The Status of Defensive Line Recruiting After Kasa
by SnowBuff
on Nov 18, 2008 10:44 AM MST
8 comments
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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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 irish1611 on
Nov 18, 2008 11:05 AM MST
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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
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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
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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.
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by irish1611 on
Nov 18, 2008 11:37 AM MST
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Add Goree to the list of guys we will have to hope comes through
The Ralphie Report - Shoulder to Shoulder...All Colorado Buffaloes on SBNation - http://www.ralphiereport.com/
by irish1611 on
Nov 18, 2008 11:39 AM MST
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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
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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
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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
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