Thank you Brandon for the post on DB recruiting. It gave good info (I love those kinds of posts). Unfortunately, it also started me thinking (visualize my wife shaking her head as she quickly leaves the room).
I looked at our defense. I looked at our commit list. I thought.....
...and, when I woke up, I figured I'd share what I think we still need in this class (defense only).
DBs: Our staff is doing a REAL good job with Lenoir, Redd & Douglas already committed. If we can add even one of Graham, Gates or Molden, we'll be sitting in REAL good shape at CB this cycle. I'm not as worried about safety with Schooler, Oliver, Leiato, McGraw and Breeze still being young.
DL: We have several big bodies on the roster already and we seem to have the makings of a couple of good pass rush specialists at the DEs. What we don't seem to have is many big guys who can set the edge against the run and contain while collapsing the pocket. Right now, Jelks is the only guy who fits that description at WDE. Kampmoyer and Cumberlander might by next year (Cumberlander - to me - seems to be emerging as the heir apparent to Mondeaux's SDE spot) and Young (if he can add 10-20 lbs) could be a beast-mode WDE, too (VERY impressed with him so far). SO...we need at least one big (265+), strong, fast monster to force running plays back inside while pressuring the QB when he drops back. Those aren't real common (I realize that), but, to work well, the 4-3 needs them and we need them this cycle so they'll be available before Mondeaux graduates.
OLB: Dye - mentally, emotionally, physically - seems to be the prototype of what our coaches want at OLB (although, I suspect Hoke would like him to be about 230-235). Winston and Briscoe both have similar physical tools, so I'm hoping they can pick up their level of play and move into the rotation later this year. McDowell is small (remember, he came from a JC and was a WR to begin with) but has a huge heart. If he could bulk up without losing speed/quickness, he'd help our depth immensely. Same with Apelu who, in his only PT this year on defense, ended up with 5 total tackles (that's a heckuva first game for a young walkon). He suffered from the injury bug in HS, so he's still kind of learning on the fly here. He, too, needs some extra muscle mass, but I have hopes for him if he can add that. Niu doesn't have the length of some of the others - but he's a flat out player and I'd love to have someone like him introducing RBs to the Autzen turf as an OLB.
ILB: Hotchkins is a good player, but he's having to learn the scheme AND how to play it at this level on the fly, so to speak. We, honestly, don't have much backing him up right now. Simms/Swain would be my choices to get some minutes to see about building a corps at the ILB instead of retooling every year. Right now, Franklin is listed as an ILB but he's not very big and that's a major obstacle for success at that position. I see him moving to OLB before too much longer. Phillips and/or McBride would be immediate (and major) impact players if we get them. We need at least one. If we get neither, we better hope we can find an old-school FB/TE willing to continue knocking heads but from the other side of the LOS. No single position on D can make or break what we're trying to do as much as the MLB. With it - we're golden. Without it - more like tin foil.
So...there is my rationale. That is what leads me to this conclusion:
We need - in addition to what we already have committed for this cycle:
ILB - at least 2 capable of playing at our level (size, speed & instincts)...and I'd prefer not hoping on a position change to fill that slot (TE/FB to MLB, for instance).
DE - at least 2 that are 3-down players, not just pass rushing specialists. (We may need to hit the JCs for at least one of these).
We're (IMO) actually really close to having the right personnel to do a good job with the 4-3....but, close isn't good enough and, until we get those people in place, we're going to be compromising everything we try and that is always a path to frustration.
