Starters....

[skiumah1]

I know there had been a lot of good things being said about Jason Williamson before he tore the ACL and I expect that he'll be on the field at some point making an impact. Maybe as the 2nd or 3rd back? Maybe somewhere else. Or maybe not this year while he recovers but next year. Lotta maybes when you tear an ACL.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

My guess at it...

QB: Morgan/Annexstad/Clark
RB: Ibrahim/Wiley/Thomas
WR1: Bateman/Green
WR2: Autumn-Bell/Jackson
WR3: Douglas/Brown-Stephens
TE: Spann-Ford/Paulson/Kieft
LT: Schlueter/Guedet
LG: Andries/Olson/Ruschmeyer
C: Schmitz/Olson
RG: Dunlap/Olson/Ruschmeyer
RT: Faalele/Guedet

Andries probably kicks out to either tackle spot if Schlueter or Faalele were to go down. I expect Jackson to see a lot of the field as a true frosh as they need to start grooming someone to take over when Bateman declares.

SDE: Otomewo/Anderson
DT: Dew-Treadway/Teague
DT: Schad/Carter/Cheney
WDE: Mafe/Rush/Harris (think Rush and Harris compete for backup)
LB: Sori-Marin/Gordon
LB: Oliver/Willis/Burns
CB: Durr/Smith
CB: St-Juste/Howard
NCB: Harris/Glaze
S: Howden/Swenson
S: Nubin/Sapp

thinking about DB depth, the Dickerson and Ortiz additions are going to be huge. Durr will graduate and I think St-Juste goes pro (he’s 23 and two years post grad) so we desperately needed some instant impact guys on the back end.

K: Lantz/Walker
P: Crawford
LS: Weeks

I'd be pretty surprised to see Rush moved to DE (unless there is something that I'm missing). Maybe there has been a position change that I'm not aware, but during his career he has been a very traditional LB. I wouldn't be surprised to see more 3 DL sets where we blitz a LBer, but Oliver is probably our best blitzing LBer.

As for Oliver, I really hope he is healthy. There were posts earlier this offeseason that seemed like he might have had a pretty serious injury. I don't anything about it other than what was posted here, but it seemed pretty serious.

As for NCB, I'd pretty surprised to see Harris. I think it will be Smith and St.Juste on the outside and probably Durr in the slot, either that or one of the FR (Glaze, Brown, Dubar).

 

[noamfromm]

I'd be pretty surprised to see Rush moved to DE (unless there is something that I'm missing). Maybe there has been a position change that I'm not aware, but during his career he has been a very traditional LB. I wouldn't be surprised to see more 3 DL sets where we blitz a LBer, but Oliver is probably our best blitzing LBer.

As for Oliver, I really hope he is healthy. There were posts earlier this offeseason that seemed like he might have had a pretty serious injury. I don't anything about it other than what was posted here, but it seemed pretty serious.

As for NCB, I'd pretty surprised to see Harris. I think it will be Smith and St.Juste on the outside and probably Durr in the slot, either that or one of the FR (Glaze, Brown, Dubar).

Burns reported a while back that he has been moved to EDGE

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

Burns reported a while back that he has been moved to EDGE

Right on, thanks!

 

[MplsGopher]

So is our base defense a 4-2-5? And we're normally planning to roll with only two true LB type bodies? (guys who are, say, 230+ ish lbs, as opposed to nickles who are more like 200 ish)

 

[Mitu]

So is our base defense a 4-2-5? And we're normally planning to roll with only two true LB type bodies? (guys who are, say, 230+ ish lbs, as opposed to nickles who are more like 200 ish)

Correct. We run a 4-2-5 base with the Nickel operating almost like a second strong safety most of the time.

 

[MplsGopher]

Looking at the final game notes (pre-Auburn bowl game), yeah it definitely looks like we started with Williamson far more often than with Sori-Marin:

(from: https://s3.amazonaws.com/gophersports.com/documents/2019/12/29/Outback_Bowl_Notes_FINAL.pdf)


Barb and K-Mart are going to be sorely missed. Really hope Oliver is healthy for fall, or else they find someone ready to step up. Sounds like Rush is stepping into the Coughlin position? Which may not be as much of a featured position, this year. ?

Mafe and Otomewo are big boys, more traditional 40 front, hand in the dirt ends.

 

[Mitu]

Looking at the final game notes (pre-Auburn bowl game), yeah it definitely looks like we started with Williamson far more often than with Sori-Marin:

(from: https://s3.amazonaws.com/gophersports.com/documents/2019/12/29/Outback_Bowl_Notes_FINAL.pdf)


Barb and K-Mart are going to be sorely missed. Really hope Oliver is healthy for fall, or else they find someone ready to step up. Sounds like Rush is stepping into the Coughlin position? Which may not be as much of a featured position, this year. ?

Mafe and Otomewo are big boys, more traditional 40 front, hand in the dirt ends.

It was the first defense that was built to counter the spread, and the modern 4-2-5 benefits from a lot of the innovations Gary Patterson made at TCU to simplify on-field adjustments (that way teams are less vulnerable to tempo).

Where 4-2-5 tends to struggle is against RPO schemes because it’s very speed and aggression based. Essentially, because it relies on immediately responding to what the offense shows, it struggles against dynamic schemes.

Therefore, Rossi and crew have countered with “get more nimble everywhere you can”: The most prominent place you see this is using OLB types as rush ends more frequently. This was the role that Oliver played for us last year, and also one of the primary reasons Coughlin moved to EDGE (and Thomas Rush is moving to EDGE). The game slows down for them closer to the line and allows them to use their athleticism to offset the downside of aggression.

I expect see more of our larger SDE recruits (like Deven Eastern) also getting slid to 3-tech DT roles over the next couple of years. Of course, the key is landing a solid 0-tech, because a space eater is critical to an effective 4-2-5. MDT played that role for us last year and will again this year, but beyond Jamaal Teague we dont have great depth there.

 

[Goldy Gopher]

My guess at it...

QB: Morgan/Annexstad/Clark
RB: Ibrahim/Wiley/Thomas
WR1: Bateman/Green
WR2: Autumn-Bell/Jackson
WR3: Douglas/Brown-Stephens
TE: Spann-Ford/Paulson/Kieft
LT: Schlueter/Guedet
LG: Andries/Olson/Ruschmeyer
C: Schmitz/Olson
RG: Dunlap/Olson/Ruschmeyer
RT: Faalele/Guedet

Andries probably kicks out to either tackle spot if Schlueter or Faalele were to go down. I expect Jackson to see a lot of the field as a true frosh as they need to start grooming someone to take over when Bateman declares.

SDE: Otomewo/Anderson
DT: Dew-Treadway/Teague
DT: Schad/Carter/Cheney
WDE: Mafe/Rush/Harris (think Rush and Harris compete for backup)
LB: Sori-Marin/Gordon
LB: Oliver/Willis/Burns
CB: Durr/Smith
CB: St-Juste/Howard
NCB: Harris/Glaze
S: Howden/Swenson
S: Nubin/Sapp

thinking about DB depth, the Dickerson and Ortiz additions are going to be huge. Durr will graduate and I think St-Juste goes pro (he’s 23 and two years post grad) so we desperately needed some instant impact guys on the back end.

K: Lantz/Walker
P: Crawford
LS: Weeks

Believe Oliver was hurt in one of the last spring practices. Then covid hit and canceled everything so reporters couldn't ask Fleck about the injury or the timetable but the speculation was it was pretty serious and could cost him a majority of the season or more.

 

[MplsGopher]

It was the first defense that was built to counter the spread, and the modern 4-2-5 benefits from a lot of the innovations Gary Patterson made at TCU to simplify on-field adjustments (that way teams are less vulnerable to tempo).

Where 4-2-5 tends to struggle is against RPO schemes because it’s very speed and aggression based. Essentially, because it relies on immediately responding to what the offense shows, it struggles against dynamic schemes.

Therefore, Rossi and crew have countered with “get more nimble everywhere you can”: The most prominent place you see this is using OLB types as rush ends more frequently. This was the role that Oliver played for us last year, and also one of the primary reasons Coughlin moved to EDGE (and Thomas Rush is moving to EDGE). The game slows down for them closer to the line and allows them to use their athleticism to offset the downside of aggression.

I expect see more of our larger SDE recruits (like Deven Eastern) also getting slid to 3-tech DT roles over the next couple of years. Of course, the key is landing a solid 0-tech, because a space eater is critical to an effective 4-2-5. MDT played that role for us last year and will again this year, but beyond Jamaal Teague we dont have great depth there.

Oliver is going to replace K-Mart at (true) OLB, isn't he? And you're saying Rush is moving into Coughlin's spot ?

Do you think the edge rusher position will be on the field more often than having two traditional hand-in-the-dirt ends, like Mafe/Otom?


I think every program except the elites struggle to find great 1 techs. It's a prized position.

 

[Mitu]

Oliver is going to replace K-Mart at (true) OLB, isn't he? And you're saying Rush is moving into Coughlin's spot ?

Do you think the edge rusher position will be on the field more often than having two traditional hand-in-the-dirt ends, like Mafe/Otom?


I think every program except the elites struggle to find great 1 techs. It's a prized position.

I agree re: the 1-tech. I think Oliver is out for the year, so I see Sori-Marin starting at MIKE LB and Gordon starting at the SAM LB. We’ve got fantastic athleticism in the LB room right now, so I see Willis seeing time on the field as well.

I think Coughlin was playing the role that Mafe will take over full time. Big O is your more traditional strongside DE (5-tech) while Mafe is a (very athletic) rush end/EDGE. I do expect that Rush will find some time on the field as another pass-rusher, especially in 3rd down packages.

Nickel is the big question mark IMO. My money is on Terell Smith to ultimately lock down the spot for this year, but I could see Solomon Brown, Justus Harris, and even Abner Dubar getting some time there.

 

[btowngopher]

It was the first defense that was built to counter the spread, and the modern 4-2-5 benefits from a lot of the innovations Gary Patterson made at TCU to simplify on-field adjustments (that way teams are less vulnerable to tempo).

Where 4-2-5 tends to struggle is against RPO schemes because it’s very speed and aggression based. Essentially, because it relies on immediately responding to what the offense shows, it struggles against dynamic schemes.

Therefore, Rossi and crew have countered with “get more nimble everywhere you can”: The most prominent place you see this is using OLB types as rush ends more frequently. This was the role that Oliver played for us last year, and also one of the primary reasons Coughlin moved to EDGE (and Thomas Rush is moving to EDGE). The game slows down for them closer to the line and allows them to use their athleticism to offset the downside of aggression.

I expect see more of our larger SDE recruits (like Deven Eastern) also getting slid to 3-tech DT roles over the next couple of years. Of course, the key is landing a solid 0-tech, because a space eater is critical to an effective 4-2-5. MDT played that role for us last year and will again this year, but beyond Jamaal Teague we dont have great depth there.

Richter, Cheney, Schad, Hickox, Robinson, and Carter are all listed at 295+ granted some of these are lacking experience, but seems like pretty good depth.

 

[Mitu]

Richter, Cheney, Schad, Hickox, Robinson, and Carter are all listed at 295+ granted some of these are lacking experience, but seems like pretty good depth.

I was really talking about the 0/1 tech position (nose tackle). Schad is likely our starting 3 tech this year, and I think Cheney is likely to be a 3 tech as well. Richter is intriguing, as is Carter. However, unless Robinson takes a big step forward, I don’t see him playing a meaningful role.

There’s some potential on our roster, but I really hope we land a Byron Murphy or the like in 2021.