ChattaTNVol
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I’ve already posted a few times that I share the concern many have about our linebacker situation. I’ve gone through the transfer portal multiple times but don’t see anyone remaining that I like. We may need a body or two regardless. I suspect we may be waiting to see if new candidates pop up after everyone is finished with spring practice. jmo.
There are a few things to unpack here. First, we don’t know what scheme we’re running. I think it’s maybe either a 4-2-5 and/or 3-3-5 but I don’t know. I think we ran out of those alignments most of the time over the past 3 years so the basics are perhaps not unfamiliar to us. jmo.
As I understand it the 3-3-5 is a better alignment against spread teams or teams that do a lot of play action or RPOs and passed the ball a lot. It sort of gives you more coverage in the middle of the field. jmo.
As I understand it the 4-2-5 is a speed defense. It’s chief benefit supposedly is getting quick pressure on the QB. I think RPOs in particular were a development designed to make the 4-2-5 defense vulnerable because prior the 4-2-5 was giving offenses fits. jmo.
Both defenses are much more involved than that but that’s the gist. Over the last 3 years, at least the last time I checked, we were occasionally in a 4-3-4 or a 3-4-4 but combined I’m guessing it was less than 10% of the time. jmo.
So if we’re going to be multiple then we’re going to be able to line up in more than one scheme. I think but am not certain that Tim Banks has a lot of experience with 3-3-5 but one of the linebackers is often blitzing so you get a somewhat similar effect to the 4-2-5. The big difference in that regard is the 3-3-5 is designed to read and react I think, while the 4-2-5 is more just instinct, line up and go. The 4-2-5 is designed to Attack, Attack, and Attack some more. That’s my understanding. jmo.
I guess especially with RPOs nowadays it’s a lot easier to burn the defense if they’re in a 4-2-5 and committed to getting after the QB from the snap of the ball. The 3-3-5 gives the defense a chance to read before committing. The 4-2-5 doesn’t work if your down linemen can’t get pressure on the QB pretty damn quick and it especially makes the defense vulnerable in the middle of the field. I think we’ve experienced that pain without relief for the entire duration of Pruitt’s tenure here. jmo.
Now to spring practice. Forget about it. We’re not having spring practice. We’re having summer camps in the spring to see if there is anyone on our team we want to recruit. I think we’re going to do some basic installs so we can put on a show for the “spring game” similar to what Mullen did his first year at Florida. It’s about having fun which is what Mullen said at the time as well. It appears to me what the staff is doing is trying to see what our guys are capable of doing and which ones might fit best where and then after spring camp is over they’ll go to the drawing board and lay out what they think we’ll be able to do this year. That will get installed in fall camp, especially on the defensive side. jmo.
Now to the linebackers. We’re thin yes but if you go back over our history for the past decade and multiple coaches we don’t usually play that many linebackers. We need a minimum of 2 and then maybe 1 or 2 backups in case of injury. I’m not counting Roman Harrison, Tyler Baron, Bryson Eason, or Byron Young. They’re either WDE/SDE guys in a 4 man front or one of them falls back to LB in a 3 man front and another big man comes in to replace whichever DE is going out. I think. jmo.
So our concern is really the inside guys. We need 2 that are capable of playing every down. When MJ was signed Pruitt said he could play any of the 4 positions at LB. He worked on the inside towards the end of last year. So he’s a body. Page is a body. Will Albright played LB in high school which is why he is working there now. I don’t know if that sticks but coming out of HS his ticket to a D-1 college scholarship was because he was considered a good Long Snapper. Pruitt probably liked him for some versatility as well because Pruitt liked versatility. jmo.
I think we have 5 guys on the roster that can play the inside, Beasley, Banks, Joseph, French, and Willis. Banks is not at 100% and French and Willis are suspended. The present status of those 3 is what creates elevated concern. jmo.
We’ve had freshmen and sophomores excel at LB before, Lathers (Fr) in 2009, Johnson (Fr) in 2011, Reeves-Maybin (So) in 2014, Kirkland (Fr) in 2015, To’o To’o (Fr) in 2019. jmo.
If we have all 5 preferred inside guys 100% and available for fall camp we have less to worry about. At that point the concern shifts to who can run our defense and this is where Will Albright might still come into play. I’m assuming Beasley will be able to run the defense but I don’t have anything to back that up. I think I read from his HS coach that he was a quiet guy, didn’t talk a lot, so I don’t know. I think he’ll have to do it anyway but if something was to happen to him, what then? Will one of the other 4 be capable of getting the calls and getting the guys lined up? This is why Colton Jumper had to play when Kirkland was out with injury. We didn’t have anyone else capable of running the defense. This may be why we’re working Albright there now – just in case. Colton Jumper 2.0 if it comes to that. jmo.
That’s where I think we’re at and why I don’t think we should yet panic over our linebacker situation. I think we wait until early August and see where we’re at. If we’re good, great. We didn’t panic prematurely. If we’re still in the same position we’re in today, then we panic. We’ll be doomed. jmo.
There are a few things to unpack here. First, we don’t know what scheme we’re running. I think it’s maybe either a 4-2-5 and/or 3-3-5 but I don’t know. I think we ran out of those alignments most of the time over the past 3 years so the basics are perhaps not unfamiliar to us. jmo.
As I understand it the 3-3-5 is a better alignment against spread teams or teams that do a lot of play action or RPOs and passed the ball a lot. It sort of gives you more coverage in the middle of the field. jmo.
As I understand it the 4-2-5 is a speed defense. It’s chief benefit supposedly is getting quick pressure on the QB. I think RPOs in particular were a development designed to make the 4-2-5 defense vulnerable because prior the 4-2-5 was giving offenses fits. jmo.
Both defenses are much more involved than that but that’s the gist. Over the last 3 years, at least the last time I checked, we were occasionally in a 4-3-4 or a 3-4-4 but combined I’m guessing it was less than 10% of the time. jmo.
So if we’re going to be multiple then we’re going to be able to line up in more than one scheme. I think but am not certain that Tim Banks has a lot of experience with 3-3-5 but one of the linebackers is often blitzing so you get a somewhat similar effect to the 4-2-5. The big difference in that regard is the 3-3-5 is designed to read and react I think, while the 4-2-5 is more just instinct, line up and go. The 4-2-5 is designed to Attack, Attack, and Attack some more. That’s my understanding. jmo.
I guess especially with RPOs nowadays it’s a lot easier to burn the defense if they’re in a 4-2-5 and committed to getting after the QB from the snap of the ball. The 3-3-5 gives the defense a chance to read before committing. The 4-2-5 doesn’t work if your down linemen can’t get pressure on the QB pretty damn quick and it especially makes the defense vulnerable in the middle of the field. I think we’ve experienced that pain without relief for the entire duration of Pruitt’s tenure here. jmo.
Now to spring practice. Forget about it. We’re not having spring practice. We’re having summer camps in the spring to see if there is anyone on our team we want to recruit. I think we’re going to do some basic installs so we can put on a show for the “spring game” similar to what Mullen did his first year at Florida. It’s about having fun which is what Mullen said at the time as well. It appears to me what the staff is doing is trying to see what our guys are capable of doing and which ones might fit best where and then after spring camp is over they’ll go to the drawing board and lay out what they think we’ll be able to do this year. That will get installed in fall camp, especially on the defensive side. jmo.
Now to the linebackers. We’re thin yes but if you go back over our history for the past decade and multiple coaches we don’t usually play that many linebackers. We need a minimum of 2 and then maybe 1 or 2 backups in case of injury. I’m not counting Roman Harrison, Tyler Baron, Bryson Eason, or Byron Young. They’re either WDE/SDE guys in a 4 man front or one of them falls back to LB in a 3 man front and another big man comes in to replace whichever DE is going out. I think. jmo.
So our concern is really the inside guys. We need 2 that are capable of playing every down. When MJ was signed Pruitt said he could play any of the 4 positions at LB. He worked on the inside towards the end of last year. So he’s a body. Page is a body. Will Albright played LB in high school which is why he is working there now. I don’t know if that sticks but coming out of HS his ticket to a D-1 college scholarship was because he was considered a good Long Snapper. Pruitt probably liked him for some versatility as well because Pruitt liked versatility. jmo.
I think we have 5 guys on the roster that can play the inside, Beasley, Banks, Joseph, French, and Willis. Banks is not at 100% and French and Willis are suspended. The present status of those 3 is what creates elevated concern. jmo.
We’ve had freshmen and sophomores excel at LB before, Lathers (Fr) in 2009, Johnson (Fr) in 2011, Reeves-Maybin (So) in 2014, Kirkland (Fr) in 2015, To’o To’o (Fr) in 2019. jmo.
If we have all 5 preferred inside guys 100% and available for fall camp we have less to worry about. At that point the concern shifts to who can run our defense and this is where Will Albright might still come into play. I’m assuming Beasley will be able to run the defense but I don’t have anything to back that up. I think I read from his HS coach that he was a quiet guy, didn’t talk a lot, so I don’t know. I think he’ll have to do it anyway but if something was to happen to him, what then? Will one of the other 4 be capable of getting the calls and getting the guys lined up? This is why Colton Jumper had to play when Kirkland was out with injury. We didn’t have anyone else capable of running the defense. This may be why we’re working Albright there now – just in case. Colton Jumper 2.0 if it comes to that. jmo.
That’s where I think we’re at and why I don’t think we should yet panic over our linebacker situation. I think we wait until early August and see where we’re at. If we’re good, great. We didn’t panic prematurely. If we’re still in the same position we’re in today, then we panic. We’ll be doomed. jmo.
