Jim Knowles' schemes and results

#58
#58
JohnnyJava said:
This year, Knowles' PSU team was 34th in total defense and 37th in scoring defense. I didn't know anything about him, so I asked Google Gemini for a scheme and results overview which follows:

I. Defensive Philosophy: The "Safety-Driven" 4-2-5​

Knowles calls his scheme a "Safety-Driven Defense." While it is technically a 4-2-5 base (4 defensive linemen, 2 linebackers, 5 defensive backs), it functions differently than standard nickel packages.

  • Aggression & Disguise: Knowles views defense through an "offensive" lens. He wants to dictate the tempo rather than react. His hallmark is disguising coverages—showing one look pre-snap and rotating into a completely different one post-snap to trick the quarterback.


  • The Three Safeties:The scheme relies heavily on three safeties on the field simultaneously.
    • Bandit/Boundary Safety: Plays into the boundary (short side of the field) and is often involved in run support.


    • Field Safety: Covers the wide side of the field.
    • Strike/Nickel: A hybrid safety/linebacker who covers the slot but also fits the run aggressively.
  • The "Jack" Position: This is a hybrid defensive end/linebacker position (sometimes called a "Leo"). Knowles recruits an athletic pass rusher for this spot who can line up with his hand in the dirt, stand up on the edge, or drop into coverage. This moving piece prevents the offense from predicting where the pressure is coming from.
  • "Touching" the Quarterback: Knowles tracks a specific metric called "havoc" or "touching the QB." He emphasizes that even if you don't get the sack, physically hitting or moving the quarterback off his spot is the primary correlation to winning games.

II. Statistical Success & Rankings​

Knowles has a distinct track record of "build-up" success. At his previous stops (Duke and Oklahoma State), his defenses often struggled statistically in Year 1 as players learned his complex system, but they improved drastically by Year 3 or 4 to become top-tier units. At Ohio State, however, the turnaround was much faster due to the elite talent available.




1. Ohio State (2022–2024)​

  • The Turnaround: Knowles inherited a defense that ranked #59 in total defense the year prior (2021).


  • Results:He produced an immediate turnaround, culminating in one of the nation's best units.
    • 2022 (Year 1): Improved to 14th in Total Defense.


    • 2023 (Year 2): Ranked 3rd nationally in Total Defense and 2nd in Scoring Defense (11.2 ppg).
    • 2024 (Year 3): His unit ranked 1st in the nation in both Scoring Defense and Total Defense.

2. Oklahoma State (2018–2021)​

  • The Build: Inherited a unit ranked in the 90s.
  • Results:The defense improved steadily each year, peaking in his final season with historic numbers.
    • 2018 (Year 1): 112th in Total Defense (Struggle year).


    • 2020 (Year 3): 1st nationally in 3rd Down Defense; led the nation in defensive touchdowns.
    • 2021 (Year 4): The defense was elite, ranking #3 in Total Defense and #1 in the nation in Sacks (57).

3. Duke (2010–2017)​

  • The Context: Duke was historically a difficult place to play defense due to talent disparities in the ACC.
  • Results:Knowles took them from the bottom of the FBS to a respectable, bowl-winning level.
    • Early Years: Consistently ranked near 100th.
    • 2017 (Final Year): Peaked at 21st nationally in Scoring Defense (20.2 ppg), marking one of the best defenses in Duke history.
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Thanks for this. My first reaction was, "Oh, no...Duke AND Gundy." Honestly, though, I like everything in this analysis. I'm sold.
 
#60
#60
Vol865 said:
Absolutely love the 3 safety 4-2-5/3-3-5. Extremely versatile and easier to disguise looks
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It is a pretty cool system. The 3 safety defense is so nice for the RPO game because it is easy to run robber coverages and slow down the slants which have been free against us

I think our box linebackers have had too much responsibility at times and Knowles version really lets them play a little faster and simpler
 
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#61
#61
Knowles new how to shut down tennessee, granted they dominated everyone that year. I think being good against the veer and shoot will be helpful with the rise of HCs and OCs who run that offense in the SEC now.

The scary thing is how everyone says it takes a few years to install his defense and we are very bad at safety right now. We have to hit the portal hard for that position. It would be nice to land some safeties he has coached to help speed up the transition. Jaylen McClain played for him at OSU as a freshman in '24 and King Mac played for him at Penn St in '25. Those are names im going to be looking to see if they hit the portal when it opens.
 
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#63
#63
Shaun1985 said:
Very complicated system that recruits itself. Lots of versatility for players. I think Redmond would do well in his system.
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Redmond has turned into one of my favorite players. He got picked on a lot early due to inexperience but he continued working and played his way into becoming a solid player. He paid his dues but it will pay off for him and UT.
 
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#64
#64
JohnnyJava said:
This year, Knowles' PSU team was 34th in total defense and 37th in scoring defense. I didn't know anything about him, so I asked Google Gemini for a scheme and results overview which follows:

I. Defensive Philosophy: The "Safety-Driven" 4-2-5​

Knowles calls his scheme a "Safety-Driven Defense." While it is technically a 4-2-5 base (4 defensive linemen, 2 linebackers, 5 defensive backs), it functions differently than standard nickel packages.

  • Aggression & Disguise: Knowles views defense through an "offensive" lens. He wants to dictate the tempo rather than react. His hallmark is disguising coverages—showing one look pre-snap and rotating into a completely different one post-snap to trick the quarterback.


  • The Three Safeties:The scheme relies heavily on three safeties on the field simultaneously.
    • Bandit/Boundary Safety: Plays into the boundary (short side of the field) and is often involved in run support.


    • Field Safety: Covers the wide side of the field.
    • Strike/Nickel: A hybrid safety/linebacker who covers the slot but also fits the run aggressively.
  • The "Jack" Position: This is a hybrid defensive end/linebacker position (sometimes called a "Leo"). Knowles recruits an athletic pass rusher for this spot who can line up with his hand in the dirt, stand up on the edge, or drop into coverage. This moving piece prevents the offense from predicting where the pressure is coming from.
  • "Touching" the Quarterback: Knowles tracks a specific metric called "havoc" or "touching the QB." He emphasizes that even if you don't get the sack, physically hitting or moving the quarterback off his spot is the primary correlation to winning games.

II. Statistical Success & Rankings​

Knowles has a distinct track record of "build-up" success. At his previous stops (Duke and Oklahoma State), his defenses often struggled statistically in Year 1 as players learned his complex system, but they improved drastically by Year 3 or 4 to become top-tier units. At Ohio State, however, the turnaround was much faster due to the elite talent available.




1. Ohio State (2022–2024)​

  • The Turnaround: Knowles inherited a defense that ranked #59 in total defense the year prior (2021).


  • Results:He produced an immediate turnaround, culminating in one of the nation's best units.
    • 2022 (Year 1): Improved to 14th in Total Defense.


    • 2023 (Year 2): Ranked 3rd nationally in Total Defense and 2nd in Scoring Defense (11.2 ppg).
    • 2024 (Year 3): His unit ranked 1st in the nation in both Scoring Defense and Total Defense.

2. Oklahoma State (2018–2021)​

  • The Build: Inherited a unit ranked in the 90s.
  • Results:The defense improved steadily each year, peaking in his final season with historic numbers.
    • 2018 (Year 1): 112th in Total Defense (Struggle year).


    • 2020 (Year 3): 1st nationally in 3rd Down Defense; led the nation in defensive touchdowns.
    • 2021 (Year 4): The defense was elite, ranking #3 in Total Defense and #1 in the nation in Sacks (57).

3. Duke (2010–2017)​

  • The Context: Duke was historically a difficult place to play defense due to talent disparities in the ACC.
  • Results:Knowles took them from the bottom of the FBS to a respectable, bowl-winning level.
    • Early Years: Consistently ranked near 100th.
    • 2017 (Final Year): Peaked at 21st nationally in Scoring Defense (20.2 ppg), marking one of the best defenses in Duke history.
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Not a fan of a 2 backer system, BUT, he's proven it can work and it should make the transition much easier. Diaz flashed the 2, but mixed in the 3 a lot. We shall see.
 
#66
#66
I’m excited about bringing in a defensive coordinator like Jim Knowles… not just for what he’ll do on defense, but for how much he’ll improve our offense too. Most people don’t realize the impact on the other side of the ball.

Practicing against a fast, complex defense in August will expose our offensive weaknesses early… long before they ever show up on a Friday night. That makes our QB quicker, our line sharper, and our entire plan more sound.

This hire doesn’t just upgrade the defense…it elevates the whole team.

I'm excited about this hire!
 
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#69
#69
loosecannon said:
It is a pretty cool system. The 3 safety defense is so nice for the RPO game because it is easy to run robber coverages and slow down the slants which have been free against us

I think our box linebackers have had too much responsibility at times and Knowles version really lets them play a little faster and simpler
Click to expand...
I like it because you can mirror your looks on both sides of the field and make a few different things look the same and you can ideally have an apex defender on each side that can equally and adequately defend run/pass
 
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#73
#73
Remy said:
Redmond has turned into one of my favorite players. He got picked on a lot early due to inexperience but he continued working and played his way into becoming a solid player. He paid his dues but it will pay off for him and UT.
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Although the coaches were desperate after the injuries, kudos that they kept him on the field and let him start to figure things out.
 
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