This doesn’t involve the QB controversy of the last couple of days, and I know it is crazy to talk actual football on the board….but I propose another topic (one that’s probably already been beaten to death🌮)—The Defense
-I realize the prevailing thought is that the defense will be the same since we “return basically all the same players” and all the same coaches, but I think the defense will be improved (average).
-I can’t find @Alex Dunlap ’s most recent depth chart (note: a quick search for “depth chart” only returns posts about Tommy Brockermeyer’s spot in the bama depth chart which shows how warped OB’s are).
-Note: I acknowledge that we can’t have a great defense or even a good defense without elite pass rush, and I don’t think Ossai or Orakpo are going to show up in a Ron Weaver jersey (but I’d be down with it, if one of them did).
In no certain order, here are my thoughts:
1. Without dwelling on negatives of the past, we don’t return some key players, notably Thornton and Foster who were negatives on the field. Literally anyone will provide more disruption than Thornton and I feel like Cook (our best db last year) at safety is a big upgrade over Foster last year (not sure they play the same position).
2. I like the young talent at db. Additionally, I am a big fan of Jamison, but he needs to show me during actual games. There are “ingredients for a good meal” in the in the secondary. Can we count of this unit to be at least average? I think so.
3. Linebacker remains very thin, and an injury or two would be devastating. Absent injury, this could be a decent group. Healthy D MO=all conference? The light seems to be coming on for Ford. DTD is getting good reports from camp. 👌🤞Without injuries, can we count on this unit to be average or better? I think so but believe we need to wrap these guys in bubble wrap when they’re not playing.
4. Upfront, the reports of both Murphy and Broughton playing well are encouraging, and I hope we can get some pressure from the interior this year. There are a lot of guys who feel like they’re in a “contract year’ up front to me. I don’t think they’ll all step up, but I think one or two might. Some of the young guys are interesting, but I worry about our ability to get pass rush off the edge (subtraction of Thornton can’t be bad though). Can we be average or better up front? That’s a complicated answer. I feel good about the interior and worried about edge and DE. I think average is the ceiling here absent pleasant surprises.
5. Comment on coaching—without getting into whether PK is the guy or not (not for me to decide, he’ll decide that this year), I think an extra set of eyes can be helpful in a lot of settings. Something was way off last year, but we’ve brought in an experienced “extra set up eyes” in Patterson. This should do a few things—a) I think we’ll be better a self scouting and b) we seem to be adding a few new wrinkles (ex-Do Mo off the edge). Does our coaching improve from awful to average? Given the track record prior to last year and the addition of Patterson, I think that is not out of the question. I hope that an improved coaching staff can manufacture an average pass rush (more hope than confidence here).
6. Comment on the offense—there were games last year where the offense didn’t do the defense any favors. Both units combined to blow leads. I expect more consistent play from the offense (probably leaning on the running game vs absolute consistency from a freshman qb) will allow the defense to be a little fresher. Does this element also help to move us from awful to average? I think it does.
To me, there are a lot of up arrows pointing to average. It turns my stomach a little to type that because average isn’t good enough at the University of Texas. And average isn’t going to be good enough to scare bama, but average will put us right in the thick of the Big 12 race and improve upon 5-7. No kool aid, no alcohol (yet), just a sh*t ton of Peet’s French Roast out of the Jura. LFG!
-I realize the prevailing thought is that the defense will be the same since we “return basically all the same players” and all the same coaches, but I think the defense will be improved (average).
-I can’t find @Alex Dunlap ’s most recent depth chart (note: a quick search for “depth chart” only returns posts about Tommy Brockermeyer’s spot in the bama depth chart which shows how warped OB’s are).
-Note: I acknowledge that we can’t have a great defense or even a good defense without elite pass rush, and I don’t think Ossai or Orakpo are going to show up in a Ron Weaver jersey (but I’d be down with it, if one of them did).
In no certain order, here are my thoughts:
1. Without dwelling on negatives of the past, we don’t return some key players, notably Thornton and Foster who were negatives on the field. Literally anyone will provide more disruption than Thornton and I feel like Cook (our best db last year) at safety is a big upgrade over Foster last year (not sure they play the same position).
2. I like the young talent at db. Additionally, I am a big fan of Jamison, but he needs to show me during actual games. There are “ingredients for a good meal” in the in the secondary. Can we count of this unit to be at least average? I think so.
3. Linebacker remains very thin, and an injury or two would be devastating. Absent injury, this could be a decent group. Healthy D MO=all conference? The light seems to be coming on for Ford. DTD is getting good reports from camp. 👌🤞Without injuries, can we count on this unit to be average or better? I think so but believe we need to wrap these guys in bubble wrap when they’re not playing.
4. Upfront, the reports of both Murphy and Broughton playing well are encouraging, and I hope we can get some pressure from the interior this year. There are a lot of guys who feel like they’re in a “contract year’ up front to me. I don’t think they’ll all step up, but I think one or two might. Some of the young guys are interesting, but I worry about our ability to get pass rush off the edge (subtraction of Thornton can’t be bad though). Can we be average or better up front? That’s a complicated answer. I feel good about the interior and worried about edge and DE. I think average is the ceiling here absent pleasant surprises.
5. Comment on coaching—without getting into whether PK is the guy or not (not for me to decide, he’ll decide that this year), I think an extra set of eyes can be helpful in a lot of settings. Something was way off last year, but we’ve brought in an experienced “extra set up eyes” in Patterson. This should do a few things—a) I think we’ll be better a self scouting and b) we seem to be adding a few new wrinkles (ex-Do Mo off the edge). Does our coaching improve from awful to average? Given the track record prior to last year and the addition of Patterson, I think that is not out of the question. I hope that an improved coaching staff can manufacture an average pass rush (more hope than confidence here).
6. Comment on the offense—there were games last year where the offense didn’t do the defense any favors. Both units combined to blow leads. I expect more consistent play from the offense (probably leaning on the running game vs absolute consistency from a freshman qb) will allow the defense to be a little fresher. Does this element also help to move us from awful to average? I think it does.
To me, there are a lot of up arrows pointing to average. It turns my stomach a little to type that because average isn’t good enough at the University of Texas. And average isn’t going to be good enough to scare bama, but average will put us right in the thick of the Big 12 race and improve upon 5-7. No kool aid, no alcohol (yet), just a sh*t ton of Peet’s French Roast out of the Jura. LFG!
