Wednesday August 20, 2008

Defensive Storylines

Defensive Storylines
Here are a few storylines that emerged on the defensive side of the ball in camp:

Defensive Ends
Competition has been fierce at this position but two major storylines came up over the past two weeks. Kevin Alexander came into camp in very good shape and held off highly touted freshman Da’Quan Bowers throughout most of camp. However, Alexander missed a couple of days with a strange virus that affected his physical health. This gave Bowers extra snaps but Alexander will not give up his spot this easy.

Bowers gets a little better each day. He is starting to understand the importance of preparation. In high school he got by on his talent alone but Bowers has had to learn attention to detail and the importance of work ethic. I would expect his snaps will increase with each game throughout the year.

Rennie Moore suffered a concussion and has missed a couple of practices.

Bandit
Perhaps the most impressive player on the defensive side of the football this camp has been Ricky Sapp. Coach Bowden says the offensive line simply cannot block him. Sapp has a chance to showcase his stock to the NFL in this his junior season.

Kourtnei Brown has improved as he is bigger and stronger but there is a drop off here from Sapp. Also Andre Branch has been moved to Bandit from defensive end and he has been very impressive. Branch is perhaps one of the most underrated players on this defense. I think Branch has NFL-type ability as well.

Defensive Tackle
The biggest storyline here is the bad news of Rashaad Jackson’s surgery. I talked to Jackson Saturday and he said he could be back in six weeks. If the Tigers could get back the senior before October it would make a big difference in a tough road trip to Winston-Salem.

One of the best battles that will continue until the opening game is for Jackson’s spot. Jamie Cumbie and Jarvis Jenkins have both played well and will spilt time here. Jenkins has re-shaped his body and looks like a new man.

Dorell Scott has been consistent and is holding off Miguel Chavis, Jock McKissic and Anton Murchison.

Brandon Thompson did not take long to make an impression on the staff. He is a block and a hard body to move in the middle. They should be able to red-shirt Thompson but he will be a key figure in the battle for the two spots vacated with the departure of Scott and Jackson.

Linebackers
David Blackwell raves about his two WILL linebackers. He said Kavell Conner and Jeremy Campbell have had excellent camps. Both players give Blackwell a sense of comfort because they are tremendous workers. Both have been in the program for a couple of years and know what to expect when they hit the field.

This cannot be said for the MIKE linebackers and neither of the top two have ever played a down in college. Brandon Maye and Stanley Hunter have ability and will make plays but the staff is prepared to be patient and work through their mistakes. Josh Miller does give them a little experience.

SAM linebackers DeAndre McDaniel and Scotty Cooper continue to battle and I think this will be another spot where the snaps will be split close to 50-50.

In summary, I can see all three linebacker spots where playing time may be spilt close to even among the top two at each position.

Secondary
The corners have been everything you would expect and more. This is a deep position that got deeper in camp. Chris Chancellor and Crezdon Butler have held on to their starting positions but Byron Maxwell and Marcus Gilchrist expect to get more playing time this season than they did a year ago.

Another piece of good news is the emergence of red-shirt freshman Coty Sensabaugh and true freshman Xavier Brewer. Both appear to be a little better than their recruiting rankings.

There is no competition for the starting safety spots as Michael Hamlin and Chris Clemens return for their senior seasons but competition for playing time has heated up. Sadat Chambers and Haydrian Lewis are experienced but not at their current position. They are trying to hold off a group of talented true freshman. It has not been decided yet but the staff is look at Rashard Hall and Spencer Adams for playing time this season. Both have impressed in scrimmages and could see special teams action.

Special Teams
The punter and snapper spots still have competition but Mark Buchholz has won the starting job as the place-kicker. I am not sure if Jimmy Maners holds off Dawson Zimmerman and Richard Jackson as the punter. It is only a guess but I look for Zimmerman to win the job.

In summary, this defense is very good and can be great if the linebackers play well. I look for a good pass rushing team and a terrific secondary to have the Tigers among the leaders in pass defense. I think offenses will try to run the ball and mix in short passes to keep the focus on the inexperience at linebacker.

The special teams should benefit from competition but I am not ready to claim this as a strength until they perform well in Atlanta.

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