How good can our linebacker corps be in 2018.

[DaUndergroundMan]

Good post. He was the living embodiment of a linebacker corpse.

LOL. Corpse, well i can agree with that.

 

[DaUndergroundMan]

And if we are using sacks as a measuring stick for athleticism, then last year's coltonjumper was "more athletic" than kongbo which just doesn't make sense.

 

[Pacer92]

Well then I’m willing to be “ridiculous”. Give me an example of Kongbo ever showing any burst on the field of play. Perhaps I’m forgetting. 3.5 sacks in 17 games played in his career thus far.....about 1 sack every 5 games he’s played. He’s best known for consecutive personal foul penalties vs Bama for illegally grabbing and shoving an OT’s face mask, not for showing any burst on the way to an opposing quarterback.

Agree. I just havent seen his “athleticism” translate to his play. He may be a guy who’s combine workout would blow people away, but I just don’t see that flexibility, lateral quickness or strength, honestly. He looks rigid and seems to be thinking more than reacting...

I hope this staff can find a way to get the very best out of him. I look for both Deandre Johnson and Jordan Allen to eventually get a lot of PT at the OLB spot..

 

[Volgrad98]

IMO, Colton Jumper embodies what it means to be a volunteer. He always gave his all for Tennessee and that’s what we need more of. I don’t know this for sure, but I think jumper helped guys like sapp and Bituli make a step to the next level. Guys feed off of players like jumper, what he lacked in athleticism he more Than made up with heart. I’d drink a beer with him any day of the week!!!

Nick Reveiz too, dude wanted it!

 

[81Orange]

Honestly, after watching Kongbo for 2 seasons, I don’t see the talent. The expectations are unfounded for him. He looks great walking around campus, getting off the bus, stretching in warmups. But when the ball is put down and the game kicks off, he’s shown little to no burst, little quickness and no ability whatsoever to get off a block. God bless the kid, not trying to dog him, just trying to objectively state what I’ve seen. I think we need a better athlete at DE/OLB to supplant him and I’m hopeful that that guy is on this roster. Somebody needs to emerge and be a disruptive edge rusher and I just don’t believe that guy is Kongbo.

I agree. Either he hasn’t got it or the coaches haven’t gotten out of him. I hope this new OLB position fits him better.

 

[pimo1]

in a 3-4 linebackers play a much larger role than in a 4-3 and roles are entirely different. In a 3-4 the front line is more about keeping your linebackers clean to make plays and linebackers in some schemes have more responsibilities than in a 4-3 whereas the lines responsibilities are simplified. Lets not get it twisted performance on the line is actually even more important its just getting guys to buy in because a 3-4 Dlineman is gonna have less chance for glory stats than a 4-3 guy. They eat blocks. This is a very simplified view of the 3-4 because modern defenses expect a lot more from both linebackers and linemen but as our roster sits it looks like that's what we are looking at. My worry is with the current makeup of our roster (OLB) I feel like we are gonna be vulnerable for passes across the middle. Of all our linebackers the only one I think of as a pass coverage guy would be maybe Sapp and hes playing inside. Kirnland maybe Bituli from what i've seen not a coverage guy. I honestly think thats the big reason Jumper got as much PT as he did. It might sound silly but he was one of the better Linebackers we had in coverage the rest of the guys were pass rushers/run stuffers. Kongbo and Taylor dropping back in coverage scares me a bit. That being said we haven't seen them on the field yet and for some strange reason I have hope we are better than e should be end of year. I See us as a team with 7-8 win talent vs this schedule but given context 6 wins is a thing. But I feel like with good health (especially if JJ is healthy) we can shock the world and get 9

 

[81Orange]

I agree Kongbo has had potential but it has yet to show up on the field. With regard to burst, Kongbo’s first step has looked slow. Perhaps he has had a weight issue, but he has not threatened anyone with his first step. He also seems to lack the ability/flexibility to get low and go under the DT. His bull rush is non existent and he gets tied up on blocks.
Having said this I hope better coaching helps him.

 

[pimo1]

IMO, Colton Jumper embodies what it means to be a volunteer. He always gave his all for Tennessee and that’s what we need more of. I don’t know this for sure, but I think jumper helped guys like sapp and Bituli make a step to the next level. Guys feed off of players like jumper, what he lacked in athleticism he more Than made up with heart. I’d drink a beer with him any day of the week!!!

this here exactly...everyone needs a Rudy except Jumper actually had some talent. Every team needs that guy.

 

[pimo1]

I agree Kongbo has had potential but it has yet to show up on the field. With regard to burst, Kongbo’s first step has looked slow. Perhaps he has had a weight issue, but he has not threatened anyone with his first step. He also seems to lack the ability/flexibility to get low and go under the DT. His bull rush is non existent and he gets tied up on blocks.
Having said this I hope better coaching helps him.

I'm so confused when i hear people say this about Kongbo. he's pretty much for the past 2 years been tasked with playing out of position. He was asked to eat blocks for the most part and get some penetration while his biggest strengths are as a pure pass rusher. watching him play id love to see him in a role like Dwight Freeney (4-3) or Kevin Greene (3-4) those are the players he reminds me of in skillset. This is the year Kongbo can shock VN. This is a defense tailored for his skill set. My only worry is how much he is asked to drop into coverage because then he will be exposed.

 

[KBVol]

And if we are using sacks as a measuring stick for athleticism, then last year's coltonjumper was "more athletic" than kongbo which just doesn't make sense.

Not just sacks, pretty much any production at all. Tackles for loss, QB hurries, just general disruption for the offense by getting penetration in the opposition’s backfield. We can surely agree that Kongbo has done virtually none of that the two previous seasons. Perhaps dropping some weight and getting coached up on better technique and “motivation” turns him into a different, better player this year....I’m not holding my breath.

 

[KBVol]

I'm so confused when i hear people say this about Kongbo. he's pretty much for the past 2 years been tasked with playing out of position. He was asked to eat blocks for the most part and get some penetration while his biggest strengths are as a pure pass rusher. watching him play id love to see him in a role like Dwight Freeney (4-3) or Kevin Greene (3-4) those are the players he reminds me of in skillset. This is the year Kongbo can shock VN. This is a defense tailored for his skill set. My only worry is how much he is asked to drop into coverage because then he will be exposed.

Kongbo was our starting weakside DE all year long last season, and that’s the position he was recruited to Tennessee to play. Last season he was a rush defensive end.

He was only out of position in 2016 when he was asked to bulk up play some DT out of necessity.

 

[pimo1]

Kongbo was our starting weakside DE all year long last season, and that’s the position he was recruited to Tennessee to play. Last season he was a rush defensive end.

He was only out of position in 2016 when he was asked to bulk up play some DT out of necessity.

In 2016 he played inside a lot then in 2017 he bulked up in anticipation of moving around. Cause -effect. He played WDE in a SDE body last year. So yeah he played his correct position last year but in the wrong body. Now he is in a position ot play a position his skill set matches in the correct body. He is what can be a monster OLB but still enough beef to put his hand in the dirt in a nickle or dime package ala Maggitt. If he can be our Kevin Greene I'll be happy. Kongbo is a player i have always liked but feel bad he has been put in the wrong position scheme his whole career Phillips also.

 

[Darth_Shiveman]

Not just sacks, pretty much any production at all. Tackles for loss, QB hurries, just general disruption for the offense by getting penetration in the opposition’s backfield. We can surely agree that Kongbo has done virtually none of that the two previous seasons. Perhaps dropping some weight and getting coached up on better technique and “motivation” turns him into a different, better player this year....I’m not holding my breath.

No one on our current roster has done much of any of that over the past two seasons.

 

[bpalmer28]

So how exactly is the new 3-4 different than the one Sunseri failed to install a few years ago?

Better question: how is it any different than the one Saban installed at Bama, Smart installed at Georgia, abs Pruitt installed at FSU?