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Texas D-Line Talk


Reese Bennett

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4 minutes ago, Burt Macklin said:

He has the physical tools to be a two-gap end, but he hasn’t shown the production yet. So far he’s at his best lining up at 3 tech and penetrating/disrupting. I agree he has the potential to be a Calaias Campbell type, but we haven’t seen it yet. 

Collins and Sweat are the biggest issues. They just aren’t playing to where the talent is. To your point I don’t think PK trusts the back end enough, to make their job easier with line games

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21 minutes ago, Codaxx said:

Collins and Sweat are the biggest issues. They just aren’t playing to where the talent is. To your point I don’t think PK trusts the back end enough, to make their job easier with line games

I think we can hope our new safety room will give him that confidence this year. After all Cook, Crawford, Allen is a massive upgrade from Foster/Schooler/Thompson, but I won’t expect it until I actually see it. 

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12 minutes ago, Burt Macklin said:

I think we can hope our new safety room will give him that confidence this year. After all Cook, Crawford, Allen is a massive upgrade from Foster/Schooler/Thompson, but I won’t expect it until I actually see it. 

Excited about Crawford. He has the speed and willingness to tackle. Just hope he understands enough of the nuances of the position to help this season

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15 minutes ago, Hookem2147 said:


We will see if it translates to anything, but Broughton does look like he got in shape over the winter and dropped some bad weight.

IT guys called him the most improved player. I figure I would catch on of the next 50 showing of LHN and try to watch him

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I just had a flashback to 3 man rush after 3 man rush getting completely stonewalled as we get picked apart. Excited for this season!

More like four and five man rush getting stonewalled. At least rushing three gives you eight in coverage.
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Just now, gmr548 said:

 

 


Not a surprise unfortunately. Buried on the depth chart, not a scheme fit. Always kind of wondered where he was and why he couldn’t break the rotation given the need for guys on the edge.

 

I think he outgrew the edge and was in the logjam at DT. Latest roster had him listed at 270 pounds. 

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DLine talk is depressing. At Texas, I favor attacking from the dline because we can find more of them than linebackers.

Base Nickel would be the easiest to recruit and develop. Let the defenders get TFLs and sacks. Then take your lumps with contain. Build upon aggression and have veteran, dynamic players play with confidence and speed.

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5 minutes ago, Eskimohorn said:

DLine talk is depressing. At Texas, I favor attacking from the dline because we can find more of them than linebackers.   Base Nickel would be the easiest to recruit and develop. Let the defenders get TFLs and sacks. Then take your lumps with contain. Build upon aggression and have veteran, dynamic players play with confidence and speed.

 

In 2022  PK's gotta stunt the DL more, and take greater risks for sure...

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16 minutes ago, LTtxfan said:

 

In 2022  PK's gotta stunt the DL more, and take greater risks for sure...

For all the BS I have said and the 100 or so messages on this topic, at the end of the day that was the most talented room on the defensive side and they were JAGs. Not one of them has played to their ability. All apologies to Murphy, but no scheme is capable of overcoming players with gas tanks that are  empty after 5 plays. 

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29 minutes ago, Eskimohorn said:

DLine talk is depressing. At Texas, I favor attacking from the dline because we can find more of them than linebackers.

Base Nickel would be the easiest to recruit and develop. Let the defenders get TFLs and sacks. Then take your lumps with contain. Build upon aggression and have veteran, dynamic players play with confidence and speed.

I mean we do play a base Nickel and the problem with the scheme isn't about not being able to find the right type of players. The OLBs in a 2-4 are the same as DEs, so you're recruiting the same guys. It's more about the fact that PK's defensive philosiphy uses DL to hold gaps and eat blockers more than attack, so our guys don't put up big stats, which makes it harder to recruit elite DL and edge rushers.

As for the second part, that's more about philosiphy than scheme or alignment, and I agree I prefer a defensive system that lets the DL pin their ears back more.

1 minute ago, Codaxx said:

For all the BS I have said and the 100 or so messages on this topic, at the end of the day that was the most talented room on the defensive side and they were JAGs. Not one of them has played to their ability. All apologies to Murphy, but no scheme is capable of overcoming players with gas tanks that are  empty after 5 plays. 

I think it's more chicken and the egg then you're making it out to be. Basically every returning DL put up better numbers in Ash's system than PK's. I think you have to question how much PK's scheme is limiting the DL rather than just proclaim it's all a lack of talent. If Ash returned in 2021, I'd be willing to bet that all of Ojomo, Sweat, Coburn, and Collins would've looked better than they did under PK last year. 

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6 minutes ago, Burt Macklin said:

If Ash returned in 2021, I'd be willing to bet that all of Ojomo, Sweat, Coburn, and Collins would've looked better than they did under PK last year. 

Accounting of course for the coaching and scheme consistency, sure. Maybe PK took longer to understand his stable than it took for the stable to understand the defense, but I have a hunch it's both and I have hopes for some jumps this year. 

I just rewatched highlights from our last win over aggy and it's almost painful to see how much we've regressed on defense since then. 

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25 minutes ago, Burt Macklin said:

I mean we do play a base Nickel and the problem with the scheme isn't about not being able to find the right type of players. The OLBs in a 2-4 are the same as DEs, so you're recruiting the same guys. It's more about the fact that PK's defensive philosiphy uses DL to hold gaps and eat blockers more than attack, so our guys don't put up big stats, which makes it harder to recruit elite DL and edge rushers.

As for the second part, that's more about philosiphy than scheme or alignment, and I agree I prefer a defensive system that lets the DL pin their ears back more.

I think it's more chicken and the egg then you're making it out to be. Basically every returning DL put up better numbers in Ash's system than PK's. I think you have to question how much PK's scheme is limiting the DL rather than just proclaim it's all a lack of talent. If Ash returned in 2021, I'd be willing to bet that all of Ojomo, Sweat, Coburn, and Collins would've looked better than they did under PK last year. 

I think they were Jags for Ash. I think they were Jags for PK.

Personally, going from 2 to 4 TFLs or the opposite is here nor there. You can argue better or worse,  but either way they played like Jags. IF Ash returned I would be willing to bet the defense would still be bad. With Graham and Ossai leaving, it got harder on every DL this year. It is easier to Robin, than Batman. We can argue over if it is 30 pounds over weight girl or 20 pounds, but either way our friends will be making fun of us. 

 

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31 minutes ago, Codaxx said:

I think they were Jags for Ash. I think they were Jags for PK.

Personally, going from 2 to 4 TFLs or the opposite is here nor there. You can argue better or worse,  but either way they played like Jags. IF Ash returned I would be willing to bet the defense would still be bad. With Graham and Ossai leaving, it got harder on every DL this year. It is easier to Robin, than Batman. We can argue over if it is 30 pounds over weight girl or 20 pounds, but either way our friends will be making fun of us. 

 

No lineman outside of Murphy consistently got off blocks last year. Even when you are occupying guys, you should have control of them enough to move them when a ball carrier gets close to you. Broughton and Coburn played way too high, Collins never really disengaged from guys, and Sweat/Ojomo were very average. Had we told these guys to just go rush the passer every down I am not sure the results would have been much different. 

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1 minute ago, Vertigo said:

No lineman outside of Murphy consistently got off blocks last year. Even when you are occupying guys, you should have control of them enough to move them when a ball carrier gets close to you. Broughton and Coburn played way too high, Collins never really disengaged from guys, and Sweat/Ojomo were very average. Had we told these guys to just go rush the passer every down I am not sure the results would have been much different. 

I think some of the issue is a guy like Coburn. He is basically been the same player for 3 years. You get excited with that performance, when he is a freshmen. "So much Potential". You shrug your shoulders when he is a Soph and its still the same. Becomes a Junior, its the same old shit, and now he is pissing you off. Yet, we convince ourselves they are regressing. Collins is the same. Hell, he probably improved slightly. Same can be said for Sweat. Maybe this is the year one of them takes the step from "talented with flashes" to consistent player. 

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2020 when we were penetrating gaps and had the best edge player in the Big 12= 17 sacks in 10 games (1.7 per game, 5 of the 17 sacks from Ossai)

2021 when we were two gapping and didn't have a single good pass rusher= 20 sacks in 12 games (1.6 per game)

 

2020 when we were penetrating gaps and had the best edge player in Big 12= 74 TFL's in 10 games (7.4 per game, 16 of the 74 TFL's from Ossai)

2021 when we were two gapping and didn't have a single good edge player= 72 TFL's in 12 games (6 per game, highest TFL total was Jaylan Ford with 6)

 

Not even sure the point I am trying to make tbh, but thought it was interesting

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9 minutes ago, Hookem2147 said:

2020 when we were penetrating gaps and had the best edge player in the Big 12= 17 sacks in 10 games (1.7 per game, 5 of the 17 sacks from Ossai)

2021 when we were two gapping and didn't have a single good pass rusher= 20 sacks in 12 games (1.6 per game)

 

2020 when we were penetrating gaps and had the best edge player in Big 12= 74 TFL's in 10 games (7.4 per game, 16 of the 74 TFL's from Ossai)

2021 when we were two gapping and didn't have a single good edge player= 72 TFL's in 12 games (6 per game, highest TFL total was Jaylan Ford with 6)

 

Not even sure the point I am trying to make tbh, but thought it was interesting

The tough part is that QB pressures is actually the best stat for comparing this sort of thing, but I'm not aware of any outlet that tracks it for CFB. 

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2020 when we were penetrating gaps and had the best edge player in the Big 12= 17 sacks in 10 games (1.7 per game, 5 of the 17 sacks from Ossai)
2021 when we were two gapping and didn't have a single good pass rusher= 20 sacks in 12 games (1.6 per game)
 
2020 when we were penetrating gaps and had the best edge player in Big 12= 74 TFL's in 10 games (7.4 per game, 16 of the 74 TFL's from Ossai)
2021 when we were two gapping and didn't have a single good edge player= 72 TFL's in 12 games (6 per game, highest TFL total was Jaylan Ford with 6)
 
Not even sure the point I am trying to make tbh, but thought it was interesting

Which is 53rd in the country on a per game basis and better than A&M ever so slightly.
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1 hour ago, Hookem2147 said:

2020 when we were penetrating gaps and had the best edge player in the Big 12= 17 sacks in 10 games (1.7 per game, 5 of the 17 sacks from Ossai)

2021 when we were two gapping and didn't have a single good pass rusher= 20 sacks in 12 games (1.6 per game)

 

2020 when we were penetrating gaps and had the best edge player in Big 12= 74 TFL's in 10 games (7.4 per game, 16 of the 74 TFL's from Ossai)

2021 when we were two gapping and didn't have a single good edge player= 72 TFL's in 12 games (6 per game, highest TFL total was Jaylan Ford with 6)

 

Not even sure the point I am trying to make tbh, but thought it was interesting

Based on that the drop can be explained by losing 2 NFL draft picks. The expectation for 2021 was the the other players on the DL would step up. We didn’t see that from Sweat, Coburn, or Collins. The edge was crushed when Ossai was replaced by Ovie. Just a massive downgrade. Not to mention less opportunities for the interior OL, because any offense that attacked A/B gap were just stupid (looking at your KSU) 

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The tough part is that QB pressures is actually the best stat for comparing this sort of thing, but I'm not aware of any outlet that tracks it for CFB. 

Texas sports.com has QB hurries, if those are believed correct.

In 2020, we had 17 sacks and 17 QBHs and 393 pass attempts. That’s 8.2% of dropbacks resulting in a sack or hurry. Only 7 of those were Ossai. Ojomo and Overshown 5 each. That’s combined sacks/hurries.

In 2021, it was 20 sacks and 24 hurries out of 397 drop backs or 11.1%. Collins led with 6 combined sacks/hurries.

2019, 27 sacks, 28 hurries out of 508 drop backs for 10.8%. 14 of those were Ossai. Roach and Juwan at 6 each. Then Ojomo and Graham.
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Florida and possibly Bama were interested in hiring BO Davis per Gerry...

               To hear -- 9:39 mark

 

Thankfully, BO is staying...

BO Davis --$1 Million/yr Salary Club    "Get in the Mutha Fucker !!!" 

Defensive line coach Bo Davis will also receive a fourth year added to his original agreement, though Davis will also receive an annual increase to his previous contract. Davis was set to make $900,000 in Year 2 and $925,000 in Year 3, but the D-line coach will join the $1 million club and will receive an annual guaranteed salary of $1 million in each of the three years remaining on his contract.

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Bo Davis on track to building an elite defensive line in second Texas stint

ByJEFF HOWE 18 hours ago

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Texas getting a Sunday commitment from 247Sports Composite four-star defensive lineman Sydir Mitchell (Oradell, N.J./Bergen Catholic) means a lot of good things for the Longhorns, perhaps most significantly a recruiting win in the trenches over the likes of Georgia, Miami and Texas A&M. When looking at what getting the 6-foot-5-inch, 335-pound Mitchell in the fold best represents, it provides Mitchell’s primary recruiter, defensive line coach Bo Davis, another body in his quest to build a championship defensive line, something he didn’t get to in his first stint on the Forty Acres.

Mack Brown hired Davis following a 5-7 campaign in 2010, a forgettable fall from grace that’s had Texas on the comeback trail ever since, to replace the retiring Mike Tolleson. The Longhorns already had commitments from 2011 prospects Spring Westfield’s Desmond Jackson and San Antonio Sam Houston’s Quincy Russell by the time Davis was hired and while he got to help Texas’ last-minute efforts to land Shreveport (La.) Evangel Christian’s Jermauria Rasco (LSU) and Brenham’s Brandon Alexander (Texas A&M), his attention quickly shifted to the 2012 recruiting cycle.

That’s where Davis made his biggest mark in the three seasons (2011-13) and two full recruiting cycles in which he was with the program as the defensive tackles coach for the Longhorns. He helped Oscar Giles win a hotly-contested battle for Brenham five-star prospect Malcom Brown against the Aggies and Oklahoma with Texas landing the future consensus All-American, first-round NFL draft pick (2015) and two-time Super Bowl champion who’s heading into his eighth NFL in 2022.

Davis helped Hassan Ridgeway kick inside to tackle with the four-star recruit playing on the edge in Mansfield High School’s defense. After two seasons of honing his craft under Davis, Ridgeway, who’s played six seasons in the NFL, blossomed into a force in 2014 and left school after his redshirt junior season with the Indianapolis Colts selecting him in the fourth round of the 2016 draft.

The 2012 cycle also saw Davis (along with offensive line coach Stacy Searels) get Brown to buck the trend of not recruiting junior college players with the addition of East Mississippi Community College’s Brandon Moore, who Davis coached while serving on Nick Saban’s Alabama staff. Paul Boyette was the first prospect to commit to Davis and played in 42 games over four seasons with the Longhorns (2013-16) before getting cups of coffee in the NFL with the Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders.

Numbers were tight in 2013 and Davis couldn’t hang onto one of his top targets (A'Shawn Robinson of Fort Worth Arlington Heights, who signed with Alabama only for Davis to eventually coach the five-star prospect during his second stint with the Crimson Tide over the 2014 and 2015 seasons) while missing on another (Waco High’s Andrew Billings, who signed with Baylor) in a cycle clouded by concerns regarding Brown’s future. With Brown’s tenure officially ending after a 30-7 loss to Oregon in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 30, 2013, Davis left to join the staff being put together by newly-hired USC head coach Steve Sarkisian two days after Charlie Strong was introduced as Brown’s successor before bolting for Alabama one week later after Chris Rumph was hired away from the Crimson Tide by Strong to replace Davis in Austin.

The Strong regime’s two interior defensive line takes in the 2014 class were Poona Ford and Chris Nelson, neither of whom Davis recruited. Davis helped Kheeston Randall get his name called in the 2012 NFL Draft and turned Chris Whaley from a forgettable running back recruit into an impact player along the defensive front who had a chance to be drafted in 2014 before he suffered a knee injury in a Nov. 9, 2013 road win over West Virginia, which ended his season and Texas career, but he never had a chance to build a defensive line for the future (Rumph coached Brown and Ridgeway, who helped the Longhorns win six games in 2014 thanks in large part to boasting one of the nation’s top defenses, in their most productive seasons).

Rather than serving as a hired gun to get Texas back on track before the final grains of sand trickle to the bottom of the hourglass representing a legendary head coach’s time in the saddle, Davis got in on the ground floor of Sarkisian’s effort to build a winner capable of sustaining success over the long haul. Davis has shown he can recruit to Texas and develop talent at an elite level over his numerous collegiate stops and while he’s never been at a job longer than four seasons before leaving (his time with Saban at LSU from 2002-05 as an assistant strength coach and 2007-10 as Alabama’s defensive line coach), he’s going to get much more of an opportunity to build an interior line that can make the Longhorns strong at the point of attack for the foreseeable future.

The 2022 Texas defense is going to feature a veteran defensive line with a core group of five players — Vernon Broughton, Keondre Coburn, Alfred Collins, Moro Ojomo and T'Vondre Sweat — who are eligible for the 2023 NFL Draft (Coburn and Ojomo are fifth-year seniors, Sweat is a true senior, Collins is a true junior and Broughton is a draft-eligible sophomore). With a large number of upperclassmen getting close to the end of their time in the program, Davis, Sarkisian and defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski have gone to work to make sure there aren’t any gaps in the talent pipeline.

Mitchell is the first interior defensive line take of the 2023 cycle, one haul removed from Davis landing Galena Park North Shore’s Kristopher Ross and a pair of spring enrollees in Aaron Bryant (Southaven, Miss.) and Marlin’s Jaray Bledsoe. Zac Swanson (Phoenix, Ariz./Brophy Prep) was recruited as a projected interior defender and with Davis inheriting a gem from the previous regime’s recruiting efforts in Byron Murphy, the return of a couple of the upperclassmen following the coming season could allow the Longhorns to withstand a few departures while providing Davis the time he needs to begin developing the young talent in his room.

While there's been no shortage of attention given to how Kyle Flood is building the offensive line, and rightfully so considering the unit has grossly underachieved for the better part of the last 15 years, it shouldn’t be lost on anyone with a dog in the fight that Davis’ task to build a sharp, potent tip of the spear on defense is equally important as Texas begins to transition into the SEC, college football's ultimate line-of-scrimmage league. With the opportunity to complete what he started a decade ago in front of him, Mitchell’s commitment is the latest positive sign that Davis is on the right track to helping the Longhorns be elite along both fronts.

 

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1st Day of Fall Camp.

-On defense, the first team D-line (Jack-Nose-Tackle-Buck) was Barryn Sorrell, Keondre Coburn, Moro Ojomo, and Ovie Oghoufo. First team LBs were DeMarvion Overshown and Jaylan Ford. At boundary safety was Anthony Cook with Jerrin Thompson at free safety. Jahdae Barron manned STAR/nickel. Ryan Watts and D’Shawn Jamison were at corner.

-The second team D-line was Justice Finkley, Vernon Broughton, Byron Murphy, and Prince Dorbah. At middle linebacker behind them was David Gbenda and Jett Bush. Kitan Crawford and JD Coffey manned the two deep safety spots, with Michael Taaffe at STAR. 

-Alfred Collins, T’vondre Sweat, DJ Harris, Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey, Morice Blackwell, Devin Richardson, BJ Allen, and Austin Jordan were a handful of the players running with the third team. Luke Brockermeyer was seen during with a brace on and participating seemingly at full-go.

 

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Thx for this @Hookem2147 

FCB

DEFENSIVE LINE

Based on multiple conversations with team sources, sophomore Byron Murphy is now considered by the coaches as the top interior defensive lineman on the team.

Defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski said Tuesday he felt the “interior line” would be the strength of the defense and mentioned Murphy’s name first.

“Murphy is a young guy who has really come on,” Kwiatkowski said. “He’s very, very talented and explosive.”

Honestly, I’ll believe anything else said about the defensive line when I see it. But I’m told Kwiatkowski is also a big fan of Moro Ojomo’s versatility.

I was told Wednesday when Bo Davis was approached by Brian Kelly at LSU this off-season, Davis not only got a raise from $900,000 to $1 million annually, but was assured by Sarkisian that he’d be allowed to coach UT’s linemen “in the style he wants to coach.”

“I think you’re already seeing Davis hold these guys more accountable,” one team source said. “There’s no doubt this group underperformed last year. And I think Davis was embarrassed.”

What’s interesting is Kwiatkowski was a defensive line coach for much of his career before becoming the defensive coordinator for Chris Petersen at Boise State and Washington.

Sarkisian even mentioned this when I asked him if he helped set up the off-season meeting between Kwiatkowski and Dallas Cowboys’ defensive coordinator Dan Quinn (who had Sarkisian as offensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons in 2017 and 2018).

“DQ (Quinn) and I obviously go way back, even prior to when we were in Atlanta,” Sarkisian said. “He was in Seattle when I was at the University of Washington, developed a great relationship - and then, obviously working for Dan for two years in Atlanta.

“I think Dan’s an excellent teacher. I think he does an awesome job of conveying his message. But I also think there’s a unique connection between he and PK (Kwiatkowski) in that they’re both defensive front guys.

“Dan is a D-line specialist. PK is a D-line and edge specialist. And so the idea of installing the ideal game planning, the ideal calling of the defense in-game - from a front perspective - I think we all can continue to grow. It’s no different than me going to meet with (Los Angeles Rams’ coach) Sean McVay. I never feel like I’m not trying to grow and get better and improve. And, PK is no different. He’s 55, and he’s meeting with one of the best in the NFL right now and finding new ways and new techniques to motivate, to scheme, to instill fundamentals and techniques in our defense and the style of play we all want him to have.”

 

 

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