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Message: [QUOTE="SWC75, post: 1853412, member: 289"] [I]Defensive Backfield[/I] The big problem on defense last year was the backfield, which was our worst in memory. While we were completing 53.6% of our passes for 6.2 yards per pass and 11.5 per catch our opposition was completing 64.7% of their passes for 7.9 yards per pass and 12.2 per catch. That came to exactly 100 yards per game more than we generated through the air. This was largely due to the youth of the players so there was hope for improvement. It couldn’t get much worse- could it? Then, on April 16, Naesean Howard, a former SU player who had lost his position in the depth chart for the defensive backfield and then been dismissed from the team for violating team rules, barged into a barbeque and stabbed Chauncey Scissum and Corey Winfeild. Scissum, who was already recovering from surgery and had only one free arm, was stabbed “ on right side of his neck, right upper chest, left shoulder and bottom lip” and Winfield, who had moved to assist his teammate, was stabbed in the “lower right back, upper right chest, and left abdomen and left wrist”. Both players recovered from their wounds, (and Scissum form his surgery) , and have been practicing with the team while Howard, who had been a star running back for West Genesee, was being evaluated by mental health professionals and the legal system, (his lawyer is having him examined for concussion syndrome) . Was it an omen of bad things to come? One thing we definitely have in the backfield is numbers. No less than 15 players on the roster are listed as defensive backs. Unfortunately, the refs probably won’t let us use them all at once. The seniors are Wayne Morgan and Joe Stanard. Morgan was considered a major recruiting coup when we got him and he has played a lot but his star has faded. He came out of the spring listed as second string behind Corey Winfield. One of Baber’s preferences is for his cornerbacks to be “longer and stronger” and Winfield is 6-1 to Morgan’s 5-11. Stanard is 5-10 and the fourth string strong safety. He’s a walk-on who has never played in a game yet. The juniors are Winfield, Scissum and Antwan Cordy. All will play a big roles this year, assume the first two aren’t impacted by their knife injuries. Winfield is probably the best athlete of the bunch, with a 40 inch vertical leap. He “recorded 30 tackles (26 solo), including two sacks, three pass breakups, one forced fumble, and tied for the team lead with two interceptions”. (Cuse.com) He adapted to the Tampa 2 look well in the spring: “"We thought it was going to be kind of hard. But once we put it together, put it on the field and watched film of ourselves, it became, 'Now we know our mistakes. Now we know how to do it.' It made it easier." Cordy and Scissum are battling it out for the free safety positon. Cordy is small: 5-8 175 but plays big. He’s the team’s biggest hitter on defense. “Second on the team in tackles (68) ... Had eight games with at least five tackles ... Led the Orange and set the SU season record for most tackles for loss by a defensive back (12). Cordy’s 12 TFLs ranked second among ACC defensive backs behind Duke All-American Jeremy Cash (18) ... Tied for the team lead in interceptions (2) and fumble recoveries (2)” (Cuse.com) His nickname is “Giant”. He was one of Shafer’s favorite players and admired Shafer so much he almost left when was fired but Coach Babers convinced him to stay. He should be one of Baber’s favorite players, too. Scissum is big: 6-2 201. ”Fourth on the team and second among SU defensive backs with 43 tackles (27 solo) ... Recorded six games with five or more tackles.” (Cuse.com) NFL Draft.com rates him 30th of 122 safeties evaluated,so he’s got what it take sto be a good player. The sophs are Rodney Williams, Juwan Dowells, Daivon Ellison, Cordell Hudson and Kielan Whitner, Whitner, Williams and Ellison were 1-2-3 at strong safety at the end of the spring. Whitner played immediately as a true freshman and “led all Orange true freshmen with 33 tackles (23 solo)”. (Cuse.com) He’s his own worst critic. After making a big mistake in the South Florida game he tweeted: “Thankful for all my coaches and teammates having my back. Apologize to them for my poor performance just gonna work hard to bounce back.” How many players would do that? “He calls the battle between the two (vs. Williams) “more us trying to get each other better” rather than a competition. …I want to be great in everything I do on the field, off the field,” (Daily Orange) Williams started the first 5 games of the season before being injured. He had been injured in the second game in 2014 and was granted a medical redshirt, thus his ‘sophomore’ status. He’s actually more experienced than that. He made 17 tackles (13 solo) last year. Ellison is another Don Bosco guy. He’s on the small side at 5-9 175. He was a big hitter on special teams last year. Shafer described him thusly: "Ellison is just a good football player." Hudson is #1 at the corner positon opposite Winfield. Like Wayne Morgan he’s only 5-11 but has good jumping ability and has gotten stronger so he can “jam” receivers. He’s another who doesn’t seem to mind the switch to the Tampa 2: “It hasn't been too hard," Hudson said. "In high school, we played zone mostly. I like Cover 2 because you get to make plays. You get to see everything happen." Dowells is behind Hudson. He started the last 5 games and wound up with “40 tackles (29 solo) and led the Orange in passes defended (6) and pass breakups (5)”. NFL draft At their request, this network is being blocked from this site. has ranked 45th of 176 cornerbacks evaluated. You can see what the problem was last year: experience, not talent. We just had too many young guys who had to play immediately. Dino Babers did a radio interview I heard today in which he predicted both of the defensive line and the backfield that “in a year or two” they have a chance to be excellent units. He compared it to Novocain: it take a while to take effect. We could have used some Novocain watching them last year. A year of experience and the switch to a zone with the linebackers helping out could make a big difference. So might an attitude change. ”Secondary coach Nick Monroe has preached for every defensive back to do their “one-11th” or their “one-fourth.” Whitner constantly harped on the mantras, symbolizing a player’s need to be responsible for his individual piece of the 11-man defense or the four-man secondary. Among the defensive backs, the saying “We all we got, we all we need” fosters cohesiveness among the unit.” (Daily Orange) And there is help on the way. JUCO cornerback Michael Moore failed to qualify but redshirt freshman Christopher Fredrick and true freshmen Evan Foster, Carl Jones, Scoop Bradshaw and Devon Clarke are here. Nunes: “Fredrick has the stature to be plugged in quickly and perhaps pick up where he left off at Cedar Grove High School in Conley, Ga. There he was an apt tackler and defended receivers well -- skills he’ll need right away as SU cycles in a long list of corners.” Stephen Bailey, after viewing his highlight film on Syracuse.com: “Fredrick shows strong ball skills in coverage and a nose for the football while tackling. He gets his helmet on the ball to jar it loose multiple times. Fredrick isn't tested much in coverage deep down the field, but plays against the run fairly well. He also flashes his speed and vision in the return game.” Foster is a big safety at 6-2 208 “and is well situated to be a major contributor to the future of this defense. Never say never for all of these true freshman -- Babers has indicated that the best players will start, regardless of class/experience. But with Foster, it’s likely we’re waiting until next year to see what the impressive arrival can do for the Orange.” (Nunes) Nunes on Carl Jones: “Typically, you’re trying to redshirt a true freshman defensive back, but that may not be an option for Jones or the Orange in 2016. Jones is the type of athlete Dino Babers staff will continue to recruit more of: quick, great hands, played both sides in high school (and played basketball as well). Like the other younger DBs on the roster, he has an ability to get his hands on the football. There’s a chance you see him on the field a bit in year one.” He’s 6-1 177. Scoop Bradshaw had quite a high school career: “Made more than 300 tackles, intercepted 15 passes, tallied 13 sacks, and scored 11 touchdowns in his high school career.” Like the others, he’s a three star guy- projected to be at least a college starter. Devon Clarke is another big guy: 6-2 186. Nunes: “Clarke brings good size to the safety position at 6-foot-2 and 186 pounds. With a potential year to redshirt and continuing growing into a college safety, Clarke’s one to keep an eye out for come 2017.” He was on the sidelines for fall practice with “a medical issue”. Hopefully that will be a temporary situation. (Update: Morgan, Williams and Foster were also sidelined for a time in the fall- no details available at this time.) Like the offense, there’s plenty of talent- and plenty of young talent- in the backfield. It’s all about what happens up front. Both units are full of stallions but the linemen have to open up the gate to the corral so they can prance. The other concern is implementing whole new concepts on either side of the ball. I think we’re going to be inconsistent at best and I really think this defense is going to have trouble stopping teams this year. [/QUOTE]

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