There’s obviously strong justification for confidence in our 2 rising sophomores at our cornerback positions this fall. If Pruitt can work his magic with Burrell we’ll have a really good minimum rotation there.
I’m still not sure about the safeties though and I don’t think we’ll know where we really stand until we get deep into fall camp. Some people have sort of expressed a bit of disappointment in Warrior perhaps not yet living up to the hype of his rating out of high school. Currently there apparently is a bit of an experiment going on with his move to the Star position which he seems pretty excited about. If Gibbs gets his waiver and the two of them plus Buchanan are locked in at Star I’m guessing we’re pretty good there as well.
Our untrained spies in the local media reported that Flowers didn’t quite seem himself for much of spring practice. Coming off the collar bone injury last year may still be having some lingering effects on his mental state. He also has a strong interest in baseball and though he skipped out on baseball this spring to work out with the football team given the success of the baseball team he could feel like he’s perhaps missing out. There were some reports at the end of spring that he seem to be getting back in stride.
The other options we have in the secondary are Theo Jackson, Shawn Shamburger, Brandon Davis, and Jaylen McCollough. Aaron Beasley will arrive at the end of the month and may start out with the safeties. The word is that Anthony Harris making it in is iffy at best. Tyus Fields essentially missed all of spring due to rehab but I think was cleared by medical just before the O&W game. I’ve not heard where Cheyenne Labruzza or Terrell Bailey fit into our picture. Maleik Gray is still floating around and Kenneth George Jr is suspended. Kenny Solomon, one of our blue shirts, actually jumped 596 spots up the rankings five days after committing to Tennessee. The Pruitt bump?
I’m thinking we probably need one more cornerback, maybe two, but more importantly, we need to identify our best options for the rotation at the two safety positions. Pruitt said in his interview with Ainge on Wednesday that when he was in college he ran a 4.7 40 but because he knew how to play his position he could cover guys that ran 4.4. Still, I think many people are looking for a little more speed in the back end of our defense, particularly at the Free spot and we need good tacklers at both positions.
I think the optimum depth at both cornerback and safety is having five guys who can play at a high level in each of the two groups. We may be able to get by with four but injuries and things like that happen and it’s a long season. We obviously need more than just the starters.
In addition to the guys we already have this is currently my candidate for strong safety but I don’t know how long it will take for Ansley to teach him the defense:
Two-way athlete who played running back and safety but will likely play in the secondary in college. Big kid with a solid frame and could easily grow in to a linebacker. Very physical who can get downhill in a hurry and loves contact. Big hitter who plays with a nice physical edge to his game. Will bring an enforcer type mentality to the secondary and someone you can play in the box, close to the line of scrimmage. A plus athlete as well who can run and shows good balance and change of direction at running back. Will be interesting to see where his body goes in a few years, if he continues to bulk up, a move to linebacker could definitely happen and he has the toughness and physicality to easily make the move. Projects as a impact upper tier Power 5 starter and future mid-round NFL draft pick.
And these two guys are my candidates to add to the Free position which I’m thinking is even more difficult to learn in a short amount of time. The downside is I’m not sure either have the speed we may be looking for:
Muscled and defined upper body with a thinner lower body. Tests as an average-to-good athlete. A two-way player at running back and safety in high school for a good program in the metro Atlanta area. Projects as a safety at the next level. Plays near the line and could grow into a hybrid linebacker/safety who plays in the box. Effective as a blitzer and run defender. Has good play speed in pursuit with the ability to finish his tackles with form and authority. Is more developed as a box and run defender than he is in coverage at this point. Will need to continue honing his coverage skills. Projects as a likely Power 5 starter with the potential of developing into a late NFL draft pick.
Shorter defensive back who has added some muscle to his frame over the past year. Probably is close to his max playing weight in the low to mid 190’s. Is a solid athlete from a testing perspective. Plays safety for his high school team. Likely projects as a nickel or safety at the next level. Shows good instincts in coverage and as a run defender. Triggers quickly when coming downhill to play the flats. Has some physicality on contact as a tackler. Is a bit of a tweener physically and will need to settle into a position at the next level. Projects as a likely Power 5 starter with the potential of developing into a late NFL Draft pick.
If we can excel at the safety positions I think our over-all defense probably takes a giant leap up the rankings in 2019. jmo.
~30 days until summer enrollees arrive
=74 days until Pruitt is at the mic
~95 days until the start of fall camp
=120 days until kickoff
