d playmakers this year

[kcsu]

I believe this is going to be our best D in years. The following players are in my opinion guys who the other team is going to have to account for.

Dline. The strongest unit on the D side of the ball. Expect Bromley to demand double teams. He is a beast who by the end of last year was blowing up O lines.

CB: Reddish, many of us including me wanted to see him at WR. Thank goodness Doug kept him at CB as he looks to be our first lock down corner in a long time.

LB: MS, moving back inside will allow him to really shine. I have a feeling he is going to make all league and i love the guys around him.

All in all these three players are in my opinion the strongest playmakers we have on D. If i had to pick one other kid to have a break out year it would be Morgan at S.

 

[SoBristol]

It should be a real good defense. I agree about Bromley and Reddish, but the best quality of this defense is balance -- experience everywhere and good quality in all units.

LB for example. Spruill may be the senior leader, but Lynch and Davis aren't far behind. We finally have numbers with the juco adds, and Coker & Vigille are ready to do more than just play specials.

Bromley is the standout DT, but there will be size and strength next to him.

Questions for this defense: who provides the pass rush? who plays strong safety? and just how good is Spruill at MLB?

 

[ImperialOrange]

The only real ?'s on defense are at safety and DE. I love our corner pairing with Lyn and Reddish, the prior being better in run support and the latter being perhaps a better pure cover corner but both can tackle well and both can cover more than adequately. Love our interior D line in terms of ability, size, and the amount of options we have that possess both. They should lock down the trenches and allow our DE's to have single blockers to defeat all game long. The question of course is do we have the DE's to take advantage?

Robinson is a house and should play well but not sure if he has "it" or not in terms of being a playmaker. He'll be solid/dependable if nothing more. Curious if this is the year we see Simmons athletic ability translate into football ability? He's got the speed and now strength to be a nightmare off the edge so I'm expecting some plays from him. Welsh has really come on since moving to DE from and undersized DT. Not sure how fast he is or is not but he's certainly strong enough and is a high motor guy that will be fun to watch. Would love to see him make a big impact in his 4th year in the program. Manley is an unknown quantity but certainly appears to possess the physical ability of a playmaker. Finally, Raymon still being listed at DE? I would love for that to be the case especially on running plays when we could potentially have 3 of our 4 D lineman in the 300 lb range and none of them are fat boys. If we get production from our rush end our d line will be scary good and our LB's should have plenty of space to clean up and make plays.

 

[ImperialOrange]

It should be a real good defense. I agree about Bromley and Reddish, but the best quality of this defense is balance -- experience everywhere and good quality in all units.

LB for example. Spruill may be the senior leader, but Lynch and Davis aren't far behind. We finally have numbers with the juco adds, and Coker & Vigille are ready to do more than just play specials.

Bromley is the standout DT, but there will be size and strength next to him.

Questions for this defense: who provides the pass rush? who plays strong safety? and just how good is Spruill at MLB?

Spruill played well at OLB last year but for IMHO looked better as an MLB the year prior. Seems to be a good natural fit for him and it's nice to have a guy in the middle that can hit like he does. Expect him to make running backs try and turn everything outside where we have the speed to cover as well.

 

[SoBristol]

Spruill played well at OLB last year but for IMHO looked better as an MLB the year prior. Seems to be a good natural fit for him and it's nice to have a guy in the middle that can hit like he does. Expect him to make running backs try and turn everything outside where we have the speed to cover as well.

From my observations, Diabate (in 2012) was much better than Spruill (in 2011) at MLB -- better natural instincts for plugging the gaps. Spruill was more effective (as a frosh and last season) when he wasn't the MLB.

The move is more a matter of need. We have decent depth at OLB, and Spruill can play the middle. Not to quibble, but it isn't because he is more natural there.

 

[ImperialOrange]

From my observations, Diabate (in 2012) was much better than Spruill (in 2011) at MLB -- better natural instincts for plugging the gaps. Spruill was more effective (as a frosh and last season) when he wasn't the MLB.

The move is more a matter of need. We have decent depth at OLB, and Spruill can play the middle. Not to quibble, but it isn't because he is more natural there.

Fair enough. I just like having Spruill as a hammer in the middle although Diabate worked well in last years defense due to his speed and surrounding personelle. Spruill + Bromley + other DT/NT should make the middle of our defense a no run zone.

 

[SoBristol]

Fair enough. I just like having Spruill as a hammer in the middle although Diabate worked well in last years defense due to his speed and surrounding personelle. Spruill + Bromley + other DT/NT should make the middle of our defense a no run zone.

Yes -- the run defense should be strong. We have been playing with young and undersized LBs, and now the outside guys are veterans with added muscle. We haven't had great size at DT, now we have Jones, Williams, and Raymond. And we will need all this, with the schedule as we step up to the ACC.

 

[anomander]

The only real ?'s on defense are at safety and DE. I love our corner pairing with Lyn and Reddish, the prior being better in run support and the latter being perhaps a better pure cover corner but both can tackle well and both can cover more than adequately. Love our interior D line in terms of ability, size, and the amount of options we have that possess both. They should lock down the trenches and allow our DE's to have single blockers to defeat all game long. The question of course is do we have the DE's to take advantage?

Robinson is a house and should play well but not sure if he has "it" or not in terms of being a playmaker. He'll be solid/dependable if nothing more. Curious if this is the year we see Simmons athletic ability translate into football ability? He's got the speed and now strength to be a nightmare off the edge so I'm expecting some plays from him. Welsh has really come on since moving to DE from and undersized DT. Not sure how fast he is or is not but he's certainly strong enough and is a high motor guy that will be fun to watch. Would love to see him make a big impact in his 4th year in the program. Manley is an unknown quantity but certainly appears to possess the physical ability of a playmaker. Finally, Raymon still being listed at DE? I would love for that to be the case especially on running plays when we could potentially have 3 of our 4 D lineman in the 300 lb range and none of them are fat boys. If we get production from our rush end our d line will be scary good and our LB's should have plenty of space to clean up and make plays.

I love our DB's. I think Lyn and Reddish are both future pro's. I like their size to since there are some big ACC WR's that come to mind. I think they will be our strong point on defense. Have always been a huge Lyn fan. I am expecting him to build on last year, and have an all league season. Reddish I still have nightmares over that pick 6 against Cincinatti, but I think he will be special as well. I was a bit concerned over the S position, especially after not getting Duron Singleton, but I have always wanted to see Wayne Morgan get moved there, which it looks like he has, and from all reports Eskridge has really been playing well. Wilkes never did it for me, but he at least has some experience, plus there is Desir, the JUCO Kelly, Jaston George when he is back healthy, and Scissum should be able to provide depth in a pinch.
The one position that really concerns me (other then K/P) is DE. Even Shafer said in his presser we have a tough time producing pressure if not from the blitz. Unless Trejo can really step up I really don't see anyone who can give us pressure off the end. We seem to have some DE's who are good against the run, but we really need someone who can beat their man 1 on 1. Like seeing that Manley has been playing good.
Overall I really think this team is going to be a lot better then most people think. If our QB's can protect the ball there is absolutely no reason we shouldn't be heading to another bowl at the absolute worst.

 

[ImperialOrange]

I love our DB's. I think Lyn and Reddish are both future pro's. I like their size to since there are some big ACC WR's that come to mind. I think they will be our strong point on defense. Have always been a huge Lyn fan. I am expecting him to build on last year, and have an all league season. Reddish I still have nightmares over that pick 6 against Cincinatti, but I think he will be special as well. I was a bit concerned over the S position, especially after not getting Duron Singleton, but I have always wanted to see Wayne Morgan get moved there, which it looks like he has, and from all reports Eskridge has really been playing well. Wilkes never did it for me, but he at least has some experience, plus there is Desir, the JUCO Kelly, Jaston George when he is back healthy, and Scissum should be able to provide depth in a pinch.
The one position that really concerns me (other then K/P) is DE. Even Shafer said in his presser we have a tough time producing pressure if not from the blitz. Unless Trejo can really step up I really don't see anyone who can give us pressure off the end. We seem to have some DE's who are good against the run, but we really need someone who can beat their man 1 on 1. Like seeing that Manley has been playing good.
Overall I really think this team is going to be a lot better then most people think. If our QB's can protect the ball there is absolutely no reason we shouldn't be heading to another bowl at the absolute worst.

Agreed on all points. Our CB's will be as good as our DE's allow them to be. If we can generate half a pass rush our CB's will make plays all year. If the opposing WR's can run double moves and have 3+ seconds to work open there's not much any CB can do.

 

[money3189]

i was told keon lyn is the fastest on the team. Ran a 4.3 40

 

[CaliCuse]

I believe this is going to be our best D in years. The following players are in my opinion guys who the other team is going to have to account for.

Dline. The strongest unit on the D side of the ball. Expect Bromley to demand double teams. He is a beast who by the end of last year was blowing up O lines.

CB: Reddish, many of us including me wanted to see him at WR. Thank goodness Doug kept him at CB as he looks to be our first lock down corner in a long time.

LB: MS, moving back inside will allow him to really shine. I have a feeling he is going to make all league and i love the guys around him.

All in all these three players are in my opinion the strongest playmakers we have on D. If i had to pick one other kid to have a break out year it would be Morgan at S.

I totally agree . The experience in there and the level of talent is very impressive andtotop it off we have some kids coming into make it even better with depth and their own talent. So far Iam excited and anxious to see the parts come together.

 

[CaliCuse]

i was told Keon lynn is the fastest on the team. Ran a 4.3 40

That is my idea of fast. Lynn had a great end of last season. I hope it continues for him and us I am looking for some big impact plays this year from STs and our defense as unpick 6 for huge turn around points when it looks bad for the defense and someone like Lynn or Reddish gets the ball in their hands and makes off for a foot race to the goal line.

 

[anomander]

i was told keon lyn is the fastest on the team. Ran a 4.3 40

that's exactly why I am saying he will be a relatively high draft choice. NFL teams eat up size and speed like that. I thought he was one of our most under rated players last year. Hoping for an even better upcoming season.

 

[IHeartSUFball]

not so much worried about DE anymore... safety yes may be a concern but I hear Morgan has put on some postive poundage and Desir did a decent job last year. Wilkes has been around for 9 years so hopefully its his chance to shine like he did in the S. Fla game a few years ago.

 

[bnoro]

not so much worried about DE anymore... safety yes may be a concern but I hear Morgan has put on some postive poundage and Desir did a decent job last year. Wilkes has been around for 9 years so hopefully its his chance to shine like he did in the S. Fla game a few years ago.

Don't forget Durell Eskridge. Most athletic player in the secondary.

 

[IHeartSUFball]

Very true got high hopes for him this season

 

[SUalldway]

It should be a real good defense. I agree about Bromley and Reddish, but the best quality of this defense is balance -- experience everywhere and good quality in all units.

LB for example. Spruill may be the senior leader, but Lynch and Davis aren't far behind. We finally have numbers with the juco adds, and Coker & Vigille are ready to do more than just play specials.

Bromley is the standout DT, but there will be size and strength next to him.

Questions for this defense: who provides the pass rush? who plays strong safety? and just how good is Spruill at MLB?

Lynch had a real nice Pinstripe getting involved in lots of plays.

 

[EDSPARTEN]

Love the DB SU has. But concerned about the safeties height. 5'9" is quite short. You can catch up to a player because of your quickness, but can you out jump them to.

 

[bnoro]

Love the DB SU has. But concerned about the safeties height. 5'9" is quite short. You can catch up to a player because of your quickness, but can you out jump them to.

Esk and Desir are 6'3'' and 6' respectively. Wayne's 5'10'' but then again, so was Shamarko. But hey, any reason to complain, right?

 

[SUFaninNJ]

The only real ?'s on defense are at safety and DE. I love our corner pairing with Lyn and Reddish, the prior being better in run support and the latter being perhaps a better pure cover corner but both can tackle well and both can cover more than adequately. Love our interior D line in terms of ability, size, and the amount of options we have that possess both. They should lock down the trenches and allow our DE's to have single blockers to defeat all game long. The question of course is do we have the DE's to take advantage?

Robinson is a house and should play well but not sure if he has "it" or not in terms of being a playmaker. He'll be solid/dependable if nothing more. Curious if this is the year we see Simmons athletic ability translate into football ability? He's got the speed and now strength to be a nightmare off the edge so I'm expecting some plays from him. Welsh has really come on since moving to DE from and undersized DT. Not sure how fast he is or is not but he's certainly strong enough and is a high motor guy that will be fun to watch. Would love to see him make a big impact in his 4th year in the program. Manley is an unknown quantity but certainly appears to possess the physical ability of a playmaker. Finally, Raymon still being listed at DE? I would love for that to be the case especially on running plays when we could potentially have 3 of our 4 D lineman in the 300 lb range and none of them are fat boys. If we get production from our rush end our d line will be scary good and our LB's should have plenty of space to clean up and make plays.

Unfortunately we won't see what Simmons can do on the field this year as he tore his ACL. The DEs are the only position on the defense that has me at all concerned.

 

[RICuse44]

At DE, there is Welsh, Robinson, and Trejo. I think Raymon gets some run out there as well and maybe Isiah Johnson (I know he is listed at DT but frame seems more DE, and it is a position of need). Anyone I'm missing? Would be nice to have a 4 man rotation like last year (Sharpe, MPB, Robinson, Welsh).

 

[tep624]

At DE, there is Welsh, Robinson, and Trejo. I think Raymon gets some run out there as well and maybe Isiah Johnson (I know he is listed at DT but frame seems more DE, and it is a position of need). Anyone I'm missing? Would be nice to have a 4 man rotation like last year (Sharpe, MPB, Robinson, Welsh).

My biggest concern on the D side of the ball is definitely the ends. We absolutely need a solid 4 man rotation.

1 name I haven't seemed mentioned is Josh Manley, he was pretty highly regarded out of high school. Hopefully between him and Marona we'll have a solid 4th guy in the rotation.

We are also extremely deep at LB, I wonder if a guy like Arciniega could situationally play rush end. He's actually larger than Sharpe.

Another name to watch is Aaron Batten. If he bulks up a bit over the summer he may be able to crack the 2 deep at DE, very athletic player.

 

[bnoro]

My biggest concern on the D side of the ball is definitely the ends. We absolutely need a solid 4 man rotation.

1 name I haven't seemed mentioned is Josh Manley, he was pretty highly regarded out of high school. Hopefully between him and Marona we'll have a solid 4th guy in the rotation.

We are also extremely deep at LB, I wonder if a guy like Arciniega could situationally play rush end. He's actually larger than Sharpe.

Another name to watch is Aaron Batten. If he bulks up a bit over the summer he may be able to crack the 2 deep at DE, very athletic player.

Batten is going to be an Aaron Hernandez type for us. Don't want to see him on the defensive side of the ball because he would be a matchup nightmare on offense.

 

[tep624]

Batten is going to be an Aaron Hernandez type for us. Don't want to see him on the defensive side of the ball because he would be a matchup nightmare on offense.

Sounds good to me. Has there been any word on Manley? Haven't heard anything on his development.

 

[CuseOnly]

My biggest concern on the D side of the ball is definitely the ends. We absolutely need a solid 4 man rotation.

1 name I haven't seemed mentioned is Josh Manley, he was pretty highly regarded out of high school. Hopefully between him and Marona we'll have a solid 4th guy in the rotation.

We are also extremely deep at LB, I wonder if a guy like Arciniega could situationally play rush end. He's actually larger than Sharpe.

Another name to watch is Aaron Batten. If he bulks up a bit over the summer he may be able to crack the 2 deep at DE, very athletic player.

At end we have the Starters at this point Welsh and Robinson. It looked at practice that Marcus Coleman was moved to strong side DE as well so there is that.

So the list goes:
Welsh
Robinson
Coleman
Manley

Newcomers:
Trejo
Marona
Isiah Johnson - Everyone forgets him -Might play tackle though 270 lbs.

Donnie Simmons -Injured- Will he be back in time for fall ball?

8 scholarship DE's currently, I am not very concerned but we have to see how the new guys fit in and where they play. But again, you can't get experience unless you play.

How many more DE's do we need on the roster? We only have 11 guys for the O-Line including the incoming guys and that is for 5 positions.