the secondary has been somewhat unfairly maligned this year because we were so successful masking their individual flaws in 2012.
Posted on 1/6/14 at 5:18 pm to tmc94
Here's my question. Assuming the following:
1. Sabian Holmes and Edward Pope are moved to defense
2. We close with at least two of Hall, Parker, and McGraw.
3. Matthews or Wiggins (or both) move to linebacker
How does this change?
1. Sabian Holmes and Edward Pope are moved to defense
2. We close with at least two of Hall, Parker, and McGraw.
3. Matthews or Wiggins (or both) move to linebacker
How does this change?
Posted on 1/6/14 at 5:25 pm to tmc94
Very nice write up tmc 
Posted on 1/6/14 at 5:29 pm to CGSC Lobotomy
I'm not sure your question. But a few comments
- If Holmes and Pope moved to defense we wouldn't have enough WRs so Hall would definitely be playing WR. We actually are more pressed for bodies at WR than DB. Anyway, I don't think either would make much noise on defense but I haven't seen much of them so it's just idle speculation. It may depend on how we close this class and where they fall in the WR rotation in the spring
- I'd be pretty damn happy with 2 of Hall, Parker and McGraw (especially the first two)
- Matthews would be an awful linebacker as he's small and doesn't tackle well (insert joke about how he'd fit in perfectly). I'd honestly rather see Honeycutt move but in either case, neither would likely be in the 2-deep and they will be SRs
- Wiggins I haven't seen enough of but I don't think he moves well enough laterally nor is he a quick twitch type that would be a good SAM. I could be wrong on that though. He's a tweener so where he ends up is definitely a question. But afaik, he's never played LB so if we feel he's not a fit in the new world, we may see him head to TJC or something
- If Holmes and Pope moved to defense we wouldn't have enough WRs so Hall would definitely be playing WR. We actually are more pressed for bodies at WR than DB. Anyway, I don't think either would make much noise on defense but I haven't seen much of them so it's just idle speculation. It may depend on how we close this class and where they fall in the WR rotation in the spring
- I'd be pretty damn happy with 2 of Hall, Parker and McGraw (especially the first two)
- Matthews would be an awful linebacker as he's small and doesn't tackle well (insert joke about how he'd fit in perfectly). I'd honestly rather see Honeycutt move but in either case, neither would likely be in the 2-deep and they will be SRs
- Wiggins I haven't seen enough of but I don't think he moves well enough laterally nor is he a quick twitch type that would be a good SAM. I could be wrong on that though. He's a tweener so where he ends up is definitely a question. But afaik, he's never played LB so if we feel he's not a fit in the new world, we may see him head to TJC or something
Posted on 1/6/14 at 5:33 pm to tmc94
nice analysis keep it up. Saves me from having to read several different articles to get the results. Yeah I'm an old grumpy lazy bastard
Posted on 1/6/14 at 5:36 pm to tmc94
quote:
tmc94
You're the man, sir!
Posted on 1/6/14 at 5:38 pm to tmc94
Holmes and Pope would have to bulk up significantly before a move to defense could even be considered I would think. If Hill is the QB I also think Holmes could emerge since they played at Southlake together.
I'll read the rest of this when I get home from work and take a shite , thanks for posting
I'll read the rest of this when I get home from work and take a shite , thanks for posting
Posted on 1/6/14 at 5:39 pm to tmc94
quote:
If Holmes and Pope moved to defense we wouldn't have enough WRs
What about just Holmes (corner) or just Pope (safety)?
Posted on 1/6/14 at 5:45 pm to CGSC Lobotomy
it wouldn't shock me. Are you asking about numbers? It's likely going to depend on how we close this class and if they want to move. I was shocked to hear Speedy say he's thought about playing defense. I think he just is thinking about playing next to Noel.
There are always guys that move around when they have a logjam in front of them like Askew did. Most try it for a week or so and go back though.
There are always guys that move around when they have a logjam in front of them like Askew did. Most try it for a week or so and go back though.
Posted on 1/6/14 at 5:46 pm to tmc94
Would Obioha start if he moves back to SDE or would he back up Stansbury? It just seemed that he was so much more effective as the strongside end (opposite Moore, of course)
Posted on 1/6/14 at 6:19 pm to tmc94
When you refer to Justin Manning not being mentally ready, are you referring to attitudinal issues?
Posted on 1/6/14 at 6:25 pm to CGSC Lobotomy
that's a tough question. Before this season I would have said Obioha hands down. But Stansbury made a huge leap forward. So as of today, Stansbury is your starter imo. But Obioha has been handicapped with last year's back injury so I wouldn't at all be shocked to see him make extremely large strides this off-season. Tough one to handicap.
Posted on 1/6/14 at 6:33 pm to SafetySam
no, not necessarily. Manning has the same problem a lot of elite talents do - he hasn't had an extremely strong work ethic because he's never needed one. He's never really worked on his technique or in the gym and frankly it shows. I'm pretty interested in his development because imo, he's going to be one of those guys that when you turn the lights on, he'll play great.
But him redshirting was more about not going as hard in practice as Golden and Walker and the staff thinking he wouldn't get enough time to warrant wasting his redshirt. I imagine spending a year watching your buddies play and being drilled by LJ is the perfect remedy for that.
But him redshirting was more about not going as hard in practice as Golden and Walker and the staff thinking he wouldn't get enough time to warrant wasting his redshirt. I imagine spending a year watching your buddies play and being drilled by LJ is the perfect remedy for that.
Posted on 1/6/14 at 7:08 pm to tmc94
Ok. Much obliged.
Posted on 1/6/14 at 9:45 pm to tmc94
Posted on 1/6/14 at 10:51 pm to tmc94
Good shite tmc
Posted on 1/7/14 at 8:03 am to tmc94
Thanks tmc! Quality post as always.
This post was edited on 1/7/14 at 8:04 am
Posted on 1/7/14 at 6:58 pm to tmc94
Excellent writeup.
We will have to revisit this thread after signging day to see where we stand, especially at the safety position.
We will have to revisit this thread after signging day to see where we stand, especially at the safety position.
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