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Benning
TTJ
Member Posts: 4,798
It's obviously disappointing that the staff failed to land Martin, Johnson, or any other edge rusher in this otherwise stellar recruiting class.
It's been pointed out that the only young guys on the roster with real pass-rushing upside are Tryon and Williams. But who knows how close either one is to being ready to take on a significant role?
Bowman (5.5) and Bartlett (4.0) led the team in sacks last year. You can debate whether these guys deserve the "try-hard" label sometimes used here. But at least in Bowman's case, the consensus view is that he has probably already come close to maxing out his pass-rushing potential.
Warren got some action at BUCK last year, but his future seems to be on offense. In some sets, UW lined up 3 DTs, and we may see more of this in the future. Guys like Johnson (3.5) and Onwuzurike (2.0) may see their sack totals rise a bit.
But if UW is going to significantly improve its pass rush in 2018, the big gain in productivity is going to have to come from Potoa'e (3.0). Benning has two more years of eligibility. He was a high profile recruit, with all the size and raw talent you'd want. Letuligasenoa looks ready to play right away, so it probably won't be necessary to bulk Benning up and move him inside. Instead, UW needs Benning to just embrace the edge rusher role, maybe even shed five pounds. I pointed out after the Fiesta Bowl that he had shown some flashes, including a spin move I hadn't noticed before. This team needs Benning to have a productive offseason so he can make a Mathis-like jump in 2018.
It's been pointed out that the only young guys on the roster with real pass-rushing upside are Tryon and Williams. But who knows how close either one is to being ready to take on a significant role?
Bowman (5.5) and Bartlett (4.0) led the team in sacks last year. You can debate whether these guys deserve the "try-hard" label sometimes used here. But at least in Bowman's case, the consensus view is that he has probably already come close to maxing out his pass-rushing potential.
Warren got some action at BUCK last year, but his future seems to be on offense. In some sets, UW lined up 3 DTs, and we may see more of this in the future. Guys like Johnson (3.5) and Onwuzurike (2.0) may see their sack totals rise a bit.
But if UW is going to significantly improve its pass rush in 2018, the big gain in productivity is going to have to come from Potoa'e (3.0). Benning has two more years of eligibility. He was a high profile recruit, with all the size and raw talent you'd want. Letuligasenoa looks ready to play right away, so it probably won't be necessary to bulk Benning up and move him inside. Instead, UW needs Benning to just embrace the edge rusher role, maybe even shed five pounds. I pointed out after the Fiesta Bowl that he had shown some flashes, including a spin move I hadn't noticed before. This team needs Benning to have a productive offseason so he can make a Mathis-like jump in 2018.
Comments
Someone will emerge to help passrush, but will not be the strength of this defernse. Might be a position change in Spring. I like Otton at that position. We'll see. Guy is an athlete, playmaker...came up big seemingly every game his senior year. Hope he gets his shot however unlikely because of his skill at TE
Oh, you think our pass rushh suffered a little because we lost both nfl corners? No, that had nothing to do with it
But it should be noted he was the only outside pass-rusher that played decently against Penn State, so, who knows?