Cover1Key

Yeah I’m sure it helps. I think he would do a good job, and I’m sure if the staff thinks he runs the offense better than you just have to trust them.

However, for me personally, I believe KR is a special talent……the type that elevates a Syracuse to a conference title or Purdue to a Rose Bowl. It has nothing to do with not liking Mack, it’s just unfortunate for him that he stuck competing against a very special talent.

I would probably start by watching a couple YouTube videos that are available in abundance, and provide a solid explanation of a 3-4 defensive front (3-4 Under specifically). Then move on to more in-depth videos that are usually recorded at clinics that feature highly regarded coaches that have experienced a lot of success with it and why.

The other thing would be to simply look at an image of the “techniques” that show you where a 6-tech aligns compared to a 5. This would help out a LOT of fans imo that want to understand the game they enjoy following so closely.

Lastly, see what is out there on media platforms (YouTube is usually as far as you need to look), and search for a breakdown of Brent Venable’s defensive philosophy at OU…this is about as close as you get to seeing the full transition CKW has now completed by overhauling the DL that allows him to put more “Nickel” and “Strong Safety” defenders on the field than you typically see, but is starting to gain a lot of traction with the Seahawks recent success.

Hope this helps

As a form of a coping mechanism, I have decided to cope with all the downvotes of my copy/paste with quotations included, that provided a well-constructed breakdown of the the “body types, roles and responsibilities of the DL in a 3-4 Over/Under compared to that of an Even-Front”, as downvotes directed at artificial intelligence and not at myself. That is all

Last point and hopefully they will ban me for a month

CKW transitioned/evolved to playing 60% of snaps to a 3-4 Under going back to the week after the Vandy loss in
Year 1….well there’s not exactly a waiver wire to pull from during the season. He used what he had available, and also gave it a boost by sending the large majority of pressures (blitzes that involves Secondary rotations behind it)
on 1st down/run downs.

Year 2, Beaman going down hurt, London Simmons (a lowly 3-star) who fits a Shade/2i body type but is more quick twitch/more explosive 1st-step and had a fabulous season. However, he went from spelling Keenan to playing on the field simultaneously to get more size in-between in Tackle Box, but Keenan struggled trying to play 40+ snaps or more when he’s a 20 snap guy.

They also transitioned Faga as another young guy added weight to play as an undersized interior DL at 3 different positions (very versatile and up to 306 this year).

Then of course this year, they cleaned house of the guys who are not built for an Odd Front and I imagine it was mutual bc I’m quite confident Renaud, Collins, Keeley all wanted to go somewhere that they fit into the scheme and would get playing time, and of course massive human beings were brought in to replace them.

That is why I’m saying the Dline will be far more productive as a group at contributing to the overall success of the defense, not necessarily bc of making more tackles.

It’s to control the LOS and put 6 guys behind them (plus Pierre) who can all FLY. 5-6 DB’s on the field just like OU. Let the “space eaters” control the interior and force the ball to bounce to to a plethora of DB’s who are physical and can RUN:
- Dre Jr
- Red Morgan
- Brey Hubbard (WSLB on obvious D&D)
- Jireh Edwards (scary dude)
- Zay Mincey

ALL on the field at the same time
- and even Woodson can move for 235lbs as a converted Safety

Curious as to why you are so hung-up on individual statistics when the only thing that matters for a defense is to stopping the opposing offense and limiting the number of points they score.

I can’t even tell you James Smith’s statistics but I’m willing to be my his number of personnel fouls (and always at the worst times) probably were on par with any TFL’s he created.

Would you say a guy that registers 2.5 sacks in a game but was beat on the other 50+ snaps of the game to have played well?

Have you heard recruits speak frequently when asked why they chose the school they decided on, and they will talk about how they like the way the DC/HC said they want to use me on their system?

Look at A&M putting Overton down to 230lbs as a stand-up Edge rusher and was labeled as a bust at that long, then transfers to Bama and gets back to his high school weight at 275 or so and excels at the 4-tech/4i that his body type and skill set fit perfectly

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 .

Thompkins and Keeley might as well be a Safety and a 0-Nose, bc that would make just about as much sense as comparing a 6-tech/5/9 to a 300lbs weakside 5-tech.

I know I need to need to stay away for my mental health at this point but it’s so shocking to the point of thinking I am probably being “trolled” and I ca t get the bait out my mouth. So if you are indeed “trolling”, you certainly got me.

Overton and Keenan were the ONLY 2 DL that fit a shade-5-9 and in a 4-2i-5.

However, Keenan was asked to play FAR more snaps than he should have ever been expected to. The reason was bc London Simmons had to be on the field as much as possible, and that created a situation where Faga at 287lb was being asked to play a 2i. He (Faga) actually held up well.

Overton is the only loss, but the other 3 are massive improvements. Plus the depth and experience of a TF like London Simmons and Edrik Hill, etc give this DL real depth…..not just “4 or 5 star recruits”, but players who actually fit the body type required to play in CKW’s system

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.

DL is the most improved position group on the team

Do you think they will block like the first half of the Georgia games in year 1 and 2, that led to 58 points and 600+ yards (combined) in the 1st half of those two games?

Or more like the OLine that only produced 94 yards and 7 points combined points in the second half of those same two games?