The Status of Defensive Line Recruiting After Kasa

by SnowBuff on Nov 18, 2008 10:44 AM MST

Good piece by SnowBuff from a fan post that I am promoting to the front page. If you have something interesting or knowledgeable analysis to point out about the Buffs, fire up a fan post on the right side bar and it will probably be promoted to the front page. If it doesn't get promoted or does get promoted, the fan post allows your voice to be heard which is what we want from this site!

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Here is our defensive players next year if we sign NO ONE.

Defensive Line	#	Pos.	W	H	Year
Jason Brace	92	DE	245	6-4	Junior
Kevin Cooney	53	DE	220	6-6	Freshman
Curtis Cunningham	50	DL	270	6-1	Freshman
Eugene Goree	98	DL	295	6-1	Freshman
Marquez Herrod	90	DE	270	6-2	Sophomore
Taj Kaynor	97	DE	265	6-5	Junior
Eric Lawson	69	DT	270	6-3	Sophomore
Conrad Obi	93	DE	260	6-3	Freshman
Tony Poremba	95	DE	225	6-1	Freshman
Tyler Sale	99	DT	255	6-3	Junior
Lagrone Shields	96	DL	250	6-3	Freshman
Will Pericak	83	DT	260	6-4	Freshman

I count FIVE freshman (some RS Frosh) on the roster, 2 sophomores and 2 juniors. That is a back loaded class. Some have been calling for 6 recruits at DE/DT. Here is why that is not a big deal, and why losing Kasa is not crushing. Sunshine pumping? Some. Not to much though, in my opinion.

Barring a miracle, accept that whoever we sign this year is almost certain not to start since they will not be elite, with perhaps 4* Edward Nuckols or some sort of other nugget being found by Hawk changing that scenario. However, I don't think we are in on ANY elite pass rushers. What we are missing here is any sort of DE that is a pass rusher.That was going to be Kasa. If we were running a 4-3 Defense, we would be totally screwed.

But we are not. We are running a hybrid 3/4 right now, and I bet that next year we go all the way to 3/4 with the wealth of size and speed at LB. In the Big XII these days, otherwise known as spread central, the 3/4 is a solid choice for a defense. What does a 3/4 take? Block eating DT's. Even the DE's in a 3/4 are basically the normal DT's from a 4/3. They are generally NOT pass rushers.

This is a draft for DEPTH. If Hawk gets a few solid guys (3*), we will be fine. I hope to land 3, and I bet we land that many or maybe even four. And they probably won't even start. We will get our pass rush from our LB's. Beatty has shown some promise there, and who knows what Katoa, Rippy, Major and our other guys will deliver.

And its not like Bandison has coached up any of our guys to be elite pass rushers anyways, so the end conclusion is: welcome to the 3/4. All will be well on the defensive line. Hope we get some solid guys, but this is a draft for depth, not starters.

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Comments

My biggest concern with going 3 - 4 is

turning the hybrid 3 – 4 into a simple rush three drop 8 play zone defense style. When Brad Jones blitzed this year, the defense was much better but when the Buffs moved into their shell defense, teams like Kansas were able to run on the Buffs as well as scramble around/ buy time against a three man rush to find open WR’s.

The Buffs need to be committed to attacking from the linebacker spot if 3 – 4 is the ultimate direction. If the Buffs are creative with it, the results could be amazing. Next year CU will have 3 or 4 linebackers that came come of the edge and demolish people.

If the Collins commits to bringing a linebacker from multiple areas on the field in multiple packages, it can work.

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by Bob_Bell on Nov 18, 2008 11:05 AM MST reply actions

The other problem that I see with going 3-4 is that right now we don’t have that one monster up the middle that can clog the O-Line and take up a double team allowing the LB’s to run free. I agree that if we don’t get a couple nice DL’s to commit that they should serious look at it, but I dont think they will

by roxbombers on Nov 18, 2008 11:18 AM MST reply actions

In Reply to the two posts above...

Irish – You are right, and I worry about Collins doing this as well. I sometimes wonder if he is bipolar. For every game he is aggressive (KSU), he comes back with a completely pathetic gameplan like Mizzou… I don’t know what any of us can do there, but hopefully he continues to grow his faith for our CB’s and gets more aggressive. However, that is a coaching problem, not a personnel problem.

Rox – You are right. we don’t have a great NT for the 3/4… I am hoping that Nuckols fills that void in a year or two.. but look at Goree to do that job. Hes a big (and WIDE) boy. Another response is that we will not exactly be dealing with a lot of power running games that pound it up the middle for the foreseeable future. Does ANYONE in the Big XII still run the iformation as a base offense? We may have a weakness up the middle, but if instead of a FB and a TE to really pound it up in there, they only have the RB, that weakess will be harder to exploit…

And frankly, I don’t see how this personnel has a hope of being a good 4/3 line, so yes, we have to accept the deficiencies you guys have pointed out in order to best use our personnel.

by SnowBuff on Nov 18, 2008 11:31 AM MST reply actions

I am not completely sold on the personnel on the list either.

A few walks on, Brace who knows as he has been injured and undersized, Herrod hasn’t lit the world on fire, talks of Obi being a player but haven’t seen it yet due to older guys in the middle. This defense will have to rely heavily on Cunningham and Obi next year possibly Nuckols…that scares me a little bit.

The Ralphie Report - Shoulder to Shoulder...All Colorado Buffaloes on SBNation - http://www.ralphiereport.com/

by Bob_Bell on Nov 18, 2008 11:37 AM MST up reply actions

Add Goree to the list of guys we will have to hope comes through

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by Bob_Bell on Nov 18, 2008 11:39 AM MST up reply actions

I didn't know Pericack had switched

I thought he was working out at TE, what about switching Major up as a weakside DE, I think he would be good there or as a rush LB like Smart in the 3-4.

"Me fail english, that unpossible" - Ralph Wiggum

by Broncoman on Nov 18, 2008 12:27 PM MST reply actions

I think Pericak will be good eventually

What happened with Drew Hudgins? Did he decide to give up on football or what? I forget…

by nebraskasux on Nov 18, 2008 12:48 PM MST up reply actions

drew retired due to injury

and yes, the young guys need to step up…

Cunningham will be fine, I am hopefull for Goree… And Herrod seems solid, against the run at least. These guys need to take up blockers and wall off the middle of the field. That is it. If they do that, the LB’s SHOULD be able to hold their own…

by SnowBuff on Nov 18, 2008 12:57 PM MST reply actions