X's & O's/ Player Personnel Recruiting Forum

[KnoxVegas]

First off let me say that this belongs in the FB forum... but I don't go there often (for obvious reasons)... I'm more in line with the recruiting posters of VN... But to minimize clutter in player threads and to follow suit with the football forum football thread, this thread seems ideal...

To start I would like to talk about the infamous 3-4...(Madkins I hope you contribute in this thread, along with BB and GAvol)

I don't know Sal's in's and out's of his version of the 3-4... and we will only know his scheme as the season plays on...but I do know the 3-4...


Lathers was quoted at media days saying UT will be in a different front every down... UT will be very multiple in the fronts they show..

what this means is UT will be subbing every play (which I don't see happening), or they will have versatile players on the field...

DE's and OLB's is where this versatility comes into play...

DE: In order to be multiple the DE's will have to be able to be one gappers (4-3) and two gappers (3-4) (I wish I could draw here).. Current DE's capable: Couch, Sentimore, Walls.. after that it drops off. Fowlkes will struggle with 2 gaps... Miller has the ability but who knows with his hiatus... Taylor is capable but a freshman... I have no clue about Saulsberry.

OLB: Capable of playing in space and walking up: Maggit... after that it's all ? marks.... We all hope Smith can be a player but it's honestly unknown... J.Will is unproven, Bohannon is my darkhorse...


I just thought I would create a space to debate X's & O's...

[Evol]

This probably isn't the response you're looking for, but I just want to make a general comment on the 3-4. I personally like the idea of us running a 3-4. I was a LB in high school and we ran a 3-4 my junior and senior years to much success. However, I think a lot of our fans (not saying you are) are wrongfully assuming that thats what the base defense is gonna be this year. I wish I had a link, but I remember seeing a video with Dooley saying he didn't know why everyone was saying we were switching to the 3-4. He basically said it was a package we would use, but that we are gonna show a lot of differnt looks on D.

[Vol8188]

OLB-Maggit
OLB-Smith

ILB-Johnson
ILB-Lathers

DE-Sentimore
DE-Couch
NG-McCullers

The only guy who really has to be versatile is Maggit. He goes from playing more of a DE position in a 3-4, to being a true LB in a 4-3 look.

The amount of two gapping that will be done, I think is being overrated. Even if you are a 3-4 team, you have eagle down against a 3 or 4 man surface to the strong side.

You can't play a 4-0-4 look with your interior lineman against this set (which Alabama uses), you would be outnumbered to the strong side:
F
C B B S C
B E N E B
X T G C G T Y
Q H Z

F
Even against a basic I formation set, you have to either eagle down or play a 5-2 Monster to compensate for the 3 man surface:
5-2 Monster vs. I 5-2 Eagle vs. I
S S S
C B B S C C B B C
B E N E B B E N E B
X T G C G T Y X T G C G T Y
Q Z Q Z
F F
H H

So there's going to be a lot of time when we have to move out of our head up alignment and into shade techniques (examples: double eagle, bear, eagle{under}, 4-3{over}) . The only guy who will be doing a lot of a two gaping is McCullers.

So I do disagree with you about the importance of having a lot of versatile players (outside of your rush end/LB hybrid, Maggit), but I am glad you brought the topic of x's and o's to VN.

[Vol8188]

Well, I had drown up 3 variations of the 3-4 defense, but I didn't know it would compress everything when I hit enter.

I'll list the techniques instead of the most common defenses played by "multiple" teams. The thing is, you can't sit in a base 5-2 defense against 3 or 4 man surfaces. So we will see a lot of different looks, most of which only have the NG two gaping.

Base 5-2
DE-4
NG-0
DE-4

5-2 Monster
DE-4
NG-0
DE-4
SS-90

5-2 Eagle (Under)
DE-3
NG-Strong Shade
DE-5

4-3 (Over)
DE-5
NG-Weak Shade
DE-3

5-2 Double Eagle
DE-3
NG-0
DE-3

Bear
DE-3
NG-0
DE-3
SS-9
SLB-7

[illumiVOLi]

Why does everyone keep forgetting about Jordan Williams. I think he will be a big contributor as an DE this year

[Vol8188]

Originally Posted by illumiVOLi

Why does everyone keep forgetting about Jordan Williams. I think he will be a big contributor as an DE this year

He has to beat out Smith first, but he does provide excellent depth.

[jessee james]

Whatever we see will be 3 downs at a time.

[The Breakerboy]

Originally Posted by Vol8188

He has to beat out Smith first, but he does provide excellent depth.

Not worried about that not happening. I think Williams will be the man for the Jack position. I truly don't know if Jac can play disciplined enough in space for us at that position.