Rocco
Watching you.
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Here is my long-winded angle on the D and where we stack up. The D is clearly the strength of the team headed into its game against Penn State.
To answer PaSyrFan's post in another thread, I agree that Marrone had us headed towards the next level, but I am confident in Shafer finishing the job. He is untested as a HC, but so was Marrone. After all, he was here all 4 years under Marrone's tenure leading a few very good defenses. The players, administration, fans and recruits all know of him. It was a very easy move and seamless transition to promote him up to HC. Whether or not he can handle the daily ins and outs of being the head honcho remains to be seen. He has surrounded himself with his own staff (and long-time friends), many of whom he has worked with in the past. They have really turned the program into a family-first culture, which the players love. He has implemented an open-door policy to all former players which has gone over very well (something DM wouldn't do). He already has the respect of his fellow coaches and players, so that is a huge plus. All in all, I am optimistic with him leading us out on the field on August 31st against the Nits.
As for the DEFENSE:
Defensive End
Our only glaring weakness (potentially) is at DE with the loss of MPB (booted) and Donnie Simmons (ACL) in the off-season. Micah Robinson (6'4", 265) and Robert Welsh (6'3", 256) appear to be in the driver's seat for the 2 DE spots right now, with newly converted Ron Thompson (6'4", 280), true frosh Zeke Johnson (6'5", 291), Trevon Trejo (6'5", 240) and Tyler Marona (6'4", 258) waiting in the wings. Welsh doesn't do anything great, but he is a sponge for whatever the coaches tell him. When you lack great athleticism, you need to focus even harder on your techniques and be able to decipher what the OL is telling you. Daoust, Bullough and Shafer really like the kid. I gotta be honest, when we picked Welsh up as a recruit, I never thought he would be a starter. Glad I was wrong. Micah has shown signs in the past that he can play, but he needs to work on his consistency and heart on every play. I've heard it's improved but we really won't know for sure until some big blob dressed in Blue and White is in front of him at MetLife. Verdict is still out on Thompson as a convert, but you can't hide his freakish athleticism for his size. Shafer and Marrone fought back and forth over whether Ron was coming in as a DE or TE recruit. That is a telling sign about the kid's potential at DE. I think he will need a year to learn the position, but he might see some time this year. Zeke has already been turning heads in camp. He is a very big DE, who apparently already passes the look test and is considerably bigger than some of our other options. With the uncertainty at DE, Zeke may be able to play himself into some PT. I am actually hoping we can redshirt this kid and cut him loose as a RF; however, if he is good enough to play now, he will play. The wildcard here is big John Raymon (323). He is more of a DT in the 4-3 at 6-5, 323, but don't be surprised to see him lining up at DE every once in a while. For a man that size, he has very good athleticism. Without question, this position scares me the most, but hopefully DL coach Timmy Daoust has something up his sleeve.
Defensive Tackle
At DT, we have the anchor of our defense in Jay "King" Bromley (6'4", 285). The kid is a wildabeast with a chip on his shoulder. As long as he can stay healthy (has had injury issues in the past), he is poised to have a big season in hoping to find his way onto an NFL roster next year. A very unheralded recruit, he is a poster child as to why camps are so important. He has turned out to be a true diamond in the rough and I'm looking forward to him beating up on PSU's line. Next to him, is Eric Crume (6'0", 305) from Detroit who made some nice contributions last year. He will be lining up under center as the NT and has some nice plays under his belt. Between the two of them, we have 600 lbs of pork trying to disrupt the running lanes. Backing those boys up are Zian Jones (6'4", 311), Ryan Sloan (6'2", 326), Marcus Coleman (6'1", 266), Josh Manley (6'2", 269) and potentially John Raymon (6'5", 323) depending on where Daoust wants him to play. Z Jones has had a good camp. Sloan has been bothered by a lingering issue, but hopefully he is ready to go in a few weeks. If John Raymon plays some time at DT, he could be a force. We lost Davon Walls in the offseason (booted). I am comfortable with where we are at here and am hoping to see Brom climb up the draft charts as the season progresses.
Linebackers
The LB unit is battling with the secondary as the strength of the D. I am tipping my hat to the LBs just based on how we've seen them play together for the last few years. Leading the charge is 4 year starter Marquis Spruill (6'1", 224) at the Mike. He is undersized as a traditional 4-3 MIKE, but he has some jets and has shown his ability to blitz and take on runners coming through the lanes. On either side of him, you have Dyshawn Davis (6'2", 220) at the WILL and Cam Lynch (5'11", 230) at the SAM. DD is taking ShamWow's spot as the most ferocious hitter on the team. He also possesses great ability to come off the edge as a blitzer and get to the QB. Here's a quick reminder of the types of hits he brings to the table (shows it like 4-5 times, awesome):
Cam is another speedster who is a great blitzer. As much as those 3 guys are blitz-oriented, they are also good at plugging up holes on runs and filling their assignments in zone coverage. Our run D has been a strength for the last few years, and these guys have much to say about that. Backing up Spruill at the MIKE is JUCO Luke Arciniega (6'2, 241) who possesses more of the traditional MIKE size. He got here in January and has clearly staked his claim as Spruill's backup (at times even challenging him). He will see the field this year and will be a huge asset in goal-line situations. Another name we can't forget about is RF James Washington (6'1", 218). He is listed as the 3rd MIKE, but he has shown his signs in practice (another smaller sized kid who is a blitzer). He will be more of a ST player this year. At the WILL behind Davis, you have another JUCO stud in Josh Kirkland (6'2", 204). Don't be discouraged by his size, he hits like a mack truck. The kid has made the biggest impression on the staff of the newcomers and will see the field as well. He flys around the field and is not afraid to lay a stick... just ask Clay Cleveland in the spring game. Side note - regarding Dy Davis' maturity level, in the spring he personally took Kirkland under his wing while Kirk was filling in for him with the 1's. Davis was recovering from surgery and sat out the spring, so he made sure that Kirk knew exactly what to do all the time. That is great. Also in the mix is Olly Vigille (6'2", 220) who is likely to see more time on ST's this year. Backing up Cam Lynch at the SAM is Lew Coker (6'1", 230). He was part of the infamous TANK goal-line package last year as a FB, but the staff has moved him back to LB. The wild-card here is true frosh Marqez Hodge (5'11", 208) who has had a good camp. I think he may be the #2 behind Lynch at this point, but if something were to happen to Lynch, you would see the staff move Kirkland or Vigille into the SAM. Hodge would be too much of a greenhorn risk at this point with how complex the blitz schemes, zones and assignments Shafer and Bullough run in their D. Alryk Perry (6'0", 211) is a true frosh who I haven't heard much about. All in all, this unit is deep and can outright ball.
Corners
For the secondary, they clearly have the most depth. We have a sick 2 deep, and almost have a full 3 deep. I think Day 1 you will see Lyn and Anderson at CB with Wilkes (FS) and Esk (SS) at safety. Starting with Lyn, he is a true senior who is a 3 year starter (needs to stay healthy - has had hammy and shoulder issues in the past, but says he feels great right now). He is one of the leaders on this D on and off the field now. He has matured considerably over the past year and is ready to lead many of these younger guys. He has a legit shot at the NFL. Right behind him is Julian Whigham, who I loved last year in what I saw at Ft Drum. The kid is a ball-hawk who would be a very legit replacement if Lyn goes down. Last year he was also getting looks at saftey and as the nickel. Expect more of that Okie look this year from him possibly. The 3 deep here would be Chauncey Scissum (possibly a safety) or Jaston George. On the other side, you got Ri'Shard Anderson who is a 5th year senior. During his freshman year in camp, he was turning heads but a shoulder injury completely stopped all of his momentum. I'm not sure he ever really caught back up with that momentum. I am damn glad however that he came back for his 5th year as he was on the fence for awhile. Gives us great depth and options. He is by far our best CB in run coverage. He has shown signs of getting burnt on deep balls or biting on stop-n-go's. Chopping at his heels right behind him is Brandon Reddish. Reddish may even get the starting nod over him. The kid is a talent who is our best press corner and will see considerable PT. Expect to see him in nickel situations as well. Behind Reddish you still have George and Scissum who will float around this year. Let's hope we don't have to dip into our 3 deep at CB. Scissum will redshirt.
Safeties
At SS, you got Esk taking over for Shamarko. Esk is a talent but I am concerned with his ferociousness as a tackler (does anybody remember the pansy whiff against UConn last year I believe?). He has great athleticism and great range as a float in the bubble of a deep zone. Expect to see him bringing the heat blitzing this year (he's already shown us what he can do there... cue last year's UConn game). Behind him is Ritchy Desir, who is battling with Morgan and Estime for punt returner. Ritchy is a very serviceable backup who will see the field this year and could step in for Esk if he goes down. Josh Mims is a serviceable and quality walk-on. Over at FS, you got senior Jerami Wilkes. Wilkes is a veteran starter who doesn't do anything flashy but seems to always be in on plays. I am comfortable with him based on his knowledge of the playbook and his maturity, but wouldn't be upset to see Wayne Morgan take his spot. Morgan is a better athlete and has better range and will see time this year as the nickelback. Also battling with them is JUCO Darius Kelly who has the most speed out of any of the safeties. I would like to see him take a redshirt this year as I think we are good with Morgan and Wilkes. Never the less, Kelly is getting looks as a return man. All in all, I love our secondary. There is great depth and good athleticism all over the field. The best part is that we options for all of the different scenarios we will face. Rotations and fresh feet are a luxury to have.
Summary
To recap, I really really like Shafer's D this year. Heading into the ACC, we face some very potent offenses which hopefully we can step up to the challenge. His good buddy Chuck Bullough was brought in to lead the charge as DC while Shaf takes over HC responsibilities, but you know damn well that Shaf is going to be heavily involved with that side of the ball. That is his passion. The quality depth that we have is incredible that we haven't seen in years. The loss of MPB, Davon Walls and Donnie Simmons is a killer no doubt, but this where these other unproven players need to step up and go get it. DE competition is wide open. I hope to see Welsh and Micah get the gigs for now. They have the most experience and showed good things in the spring. I would imagine that Raymon is going to be bouncing around all over the place along that line. The key is where. There is no chance that the kid doesn't get significant reps. Daoust even said he wishes he could have 8 John Raymon's. That says alot. Thompson and Trejo should see some good PT. I don't need to say anything else about the LB's as they have been solid for a few years now and we have a veteran group. I love that Diet Tab is helping out. He was a vocal leader on and off the field last year and the players all know him. He is a great asset to have in helping out on D. Our secondary is solid across the board. If one man goes down, there is a good replacement behind him. Our LBs and secondary are without question the strength of the D this year.
We will see alot of the same zone blitz packages we've seen in the past. Putting pressure on the QB and keeping the OL confused is the name of the game. Disguises make this D so difficult to read and understand. There are 5-6 legit blitzers on the field at all times. Who's coming? Left, right, middle, double jam, fake? The D should be the overall strength of this team this year with all of the turnover and question marks on the offensive side of the ball. The players are dialed in and ready to fight like hell. They are all-in. I am so happy for Scott Shafer that he got this opportunity. The guy deserved it and the players love him. When players want to play for you, it makes a helluva difference.
Looking forward to this:
Now let's win some fecking ball games.
Cannot. Wait. For. August 31st.
To answer PaSyrFan's post in another thread, I agree that Marrone had us headed towards the next level, but I am confident in Shafer finishing the job. He is untested as a HC, but so was Marrone. After all, he was here all 4 years under Marrone's tenure leading a few very good defenses. The players, administration, fans and recruits all know of him. It was a very easy move and seamless transition to promote him up to HC. Whether or not he can handle the daily ins and outs of being the head honcho remains to be seen. He has surrounded himself with his own staff (and long-time friends), many of whom he has worked with in the past. They have really turned the program into a family-first culture, which the players love. He has implemented an open-door policy to all former players which has gone over very well (something DM wouldn't do). He already has the respect of his fellow coaches and players, so that is a huge plus. All in all, I am optimistic with him leading us out on the field on August 31st against the Nits.
As for the DEFENSE:
Defensive End
Our only glaring weakness (potentially) is at DE with the loss of MPB (booted) and Donnie Simmons (ACL) in the off-season. Micah Robinson (6'4", 265) and Robert Welsh (6'3", 256) appear to be in the driver's seat for the 2 DE spots right now, with newly converted Ron Thompson (6'4", 280), true frosh Zeke Johnson (6'5", 291), Trevon Trejo (6'5", 240) and Tyler Marona (6'4", 258) waiting in the wings. Welsh doesn't do anything great, but he is a sponge for whatever the coaches tell him. When you lack great athleticism, you need to focus even harder on your techniques and be able to decipher what the OL is telling you. Daoust, Bullough and Shafer really like the kid. I gotta be honest, when we picked Welsh up as a recruit, I never thought he would be a starter. Glad I was wrong. Micah has shown signs in the past that he can play, but he needs to work on his consistency and heart on every play. I've heard it's improved but we really won't know for sure until some big blob dressed in Blue and White is in front of him at MetLife. Verdict is still out on Thompson as a convert, but you can't hide his freakish athleticism for his size. Shafer and Marrone fought back and forth over whether Ron was coming in as a DE or TE recruit. That is a telling sign about the kid's potential at DE. I think he will need a year to learn the position, but he might see some time this year. Zeke has already been turning heads in camp. He is a very big DE, who apparently already passes the look test and is considerably bigger than some of our other options. With the uncertainty at DE, Zeke may be able to play himself into some PT. I am actually hoping we can redshirt this kid and cut him loose as a RF; however, if he is good enough to play now, he will play. The wildcard here is big John Raymon (323). He is more of a DT in the 4-3 at 6-5, 323, but don't be surprised to see him lining up at DE every once in a while. For a man that size, he has very good athleticism. Without question, this position scares me the most, but hopefully DL coach Timmy Daoust has something up his sleeve.
Defensive Tackle
At DT, we have the anchor of our defense in Jay "King" Bromley (6'4", 285). The kid is a wildabeast with a chip on his shoulder. As long as he can stay healthy (has had injury issues in the past), he is poised to have a big season in hoping to find his way onto an NFL roster next year. A very unheralded recruit, he is a poster child as to why camps are so important. He has turned out to be a true diamond in the rough and I'm looking forward to him beating up on PSU's line. Next to him, is Eric Crume (6'0", 305) from Detroit who made some nice contributions last year. He will be lining up under center as the NT and has some nice plays under his belt. Between the two of them, we have 600 lbs of pork trying to disrupt the running lanes. Backing those boys up are Zian Jones (6'4", 311), Ryan Sloan (6'2", 326), Marcus Coleman (6'1", 266), Josh Manley (6'2", 269) and potentially John Raymon (6'5", 323) depending on where Daoust wants him to play. Z Jones has had a good camp. Sloan has been bothered by a lingering issue, but hopefully he is ready to go in a few weeks. If John Raymon plays some time at DT, he could be a force. We lost Davon Walls in the offseason (booted). I am comfortable with where we are at here and am hoping to see Brom climb up the draft charts as the season progresses.
Linebackers
The LB unit is battling with the secondary as the strength of the D. I am tipping my hat to the LBs just based on how we've seen them play together for the last few years. Leading the charge is 4 year starter Marquis Spruill (6'1", 224) at the Mike. He is undersized as a traditional 4-3 MIKE, but he has some jets and has shown his ability to blitz and take on runners coming through the lanes. On either side of him, you have Dyshawn Davis (6'2", 220) at the WILL and Cam Lynch (5'11", 230) at the SAM. DD is taking ShamWow's spot as the most ferocious hitter on the team. He also possesses great ability to come off the edge as a blitzer and get to the QB. Here's a quick reminder of the types of hits he brings to the table (shows it like 4-5 times, awesome):
Cam is another speedster who is a great blitzer. As much as those 3 guys are blitz-oriented, they are also good at plugging up holes on runs and filling their assignments in zone coverage. Our run D has been a strength for the last few years, and these guys have much to say about that. Backing up Spruill at the MIKE is JUCO Luke Arciniega (6'2, 241) who possesses more of the traditional MIKE size. He got here in January and has clearly staked his claim as Spruill's backup (at times even challenging him). He will see the field this year and will be a huge asset in goal-line situations. Another name we can't forget about is RF James Washington (6'1", 218). He is listed as the 3rd MIKE, but he has shown his signs in practice (another smaller sized kid who is a blitzer). He will be more of a ST player this year. At the WILL behind Davis, you have another JUCO stud in Josh Kirkland (6'2", 204). Don't be discouraged by his size, he hits like a mack truck. The kid has made the biggest impression on the staff of the newcomers and will see the field as well. He flys around the field and is not afraid to lay a stick... just ask Clay Cleveland in the spring game. Side note - regarding Dy Davis' maturity level, in the spring he personally took Kirkland under his wing while Kirk was filling in for him with the 1's. Davis was recovering from surgery and sat out the spring, so he made sure that Kirk knew exactly what to do all the time. That is great. Also in the mix is Olly Vigille (6'2", 220) who is likely to see more time on ST's this year. Backing up Cam Lynch at the SAM is Lew Coker (6'1", 230). He was part of the infamous TANK goal-line package last year as a FB, but the staff has moved him back to LB. The wild-card here is true frosh Marqez Hodge (5'11", 208) who has had a good camp. I think he may be the #2 behind Lynch at this point, but if something were to happen to Lynch, you would see the staff move Kirkland or Vigille into the SAM. Hodge would be too much of a greenhorn risk at this point with how complex the blitz schemes, zones and assignments Shafer and Bullough run in their D. Alryk Perry (6'0", 211) is a true frosh who I haven't heard much about. All in all, this unit is deep and can outright ball.
Corners
For the secondary, they clearly have the most depth. We have a sick 2 deep, and almost have a full 3 deep. I think Day 1 you will see Lyn and Anderson at CB with Wilkes (FS) and Esk (SS) at safety. Starting with Lyn, he is a true senior who is a 3 year starter (needs to stay healthy - has had hammy and shoulder issues in the past, but says he feels great right now). He is one of the leaders on this D on and off the field now. He has matured considerably over the past year and is ready to lead many of these younger guys. He has a legit shot at the NFL. Right behind him is Julian Whigham, who I loved last year in what I saw at Ft Drum. The kid is a ball-hawk who would be a very legit replacement if Lyn goes down. Last year he was also getting looks at saftey and as the nickel. Expect more of that Okie look this year from him possibly. The 3 deep here would be Chauncey Scissum (possibly a safety) or Jaston George. On the other side, you got Ri'Shard Anderson who is a 5th year senior. During his freshman year in camp, he was turning heads but a shoulder injury completely stopped all of his momentum. I'm not sure he ever really caught back up with that momentum. I am damn glad however that he came back for his 5th year as he was on the fence for awhile. Gives us great depth and options. He is by far our best CB in run coverage. He has shown signs of getting burnt on deep balls or biting on stop-n-go's. Chopping at his heels right behind him is Brandon Reddish. Reddish may even get the starting nod over him. The kid is a talent who is our best press corner and will see considerable PT. Expect to see him in nickel situations as well. Behind Reddish you still have George and Scissum who will float around this year. Let's hope we don't have to dip into our 3 deep at CB. Scissum will redshirt.
Safeties
At SS, you got Esk taking over for Shamarko. Esk is a talent but I am concerned with his ferociousness as a tackler (does anybody remember the pansy whiff against UConn last year I believe?). He has great athleticism and great range as a float in the bubble of a deep zone. Expect to see him bringing the heat blitzing this year (he's already shown us what he can do there... cue last year's UConn game). Behind him is Ritchy Desir, who is battling with Morgan and Estime for punt returner. Ritchy is a very serviceable backup who will see the field this year and could step in for Esk if he goes down. Josh Mims is a serviceable and quality walk-on. Over at FS, you got senior Jerami Wilkes. Wilkes is a veteran starter who doesn't do anything flashy but seems to always be in on plays. I am comfortable with him based on his knowledge of the playbook and his maturity, but wouldn't be upset to see Wayne Morgan take his spot. Morgan is a better athlete and has better range and will see time this year as the nickelback. Also battling with them is JUCO Darius Kelly who has the most speed out of any of the safeties. I would like to see him take a redshirt this year as I think we are good with Morgan and Wilkes. Never the less, Kelly is getting looks as a return man. All in all, I love our secondary. There is great depth and good athleticism all over the field. The best part is that we options for all of the different scenarios we will face. Rotations and fresh feet are a luxury to have.
Summary
To recap, I really really like Shafer's D this year. Heading into the ACC, we face some very potent offenses which hopefully we can step up to the challenge. His good buddy Chuck Bullough was brought in to lead the charge as DC while Shaf takes over HC responsibilities, but you know damn well that Shaf is going to be heavily involved with that side of the ball. That is his passion. The quality depth that we have is incredible that we haven't seen in years. The loss of MPB, Davon Walls and Donnie Simmons is a killer no doubt, but this where these other unproven players need to step up and go get it. DE competition is wide open. I hope to see Welsh and Micah get the gigs for now. They have the most experience and showed good things in the spring. I would imagine that Raymon is going to be bouncing around all over the place along that line. The key is where. There is no chance that the kid doesn't get significant reps. Daoust even said he wishes he could have 8 John Raymon's. That says alot. Thompson and Trejo should see some good PT. I don't need to say anything else about the LB's as they have been solid for a few years now and we have a veteran group. I love that Diet Tab is helping out. He was a vocal leader on and off the field last year and the players all know him. He is a great asset to have in helping out on D. Our secondary is solid across the board. If one man goes down, there is a good replacement behind him. Our LBs and secondary are without question the strength of the D this year.
We will see alot of the same zone blitz packages we've seen in the past. Putting pressure on the QB and keeping the OL confused is the name of the game. Disguises make this D so difficult to read and understand. There are 5-6 legit blitzers on the field at all times. Who's coming? Left, right, middle, double jam, fake? The D should be the overall strength of this team this year with all of the turnover and question marks on the offensive side of the ball. The players are dialed in and ready to fight like hell. They are all-in. I am so happy for Scott Shafer that he got this opportunity. The guy deserved it and the players love him. When players want to play for you, it makes a helluva difference.
Looking forward to this:
Now let's win some fecking ball games.
Cannot. Wait. For. August 31st.
