Pre Two a Days Defensive Tackles

[Aclone]

[FONT=&quot]Defensive Tackles[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Knowns[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Jake McDonough, Cleyon Laing and Henry Simon are seasoned seniors. Along with the latter, Walter Woods and Brandon Jenson also broke in with invaluable experience last year. McDonough is a really tough guy, Laing the superior athlete. Shane Burnham said the light came on for Laing late last season. CPR has said that Woods can be quite a player, and Jensen drew kudos in the spring for his hard work over the winter. Simon is a good athlete with intensity. This is really good depth, and each player allows all of the others to go all out—or be “All Inâ€. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Questions[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]McDonough is the tough guy in the middle, can Laing produce make the most of that sheer athleticism? Simon and Woods also have some burst, can they channel it? Is Jensen going to be another McDonough? And does Wyoming transfer Ben Durbin play tackle or end?[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Mystery Meat[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I don’t expect any of the true freshmen to play—barring disaster—so that leaves me cheerfully waiting to see what Quinton Pompey brings to the table. Big and athletic, he was occupying two blockers late in the Spring game—and getting push. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]tentative grade:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] 8.0-9.0[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]*Though not as outrageously talented as some other schools, six deep is good, better than Cyclones have seen for a very long time (if ever, before late last season)—and these guys play tough![/FONT]

 

[CYVADER]

i think 8.0-9.0 is a little high. sure, we have the most depth i can remember, but i think that's all we have right now-depth. not to say these guys aren't quality players, but we don't have any body that is going to line up and change another teams game plan.

that said it is definitely going in the right direction. our d-line as a whole seems to have come SO far since rhoads started, and the sad thing is it seems like they have a LONG way to go.

 

[isulive2train]

Durbin plays tackle.

 

[ManofCyience]

I give them a 7.5 or 8. Good, not great. Hope they prove me wrong.

 

[clonedude]

i think 8.0-9.0 is a little high. sure, we have the most depth i can remember, but i think that's all we have right now-depth. not to say these guys aren't quality players, but we don't have any body that is going to line up and change another teams game plan.

that said it is definitely going in the right direction. our d-line as a whole seems to have come SO far since rhoads started, and the sad thing is it seems like they have a LONG way to go.

I think McDonough can change another team's gameplan. He can be a beast when he wants to.

I would argue with the OP contention that Simon is a seasoned veteran though. He has less experience in the Big 12 than probably Woods or Jensen have. JUCO doesn't really prepare you for much IMO. I hope he can contribute for us, but I wouldn't call him a seasoned veteran by any means, just because he's a senior.

It will be interesting to see if Durbin can help us at all or not? That would be a plus.

Ohh... and I'd give us a rating of 6-7. I can't recall us ever having DTs rated as a 9, much less an 8. DT has not been a strength at all for us, and I don't see it being a huge strength this year either.

 

[CyArob]

Question Aclone: So far almost all of our positions are at 7 or above. If you did this for Oklahoma, would they have all 10's? I guess I'm trying to figure out your scale.

I do appreciate you doing these.

 

[clonedude]

Question Aclone: So far almost all of our positions are at 7 or above. If you did this for Oklahoma, would they have all 10's? I guess I'm trying to figure out your scale.

I do appreciate you doing these.

Yeah, I appreciate you doing this too, but your scale needs some adjusting.

If Oklahoma is mostly 9 and 10's, then at best we have to be around 5's and 6's.... except maybe LB.

 

[CYVADER]

i think i'd have us as a 5-6 at dt in relation to all other bcs schools. slightly above average, just due to our depth. this is an average group as far as BCS schools go. no knock on them. i think 2 years ago we were a 2-3. seriously.

 

[Rabbuk]

So an 8 if you add the rainbow boost.

 

[ISUonthemove]

I'd go with an 8 or 9, on a scale of 1 to 16. I think we'll be in the bottom of the conference for sacks and tfl.

We'll be improved, and have more depth but I don't see a big jump.

 

[Aclone]

So an 8 if you add the rainbow boost.

What does Gay Pride have to do with anything? Or were you just trolling?

Durbin plays tackle.

Durbin is currently listed as a tackle. Since there have been zero practices that he has participated in, we have no idea how Wally might choose to use him once he sees him in person.

Question Aclone: So far almost all of our positions are at 7 or above. If you did this for Oklahoma, would they have all 10's? I guess I'm trying to figure out your scale.

I do appreciate you doing these.

You guys ask good questions. There is something that I've noticed, in over thirty years of following football and recruiting. Just because one team has highly touted recruits, doesn't automatically make the unit they play in top notch.

For example, if you look at the conference stats, OU wasn't as impressive as regularly reeling in the top defensive tackles in the country would suggest.
2011 Conference Only Football Statistics - Big 12 Conference - Official Athletic Site
While (pardon the example), Iowa could put together front sevens out of recruiting odds and ends that were regularly among the top run stopping units in the country.

Of course, I am also "projecting", rather than basing solely upon the results of last season. Coaching and discipline makes a big difference. I think that we have it.

However, the short answer to your question is in part, I was largely comparing these units to past Cyclone teams. On the other hand, I also expect that there is a good chance that Wally's defense will finish among the top three in the conference this season--especially if they get some support from the other side of the ball.

Does that help to answer your questions? I'll stop back later.

 

[CyArob]

You guys ask good questions. There is something that I've noticed, in over thirty years of following football and recruiting. Just because one team has highly touted recruits, doesn't automatically make the unit they play in top notch.

For example, if you look at the conference stats, OU wasn't as impressive as regularly reeling in the top defensive tackles in the country would suggest.
2011 Conference Only Football Statistics - Big 12 Conference - Official Athletic Site
While (pardon the example), Iowa could put together front sevens out of recruiting odds and ends that were regularly among the top run stopping units in the country.

Of course, I am also "projecting", rather than basing solely upon the results of last season. Coaching and discipline makes a big difference. I think that we have it.

However, the short answer to your question is in part, I was largely comparing these units to past Cyclone teams. On the other hand, I also expect that there is a good chance that Wally's defense will finish among the top three in the conference this season--especially if they get some support from the other side of the ball.

Does that help to answer your questions? I'll stop back later.

Thank you.

 

[rebecacy]

[FONT=&quot]Defensive Tackles[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Knowns[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Jake McDonough, Cleyon Laing and Henry Simon are seasoned seniors. Along with the latter, Walter Woods and Brandon Jenson also broke in with invaluable experience last year. McDonough is a really tough guy, Laing the superior athlete. Shane Burnham said the light came on for Laing late last season. CPR has said that Woods can be quite a player, and Jensen drew kudos in the spring for his hard work over the winter. Simon is a good athlete with intensity. This is really good depth, and each player allows all of the others to go all out—or be “All Inâ€. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Questions[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]McDonough is the tough guy in the middle, can Laing produce make the most of that sheer athleticism? Simon and Woods also have some burst, can they channel it? Is Jensen going to be another McDonough? And does Wyoming transfer Ben Durbin play tackle or end?[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Mystery Meat[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I don’t expect any of the true freshmen to play—barring disaster—so that leaves me cheerfully waiting to see what Quinton Pompey brings to the table. Big and athletic, he was occupying two blockers late in the Spring game—and getting push. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]tentative grade:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] 8.0-9.0[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]*Though not as outrageously talented as some other schools, six deep is good, better than Cyclones have seen for a very long time (if ever, before late last season)—and these guys play tough![/FONT]

I've read all your pieces and, with all due respect, I'm not sure why you keep doing this.

 

[RustShack]

Its kind of common sense that Durbin will be a DT if you know anything about football. Look at his size. He was a 3-4 DE which nine out of ten times is a DT in the 4-3 defense.

 

[Sterling4Cy]

Any News on Pompey? He was so highly hyped and had the injury last year as a freshman. I didn't see him on the depth chart.

 

[Cyclonepride]

Good call, Aclone. Our depth on the D-line is a very welcome change. This is how you build a program.

 

[Aclone]

My THEORY is simply that the assistant who made out the list bumped a freshman off to put the senior Durbin on. It doesn't really seem to make sense to list a 270 pound guy as a nose guard.

Its kind of common sense that Durbin will be a DT if you know anything about football. Look at his size. He was a 3-4 DE which nine out of ten times is a DT in the 4-3 defense.

And he was expected to play end in a 4-3 at Wyoming this season. 6'3" 270 is more the size of a B12 defensive end than tackle. So, what's your point? Like I said, I'm sure we'll see as drill progress.

I've read all your pieces and, with all due respect, I'm not sure why you keep doing this.

I suppose that’s fair, since I don’t understand why you’re making that comment. Honestly.

In case it’s a question, I’ll touch upon an answer.

A. Because I’m a writer, and writing even this simply about sports helps with writer’s block. Or fighting through my illness. One of the two.
B. Because I love Cyclone football and basketball.
C. Because I try to understand what is going on with those teams.
D. Because if I write it for my own enjoyment, I might as well share.
E. Because it’s midsummer, and there is little football talk out there.
F. Because some people seem to enjoy it.
G. Because it gives me a chance to pick up additional information that I was unaware of.
H. Because I like CF, and it gives them additional traffic.
I. For the fun of it?
J. Because I didn’t know that I needed a reason to do something simple that I enjoy?

That’s just a few of the reasons, but who ever said that life wasn’t complex? Would you like me to keep going? Or, were you wondering something entirely different? If you're looking for something more profound or precise than this bit of fluff, you should look somewhere else.

Maybe the better question is, why shouldn’t I? Sorry, you did leave me puzzled.

 

[RustShack]

Any News on Pompey? He was so highly hyped and had the injury last year as a freshman. I didn't see him on the depth chart.

I wouldn't worry about the depth chart right now. He wont be the starter or anything this year, but he will see the field. What he does on the field will decide how much playing time he gets(which wont be much to start).

 

[RustShack]

And he was expected to play end in a 4-3 at Wyoming this season. 6'3" 270 is more the size of a B12 defensive end than tackle. So, what's your point? Like I said, I'm sure we'll see as drill progress.

He is in somewhat of a gray area. Usually you want your DE's to be over 6'4" and typically 240-270 lbs. For DE's at 270, you would want them over 6'3" by a bit, but he could be super athletic.. I don't know much about him.

 

[Aclone]

He is in somewhat of a gray area. Usually you want your DE's to be over 6'4" and typically 240-270 lbs. For DE's at 270, you would want them over 6'3" by a bit, but he could be super athletic.. I don't know much about him.

My thought too. I just think it would be nice if he's athletic enough to help out at the strongside end occasionally.