CFB51 College Football Fan Community
The Power Five => Big Ten => Topic started by: MaximumSam on June 18, 2020, 07:47:03 AM
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All right, round the bend, here comes the defense. I like the advance stats for defensive lines a little better so may weight them more than for the offensive line (even though they are the same stats just in reverse). I don't know if that is right but it feels right to me. Anyways...
14. Rutgers: Mike Tverdov, Julius Turner, Michael Dwumfour, Jaohne Duggan
You know I tried slip someone else into last place, mostly because I feel bad for Rutgers. And there is some reason for a bit of hope here. Last year, Rutgers was real bad. They were last against the run both by normal stats and advanced stats. Because they couldn't stop the run, they could rarely get teams in passing downs, and were last in sacks as well. Their two best linemen off that line have left, leaving...what? A lot of new people. They hired Jim Panagos from Minnesota to coach the defensive line. They added some B1G quality transfers in Dwumfour from Michigan, Ireland Burke from BC, and former OSU guy Malik Barrow. They're still waiting on whether Burke can play this year, and if so adds a big body in the middle of the line. There is potential here that Rutgers doesn't get steamrolled up front in each game, and if so that would make them look a heck of a lot better.
13. Maryland: Olu Oluwatimi, Sam Okuayinonu, Mosiah Nasili-Kite, Lawtez Rogers
Definitely taking the cake for names I keep mispelling, Maryland is also in the beautiful struggle up front. Maryland also had a putrid defense last year, worse by overall statistics but a tick better by SP+. The rushing defense was actually not bad, and their line statistics here were all around the middle of the pack. I don't expect that to change - they have some big bodies up front that are going to be difficult to move. The problem was their pass defense was brutal, and their pass rushing was non-existent. Their "top" rushers off the line last year have graduated, leaving well...not much. Lawtez Rogers and Okuayinonu each had one sack last year. Nasili-Kite is a JUCO transfer. They have some recruits in the pipeline, but it looks to be another tough road this year.
12. Nebraska: Ben Stille, Damion Daniels, Deontre Thomas, Damian Jackson
We are entering the "not terrible at football" portion of the rankings. However, there is some reason to worry here about the Cornhuskers. Nebraska was pretty lousy up front last year - their total and advanced rushing statistics were second worse to Rutgers. The pass rush was a little better, though not great. The problem is they lost all three starters off last year's line. The guys mentioned above, plus Keem Green, are the only guys who recorded a statistic. A combo of "being bad" plus "returning guys who couldn't outcompete the bad guys" is not encouraging. Stille looks like something - he had 3 sacks and 6.5 TFL last year. They do have some JUCO transfers that should get some playing time. Otherwise, this squad isn't lower mostly out of name brand recognition.
11. Illinois: Isaiah Gay, Jamal Woods, Owen Carney, Calvin Avery
Illinois is a bit tricky to rank. They were actually quite strong on the defensive line last year - while their overall defensive stats were poor, by advanced stats they had a decent defense and the line was effective against the run. However, they lost a ton of production from last year, and there isn't a ton of info to glean on these new guys. Calvin Avery was a four star recruit a couple years ago. When I'm doing rankings I'm usually looking at returning experience, talent, and the history of the program. Their returning experience ain't much, the talent is pretty average, so it's mostly how much confidence you have in Lovie Smith and Illinois' program. I don't have much.
10. Purdue: George Karlaftis, Branson Deen, Lorenzo Neal, Lawrence Johnson
Another one that is difficult to rank. Last year, Karlaftis was a breakthrough last year as a true freshman, and made the media's all B1G team. 17 TFL and 7.5 sacks as a freshman is some dang good production. Plus, Lorenzo Neal missed all of last year with injury after having a great season in 2018. His space eating presence should only help. You can make an argument they should be ranked higher. However, you also have to account for the fact that Purdue was pretty much garbage on defense last year. Their SP+ defensive ranking was 82nd (bad) and their defensive line stats were pretty poor across the board. Still, if I'm a Purdue fan I'm probably optimistic this group will be much improved in 2020.
9. Northwestern: Samdup Miller, Jake Saunders, Trevor Kent, Earnest Brown
The Gaz is gone. Long live the Gaz. Going through these teams, one notes the B1G was really good last year, and also they have lost a lot of defensive line talent from last year. That may not bode well for the B1G's fortunes this year. Anyways, the Gaz takes his 17 TFLs and 9 sacks off to the NFL, and second leading sack man Alex Miller is also gone. Northwestern was pretty bad last year overall, but their defense was pretty good. In fact, all the teams from here on out had pretty good defenses. I'm dropping Northwestern here mostly because it's more difficult for them to reload from losing a star player, even though they should still be fine. They return eight guys who recorded a sack or TFL from last year. Earnest Brown, as a former four star recruit, might be the centerpiece here.
8. Minnesota: Esezi Otomewo, Boye Mafe, Micah Dew-Treadway, Keonte Schad
There's a definite glass half full/half empty vibe with the Gophers line. The Gophers' defense rounded into form last season, but they have lost a lot of starters there. The defensive line itself loses three starters, including Carter Coughlin who ended up on the Giants. Still, backup ends Otomewo and Mafe played and were productive, recording 5 and 3.5 TFLs respectively. Former linebacker Thomas Rush has been moved to (of course) rush end, and so they have three guys they think can rush the passer. They Former ND tackle Dew-Treadway returns at nose tackle, and Schad is a senior who has also gotten playing time. So the glass ain't completely full but it is definitely not empty for the Fleckstones.
7. Michigan State: Jacub Panasiak, Drew Beesley, Naquan Jones, Jacob Slade
Another tricky one to rank. By last year's production, this was a top three group. While MSU struggled overall, the defense was great (13th by SP+) and the defensive line (2nd in line yards per carry), led by Raequon Williams and Kenny Willekes, was another great unit. Those guys are gone, but you would have faith that a Dantonio led defense would still be pretty good even if 11 guys from this board were on it. But now there's no Dantonio, either, so like with most things Sparty, we are just guessing. This starting group all played snaps last year, even if Panasiak is the only returning starter. Depth is a concern - not many guys who have played much outside of the starters. Also unclear is what kind of defense Sparty will even play - they could slowly transition to a 3-4
6. Indiana: James Head, Sio Nofoagatoto'a, Jerome Johnson, Michael Ziemba
We'll give the Hoosiers some love. Their defense last year was a tick below some of the groups below them (43rd on SP+) and the defensive line stats were just all right. But this group returns nearly everyone in their two deep. Jerome Johnson probably gets the headlines - he led the line in sacks and TFLs last year. They also like Head, who has flashed potential but is now the full time starter and pass rusher. They have a lot of meat in the middle - besides the starters they rotate in Demarcus Elliott, himself a good space eater. The days of Indiana being a push over up front are gone, and while other teams have been quite ravaged up front, the Hoosiers are stable and talented. 2020, indeed.
5. Iowa: Chauncey Golston, Daviyon Nixon, Austin Schulte, Zach VanValkenburg
We move into our B1G elite defenses. Iowa was awesome last year (6th by SP+) but they have suffered some big losses up front. Due everything end A.J. Epenesa went to the NFL and two other starters graduated. This is where advanced stats get kind of weird - Iowa's line stats defending the run weren't good, even if overall they were quite good and obviously they had a good defensive line. Stats, man. Anyways, returning starter Chauncey Golston can play; he was second on the team last year in TFL's with 9. Nixon has played and looked the part, but a lot of the other guys are question marks and you'll see a lot of new faces depth wise, as well. Hard to drop Iowa too far but expect a drop off from last year.
4. Michigan: Carlo Kemp, Mazi Smith, Aiden Hutchinson, Kwity Paye
Should be another very solid line for the Wolverines this year. They went through a bit of upheaval last year, though by the end of the season their defensive rankings were quite strong. They return nearly everyone except for pass rush specialist Josh Uche. The main area of consternation for Wolverine fans is at defensive tackle, where i listed Mazi Smith but could easily be Donovan Jeter or Chris Hinton. While it's true that someone with little experience will man that position, nearly every team is dealing with that. I view Michigan's line as very good, and listed them fourth mostly on a lack of star power. While these guys are solid, we are still waiting for someone to really wreck opposing defenses. That could be former five star tackle Hinton, or maybe wonderfully named Luigi Vilain. Uche had 8.5 sacks last year and only played part time - they need a playmaker to emerge.
3. Penn State: Shaka Toney, P.J. Mustipher, Antonio Shelton, Jayson Oweh
This group got a big lift when Shaka Toney (2nd team B!G) decided to return to school for his fifth year. His return gives the Nittany Lions an experienced, dependable starter and they seek to replicate last year's success up front. They had the 10th rated defense by SP+ and gave up the fifth fewest rushing yards in the country. They have a bit of work to do. Inside, Rob Windsor was drafted, though Shelton and Mustipher all played substantially. Outside, they lose star Yetur Gross-Matos, and replacing him is the difference between a good line and a great one. Jayson Oweh is the nominal starter, and he's an athletic marvel (4.33 40) and former top 100 recruit. They are also excited about Adisa Isaac, another former top 100 recruit. If one of those guys emerges to wreck defenses like Gross-Matos, the Lions will compete for the best line in the conference.
2. Wisconsin: Bryson Williams, Keeanu Benton, Garrett Rand, Isaiahh Loudermilk
If we are going by returning players, Wisconsin is #1 with a bullet. They return nearly everyone who looked at the field last year. There overall defense was strong (14th in SP+) and they were number one short yardage on third and fourth downs. That was with NT Bryson Williams missing a lot of time due to injury and Benton being thrust into action as a true freshman. Both ends were strong, and they return Matt Henningsen, who led the line in sacks. The knocks here? There aren't many. Injuries have been an issue for these guys, though they have a lot of depth. Star power is another one - in Wiscy's scheme these guys are real big and free up the linebackers to make plays. They did suffer some attrition to the linebacker unit, so they might want some more plays from these guys to make up for it. We'll see if anyone can make that next step.
1. Ohio State: Jonathan Cooper, Tommy Togiai, Antwaun Jackson, Zach Harrison
Another glass half full, half empty kind of team. Do you look at the losses of Chase Young and company and say this team will struggle. Or do you look at the seven guys who played 200 snaps who do return and say it's going to be another monster year up front for the Buckeyes? They were filthy last year, leading the country in sacks, total defense and landing number 2 in SP+. There is no replacing Chase Young, but the Buckeyes do return a quintet of defensive ends in Cooper, Harrison, as well as three other guys who played regularly. Harrison will get the eyeballs, and is probably the most athletic lineman in the conference, but keep an eye out for Tyreke Smith, who looked great last year when he wasn't injured. They return three regulars in the middle, though former five star recruit Taron Vincent will be trying to break into that group after missing last year due to injury. Larry Johnson's preference of playing lots (and lots) of guys, plus some wonderful recruiting and history of success puts the Buckeyes in the #1 spot for now.
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Michigan has a great DE duo in Aidan Hutchinson (6'6, 278) and Kwity Paye (6'4, 275). It just might be the best in the conference. Both these dudes are versatile and can play almost every position on the line, and both are NFL draft picks in the first 3 rounds imo.
The depth is going to have to emerge however. Luiji Vilain (6'4, 250) was a 247Composite top 50 recruit overall in the nation and on the cusp of 5 STARZ in 247's own rankings at #36 overall. Vilain might be the most athletic defensive lineman they have on the entire roster, but he's been plagued by injuries. He missed the entire 2017 and 2018 seasons with knee, shoulder, ankle, and groin injuries- and never saw a snap of football. Last year was his first healthy year at Michigan and he appeared in 7 games. With Mike Danna off to the NFL, Vilain will likely get more back-up minutes. After that, it's pretty much all young'ns. RS Soph. Julius Welschof (6'6, 278) is a tall, athletic dude from Germany that's basically boom or bust. He's probably either going to be a great player or do nothing at all. Then there's RS Frosh David Ojabo who is a physical specimen out of a Marvel comic book. Ojabo has been getting a lot of insidery hype- some are saying he's basically a 6'5, 270 pound Josh Uche. And then there's 4* true frosh Braiden McGregor (6'5, 250) who might've had one of the weirdest recruiting profiles ever. McGregor was rated by ESPN and 247 as a 5* and in the top 25 players in the nation before his injury- yet Rivals had him as a 3*. McGregor suffers a knee injury and misses 3 QTRs of his senior season, and ESPN drops him down from 24th to 32nd overall and he stays there, 247 bumps him down about 90+ spots to 121, and Rivals bumps him up from a 3* to generic 4* even though he barely plays his senior season.
DT isn't as solid. Carlo Kemp is an average starter, he's not bad, but he's not good. And while Chris Hinton is a OMREGD 5 STARZ physical specimen with huge talent he was only a true frosh last year and only started a few games. DT is a position that typically takes a year or two of development. 2020 could be Hinton's breakout year- but 2021 could easily be the breakout year just as well. They need him to emerge this year however if that defensive line is going to be something special. They are going to be counting on RS Jr. Donovan Jeter (6'3, 290) and RS Frosh. Mazi Smith (6'3, 305) to be the back-ups. Losing Mike Dwumfour to transfer definitely hurt depth, but he might've felt like he was getting replaced up by Hinton as a starter and wanted to go somewhere else to start.
Could be a great DL if Hinton takes a leap and the back-up DE's and DT's can round into form. Ojabo and McGregor are both young, but they leap off the screen. Physical specimens. Just unleash them in passing downs as back-ups and I think they can make something happen.
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For Penn State:
(Note: Penn States rotates a TON of guys, so the stats don't often jump off of the page)
Defense End:
Shaka Toney (redshirt Sr): All B1G 2nd team in 2019, started 13 games last season. I won't go into more detail because he's fairly well known.
Jayson Oweh (redshirt So): Played in all 13 games in 2019. Likely starter. Saquon Barkley, Micah Parsons, and Jayson Oweh are the three most athletically gifted players in the Franklin era. Jayson Oweh is actually faster than Micah Parsons, running a 40 in 4.33 seconds. His 10'7" broad jump is significantly better than most NFL combine numbers (Joey Bosa was 10'0), and he has a 36.5" vertical leap. Ranked #6 on Bruce Feldman's Freak's List. (https://theathletic.com/1065937/2019/07/12/bruce-feldmans-freaks-list-2019-college-football-top-athletic-performances/) Played 327 snaps (33.8%) in 2019, and recorded 5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 21 tackles. Excellent at rushing the passer, but is very raw at everything else.
Shane Simmons (redshirt Sr): Appeared in all 13 games in 2019. Had 19 tackles, on 26.6% of snaps. (257). Simmons is a former 5 star recruit, but has been hampered with injuries. Will likely see a very large increase in workload this season.
Adisa Isaac (true So): This is a guy Penn State fans are very excited about. As a true freshman, had 14 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and one forced fumble. He played 118 snaps (12.2%) last year. His teammates think he is a future first round pick. Former top 100 recruit. Considering the depth at defensive line, burning a redshirt is very rare. I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up starting by the end of the season.
Defensive Tackle:
Antonio Shelton (redshirt Sr): Returning starter. Played in 39.6% of snaps in 2019. Had 17 tackles last season.
PJ Mustipher (Junior): Although not technically a starter, he played 45.5% of snaps in 2019. He has garnered quite a few PFF weekly awards. Will likely be PSU's best defensive tackle. Had 37 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 forced fumble.
Fred Hansard (redshirt Jr): Played in 20.7% of snaps in 2019. Had 15 tackles. Suffered a pretty severe injury in 2018, and didn't seem 100% last season, but improved from game to game. I think he will be pretty good next year.
Judge Culpepper (redshirt So): Played 9% of snaps in 2019. Recorded half a sack and 2 tackles.
Overall I think the defensive ends should be among the better units in the B1G. I think PJ Mustipher (DT) will be a candidate for All B1G. I am a little concerned with the DT depth, the new coaching, and the lack of spring practice.
There is also a lot of quality depth as far as STARZZZ are concerned, but I'm not sure I fully buy into that. I am a bit worried by the loss of coach Sean Spencer to the NY Giants.
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About a third done.
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spot on take of Nebraska
I'm worried
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10. Purdue: George Karlaftis
Last year, Karlaftis was a breakthrough last year as a true freshman, and made the media's all B1G team. 17 TFL and 7.5 sacks as a freshman is some dang good production.
This one chaps my ass. Karlaftis was so close to picking Michigan so many times. And he was super high on their board, I think maybe the top DE on their entire board in 2019. And he almost committed to them so many times and all the insiders felt like it was just a matter of time.
In the end Brohm revitalizing Purdue and then sticking around after Louisville made a run at him swayed him to stay home. If only Purdue kept Hazell a year or two longer.
That kid is a damn man child and he’s going to be a 1st rd pick in 2 years.
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10. Purdue: George Karlaftis, Branson Deen, Lorenzo Neal, Lawrence Johnson
Another one that is difficult to rank. Their SP+ defensive ranking was 82nd (bad) and their defensive line stats were pretty poor across the board. Still, if I'm a Purdue fan I'm probably optimistic this group will be much improved in 2020.
Yeah, my off the cuff belief was that this was WAY too low, but you're right, their line metrics last year were horrible. Bottom 30 in DL sack rate. Bottom 20 in short yardage success rate.
But yeah, if I'm buying low on anyone, it's this group.
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Purdue is a giant question mark. Yes, they were bad last year. They also fired their DC after last year, so they're making changes. And they brought in Bob Diaco, who has had both ups and downs in his career as a DC. Diaco is more known for a 3-4, of course, but we don't know how much time Purdue will spend in a 3-4 or a 4-3 at this point in time.
So like most of these, the low rankings of Purdue units are something I can't argue with at all based on what we know, and as a fan I'm just hoping for positive surprises.
That said, one player not mentioned is Steven Faucheux. He's a DT/DE who was injured his senior season of HS and redshirted last year, but came in as a borderline 3/4* player (some services rated him a 4* as I recall). He was listed 6'4" 270# as a HS senior, and we're hoping for big things.
I do think a core of Karlaftis, Neal, and Faucheux is a pretty good start and this group could surprise.
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Purdue is a giant question mark. Yes, they were bad last year. They also fired their DC after last year, so they're making changes. And they brought in Bob Diaco, who has had both ups and downs in his career as a DC. Diaco is more known for a 3-4, of course, but we don't know how much time Purdue will spend in a 3-4 or a 4-3 at this point in time.
So like most of these, the low rankings of Purdue units are something I can't argue with at all based on what we know, and as a fan I'm just hoping for positive surprises.
That said, one player not mentioned is Steven Faucheux. He's a DT/DE who was injured his senior season of HS and redshirted last year, but came in as a borderline 3/4* player (some services rated him a 4* as I recall). He was listed 6'4" 270# as a HS senior, and we're hoping for big things.
I do think a core of Karlaftis, Neal, and Faucheux is a pretty good start and this group could surprise.
If any team on this list way out-performs it's ranking, it'll be Purdue. Lots of potential there with Diaco coming in- he's had big success in the past- and with GK taking a jump from year 1 to year 2. Plus Neal coming back is going to be a huge shot in the arm.
Purdue could wind up being top 5 DL in the conference or even higher. Just have to wait to see how things round into form- and if we'll even have a season.
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2/3 done
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Re: Iowa
They picked up DT Jack Heflin from NIU as a senior transfer, and that should go a long way toward shoring up the DL interior. The move pushes Austin Shulte down the depth chart, a player that can give quality minutes but not starting material IMO. Noah Shannon has potential, but he's still young.
DE is a different story. I think Golston is good, but he didn't live up to my expectations last year. I thought he'd thrive with Epenesa collecting double teams, but he finished the season with only 3 sacks. Still, he's a solid starter. The other side is a glaring hole. It's likely VanValkenburg or Waggoner, both players who didn't show much in their minutes last year. Joe Evans will likely come in as a pass rushing specialist, but he doesn't have the size to be an every down DE.
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Just two left
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Just two left
I don’t see how Ohio St can be in the top 2 when they just lost most of their DL production in Chase Young, Jashon Cornell, and Davon Hamilton- and not to mention Malik Harrison- who although played OLB was an important edge rusher.
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4. Michigan: Carlo Kemp, Mazi Smith, Aiden Hutchinson, Kwity Paye
Should be another very solid line for the Wolverines this year. They went through a bit of upheaval last year, though by the end of the season their defensive rankings were quite strong. They return nearly everyone except for pass rush specialist Josh Uche. The main area of consternation for Wolverine fans is at defensive tackle, where i listed Mazi Smith but could easily be Donovan Jeter or Chris Hinton. While it's true that someone with little experience will man that position, nearly every team is dealing with that. I view Michigan's line as very good, and listed them fourth mostly on a lack of star power. While these guys are solid, we are still waiting for someone to really wreck opposing defenses. That could be former five star tackle Hinton, or maybe wonderfully named Luigi Vilain. Uche had 8.5 sacks last year and only played part time - they need a playmaker to emerge.
Chris Hinton will definitely be the starter ahead of Mazi. Mazi redshirted last year and Hinton jumped Dwumfour as a true frosh, which is why Dwumfour decided to transfer.
Former 5 STARZ Aubrey Solomon transferring to Tennessee last year really hurt last year and this season. He was going to start in 2019, but apparently he had a big rift with Jim and basically said F u and left. Had Solomon stuck around, Hinton and Solomon would’ve probably been the starters in 2020.
I’d feel much better about the interior of the DL in 2020 had Solomon and Dwumfour stuck it out. I don’t think Dwumfour is a startable tackle, he’s terrible in run stop situations, but he provides a nice interior pass rush on passing downs. And while Kemp is a decent player, he’s nowhere near as good or talented as Solomon, and he works best coming off the bench.
Jim should’ve got on his hands and knees and begged Solomon and Dwumfour to stick around. Should’ve bent over backwards.
Mazi has been getting some hype by the insiders. But Jeter got this same hype and has done absolutely nothing so far in his career.
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spot on take of Nebraska
I'm worried
agree. I am not a fan of how UNL deploys their 3-4. I admit I'm more of a 40 front fan, but if you do the 3-4 I prefer the Aggies style they had when the big12 was 12. Aggressive/risk taking... You give up some big plays, but you make a bunch as well. Two-gaping with undersized DL is not a recipe for success.
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well, the Frost Defensive formula in the past with other teams has been to take on risk and be aggressive
but, you need the bodies to do it well
the front 3 still aren't large enough imo
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To do a 3-4 effectively, at least from what I've gleaned, you need those front 3 to be big and powerful kids.
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I don’t see how Ohio St can be in the top 2 when they just lost most of their DL production in Chase Young, Jashon Cornell, and Davon Hamilton- and not to mention Malik Harrison- who although played OLB was an important edge rusher.
Well you'll have to wait until tomorrow for the full writeup, but to put things in perspective, Michigan is counting on a big season from Chris Hinton as a sophomore based on 129 snaps last year and his 5 star status. Conversely, OSU returns 3 guys at tackle who played 200 snaps last year, and that doesn't include Taron Vincent, the top rated tackle of 2018.
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Well you'll have to wait until tomorrow for the full writeup, but to put things in perspective, Michigan is counting on a big season from Chris Hinton as a sophomore based on 129 snaps last year and his 5 star status. Conversely, OSU returns 3 guys at tackle who played 200 snaps last year, and that doesn't include Taron Vincent, the top rated tackle of 2018.
Michigan didn’t really lose anyone, they return everyone up front and they were very young. Paye and Hutchinson were both first time starters as sophomores, and both showed big potential in their first season starting. Both those guys will only get better. They are both NFL frat picks for sure. Hinton started only 2 games, but they were at the end of the season. As far as players leaving, you can point to Uche, but he’s not really DL, he’s a LB like Malik Harrison.
Ohio State on the other hand lost like 90% of its DL production if we’re going to include Harrison like you included Uche.
I just don’t see it. Think you’re ranking them too much off potential here vs retuning production and what any of these guys have actually done.
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Michigan didn’t really lose anyone, they return everyone up front and they were very young. Paye and Hutchinson were both first time starters as sophomores, and both showed big potential in their first season starting. Both those guys will only get better. They are both NFL frat picks for sure. Hinton started only 2 games, but they were at the end of the season. As far as players leaving, you can point to Uche, but he’s not really DL, he’s a LB like Malik Harrison.
Ohio State on the other hand lost like 90% of its DL production if we’re going to include Harrison like you included Uche.
I just don’t see it. Think you’re ranking them too much off potential here vs retuning production and what any of these guys have actually done.
I don't really see the comparison between Harrison and Uche. Uche played part time and specialized in rushing the passer. Harrison played full time at linebacker and led the team in tackles. I wasn't trying to play games I know Uche was listed as a linebacker to start the season but ended up as a DE. Harrison would sometimes come up to the LOS but they didn't use him as a rush end.
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agree. I am not a fan of how UNL deploys their 3-4. I admit I'm more of a 40 front fan, but if you do the 3-4 I prefer the Aggies style they had when the big12 was 12. Aggressive/risk taking... You give up some big plays, but you make a bunch as well. Two-gaping with undersized DL is not a recipe for success.
That was Mike Stoops' recipe for failure at the end of his time at OU.
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To do a 3-4 effectively, at least from what I've gleaned, you need those front 3 to be big and powerful kids.
I'd agree... but it mostly depends upon what you want to do with them. If they one gap, you may want other skills over the ability to hold a spot.
UNL was at it's best when they turned 6'4" rural kids into 260lb QB chasers. I know styles change, but UNL can develop guys like that... Nebraska does not have a back yard full of guys who come out of HS 320. Easier to recruit 2 space eaters (in a 40 front) than 3 (in a 30 front).. jmo
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Bryson Williams will probably be mentioned here soon. ;)
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Bryson Williams will probably be mentioned here soon. ;)
I hate you...
::::crawls into the corner and cries::::
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Bryson Williams will probably be mentioned here soon. ;)
only by some smartass
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Done.
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2. Wisconsin: Bryson Williams, Keeanu Benton, Garrett Rand, Isaiahh Loudermilk
If we are going by returning players, Wisconsin is #1 with a bullet. They return nearly everyone who looked at the field last year. There overall defense was strong (14th in SP+) and they were number one short yardage on third and fourth downs. That was with NT Bryson Williams missing a lot of time due to injury and Benton being thrust into action as a true freshman. Both ends were strong, and they return Matt Henningsen, who led the line in sacks. The knocks here? There aren't many. Injuries have been an issue for these guys, though they have a lot of depth. Star power is another one - in Wiscy's scheme these guys are real big and free up the linebackers to make plays. They did suffer some attrition to the linebacker unit, so they might want some more plays from these guys to make up for it. We'll see if anyone can make that next step.
Williams will back up Benton at NT this season. Rand and Louds will start at the end positions, I'm 99.9% sure on these things.
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I don't really see the comparison between Harrison and Uche. Uche played part time and specialized in rushing the passer. Harrison played full time at linebacker and led the team in tackles.
Which sort of makes Mdot's case about the tOSU losing more production - that I hope is wrong BTW.It's exceedingly likely we won't find out this year anyway
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Bryson Williams will probably be mentioned here soon. ;)
What is the point of Him?I'm missing it :017:
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kid grew up in Lincoln, NE
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Looked him up he hasn't done much - at least yet
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I wish him well, unless he's lined up vs Frost's offense
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Looked him up he hasn't done much - at least yet
He had a good year in 2018 as Sagapalu's backup, and then became the starter when Sags went down injured. Benton is at another level.
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From the Lincoln Journal Star.............. not encouraging.
Defensive line
What we know: Nebraska has a senior leader up front in defensive end Ben Stille. In addition, NU will hope for increased roles for juniors Damion Daniels and Deontre Thomas.
Questions remaining: While we know some other strong candidates for the rotation in Tony Tuioti’s room, we don’t know what it’s going to look like. Redshirt freshman Ty Robinson could quickly become a linchpin player on the defense if he takes the flashes he showed in limited duty last fall and builds on it. Keem Green now has an offseason under his belt and Jordon Riley impressed in the short amount of time between arriving on campus in January and the shutdown in mid-March. Really, those two plus fellow juco transfer Pheldarius Payne will be central in whether the Huskers can effectively replace the senior trio that is now on to the NFL.
Don’t lose track of redshirt freshman Mosai Newsom or sophomore Casey Rogers, either. Just like linebacker, there are several interesting options up front for the Huskers. The question, of course, is if interesting turns into productive.
Nebraska needs it, especially considering the Huskers finished last in the Big Ten in rushing defense during league play by allowing 5.66 yards per carry.
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1. Ohio State: Jonathan Cooper, Tommy Togiai, Antwaun Jackson, Zach Harrison
Another glass half full, half empty kind of team. Do you look at the losses of Chase Young and company and say this team will struggle. Or do you look at the seven guys who played 200 snaps who do return and say it's going to be another monster year up front for the Buckeyes? They were filthy last year, leading the country in sacks, total defense and landing number 2 in SP+. There is no replacing Chase Young, but the Buckeyes do return a quintet of defensive ends in Cooper, Harrison, as well as three other guys who played regularly. Harrison will get the eyeballs, and is probably the most athletic lineman in the conference, but keep an eye out for Tyreke Smith, who looked great last year when he wasn't injured. They return three regulars in the middle, though former five star recruit Taron Vincent will be trying to break into that group after missing last year due to injury. Larry Johnson's preference of playing lots (and lots) of guys, plus some wonderful recruiting and history of success puts the Buckeyes in the #1 spot for now.
I'm not so sure I'd give OSU the #1 ranking. Just too many question marks with all of the production they lost.
Chase Young: 576 snaps - Gone
Jashon Cornell: 393 snaps - Gone
Davon Hamilton: 354 snaps - Gone
Zach Harrison is intriguing. He's the second most athletic defensive end in the conference, after Jayson Oweh. However, just like Oweh, he's still relatively new to football. The ceiling is very high for both players, but neither is even close to Chase Young.
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I'm not so sure I'd give OSU the #1 ranking. Just too many question marks with all of the production they lost.
Chase Young: 576 snaps - Gone
Jashon Cornell: 393 snaps - Gone
Davon Hamilton: 354 snaps - Gone
Zach Harrison is intriguing. He's the second most athletic defensive end in the conference, after Jayson Oweh. However, just like Oweh, he's still relatively new to football. The ceiling is very high for both players, but neither is even close to Chase Young.
Hmm, from ESPN:
40 time
Harrison: 4.62
Oweh: 4.63
20 yard shuttle
Harrison: 4.45
Oweh: 4.57
Vertical
Harrison: 37.6 inches
Oweh: 34.9 inches
Power throw
Harrison: 44.0
Oweh: 44.5
Overall SPARQ
Harrison: 125.82
Oweh: 117.18
Also it's fair to question the losses, but they return 7 guys who had over 200 snaps on the line, so it's not like they are a bunch of puppies.
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I'm not so sure I'd give OSU the #1 ranking. Just too many question marks with all of the production they lost.
Chase Young: 576 snaps - Gone
Jashon Cornell: 393 snaps - Gone
Davon Hamilton: 354 snaps - Gone
Zach Harrison is intriguing. He's the second most athletic defensive end in the conference, after Jayson Oweh. However, just like Oweh, he's still relatively new to football. The ceiling is very high for both players, but neither is even close to Chase Young.
I'd have OSU #4 personally. Michigan #3, Penn State #2, and Wisconsin #1. OSU definitely has the potential to be #1 at the end of the season, but they lost vast majority of their production. Just ranking off what's returning though- that'd be my 4 in that order.
Harrison is definitely the most athletic DE in the conference. Harrison ran a 4.47 at The Opening Finals at 6'6, 244 pounds. That was a record for someone his size, and it hasn't been approached since. That's a laser-timed system, no error- same one used in the NFL combine. There have been a lot of DE's come and go through that event- and none that size have ever come close to running that sort of time. Harrison is from another planet.
I'm not buying the hand-timed coming out of PSU's stop watches in practice. Sorry. Oweh's 4.33 is probably in reality really like a 4.55-4.6 when you adjust for error. Oweh is super-athletic for a DE no doubt though. David Ojabo at Michigan went to the same HS- and the HS coach there at Blair Academy says that Ojabo is bigger, tougher, and even more athletic than Oweh.
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I'm not buying the hand-timed coming out of PSU's stop watches in practice. Sorry. Oweh's 4.33 is probably in reality really like a 4.55-4.6 when you adjust for error. Oweh is super-athletic for a DE no doubt though. David Ojabo at Michigan went to the same HS- and the HS coach there at Blair Academy says that Ojabo is bigger, tougher, and even more athletic than Oweh.
PSU/M turning into a good pissing match
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Also it's fair to question the losses, but they return 7 guys who had over 200 snaps on the line, so it's not like they are a bunch of puppies.
Look at the TFLs, pressures, sacks - They lost vast majority of that production.
They return 7 guys with fair amount of snaps, but little production. That doesn't tell us a whole lot either way imo. I think Tyreke Smith and Zach Harrison both have big potential at DE, but right now it's just that- potential.
They could be #1 at the end of the season, raw talent is there- but right now, again- jmo - I'd probably put them #4 and bump Mich to #3, PSU to #2 and Wisc to #1.
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PSU/M turning into a good pissing match
Hey man, I'm just repeating what their HS coach said.
And I don't buy any hand-timed nonsensical 40 times that college coaches put out there. Urban was famous for this while at UF. If you believe their 40 yard dash boards, half the players on those UF teams ran 4.2's. James Franklin isn't any different.
The Opening Finals are recorded and the laser-timed system is used on everyone. Same accurate timing system for everyone. Zach Harrison's 4.47 there was just insane. No other DE 6'2+, 230+ has even come close to that.
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Just sayin' M whacks PSU then they return the favor shaping up as a very intense contests
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Just sayin' M whacks PSU then they return the favor shaping up as a very intense contests
coulda gotten it into OT and then had a chance at them this year if Ronnie Bell didn't drop that TD that hit him in both hands at the end of the 4th QTR. 2019 was honestly the only close game since Harbaugh got there.
His first year Harbaugh beat them by 14, his second year he wiped them off the map 49-10, third year they returned the favor 42-13, fourth year Harbaugh returned that returned favor 42-7, and last year it was looking like it might be a blow-out but Patterson got them roaring back in the 2nd half, cut the score to 28-21, and then Ronnie Butterfingers Bell drops the game tying TD pass on 4th down with under 2 mins to go in the game. Seriously that was a heart-breaking moment. That was a perfectly thrown football that literally hit him in both hands.
Honestly, 2019 was by far the best game to watch of the M/PSU series and really the only close game of the series since Harbaugh's been there.
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Look at the TFLs, pressures, sacks - They lost vast majority of that production.
They return 7 guys with fair amount of snaps, but little production. That doesn't tell us a whole lot either way imo. I think Tyreke Smith and Zach Harrison both have big potential at DE, but right now it's just that- potential.
They could be #1 at the end of the season, raw talent is there- but right now, again- jmo - I'd probably put them #4 and bump Mich to #3, PSU to #2 and Wisc to #1.
I hear you, but part of this is projecting what these teams are, not just writing down who comes back. In 2015 OSU lost a similar amount of production when Joey Bosa, Adolphus Washington, and Tommy Schutt all departed. Yet in 2016, still very good! Frankly, I think this line is much better set up than the one in 2016 - it's full of talent and enough experience to not expect much of a drop off. Like I said, there's no replacing Chase Young. But OSU loses highly regarded players every year - if there is a drop off, it should be for a reason other than the guy last year was really good.
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Hmm, from ESPN:
40 time
Harrison: 4.62
Oweh: 4.63
20 yard shuttle
Harrison: 4.45
Oweh: 4.57
Vertical
Harrison: 37.6 inches
Oweh: 34.9 inches
Power throw
Harrison: 44.0
Oweh: 44.5
Overall SPARQ
Harrison: 125.82
Oweh: 117.18
Also it's fair to question the losses, but they return 7 guys who had over 200 snaps on the line, so it's not like they are a bunch of puppies.
The thing about Oweh -- he keeps getting faster and stronger. It's madness.
Here's Oweh's numbers today:
40: 4.33
Broad Jump: 10'7
Vertical: 36.5
Clean: 365 pounds
Bench: 380 pounds
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no squat numbers?
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I'd have OSU #4 personally. Michigan #3, Penn State #2, and Wisconsin #1. OSU definitely has the potential to be #1 at the end of the season, but they lost vast majority of their production. Just ranking off what's returning though- that'd be my 4 in that order.
Harrison is definitely the most athletic DE in the conference. Harrison ran a 4.47 at The Opening Finals at 6'6, 244 pounds. That was a record for someone his size, and it hasn't been approached since. That's a laser-timed system, no error- same one used in the NFL combine. There have been a lot of DE's come and go through that event- and none that size have ever come close to running that sort of time. Harrison is from another planet.
I'm not buying the hand-timed coming out of PSU's stop watches in practice. Sorry. Oweh's 4.33 is probably in reality really like a 4.55-4.6 when you adjust for error. Oweh is super-athletic for a DE no doubt though. David Ojabo at Michigan went to the same HS- and the HS coach there at Blair Academy says that Ojabo is bigger, tougher, and even more athletic than Oweh.
First Paragraph:
I'd probably put Wisconsin #1, Michigan #2, Ohio State #3, Penn State #4
Third Paragraph:
1. What were Micah Parson's numbers? Because he last year he beat him in a race heads up. Twice.
2. Penn State NFL combine numbers are VERY close to their PSU numbers. Even if he really runs a 4.4, that's madness.
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no squat numbers?
there's a video of that.
video
(https://247sports.com/college/penn-state/Article/Video-Penn-State-freshman-Jayson-Oweh-weight-room-129591699/)455 Pounds, 7 times
Edit: 545 Pounds - typo
Better video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdYMaDQDYwE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdYMaDQDYwE)
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nice
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First Paragraph:
I'd probably put Wisconsin #1, Michigan #2, Ohio State #3, Penn State #4
Third Paragraph:
1. What were Micah Parson's numbers? Because he last year he beat him in a race heads up. Twice.
2. Penn State NFL combine numbers are VERY close to their PSU numbers. Even if he really runs a 4.4, that's madness.
Per ESPN Parsons ran a 4.66 so it makes sense that Oweh is faster. And Harrison is faster than both of them :040:
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Per ESPN Parsons ran a 4.66 so it makes sense that Oweh is faster. And Harrison is faster than both of them :040:
He was faster in High school, probably.
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I'd take them all
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so would Frost
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He was faster in High school, probably.
Harrison can't compete when Joe Pa is manning the stopwatch
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Harrison can't compete when Joe Pa is manning the stopwatch
3 years ago ESPN had them .01 seconds apart. Owen has gotten much faster since then.