re: Alabama is ranked #11 in the Preseason Coaches Poll

1. Check their production numbers

2. James Smith did not fit in an Odd Front and his lack of length limited him to strictly playing a 3-tech

3. Jordan Renaud was recruited to play as a 6-tech or a weak-5, so putting his 270lb body at the 4-tech was a liability

4. Keenan was a very solid 0-Nose, but had to play 35 snaps a game instead of the 15-20 that he’s supposed to play bc London Simmons had to takeover as the full time Shade/2i instead of spelling Keenan bc they both had to be on the field together (unless on obvious passing D&D) bc the lack of size in the interior.

5. Overton was good. He was a GREAT 4-tech with the versatility to slide to a 5 or even a 4i. He got the scheme perfectly and it showed.

- Greene is a massive upgrade over J. Smith
- I think Steve M will also step up at that slot as well
- L. Simmons was only a TF
- I’m not wasting time comparing Renaud to Thompkins as a true 5-tech
- Y Pierre is back and posse my the best pass rusher in the league and Zulu plus J. Hill provide depth as well as seeing Zulu/Hill paired with Pierre in obvious passing (D&D)

Also: Beaman, Steve, Bingley-Jones,
E. Hill, Faga (had to play too early last year out of necessity) are guys that possess the body type to play the technique/position that’s necessary.


Sidenote- Bama is in a 3-4 Under Front 60% of the time (especially in early downs/run downs). CKW is very similar to Venebles/OU schematically….3 big as* Shades/2i’s aligned between the Tackles with a true Mike LB stacked over the ball. The job is to make the ball “bounce”. The other 6-7 defenders are all basically Defensive Backs. That’s why you see so many body types like Zay Mincey, Dre Jr, Hubbard, Red Morgan, Jireh Edwards (soon), Justin Hill (played “Big Nickel vs 12 personnel or heavier), and a LB like J Jefferson who is undersized but can run and cover. They are getting as much SPEED on the field as possible behind those 4 in the Box.

The Seahawks did it out of an Even Front this past year and used guys like Josh Jobe like an apex LB.

It’s clearly been effective:
Bama and OU have allowed the fewest yards/points/and forced most turnovers in the Conference over the past 2 years, and the Seahawks D wasn’t too shabby either.

Is James Smith more likely to shoot a gap or win with a good ball get-off occasionally compared to Terrance Greene? Sure….but who can play a 3/2i/4 and a 4i and not get moved off the ball consistently? Thats what they need at that position, not necessarily the “better” player.

I replied above to your most recent post

Coach Wommack has done a better job than anyone could have possibly predicted when hired.

Everyone was thoroughly convinced he was in over his head after the Vandy debacle in Year 1 and it certainly looked like it.

It took the guy a lifetime to get his big shot at Alabama, and despite the success he had as a leading proponent of a 4-2-5 that his own father had helped innovate decades ago, he was still willing and able to transition to an Odd Front (Under primarily) after only utilizing it on 8% of snaps at South Alabama and none at all while at Indiana.

Not only was he taking a major chance, he also did not have the body types that a 3-4 Under and a Shade-5-9. It’s not like he could just claim guys off waivers.
Keenan and Overton fit it extremely well but the plethora of 5-techs leftover from CNS (Renaud/Hill/Faga/Latham) and the Edge defenders (Keeley, Robinson, Russaw) were built to play a 5-tech/6/7/ and a 9 like Dallas Turner and Chris Braswell did the year prior.

So, for the 4-2-5 defense that had Bama 67th in the country in total D after the Vandy beatdown week 5, ended up allowing the fewest points in all of college football over the final 9 weeks of the season, which put them top10 nationally and the best Bama defense statistically since 2017, while also forcing the most turnovers in the conference.
He followed that up on year 2 by allowing the 2nd fewest yards in the Conference and Top10 nationally in Total Defense and the freest from a Bama D since that same Pruitt-led 2017 defense.

Now, entering year 3, he has the body types that can maximize the output of the defense as a whole.

For example, a 4-tech who can maintain the B-gap allows a wider split by the alley/Nickel defender compared to a 3-tech. It doesn’t sound like much but it allowed him to play Justin Hill as a 244lb “Big Nickel” vs 11 personnel and higher.


Strictly looking at stats or the “eyeball test” when comparing this DL to last year is very misleading and ill-informed.

I was impressed with Faga last year. I didnt think he was going to contribute last year but he was able to hold up decent at the point of attack. With a little more size he could be pretty effective in his proper position.

Same thing with Edrik Hill. The light seemed to be coming on for him late in the year. Looks like he gained some weight and strength. With some good coaching, he can be a good player this year.

Im loving the depth at DL. Early last season those guys seemed like JAGs. But that experience will be huge. They can come in looking to kick some arse instead of getting their feet wet.

Not sure if any of these guys bring much pass rush, but i think they can develop that over their careers.

I understand your perspective certainly.

I would just point out a few things to consider:
- CKW brought these guys in himself as opposed to the transfers who were all guys he inherited

- The stats from any DLineman that played between the Tackles was minimal based off of statistics

- Measurables and skill set do play a large role at any position to run whatever scheme you prefer.
I know this is a hypothetical example, but it’s the same premise that if you tried playing a LB as a Boundary CB it probably would not fare too well.

I’m not degrading the DL players who are no longer with the program, but I am confident in saying that your personnel must match what you do schematically if you want to be as successful as possible.

I’m not trying to sound arrogant or rude so I do hope that you will not interpret it that way.

I really like to converse will open-minded Bama fans, and especially discussing player/personnel.

I was fortunate to get to come up from D-2 then to D-1AA an off field position at an SEC program that I’m certainly not a “fan” of, but certainly appreciated those guys and what they did for me.

I got out 10 years ago when my wife and I had our first child, and I made the decision to move us home and be a dad, which I was blessed to have a tremendous father in my life, and my son has been the apple of my eye from day 2, so it really wasn’t much of a “decision”. Since then I have gotten to coach a program that I couldn’t ask for more. So football has been my life, and I am very thankful that I have been blessed to do what I love and still get a paycheck every month.

I suppose that’s why I go into a great amount of detail on a message board that doesn’t count for a thing.

Back to the interesting stuff:
- James Smith is a talented football player, and I believe he will be much more impactful playing in an Even Front that will allow his to 1-gap and be used in several stunts along between the Tackles there at Notre Dame.

- I would assume his NIL money was fairly significant being that he was a 5-star recruit as you pointed out.

- I wish him all the best and would never wish ill-will on a player regardless of the circumstances.

- I know Bama losing a former 5-star recruit is great headlines and SECRant talk, but again I’m simply saying that he is the epitome of a 3-technique and that’s all there is to it.

- I am fan of both a 3-4 (Over/Under as well as Even). I’ve always been a 3-Down guy as a coach, and it was CNS’s preferred Base defense as well until 10 personnel becoming the norm offensively made a traditional 50-Front a thing of the past that was replaced by Even/Fronts that played with Nickel/5-DB personnel in the Secondary.

The 3-4 began to evolve to lend itself to Nickel personnel as opposed to the typical 250lb 6/9-techs of the past by bringing additional Defensive onto the field as well.

For this to happen out of a 3-Down Front, it required specific body types no different than a DC who prefers taller Cornerbacks or heavier Safeties, etc bc it comes down to the personnel being able to execute what the DC needs for his schematic preference.

That obviously doesn’t mean that players who do not possess the measurables, wing span, ability to squeeze and spill, as well as box a puller, explosive first step or a preference for an interior DL who can 2-gap or not, etc…and I can do is point you to his lack of production and the fact that it doesn’t take a P-4 DC to look at him for all of 5-seconds and tell you he’s a 3-tech, no different than looking at a 6’3 235lbs frame and defending that he has the body type of an off-ball LB. Also, how physical is he? Does he maintain gap integrity? Is he disciplined? Does he posses violent hands? Wingspan and ball-get off, etc etc

It’s just not as simple as seeing “DT listed beside a former 5-star recruit and see a 290lb build and conclude that he should be able to play on any DLine bc he is a Dlineman….but it’s just not that easy.

Would Vince Wilfolk have been as effective on a 4-down Even Front that 1-gaps and is meant to force penetration and coming off the ball very fast when he was listed between 380-north of 400lbs his entire career, and compare that to his time with the Patriots where he asked to 2-gap a Center and command a double team without being moved off the ball?

Whether you agree with me or not is irrelevant, but I do believe Coach Wommack has earned the right to be trusted by Bama fans after out-performing every defense in the Southeastetn conference in both Total D, Scoring D, while also forcing the 2nd most turnovers while not exactly having many (any?) household names that a rival fan could name off the top of their head unlike the annual 6 future rounders that CNS fielded for 17 seasons.

Imo, CKW has proven he is certainly capable (Bama is 18-0 when scoring 23 points in a game) and has allowed 30+ promos just 4 times in 29 games against the incredibly difficult schedules the 12-team Playoff and Conference expansion has created to where Bama just about played a weekend series against both OU and UGA last season and 11 top-25 opponents total.

So, if he believes a 6’5 320lb body fits a 4-tech/4i and even as a Shade when his defense is an Odd-Front then I would trust him personally.

Thank you for conversing with me and I hope you will continue to post very relative topics .

Good stuff. You are definitely a value-add around here and know your stuff. I wasn’t trying to imply you were coming off as arrogant - just a little over optimistic given some of the uncertainty with the personnel in this DL group. I do believe there’s a good chance that what you have predicted comes to fruition.

I’m very intrigued with Steve M and the impact he can have. I think Beaman will also be a big time player for us (would have helped us out in a major way last year if not for injury).

Just Google it at this point……

Question I typed in:

“Size Differences in a 3-4 (Under/Over or Even) compared to any 4-down Even Fronts in both the players size and responsibility within each?”

A.I. Response:

“Odd Front Linemen: Must be heavier, taller, and carry more bulk. Nose tackles often exceed 320 pounds to absorb double-team blocks. Defensive ends are typically thicker (6'4"+ and 290+ pounds) to control offensive tackles.Even Front Linemen: Built for speed, explosion, and agility. Defensive tackles are leaner (around 290–310 pounds) to slip through narrow gaps. Defensive ends are much lighter (250–270 pounds) to bend around the edge of the line.”

Responsibility:

“Execution ExpectationsOdd Front Linemen: Hold ground, eat space, and occupy multiple blockers. They play reactively by reading the offensive lineman's first step. Their main success metric is letting linebackers flow free to make the tackle.Even Front Linemen: Get upfield, disrupt the backfield, and win individual matchups. They play proactively by attacking a specific gap at the snap. Their main success metrics are sacks, tackles for loss, and forced hurries.”



It left out a crap ton of details but got the basics correct.

Also, look at the size of the Dlineman currently on the roster as a group and compare that to last years group and what is the common denominator between the ones who “transferred” OUT compared to those the staff brought IN?

quote:

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I think Beaman will also be a big time player for us (would have helped us out in a major way last year if not for injury).

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I agree. He is a player that I hope will be solid for us. Am I wrong in remembering him making plays prior to injury? Hope he is fully recovered and ready to wreck some shite!
RTR

College Football 27 players..... how long do we need to go undefeated to reach #1?