KDB quietly rebuilding a defense centered team

Dont matter if Grubb aint calling crap

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The defense is loaded.

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I don’t think we’re loaded at DL/LB.

I think we’re good with upside at LB, because they seem to be doing a good job with evals on the 3* kids who look like will be the next round of starters (Metz/Reese/Jones) and landed what might be our next monster edge guy in Griffin.

DL I’m not sold on yet. Everyone talks about the complete rebuild on the OL, but they just had to do the same on the DL as well.

Out with the entire group of starters absent Pierre including our beginning edge starter in Russaw.

Edge: elite with Pierre and Griffin
DE/Bandit: Hopefully moving Thompkins outside will help, but he wasn’t a standout guy at USC inside. Maybe Dez Zulu play DE at 255 situationally, but who else is ready to go there? Thompkins better stay healthy.
DT: Green/Simmons could be good, but one was injured and the other wasn’t a standout at Oregon. Mboumoua is very intriguing and I think could explode, but I wouldn’t want him starting yet, not sure on Beaman/Bingley-Jones.

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Yeah, we need to get more push inside.

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The whole defensive system was predicated on attacking gaps, ive yet to see it.

We struggled against anyone with a plus run game (Vandy two years ago, FSU last year) until we went more gap passive contain and flow to the ball like we did under Saban.

Is that injuries?
Personnel?
Realities of the SEC?

I thought Smith could be a gap attack DT but he was just a guy. Is that on us or him? I’ll be watching what happens with him at Ohio State but it’s interesting they’re hyping him up so much and he’s an instant primary guy for them.

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Frankly, if you’re trying to play moneyball then not needing interior men who can collapse the pocket is the cheaper approach.

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Absolutely.

Much easier and cheaper to get gap eaters inside and then you just need an edge guy or two for pressure and a LB who can make tackles if they’re clean.

FSU was about the last game I saw something close to the scheme I thought he wanted to run and that game we had so many guys out (Keenan, Smith ejected, etc) I’m not sure what was a scheme issue vs what was a personnel problem.

Vandy this year was night and day better against the power run attack than what we saw two years ago up in Nashville which was one of the worst defensive gameplans of my lifetime.

Credit to him that he saw what the situation and wasn’t too proud to adapt.

The Dline is in the best shape it’s been in a long long time.

CKW adopted a 3-4 Under Front after struggling early in Year 1 culminating in the Vanderbilt debacle….ever since that game, they have been in a 3-4 Under Front on 63% of defensive snaps. The defense finished that season by allowing the fewest points since 2017 by a Bama defense, then gave up the fewest yards per game since 2017 as well in Year 2.

That is why you saw the tremendous turnover on the Dline this past year, and much larger DL transfers brought in that actually fit the personnel required to run an Odd-Front. It’s also why guys like Tim Keenan and London Simmons played so much and at a high level this past year bc they actually have the size to fit an Odd Front.

I seriously under-estimated CKW when he was hired. His willingness to not abandon an Even Front entirely, but to base out of an Odd Front when I thought for certain he was married to a 4-2-5 defense no matter what, demonstrates a willingness to adapt and stay open minded. It clearly has paid off…Bama is 18-0 when the offense scores 23 points under CKD.

You must be really high on Thompkins and Green, hope you're right.

I liked Keenan inside with his experience and thought Overton was very talented even if the light never fully came on for whatever reason.

2026:
Edge: Pierre / Griffin
DE/Bandit: Thompkins / Dez Zulu
DT: Green
DT: Simmons

2025:
Edge: Pierre / Russaw
DE: Overton
DT: Keenan
DT: Smith

2024:
Edge: Russaw / Q Robinson
DE: Overton
DT: Keenan
DT: T Smith

2023:
Edge: Braswell
DE: Eboigbe
DT: Oatis
DT: Keenan

2022:
Edge: Anderson / Turner
DE: Dale
DT: T Smith
DT: Young

Thompkins fits a 3-4 Under at the 4-tech and as a 5-tech as well. Terrance Green also is built perfectly as a 2i/4i in an Odd Front and a Shade in an Even Front (as opposed to the under-sized James Smith and Jordan Renaud who were tasked with playing these positions a year ago).

The fact that defense has played as consistently as it has since Week 5 of Year 1, has been nothing short of remarkable imo. To finish top10 in scoring defense then top10 in fewest yards allowed is something I NEVER expected when CKD was hired. Then you throw in the offense’s inability to run the football consistently, and it makes what they have done even more impressive.

They have been very consistent at holding opponents between 14-24 points week after week, while also forcing the 4th most turnovers in all of CFB over the past two years combined.

Also, consider all of the 1st year starters (especially in the Secondary) that have been able to come in and play at a very high level immediately, as opposed to taking a couple year for them to get acclimated like under CNS, which is highly valuable in this era of transfers and needing to rely on guys to step in and plug-and-play right away.

CNS did not leave the defense with many impact players when he retired. Consider what the 2023 team lost defensively (one of CNS’s best defenses and by far his most underrated imo)… Terrion Arnold/Mckinstry/Downs/Amos/Dallas Turner/Braswell were all 1st or 2nd round picks, and ultimately 11 of their 13 starters overall (including Nickel and Dime backs).

The Dline had dropped off for awhile during CNS’s last 3-4 seasons (especially the interior), and really the only really talented guys (on paper) were Jihad Cambell and Yhonzae Pierre. The only returning starters were Lawson and Malachi Moore.

I think what CKW has done with the defense has been nothing short of remarkable…consider that only OU has allowed fewer yards in the SEC over the past two seasons and Bama had forced the most turnovers in the entire conference during that time as well. Bama has allowed fewer yards and points than Georgia’s defense since CKW took over two years ago, and also is 2-1 vs Georgia head-to-head.

The roster is finally starting to resemble a CNS caliber roster defensively now with guys like Jireh Edwards, Ivan Taylor, Dijon Lee, Jordan Edmonds, Xavier Griffin, Justin Hill, Jamarion Matthews, London Simmons, Nolan Wilson, etc…..

CKD produced the 2nd team All Big10 RB while at Indiana as an OC, and has been closer to a 50/50 balance offensively when he called plays himself. Under Grubb, it took elite QB play and maybe even more-so was the elite play at the WR position that produced the elite offenses at Washington. Being able to throw the ball vertically down the field at a very efficient level was the biggest strength of those offenses. Clearly, these first two seasons under CKD severely lacked a vertical passing game. The struggle to run the ball this past season has consumed all the headlines and criticism (rightly so), but the inability to stretch the field vertically in the passing game has held back the offense more than anything else when you compare CKD’s previous success on offense compared to the inconsistency at Alabama so far.

I think this year is when we will see that vertical passing game that CKD has been so successful with throughout his career. For as talented as Ty Simpson was as a passer, his inability to throw a good deep ball was puzzling. He possesses an extremely strong arm, but lacked the ability to throw the ball accurately 40+ yards down the field (especially outside the numbers). The drop by RW and the Brooks reception vs LSU were the only two balls I can recall that travelled 40+ yards in the air and were placed on the money.

This year CKD has an elite group of WRs imo, and KR throws a beautiful deep ball (watch his high school highlight film). I think RW/Brooks/Morgan will be the three WRs we see the most of, and the biggest “X-factor” imo is Noah Rogers. Reports indicate he is way ahead of schedule and will return as early as week 2 or 3.

I don’t see how anyone could doubt that this is CKD’s best roster from top to bottom. The Secondary is the best in the country and the Dline is as deep as it’s been in a very long time and features guys like Yhonzae Pierre who can get to the QB. Obviously the question mark and all eyes will be on the offensive side of the ball, and I think we will see the caliber of offense that CKD has produced everywhere he has been throughout his career. He has his own QB for the first time. Thus far, he has dealt with the ineptitude of Milroe as a passer as well as relying on a 17 year old and a transfer from Washington as his top targets in year 1. We saw a much improved offense this past season, but I believe the inability to throw the ball vertically is what allowed defenses to eventually take away the intermediate passing game that was so successful through the first 8 games of the season.

I believe the schedule also sets up nicely, and that we are in store for another trip to Atlanta and the Playoffs this year.

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Had we been able to spread the ball vertically as I believe we would've eventually done with a healthy Ty Simpson last year running the ball would've been much, much easier IMO

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Agreed, but whether its Russell or Mack, all signs point to us throwing the ball downfield more. Both guys can drive the ball into the secondary. Hopefully that will open up the run game.

- 4 tech/5-tech: Thompkins/E. Hill
- 3 tech/ 2i: T. Green/ Steve M/ J. Beaman
- Nose/Shade: London Simmons/ Faga/ Bingley Jones
Edge: Y. Pierre/ Justin Hill

London Simmons and Yhonzae Pierre are All-SEC caliber, and yes, I am high on Thompkins. Justin Hill is the player set to have a breakout season imo, and also the depth and experience is the best it’s been in a long time across the entire Dline.