Which Position Group needs to "prove it" this season?

[Aclone]

Who are you hearing from?

I’ve heard it from the coaches, John Walters, Williams and Blum, and other places.

It’s kind of all over, if you watch the videos and listen to podcasts.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

Let me see if I’ve got this straight. The point of a pass rush is to stop a passing attack, right?

So…we led the conference in passing defense—by a decent margin—and were third in defensive pass efficiency.

The lack of sacks has a lot to do with our LB play too. We weren't nearly aggressive blitzing as we have been in previous years.

 

[Aclone]

The lack of sacks has a lot to do with our LB play too. We weren't nearly aggressive blitzing as we have been in previous years.

Linebacker injuries affected every other unit.

The safeties had to play up to help cover.

The corners were left on an island.

The DL had to stay home more, couldn’t take risks, because they couldn’t always count on the linebackers filling the gaps and being where they were supposed to be.

Cascade effect.

 

[OscarBerkshire]

Linebacker injuries affected every other unit.

The safeties had to play up to help cover.

The corners were left on an island.

The DL had to stay home more, couldn’t take risks, because they couldn’t always count on the linebackers filling the gaps and being where they were supposed to be.

Cascade effect.

Corners on an island and yet there were only a couple games where I felt they were truly burned... Porter, Purchase, and Williams were an elite unit. Hopefully Bell can step up!

 

[SolarGarlic]

I am at a total loss here.

One season, devastated by a ludicrous number of injuries at LB, we’re bad against the run.

One.

That’s the outlier, and by far.

Season after season after season, we’ve been good against the run. Barring something unforeseen (and equally ludicrous), we’ll return to that mean.

Healthy linebackers are a huge deal in this defense. Orange playing to his full potential changes a lot too. That said, I do think OCs have found some counters to our run defense scheme. I trust Heacock to continue innovating and finding new wrinkles to confuse OCs and young QBs. I have very little worries about our front 7 (or 6).

 

[SolarGarlic]

Respectfully disagree. Rose/Hummel were SR's in 2021. Since then we have had a below average LB core. Some people are in love with Bacon because he was a feel-good walkon story and had a few QB pressures in 2023. I agree he's probably our best right now (assuming full health) but that's not a real high bar.

I hope they are lights out this year, but that's why this is a 'prove it' thread.

Bacon was much better than a cute walk-on story. That was Barnes last year. He played well at WVU, but got lost in the mix way too often otherwise. Ebel was trying to cover 2 gaps on a lot of plays.

Bacon made plays in the same manner as an AJ Klein. Shooting gaps, cutting corners on OL, and flashing speed and physicality. Ebel and Brezina have shown some of that as well. McLaughlin is steady and covers well. I like our linebackers. Much more concerned about our safeties covering the deep ball.

 

[SolarGarlic]

Sure. I was concerned until about ten minutes into the first Spring practice media day.

Then I saw the coaches confident, not quite giddy, about how the light had finally come on for James Neal, “probably the most athletic lineman” Coach Clanton has ever coached.

Which is impressive, when you stop to think about it.

And the center spot is being contested by three very seasoned upperclassmen.

That’s as far as my “concern” lasted.

I'm trying to embrace the James Neal good vibes, but then you see a clip of him getting burned by Ezeogu in a one on one. I'll believe it when I see it.

I'm not an OL coach, but I always get a little worried when we're rotating 3 guys at center and playing the "finding our best 5 guys as a unit" game every fall camp.

 

[Aclone]

I'm trying to embrace the James Neal good vibes, but then you see a clip of him getting burned by Ezeogu in a one on one. I'll believe it when I see it.

I'm not an OL coach, but I always get a little worried when we're rotating 3 guys at center and playing the "finding our best 5 guys as a unit" game every fall camp.

Well, Clanton said pretty plainly the other day that it’s no longer about playing the five best guys, but the five who play the best together.

I think he made a comment too about how, when one guy stands out above the rest right away, that’s great—but then as a coach you have nightmares about what happens when something goes wrong.

He was very clearly trying not to say the i word. You know, the one that ends with “jury”?

Seems very pleased to have actual depth.