Texas defensive coordinator Todd Orlando recently addressed the media, and here are the highlights from that availability:
- Orlando said every player on the team is buying in right now. Strength and conditioning coach Yancy McKnight previously said some guys were resisting the change, but it appears the new staff has cleared that hurdle: “The thing I’ve been impressed if I think there’s a part of this group that is not resistant to the change we have in here. We haven’t seen anybody that maliciously doesn’t want to do things, so there is a care about wanting to get better. They’re taking the coaching. It’s a little bit different than what they’ve done in the past, so there is some learning off that part of it. I don’t think there are people in this program that don’t want to do the thing.”
- Texas is planning to cross train its linebackers. For instance, Breckyn Hager will get a look at middle linebacker and outside linebacker. It is also important to note Orlando does not plan to have a heavy rotation of linebackers this season.
- Here is what Orlando said: “The best three guys will play. When we’re making an evaluation off of who are going to be the best three guys, you've got to be ready to figure it out, and figure it out really quick.” The fourth guy will play any of the three positions. “There was a little shuffling the deck last year where a whole bunch of guys played last year in kind of waves. We’re going to try to slow that stuff down with it and try to play the best three guys.”
- Linebacker Erick Fowler is working on his consistency right now. Orlando wants Fowler to get to the point where he is at the right spot at the right time consistently.
- As you can imagine, Orlando was asked what it will take to get Malik Jefferson to play on a higher level. He said, “To me, it’s going to be about Malik and myself building a relationship. Continue to build a relationship, where it’s not only Malik’s performance, but how Malik affects the rest of the unit. To me, picking up and having a guy that he’s next to play at somewhat of a close level that he is. Time will tell when we get the pads on. That’s what we’re working on right now. Malik has done everything that he’s been asked to do, but there’s a certain level that you have to day in and day out to be the person that you see. I think a lot of people see him this way, and that's our relationship. It’s really cool when you come into a situation. I know he was the first person I talked to at my desk. Brought him in, this is me, who are you?"
- However, Orlando said he will rotate five or six defensive lineman. He said those guys are too big and need rest. He plans to go into a game figuring out a percentage of playing time for each player, and they will adjust accordingly.
- Here is Orlando’s opinion on what it takes to unlock the potential in each player: “I think it’s relationships. I think at the end of the day, you play football, there was a play called, they run to the ball, but why are they doing it? There’s got to be a purpose for it. How do you get a guy to trust you? How do you get a guy to give you everything he has? It’s time. You've got to spend time with people. Spend time where there’s a care, there’s a love … that’s the stuff we’re working on right now. There will be some things when we start spring football up that we’re just going to have to work through, but that to me is playing with a great purpose. That’s what we’ve been talking to our guys about.”
- When asked about his defensive lineman, Orlando said they are too heavy up front and some guys need to lose weight. However, Orlando believes he can find at least two guys up front who can hold the point.
- Orlando plans to run a base defense, nickel and different variations on third down. However, he expects to be in nickel most of the time to match speed with speed. Right now, he is looking for guys who can run and hit. Orlando really wants aggressive players.
- Houston’s defense was extremely successful with getting after the quarterback last season. When asked about what it takes to make Texas’ defense that aggressive, Orlando said, “It’s a lot of coaching, but it’s a lot of what we’re doing right now. It’s the demands of working to be dominant players, and it’s hard. These kids are going through a lot, and they’re giving us everything they've got. It’s creating that stamina that you can feel confident regardless of how many plays you go because you get tired. You get tired playing defense. That’s the first thing you want to do is ‘Hey, listen. I need to take a deep breath.’ Okay, it’s too late. You just got beat. That’s the stuff we’re doing. Coach McKnight downstairs, he controls it all. He makes their stamina higher, their leg strength higher. Then you can do what you’re talking about. You can get after people’s tail play in and play out and not have to worry about having three and four play stretches where you don’t necessarily play well because you’re a little bit tired.”
- Orlando said the defensive installation is similar to the previous one at Houston, but he is holding off the exotic stuff: “When you do this package, you want to put it in by concept so it makes sense to the kids. Things that are outside the concept, we’re staying away from those things. Trying to make it up where everything has a concept. It may look more multiple, but from a learning standpoint, it’s easier. In Houston, they were in it for two years. We’re going to stay on course that way.”
- Orlando expects players to have a good understanding of what they are doing by the seventh or eighth day of spring practice. That is when he expects everything to click, and believes it will become very competitive on both sides of the ball.
- Orlando said every player on the team is buying in right now. Strength and conditioning coach Yancy McKnight previously said some guys were resisting the change, but it appears the new staff has cleared that hurdle: “The thing I’ve been impressed if I think there’s a part of this group that is not resistant to the change we have in here. We haven’t seen anybody that maliciously doesn’t want to do things, so there is a care about wanting to get better. They’re taking the coaching. It’s a little bit different than what they’ve done in the past, so there is some learning off that part of it. I don’t think there are people in this program that don’t want to do the thing.”
- Texas is planning to cross train its linebackers. For instance, Breckyn Hager will get a look at middle linebacker and outside linebacker. It is also important to note Orlando does not plan to have a heavy rotation of linebackers this season.
- Here is what Orlando said: “The best three guys will play. When we’re making an evaluation off of who are going to be the best three guys, you've got to be ready to figure it out, and figure it out really quick.” The fourth guy will play any of the three positions. “There was a little shuffling the deck last year where a whole bunch of guys played last year in kind of waves. We’re going to try to slow that stuff down with it and try to play the best three guys.”
- Linebacker Erick Fowler is working on his consistency right now. Orlando wants Fowler to get to the point where he is at the right spot at the right time consistently.
- As you can imagine, Orlando was asked what it will take to get Malik Jefferson to play on a higher level. He said, “To me, it’s going to be about Malik and myself building a relationship. Continue to build a relationship, where it’s not only Malik’s performance, but how Malik affects the rest of the unit. To me, picking up and having a guy that he’s next to play at somewhat of a close level that he is. Time will tell when we get the pads on. That’s what we’re working on right now. Malik has done everything that he’s been asked to do, but there’s a certain level that you have to day in and day out to be the person that you see. I think a lot of people see him this way, and that's our relationship. It’s really cool when you come into a situation. I know he was the first person I talked to at my desk. Brought him in, this is me, who are you?"
- However, Orlando said he will rotate five or six defensive lineman. He said those guys are too big and need rest. He plans to go into a game figuring out a percentage of playing time for each player, and they will adjust accordingly.
- Here is Orlando’s opinion on what it takes to unlock the potential in each player: “I think it’s relationships. I think at the end of the day, you play football, there was a play called, they run to the ball, but why are they doing it? There’s got to be a purpose for it. How do you get a guy to trust you? How do you get a guy to give you everything he has? It’s time. You've got to spend time with people. Spend time where there’s a care, there’s a love … that’s the stuff we’re working on right now. There will be some things when we start spring football up that we’re just going to have to work through, but that to me is playing with a great purpose. That’s what we’ve been talking to our guys about.”
- When asked about his defensive lineman, Orlando said they are too heavy up front and some guys need to lose weight. However, Orlando believes he can find at least two guys up front who can hold the point.
- Orlando plans to run a base defense, nickel and different variations on third down. However, he expects to be in nickel most of the time to match speed with speed. Right now, he is looking for guys who can run and hit. Orlando really wants aggressive players.
- Houston’s defense was extremely successful with getting after the quarterback last season. When asked about what it takes to make Texas’ defense that aggressive, Orlando said, “It’s a lot of coaching, but it’s a lot of what we’re doing right now. It’s the demands of working to be dominant players, and it’s hard. These kids are going through a lot, and they’re giving us everything they've got. It’s creating that stamina that you can feel confident regardless of how many plays you go because you get tired. You get tired playing defense. That’s the first thing you want to do is ‘Hey, listen. I need to take a deep breath.’ Okay, it’s too late. You just got beat. That’s the stuff we’re doing. Coach McKnight downstairs, he controls it all. He makes their stamina higher, their leg strength higher. Then you can do what you’re talking about. You can get after people’s tail play in and play out and not have to worry about having three and four play stretches where you don’t necessarily play well because you’re a little bit tired.”
- Orlando said the defensive installation is similar to the previous one at Houston, but he is holding off the exotic stuff: “When you do this package, you want to put it in by concept so it makes sense to the kids. Things that are outside the concept, we’re staying away from those things. Trying to make it up where everything has a concept. It may look more multiple, but from a learning standpoint, it’s easier. In Houston, they were in it for two years. We’re going to stay on course that way.”
- Orlando expects players to have a good understanding of what they are doing by the seventh or eighth day of spring practice. That is when he expects everything to click, and believes it will become very competitive on both sides of the ball.
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