Looking Ahead - Defensive Line

alaguy

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Next year's Projected Starting Defense, based on our last depth chart from this season. (add 1 year to the player's class below)

DEs
47 Tyler Stargel 6-3 251 r-Fr.
91 Patrick Gamble 6-5 271 r-Fr
DTs
92 Francis Kallon 6-5 303 r-Fr.
96 ADAM GOTSIS 6-5 277 So.
OLBs
35 Tyler Marcordes 6-4 232 r-So.
54 QUAYSHAWN NEALY 6-1 232 r-Jr.
MLB
32 JABARI HUNT-DAYS 6-3 247 r-So.
CBs
27 Lynn Griffin 6-0 195 r-Fr.
28 D.J. WHITE 5-11 184 So.
Safeties
23 Domonique Noble 6-2 204 r-So
12 DEMOND SMITH 6-0 185 r-So.
or I. Johnson

Does anyone think this defense will lead us to a 10-win season?

I haven't looked at the offense given our losses at B-back & A-Back and on the OL.


I think there are a bunch of changes from this list. ie:Davis will be somewhere.If Grffin is 1st uit at CB we are in trouble.If stargel is our pass rush guy---shutter.
As listed this is one of the weakest def in PJ era.Scary.
 
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I think there are a bunch of changes from this list. ie:Davis will be somewhere.If Grffin is 1st uit at CB we are in trouble.If stargel is our pass rush guy---shutter.
As listed this is one of the weakest def in PJ era.Scary.

The last depth chart didn't have the RSs on there and I was too lazy to go through the roster, but if RSs are going to jump all the way past last year's back-ups, then those guys never should have been RS'd.

We need to focus on winning 10 now, not in the future.
 

slugboy

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Huge trouble may be a stretch but we should be concerned about the DL. We will be strong against the run. We just need the DL to be sufficient enough so our talented back 7 can shine
I'm not sure if our coverage troubles on the tight ends and running backs was because we weren't putting enough pressure on the QB, or our linebackers and safeties couldn't keep up with their backs and tight ends. I didn't see us disrupt many of those guys off of the line, but I didn't do a film study myself.

Is it really more because of our DL than our back 7?
 

Ibeeballin

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I always here the TE argument. How many teams TE beat us? Ebron got off on us in the first half but was shut down when Jemea covered him, VTs Kalvin Cline went 3/28yds, UM Clive Walford also went 3/28yds w/ a TD, UVA McGee was shutdown, & UGA Lynch went 1/30.

As for the RB, I'm assuming you talking about the screen game. DLine have a bigger impact the on the RB screen than the LBs. DL are taught if it was to easy too get pressure, then it is probably is a screen ( especially with our subpar pash rush). They need to turn around and retrace your footsteps. 9 out 10 times, the DL will make the tackle or could get a pick like Attaochu almost did vs. UGA
 

Whiskey_Clear

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D line is definitely our biggest concern going into next year. Green seems the most obvious replacement at DT. I don't think Gotsis will or should be moved to DE. I think we will be about the same next year at DT. DE is where we need an unknown / unproven to step forward. Very big question mark.
 

slugboy

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I saw a couple of big bodies catch passes across the middle in the second half of the UGA game--they looked like tight ends or maybe a fullback. I think they were crossing patterns around 8-10 yards deep, and figured they were LB responsibility. One of them was for a third or fourth down conversion. Just going from memory, here.
 

CuseJacket

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The last depth chart didn't have the RSs on there and I was too lazy to go through the roster, but if RSs are going to jump all the way past last year's back-ups, then those guys never should have been RS'd.

We need to focus on winning 10 now, not in the future.

I agree with the general premise of this statement i.e., hope and potential is not a strategy for success. That said, it's also reasonable to assume that many of the redshirts happened due to physical limitations that may be overcome by a full year in the S&C program.

It's also possible that some of the redshirts were equal to the 2nd string upperclassmen during fall camp. If so 1) that's impressive for a true frosh and 2) it still made sense to redshirt them last year and not waste a year of eligibility. We all know how little playing time the second string got this year in crucial situations as it was.

All this is to say, I'm not optimistic about next year's DL and will not be until I see it on the field. We'll surely be fed a dose of mandatory optimism/raised expectations this offseason by the media (like every year). Remember, according to those who wrote it 2013 was supposed to be Darren Waller's coming out party and a redemption year for certain individuals in the secondary.
 

AE 87

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I think there are a bunch of changes from this list. ie:Davis will be somewhere.If Grffin is 1st uit at CB we are in trouble.If stargel is our pass rush guy---shutter.
As listed this is one of the weakest def in PJ era.Scary.

If the posts you've made today are an indication of your future participation, this forum is in trouble. If they reflect your knowledge of football- -- shutter.

(I've been informed that this language does not constitute a personal attack)
 

PowderSpringsJacket88

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Every year at this time I like to look ahead and analyze the roster a little, taking an in depth look at each position group. I don't comment on recruits because, until they sign, it isn't worth the effort. I also leave out walk-ons unless they have gotten significant snaps on offense or defense.

At DE:
GONE: are Jeremiah Attaochu and Emmanuel Dieke. Attaochu, despite probably playing out of position for his last two years will go down as one of TECH's best ever pass rushers. At times it looked like he was all alone getting pressure. His career is full of huge plays and one single huge penalty. Nearly every game he played in, he left some kind of substantial mark. He will most likely play at 3-4 OLB in the NFL. Dieke, while having a prototype body for the position, never really made an impact. He lacked the explosiveness off the ball and agility to give anybody trouble. He was rarely doubled and yet was silent most of the time. The vast majority of plays he made were steered into him rather than him whipping somebody and making a play. Of the two, JA will be the tough one to replace without having a drop off.

RETURNING WITH PLAYING TIME: are Anthony Williams (R-SR) 6-4, 237, Patrick Gamble (R-SO)6-5, 271 and Tyler Stargell (R-SO) 6-3, 251. Williams has been a big disappointment in terms of earning any meaningful playing time despite plenty of time in the system. He appeared to have the quicks if not the strength to have an impact on the edge. I thought the move to a 4-3 would help him a lot, but it never materialized. He is set to graduate and I would not be surprised if he packs it in and moves on with his life. Gamble is a bit of a tweener. He is a little light in his pants for DT and maybe not quite quick enough to make a huge impact at DE. Having seen him on film this season, it is hard to imagine him being substantially more effective than Dieke. On the other hand Stargell is all DE. He saw limited action as a sub this season with mixed results. He looks to have potential, but never really left a huge imprint on any game he played in.

OTHER RETURNERS: are Nick Menocal (SR) 6-3, 248, Roderick Chungong (R-SO)6-3, 263, and Kevin Robbins (R-FR)6-4, 230. To this point Menocal has been mostly a STs player and it hard to see that changing. I have no real observations of either Chungong or Robbins.

Needless to say, I am concerned about taking a step back at this position. Barring a surprising step up from somebody, we may be in some trouble.

At DT:

GONE: is Euclid Cummings. Euclid steadily improved over the course of his tenure on the flats but he never became a force that the opposition needed to plan for. He rarely faced double teams or made huge plays. I would characterize him as an average DT for this level of play. Replacing him without a drop off will not be as difficult as it will be for Attaochu.

RETURNING WITH PLAYING TIME: are Shawn Green (R-SR) 6-0, 280, Jimmy Kitchens (R-JR)6-3, 279, Adam Gotsis (JR) 6-5, 277 and Francis Kallon (R-SO) 6-5, 303. Green has been an oft injured sub player for us recently. He is a solid situational type player who is adept at getting low, firing off the ball, and knifing into gaps. 3rd and 4th and short are his specialty, where he struggles in the pass rush. He will be valuable to us even if not as a full time starter. Kitchens got a lot of time as a sub and was pretty much on even terms production wise with Cummings. He has some potential to be a major contributor, but he will need to get serious about his strength and conditioning in the off season. At this point he has yet to prove that he is the heir apparent. Gotsis has been a starter as a true sophomore all season. The progress he has made has been remarkable over that time. However, he needs to improve his upper body strength and general football playing acumen. If he continues to improve at the rate he has, we may be looking at an all conference type player before he is done. All signs point up with him. Kallon pretty much came to GT as a football virgin. Of all the guys in this position group, he has the prototype body and athletic ability. He has just been unable to master the techniques required to successfully battle in the trenches. Word from the coaches is that he is starting to "get it". If this is true, we may be seeing a huge step forward at DT next season. IMHO, there is no more important person on defense that needs to make that kind of jump.

OTHER RETURNERS: are Justin Akins (R-FR) 6-4, 240 and Darius Commishiong (R-FR) 6-3, 305. Both kids have good reps. It will be interesting to see if they can step up and have a meaningful role.

IN SUMMARY: The most likely outcome is that we improve some on the interior. Gotsis will most likely be better and the potential for others to step up is there. However, on the outside, it will be a lot more difficult to avoid taking a step back. So, the personality of the DL should change some, but I anticipate having this remain the weak point of the defense in 2014.

I wouldn't mind Gotis playing outside (DE) if he can't get a little bigger/stronger. He has a good first step and motor with chasing down guys. I think Gamble,Robbins, Stargel,Gotis, and Anthony Williams would be a good group. Hopefully we can add Whitehead.

I think we will have an upgrade at DT. Shawn Green, Kitchen, Commishiong, Akins, and Kallon are a good group that I think will be just as good if not better. Problem is those last 3 are unproven so if we move Gotis to DE then this group becomes pretty inexperienced.
 

forensicbuzz

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If the posts you've made today are an indication of your future participation, this forum is in trouble. If they reflect your knowledge of football- -- shutter.

(I've been informed that this language does not constitute a personal attack)
I like Ibeeballin's approach better.

Personally, I don't know enough about the 2nd and 3rd string guys to have an opinion. However, I do have faith in Pelton to get the job done on the line. Not convinced yet with about the secondary.
 

UgaBlows

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Gotsis, while undersized a bit seems like a natural at tackle, i can't imagine them moving him to DE.

I know we will miss Jamea and Sneezy next year but i would bet any money that Roof and Co. will have the new guys coached up and ready, i expect a quality defense next year.
 

Boomergump

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There are just too many unknowns to have a firm opinion on how good the line will be next year. For instance, at what level will Commishiong be ready to contribute? None of us really know that. He could have been tearing it up in practice all year and we wouldn't know. Will the light go on for Kallon? That is a huge question and none of us really have a clue. If yes, we may have something going on. One thing I feel sure of is that Gotsis will be better. He has been improving and there is no reason, barring injury or illness, to suspect he won't continue to do so. I feel sure we can get Cummings type production out of a host of players. Our goal needs to be to elevate the play at DT though, and not just replace Euclid. DE is where I am worried. Dieke will not be hard to replace, Gamble was just as effective in the time I watched him out there. But Attaochu, on the other hand, will be. We need to find an answer, because I would hate to rely solely on a zone blitz scheme to get pressure.
 

dressedcheeseside

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There are just too many unknowns to have a firm opinion on how good the line will be next year. For instance, at what level will Commishiong be ready to contribute? None of us really know that. He could have been tearing it up in practice all year and we wouldn't know. Will the light go on for Kallon? That is a huge question and none of us really have a clue. If yes, we may have something going on. One thing I feel sure of is that Gotsis will be better. He has been improving and there is no reason, barring injury or illness, to suspect he won't continue to do so. I feel sure we can get Cummings type production out of a host of players. Our goal needs to be to elevate the play at DT though, and not just replace Euclid. DE is where I am worried. Dieke will not be hard to replace, Gamble was just as effective in the time I watched him out there. But Attaochu, on the other hand, will be. We need to find an answer, because I would hate to rely solely on a zone blitz scheme to get pressure.
What do you think about moving JHuntDays to rush end?
 

Stonewall

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The Stanford model? Does that consist of being able to offer 118 degree programs and being in one of the prettiest areas of CA and offering it's SAs a ongoing list of the easiest classes to take and who had absolutely minimal excellence in their football program until they did so? That Stanford model? ;)

sounds like a winner to me!

besides, the new AD and CPJ themselves have taken the academic excuse off the table. bobinski is on the record stating our standards are a plus and should be a positive in recruiting. when the guy in charge says that's the way it is, well, the coaches better find a way to get it done.

my personal feeling is we need to broaden the recruiting net--which i think we're trying to do. the GT academic brand just doesn't play as well as we'd like in the heart of SEC country. whereas, in other areas of the country, the GT academic brand could go much further in swaying a recruit, IMO.
 

SoCal_GT_Fan

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sounds like a winner to me!

besides, the new AD and CPJ themselves have taken the academic excuse off the table. bobinski is on the record stating our standards are a plus and should be a positive in recruiting. when the guy in charge says that's the way it is, well, the coaches better find a way to get it done.

my personal feeling is we need to broaden the recruiting net--which i think we're trying to do. the GT academic brand just doesn't play as well as we'd like in the heart of SEC country. whereas, in other areas of the country, the GT academic brand could go much further in swaying a recruit, IMO.
I agree with this. I work with a lady who's son is a junior and plays defensive tackle. He got called in by his coach and a Duke assistant coach was there to offer him a scholarship to Duke.

I'm sure GT can come out here as well and recruit Southern California which is rich with talent and a lot of players here do not mind being away from home to play football.
 

OldJacketFan

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As to Akins and Robbins, both were strongly recruited by a number of quality schools so the talent it there. I can see Robbins at WDE and Akins inside. I love the fact they were both redshirted and had a year in the program as well as the S&C program. Physically we see the results. Will it translate on the field? That is the question but that's always the question with young talent.
 

gtg936g

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Great write up Boomer!

I just do not know what we are going to have next year. I would settle for mediocrity at the DE positions if we could get a great push from our tackles. We have been fortunate to have great speed rushers at the DE position, but there is nothing wrong with pushing the pocket back with brute force on the inside.

I think Jabari could be a situational DE, but not an every down DE.
 
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