Hitting home how aggressive Woody's D must be right now

[ilovetheoption]

Averaging front 7 when most teams run a 4-3 and we run a 3-4 is bogus from the jump.

Go back and watch Woody's intro interview. He says that his scheme values quickness and smarts over height and weight (not that we won't also take height and weight when we can).

The point is that even with your bogus math we may be a bit light, but as @Ibeeballin says, it's scheme related.

In reality, we're running a penetrating 3-3-5. We'll see how it plays out.

It's not, though. Most teams that run 3-4's run heavier linebackers than 4-3 teams. (Stanford's LB,'s for example, average 236, while GT's average 225) All in all, the overall size of the front seven remains the same. UVa runs a 3-4, and fits right in with all the other teams.

And yeah, we almost run a 2-4-5, when you think about ASA.

 

[ATL1]

So, I'm just gonna go ahead and look at every team on the schedule, based upon waht depth chart I can find, and their official roster.
Average Front 7 Weight:
GT: 245
Alcorn State: couldn't find
South Florida: 252
Pitt:259
Clemson: 276
Bowling Green:240
Louisville:256
Duke: 259 (base nickel, so I counted one of the 3 safeties)
VT:261
UNC:257
Miami: Weirdly, their roster doesn't list weights, so I went with last years. 262
UVA:264
UGA: 263

That's an average of 257.
Among P5 teams, the average is 261.

More telling, the standard deviation among P5 (not including GT) teams is only 5.4 lbs. That means GT is approximately 3 standard deviations below the norm.

Now, I know it's a pretty small sample size, but being GT folks, you know what 3 standard deviations means. It means you're VERY small up front.

AGAIN, i'm not saying it's a disaster, because speed can kill, but I think we need to realize how the defense MUST play if it's to succeed.

Now incorporate the 2nd unit starting line.
Owens, Glanton, Benton

 

[ilovetheoption]

Now incorporate the 2nd unit starting line.
Owens, Glanton, Benton

I can do that, but then I have to incorporate 2nd team linebackers
Henderson
Jackson
Swilling
Campbell.

It's about a push. (2nd team front 7 averages 249)

 

[danny daniel]

When you can recruit what you want you get athletes, strength, size, and speed (Clemson, Ala, UGA). When you play with what you got you put the best player on the field and not be so concerned about his size. Coaching 101.

 

[ilovetheoption]

Anyhow, as I've said, it might work fantastically, and I prefer it to Roof's approach. Just realize that GT is running a VERY small defense this year.

 

[ATL1]

I can do that, but then I have to incorporate 2nd team linebackers
Henderson
Jackson
Swilling
Campbell.

It's about a push.

Isn’t that’s more of the standard size wise? Even with Campbell being more of a safety.
Owens 285
Benson 325
Glanton 290

I like this unit a little better. That’s stout there.
That actually maybe a little above the standard size for a 3-4 defensive line.

 

[AE 87]

It's not, though. Most teams that run 3-4's run heavier linebackers than 4-3 teams. (Stanford's LB,'s for example, average 236, while GT's average 225) All in all, the overall size of the front seven remains the same. UVa runs a 3-4, and fits right in with all the other teams.

And yeah, we almost run a 2-4-5, when you think about ASA.

I appreciate you, but you ignored my second point, where I conceded we'd still be light.

You truly learned from the Al Groh school of D assessment.

 

[TheTechGuy]

It's OK size for a 3 man front DE. When combined with ASA, it's downright small. This defense has exactly 1 dude who can anchor against the run.

A 3 man front tends to have bigger DL, and bigger linebackers to compensate for the fact that there are fewer DL's.

So, GT has fewer DL's, and and small DL's, and not particularly big linebackers, and essentially a safety playing one of the 4 linebacker slots.

It's a REALLY small front 7.

To wit, based on roster weights, the front seven averages 245 lbs.

UVA (another odd man front) averages 263. 20 lbs a man lighter!! That's a BIG difference.
Pitt (an even front team) averages 258.

I'd imagine GT has one of the lightest front sevens among P5 schools.

I think we should highlight that this seems to be a choice by Woody rather than a requirement due to lack of size.

We have large players. Move Glanton and BJS up and the average goes from 245 to 254. Plug in Adams and the average goes up to 258.

We also have Chris Martin at 290, who was listed on the original two-deep at the beginning of camp and could theoretically slide out to DE if we needed to be heavy. So, we have the ability to average 260 if we want to.

Additionally, there are the young players, Chimedza (300), Dalton (275), Griffin (275), and Owens (265).

 

[ilovetheoption]

I appreciate you, but you ignored my second point, where I conceded we'd still be light.

You truly learned from the Al Groh school of D assessment.

LOL! Dude, say what you will, Al Groh knows talent. Dude put a lot into the NFL. He's just a bad communicator. But he knows how to assess defensive players.

 

[BurdellJacket]

My my, What a bunch of scared little pansies. Maybe our lightweight guys can play ****ing football. Bobby Dodd’s teams were outweighed 15 to 20 pounds per man.

 

[ilovetheoption]

Isn’t that’s more of the standard size wise? Even with Campbell being more of a safety.
Owens 285
Benson 325
Glanton 290

I like this unit a little better. That’s stout there.
That actually maybe a little above the standard size for a 3-4 defensive line.

It is, but that's not who you're starting. That's kind of my point. Woody is putting a really small team out there, by choice. The front seven 2 deep averages 247. That's small. It's what he likes, so I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, but that doesn't change the fact that what he likes is REALLY small.

 

[tech_wreck47]

Averaging front 7 when most teams run a 4-3 and we run a 3-4 is bogus from the jump.

Go back and watch Woody's intro interview. He says that his scheme values quickness and smarts over height and weight (not that we won't also take height and weight when we can).

The point is that even with your bogus math we may be a bit light, but as @Ibeeballin says, it's scheme related.

In reality, we're running a penetrating 3-3-5. We'll see how it plays out.

Take away the stinger position and add Glanton at DT and we are sitting at over 255.

 

[TheTechGuy]

So, I'm just gonna go ahead and look at every team on the schedule, based upon waht depth chart I can find, and their official roster.
Average Front 7 Weight:
GT: 245
Alcorn State: couldn't find
South Florida: 252
Pitt:259
Clemson: 276
Bowling Green:240
Louisville:256
Duke: 259 (base nickel, so I counted one of the 3 safeties)
VT:261
UNC:257
Miami: Weirdly, their roster doesn't list weights, so I went with last years. 262
UVA:264
UGA: 263

That's an average of 257.
Among P5 teams, the average is 261.

More telling, the standard deviation among P5 (not including GT) teams is only 5.4 lbs. That means GT is approximately 3 standard deviations below the norm.

Now, I know it's a pretty small sample size, but being GT folks, you know what 3 standard deviations means. It means you're VERY small up front.

AGAIN, i'm not saying it's a disaster, because speed can kill, but I think we need to realize how the defense MUST play if it's to succeed.

Where did you get the VT numbers from? Per the depth chart here, they average 250 (I'm guessing and including the WHIP in the front 7). I did not count Mook Reynolds because he was kicked off, but he would have made them even lighter.

 

[ilovetheoption]

Where did you get the VT numbers from? Per the depth chart here, they average 250 (I'm guessing and including the WHIP in the front 7). I did not count Mook Reynolds because he was kicked off, but he would have made them even lighter.

Was released today via twitter.

 

[ilovetheoption]

LLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL WWEEEELLLLLLL NEVERRMIND THERE. That's from a year ago! WHOOPS

 

[tech_wreck47]

It is, but that's not who you're starting. That's kind of my point. Woody is putting a really small team out there, by choice. The front seven 2 deep averages 247. That's small. It's what he likes, so I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, but that doesn't change the fact that what he likes is REALLY small.

Average LB weight is 226, Brant and Alexander are both above that, and I’d dare to say that Curry is around that weight and not 217. Average DL weight is 273, Branch is bigger than that. Average DT weight is 297, Cerge-Henderson is above that. We only have two guys that are undersized and that’s the stinger position (sorta like nickel, so understandable) and Amour, besides that we really aren’t small.

 

[tech_wreck47]

Was released today via twitter.

That’s last years, tweet was from 2017.

 

[TheTechGuy]

LLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL WWEEEELLLLLLL NEVERRMIND THERE. That's from a year ago! WHOOPS

Yea, I'd have to ask that you remove all their NFL draft picks when doing calculations for this year.

 

[ilovetheoption]

So yeah, VT=252. Small, but STILL on average 7 pounds bigger at every single position than GT.

But, at the risk of beating a dead horse, I"M NOT NECESSARILY SAYING IT"S A BAD THING. Just a notable thing.

 

[ilovetheoption]

Average LB weight is 226, Brant and Alexander are both above that, and I’d dare to say that Curry is around that weight and not 217. Average DL weight is 273, Branch is bigger than that. Average DT weight is 297, Cerge-Henderson is above that. We only have two guys that are undersized and that’s the stinger position (sorta like nickel, so understandable) and Amour, besides that we really aren’t small.

1) If you're assuming that GT is mysteriously bigger than their roster, you'd have to make the same assumption for every other team as well. Otherwise you're not playing fair. Thus, comparing roster weights for all teams (including GT) is a fair comp.
2) Again, you're missing the point, which is the 4-3 vs the 3-4. Most teams have ~600 lbs of DT. Gt has ~300. So, while GT's DT is average sized, GT's DT POSITION is very undersized. That's why 3-4 teams are generally bigger at other positions. GT is not, though. They're built like a 4-3 team, only because they're only playing one DT, theyr'e like a 3-3 team.
3) Becaause of point 2, it's not that you're only undersized at one or two positions, is that you're undersized as front 7, collectively.