When Bob Diaco took over, the biggest question was probably the 3-4 scheme. I think it can be debated as to what our personnel fits, but I don’t think we are out of sorts in a 3-4.
It’s going to be a 3-4 scheme in that we’ll see three down linemen for probably 65ish% of the time. When they go to 4 down linemen, Willie Baker will simply put his hand in the dirt versus standing up and rushing. So, it’s not all that different from what we ran last season other than we have a true NT, the same players are on the field.
Ka’Derrion Mason:
-If you remember, flipping him from USM on signing day in 2016 was considered a big deal, but his growth and development has been slower if you want to put it that way
-He could have benefited from a redshirt year, but we didn’t have that luxury
-I did think he really started to flash at the end of last season, and the defensive switch probably benefits him more than anyone up front
-He’s a true 3-4 DE, doesn’t provide a great pass rush, but can really play the run well, he’s a good, not great athlete
-Had a nice spring, I would say he had 6 TFL in the 3 scrimmages
Courtney Wallace:
-He was finally healthy for the entirety of a spring, it was beneficial to him
-He does a nice job at taking on multiple blockers in the middle, and it showed up this spring, he freed the LBs up to make plays
-He won’t be a stat sheet guy, he’s going to need to be an effective space eater
-Can we count on him to be healthy? If we get 300 snaps, I’ll be happy
Milton Williams:
-Had the best spring of any DL in my opinion
-Not a flashy recruit in 2017 with New Mexico and Tulsa as his only other FBS offers
-He’s not great at anything right now, but he’s good at everything, there isn’t a real weakness
-I like to compare him to Deldrick Canty, probably a little bit better pass rusher than Canty was though
-He’ll be a three year starter
Willie Baker:
-Was slowed by an ankle late in the spring, but he’ll be fine
-We saw what kind of talent he truly has in the Hawaii Bowl
-If we are going to replace Jaylon, he’ll be the main guy to do it, double digit sack potential
-He’s going to be fine when asked to play in coverage, he’s got good hips and can turn and run with a RB
-Has only been playing football since 10th grade, that’s why it has taken him a little bit to emerge
Steven Shaw:
-He was the closest freshman to playing a season ago, but so many veterans up front would have really limited his snaps and he was able to be redshirted
-Tech benefited by him playing OT in HS
-Had a solid spring, but you can tell it’s taking him some time to pick up the different calls that Diaco uses
-While he’s 260-265 right now, I bet he ends up in that 280-285 range before he’s done at Tech, he’s still growing
-Still working on a lot of technique stuff, but he shines when he stunts
D.J. Jackson:
-I really wonder what’s going to happen with Jackson, he’s playing NT, obviously he’s short, but he’s thick, but he has trouble getting leverage at times, but he’s extremely athletic, an intriguing prospect
-I think he’s a guy that could ultimately be moved around a lot to take advantage of his athletic ability
-I think his snaps will ultimately be limited in 2019 with the addition of Kevin Murphy, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing, he’s probably not quite ready
Eric Kendzior:
-Missed all of 2018 with an injury, but played 171 snaps in 2017 and 102 snaps in 2016
-He’s not going to wow you with his athletic ability when you just look at him, but he’s just a football player, he gets the job done
-Had three sacks as a TR FR
-Easy to tell he was rusty this spring, but he got better and better as the spring progressed, need him to stay healthy
-He’s the third end right now
Tristan Allen:
-Was 210 pounds when he signed in 2017, he’s at least 245 pounds now
-Has all the talent to be a good football player, but mentally there are too many lapses at this point, could be the new defensive calls
-Has good speed around the edge, that’s where he’s best right now
-I don’t trust him in coverage right now, he’ll get lost looking in the backfield at times
Overall:
-I think this group surprised me, even with the lack of depth
-Milton Williams, Steven Shaw, and Eric Kendzior will be players that fans become aware of this fall
-Kevin Murphy, Keivie Rose, DeShon Hall, Mykol Clark, and potentially Morris Joseph will be added to this group this summer. If Rose or Hall could contribute as a freshman that would be nice
-I think Diaco will stunt a bunch up front to get himself in some favorable matchups when it comes to a pass rush
-If we are going to be a good pass rushing team, Willie Baker has to win in 1-on-1 spots
It’s going to be a 3-4 scheme in that we’ll see three down linemen for probably 65ish% of the time. When they go to 4 down linemen, Willie Baker will simply put his hand in the dirt versus standing up and rushing. So, it’s not all that different from what we ran last season other than we have a true NT, the same players are on the field.
Ka’Derrion Mason:
-If you remember, flipping him from USM on signing day in 2016 was considered a big deal, but his growth and development has been slower if you want to put it that way
-He could have benefited from a redshirt year, but we didn’t have that luxury
-I did think he really started to flash at the end of last season, and the defensive switch probably benefits him more than anyone up front
-He’s a true 3-4 DE, doesn’t provide a great pass rush, but can really play the run well, he’s a good, not great athlete
-Had a nice spring, I would say he had 6 TFL in the 3 scrimmages
Courtney Wallace:
-He was finally healthy for the entirety of a spring, it was beneficial to him
-He does a nice job at taking on multiple blockers in the middle, and it showed up this spring, he freed the LBs up to make plays
-He won’t be a stat sheet guy, he’s going to need to be an effective space eater
-Can we count on him to be healthy? If we get 300 snaps, I’ll be happy
Milton Williams:
-Had the best spring of any DL in my opinion
-Not a flashy recruit in 2017 with New Mexico and Tulsa as his only other FBS offers
-He’s not great at anything right now, but he’s good at everything, there isn’t a real weakness
-I like to compare him to Deldrick Canty, probably a little bit better pass rusher than Canty was though
-He’ll be a three year starter
Willie Baker:
-Was slowed by an ankle late in the spring, but he’ll be fine
-We saw what kind of talent he truly has in the Hawaii Bowl
-If we are going to replace Jaylon, he’ll be the main guy to do it, double digit sack potential
-He’s going to be fine when asked to play in coverage, he’s got good hips and can turn and run with a RB
-Has only been playing football since 10th grade, that’s why it has taken him a little bit to emerge
Steven Shaw:
-He was the closest freshman to playing a season ago, but so many veterans up front would have really limited his snaps and he was able to be redshirted
-Tech benefited by him playing OT in HS
-Had a solid spring, but you can tell it’s taking him some time to pick up the different calls that Diaco uses
-While he’s 260-265 right now, I bet he ends up in that 280-285 range before he’s done at Tech, he’s still growing
-Still working on a lot of technique stuff, but he shines when he stunts
D.J. Jackson:
-I really wonder what’s going to happen with Jackson, he’s playing NT, obviously he’s short, but he’s thick, but he has trouble getting leverage at times, but he’s extremely athletic, an intriguing prospect
-I think he’s a guy that could ultimately be moved around a lot to take advantage of his athletic ability
-I think his snaps will ultimately be limited in 2019 with the addition of Kevin Murphy, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing, he’s probably not quite ready
Eric Kendzior:
-Missed all of 2018 with an injury, but played 171 snaps in 2017 and 102 snaps in 2016
-He’s not going to wow you with his athletic ability when you just look at him, but he’s just a football player, he gets the job done
-Had three sacks as a TR FR
-Easy to tell he was rusty this spring, but he got better and better as the spring progressed, need him to stay healthy
-He’s the third end right now
Tristan Allen:
-Was 210 pounds when he signed in 2017, he’s at least 245 pounds now
-Has all the talent to be a good football player, but mentally there are too many lapses at this point, could be the new defensive calls
-Has good speed around the edge, that’s where he’s best right now
-I don’t trust him in coverage right now, he’ll get lost looking in the backfield at times
Overall:
-I think this group surprised me, even with the lack of depth
-Milton Williams, Steven Shaw, and Eric Kendzior will be players that fans become aware of this fall
-Kevin Murphy, Keivie Rose, DeShon Hall, Mykol Clark, and potentially Morris Joseph will be added to this group this summer. If Rose or Hall could contribute as a freshman that would be nice
-I think Diaco will stunt a bunch up front to get himself in some favorable matchups when it comes to a pass rush
-If we are going to be a good pass rushing team, Willie Baker has to win in 1-on-1 spots
