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Some thoughts on the defensive front 6/7
HillsboroDuck
Member Posts: 9,186
Now that the 2019 class is mostly locked and loaded I thought it might b a good time to look at the defensive roster. Obviously we expect to add another LB (or twoot toot?), and another safety (come home Asa!), but outside of that the defensive side looks to be pretty set. I'm assuming Murphy and Rapp leave early but no one else declares for the draft. There will surely be some other couch sales but I wouldn't expect anything that affects the depth drastically.
DL is the really interesting position as there's arguably more talent in the depth than at any point since 91 (and maybe ever) but it's primarily very, very young. Will be a position to watch for sure. We know we want to play this spot three deep per game if possible.
Starters - Levi and Tuli. Assuming Levi stays at his DT spot and Tuli slides into Gaines' spot on the nose. Even though Tuli's young this is a really good starting pair.
2nd string (lol!) - Taimani and Mosiah. It wouldn't shock me if one of the true frosh beats one of these guys out but ideally we can redshirt all of them.
3rd string - Bronson and Clark (couch sale?) and/or a true frosh. This is where it's wide open. In a perfect world it would be Bronson with four true frosh DT's rotating through the spot for four games, with Tuitele and Bandes getting three Pac12 games each (and one getting the P12 title game and the other the bowel game), Paama getting the other three Pac games a non conference and Ngalu just playing non conference and a token appearance at the end of the Apple Cup blowout.
I doubt that's how we actually handle it though. Could be a really interesting competition here. Or we could slide Benning over, let him lead the second unit next to Taimani, slide Mosia to third string and not factor the frosh in at all.
Oh and I assume taking four DTs this class after 3 last class means Zion stays at buck and Draco gets moved to WTE.
BUCK - Let the Tryon era begin! Obviously Benning will get a lot of run on early downs if he doesn't move to DT but Tryon is the one we've been waiting for. Pass rush!
2nd string - Benning/Tryon
3rd string - Zion? (with all the DTs I assume Zion stays at Buck now)
Sam - Ngata is the most exciting but it's hard to imagine him having the bulk to handle edge contain in the run, so he gets bumped to passing downs. So Ryan Bowman here? Not sure on this spot but I'll take Bowman even though I don't think he's played much Sam.
2nd string - Ngata
3rd string - No idea. Is Myles Rice still on the team?
ILB - Wellington and Beavers seem the obvious starters here
2nd string - Jackson Sirmon will have one of these spots I think. Tafisi the other one?
3rd string - Kyler Manu, Heimuli (if he signs) (he will).
The secondary is wide open, we'll give it it's own thread later on.
What do you guys think? Who do I have at the wrong spots? Who am I overlooking? Who am I overrating?
DL is the really interesting position as there's arguably more talent in the depth than at any point since 91 (and maybe ever) but it's primarily very, very young. Will be a position to watch for sure. We know we want to play this spot three deep per game if possible.
Starters - Levi and Tuli. Assuming Levi stays at his DT spot and Tuli slides into Gaines' spot on the nose. Even though Tuli's young this is a really good starting pair.
2nd string (lol!) - Taimani and Mosiah. It wouldn't shock me if one of the true frosh beats one of these guys out but ideally we can redshirt all of them.
3rd string - Bronson and Clark (couch sale?) and/or a true frosh. This is where it's wide open. In a perfect world it would be Bronson with four true frosh DT's rotating through the spot for four games, with Tuitele and Bandes getting three Pac12 games each (and one getting the P12 title game and the other the bowel game), Paama getting the other three Pac games a non conference and Ngalu just playing non conference and a token appearance at the end of the Apple Cup blowout.
I doubt that's how we actually handle it though. Could be a really interesting competition here. Or we could slide Benning over, let him lead the second unit next to Taimani, slide Mosia to third string and not factor the frosh in at all.
Oh and I assume taking four DTs this class after 3 last class means Zion stays at buck and Draco gets moved to WTE.
BUCK - Let the Tryon era begin! Obviously Benning will get a lot of run on early downs if he doesn't move to DT but Tryon is the one we've been waiting for. Pass rush!
2nd string - Benning/Tryon
3rd string - Zion? (with all the DTs I assume Zion stays at Buck now)
Sam - Ngata is the most exciting but it's hard to imagine him having the bulk to handle edge contain in the run, so he gets bumped to passing downs. So Ryan Bowman here? Not sure on this spot but I'll take Bowman even though I don't think he's played much Sam.
2nd string - Ngata
3rd string - No idea. Is Myles Rice still on the team?
ILB - Wellington and Beavers seem the obvious starters here
2nd string - Jackson Sirmon will have one of these spots I think. Tafisi the other one?
3rd string - Kyler Manu, Heimuli (if he signs) (he will).
The secondary is wide open, we'll give it it's own thread later on.
What do you guys think? Who do I have at the wrong spots? Who am I overlooking? Who am I overrating?
Comments
Benning is good at setting the containment edge on run plays or keeping the QB in the pocket, and basically nothing else.
Bronson has been steadily improving clear #2 behind Levi and #1 on third down. Clark I'm not sure on but he will play.