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Which team will have the best DL this football season?

Posted on 4/1/17 at 10:32 pm
Posted by rmnldr
Member since Oct 2013
38208 posts
Posted on 4/1/17 at 10:32 pm
LSU is having to replace Davon Godchaux at DE but gets back 3 year starter Christian LaCouture after sitting out last year with an ACL tear.

Frank Herron or Rashard Lawrence will likely take DE Lewis Neal's place as well.

Looks like it'll be:

DE - Christian LaCouture
NT - Greg Gilmore
DE - Frank Herron
Buck - Arden Key

and in the two deep:

DE - Rashard Lawrence
NT - Edwin Alexander
DW - Glen Logan
Buck - Rahssan "Ray" Thornton

The starting lineup is pretty established but the two deep will be pretty green. Only Ed Alexander and Rashard Lawrence have any significant playing time.

What does everyone else's DL look like? A lot of new guys are going to have to step up in place of stars like Myles Garrett, Jonathan Allen, Caleb Brantley, Montravius Adams, Tim Williams, etc so it should be fun seeing the new faces emerge.

I worry that guys like Gilmore and Herron haven't really emerged as dominant players after being high 4 star guys in the 2013 class. They're RS seniors so this is their last chance and I hope they make the most of it. Gilmore in particular has never been very stout against the run and Herron plays very inconsistent.

LaCouture is a team leader who will provide a big boost to the unit in terms of morale. He isn't the greatest athlete but he has solid fundamentals. Like Herron and Gilmore, he's never been a dominant player.

Key is an excellent pass rusher and I expect him to continue to improve going into this year. He struggles to keep on weight so his main goal should be to just stay at 240 this offseason. I expect him to have a very nice junior campaign.

In the two deep I expect guys like Edwin Alexander and Rashard Lawrence to shine. Both were either high 4 stars or 5 stars in HS and both are very strong. Rashard is more of an athletic 3-tech type and Rashard is a true nose/1-tech. Edwin looked very stout when anchoring at nose last year but his technique is a work in progress.

Ray Thornton got very limited snaps last year but he's been compared to former DE Danielle Hunter who was an insane athlete. I think he will do fine when Key has to come out.
This post was edited on 4/1/17 at 11:34 pm
Posted by TigerTalker16
Columbia,MO
Member since Apr 2015
11533 posts
Posted on 4/1/17 at 10:33 pm to
Alabama
Posted by rmnldr
Member since Oct 2013
38208 posts
Posted on 4/1/17 at 10:34 pm to
quote:

Alabama


What are they looking like?

Daron Payne, DaShawn Hand, Isaiah Buggs?
This post was edited on 4/1/17 at 10:35 pm
Posted by genuineLSUtiger
Nashville
Member since Sep 2005
72867 posts
Posted on 4/1/17 at 10:36 pm to
LSU and it's not even close.
Posted by rmnldr
Member since Oct 2013
38208 posts
Posted on 4/1/17 at 10:36 pm to
Why?
Posted by CapstoneGrad06
Little Rock
Member since Nov 2008
72141 posts
Posted on 4/1/17 at 10:37 pm to
Alabama will have a great one again. Some good depth. But some of it untested.
Posted by rmnldr
Member since Oct 2013
38208 posts
Posted on 4/1/17 at 10:39 pm to
quote:

Alabama will have a great one again. Some good depth. But some of it untested.


I like Payne and Hand. Payne is just a bad arse MOFO and Hand can provide some extra stuff in the pass rush game. That other DE spot will be interesting. I think Buggs might take it. I don't know anything about the OLBs though. Replacing Ryan Anderson and Tim Williams probably won't be easy.
Posted by CapstoneGrad06
Little Rock
Member since Nov 2008
72141 posts
Posted on 4/1/17 at 10:41 pm to
quote:



Daron Payne, DaShawn Hand, Isaiah Buggs?
This post was edited on 4/1 at 10:35 pm


Saban loves Buggs.

Others will rotate. Frazier, Williams, and King.

Smith and Dwight too.
Posted by rmnldr
Member since Oct 2013
38208 posts
Posted on 4/1/17 at 10:42 pm to
Are you confident in that lineup? How does it compare to previous years?
Posted by TearsofKnowshon
Athens
Member since Dec 2013
3130 posts
Posted on 4/1/17 at 10:42 pm to
Alabama is probably better but Georgia should have an awesome front 7 and a very good D line.
Posted by CapstoneGrad06
Little Rock
Member since Nov 2008
72141 posts
Posted on 4/1/17 at 10:42 pm to
quote:

I don't know anything about the OLBs though. Replacing Ryan Anderson and Tim Williams probably won't be easy.



Christian Miller and Rashaan Evans. Won't be easy. But they are a start.
Posted by CapstoneGrad06
Little Rock
Member since Nov 2008
72141 posts
Posted on 4/1/17 at 10:44 pm to
quote:

Are you confident in that lineup? How does it compare to previous years?


It's deeper than some previous years. But just untested. The first month of the season could be frustrating on defense.
Posted by rmnldr
Member since Oct 2013
38208 posts
Posted on 4/1/17 at 10:45 pm to
quote:

but Georgia should have an awesome front 7 and a very good D line.


3-4 right? I know nothing about Georgia outside of Trent Thompson and Lorenzo Carter. How were they last year?

quote:

It's deeper than some previous years. But just untested. The first month of the season could be frustrating on defense.


Getting over the FSU hump will be crucial then. After that there's some smooth sailing before Ole Miss. Should be fun seeing those guys come into their own after the trial by fire.
This post was edited on 4/1/17 at 10:47 pm
Posted by BowlJackson
Birmingham, AL
Member since Sep 2013
52881 posts
Posted on 4/1/17 at 10:52 pm to
Auburn is in the conversation

DE- Marlon Davidson, Nick Coe
DT- Derrick Brown, Antwaun Jackson
DT- Donravius Russell, Byron Cowart
Buck- Jeff Holland, Paul James III
Posted by rmnldr
Member since Oct 2013
38208 posts
Posted on 4/1/17 at 10:54 pm to
quote:

Auburn is in the conversation


Yes sir indeed.

What do you expect from the unit as a whole? Will they struggle at doing anything in particular?
This post was edited on 4/1/17 at 10:56 pm
Posted by CapstoneGrad06
Little Rock
Member since Nov 2008
72141 posts
Posted on 4/1/17 at 10:57 pm to
Quinnen Williams is the next great DL at Alabama. Will play a ton this fall as a redshirt freshman. I think LaBryan Ray plays a lot as a true freshman DL too. Similarities to Jon Allen.
Posted by BowlJackson
Birmingham, AL
Member since Sep 2013
52881 posts
Posted on 4/1/17 at 11:00 pm to
quote:

What do you expect from the unit as a whole?


To be very good. run stopping will be the strength of this DL

quote:

Will they struggle at doing anything in particular?


Pass rushing will be interesting. Lose Lawson obviously and we don't have anybody that's a pass rush machine like him. We have some guys that are good pass rushers, but it's not clear how consistent they will be on an every play basis. Don't think the depth is great for pass rushers either, so if somebody like Holland goes down it could hurt. Depth at DT and SDE is good though
Posted by Uncle Gunnysack
Member since Apr 2016
5541 posts
Posted on 4/1/17 at 11:02 pm to
how often does arden key put his hand in the dirt?
Posted by rmnldr
Member since Oct 2013
38208 posts
Posted on 4/1/17 at 11:02 pm to
quote:

run stopping will be the strength of this DL


Definitely seems to be the forte of that unit. Last year they were very stout.

quote:

Pass rushing will be interesting. Lose Lawson obviously and we don't have anybody that's a pass rush machine like him. We have some guys that are good pass rushers, but it's not clear how consistent they will be on an every play basis. Don't think the depth is great for pass rushers either, so if somebody like Holland goes down it could hurt. Depth at DT and SDE is good though


I really thought Cowart was going to be a great pass rusher but I guess that was never his style of play. Can this lack of pass rushers be put on poor recruiting or players just not panning out as planned?

quote:

how often does arden key put his hand in the dirt?


He did it all the time in 2015 and did it a lot in 2016. He'll play more in a 2 point stance this year though. He can do both but I think he's more comfortable in a 2 point stance.

Aranda had problems transitioning to a 3-4 last year due to how the roster was shaped after many years of it being a 4-3. They only really embraced the 3-4 right before the Alabama game.
This post was edited on 4/1/17 at 11:04 pm
Posted by BowlJackson
Birmingham, AL
Member since Sep 2013
52881 posts
Posted on 4/1/17 at 11:07 pm to
quote:

I really thought Cowart was going to be a great pass rusher but I guess that was never his style of play


Nah he was a SDE coming out of HS

quote:

Can this lack of pass rushers be put on poor recruiting or players just not panning out as planned? 


We haven't done a great job of recruiting pass rushers the last few cycles, but also there's been a couple guys transfer. So a little of both I guess. As long as we are healthy we'll be fine though
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