If Kongbo is a full time DT and we get KMac back for the season, I actually feel better about our depth at DT than at DE this year. Last year we didn't have enough bodies or experience at DT. This year, we should more of both, and we're actually adding freshmen DTs for emergency backup instead of walkons.
Assuming no major injuries, we should have the following available at DT who've taken SEC snaps: Vickers, Kmac, Kongbo, Picou, Bain. Alexis Johnson Johnson also has some game experience vs VT. Add in freshmen Bennet, Crosby, and possibly Butler (all of whom except for probably Bennet have the size to play DT for us, if not the experience or time in an S&C program). I'm not really counting on seeing Tuttle in 2017 personally. If he's available, then that's even better.
It seems like Shoop and Hoke should be able to find 4 capable DTs out of that bunch (and maybe 1-2 who can be difference makers). If one or two go down, things could get ugly, but there's always the possibility that someone like Crosby or Butler has it in them to contribute rotationally at least. Assuming none of the freshmen DTs are beasts out of the gate, our 3 deep could look something like:
DT: Kmac/Johnson/Bain
DT: Vickers/Kongbo/Picou
Not ideal, proven depth by any means. But good coaches should be able to get something out of those guys. And thats a 3 deep with guys who've all been here at least a season. That's something at least. Seems like it's been a while since we could say that.
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DE has me much more worried. Our penciled in starters (Phillips and Taylor) have plenty of upside, but Phillips is often hurt. Behind those two our only returning player who's taken SEC snaps at DE is Kongbo, who is now a DT (though Austin Smith did get snaps at SLB as a freshman two seasons ago). So our 3 deep there is much more murky and dependent on young guys with little/no experience to step up. You can't even make a 3 deep for us at DE without including freshmen. The DEs we have who've been on campus at least a season are:
DE: Phillips/Smith
DE: Taylor/McDaniels (who has had some disciplinary and injury issues in his Semester and a half on campus thus far)
So you've gotta hope that one or two of the newcomers (Johnson, Bembry, Thaxton, and maybe Butler or Bumphus) can be brought far enough along to give somewhat reliable depth. If we lose two DEs to injury, we're either going to have to throw some freshmen to the fire, move Kongbo back outside, slide a big OLB like Bituli down to the LOS, or get inventive scheme to cover up the whole at DE.
Going into last season, DT depth was a concern few wanted to address. IMO, we're in much the same position at DE heading into 2017.