Clearly the upgraded coaching and scheme has made a big difference.
Rodney Garner has his unit playing the run at a high level. He is playing a ton of guys who are getting a lot of development. Banks scheme is minimizing confusion with he and Willie Mo's DBs. And the linebackers are producing more than Henry T and Crouch did last year which is a credit to Brian Jean Mary and Banks.
I am able to go to the QB Club so we hear from all the coaches. Candidly, and this can't be quantified, but these defensive coaches come across significantly better in person than Brumbaugh, Felton, Neids and Ansley did. When I hear Garner, Eckler, Jean Mary and Willie speak you can just hear the veteran coaching presence and the character. Every single one of them just sounds like a grown man you want mentoring your son. Not that the others didn't have that necessarily but it was different hearing from the 2 staffs.
DL/DE:
Simmons
Omari
Terry
Kurott Garland
Not sure about extra Covid eligibility
Tyler Baron
Byron Young
Roman Harrison
Garner will clearly bring in an interior lineman or 2 from the portal. He will also get a full normal offseason to recruit portal and he will pull studs. I bet he already has a list of guys he will target. But the key is Garner coaching them. He is just so good as we see. Those 3 DEs are starting to shine as well which is a game changer. Have to be able to rush the QB and those 3 are starting to get home.
LB:
Banks is getting better each week
Beasley is impressive for being so new to LB and missing Spring. Jean Mary at QB Club really spoke highly of him. Basically said he was his best LB 2 weeks ago and that is being proven.
Mohan is 1 more guy that Jean Mary said is going to be a stud when he gets older. He raved about him.
Mitchell- maybe he comes back. It could be injuries or something else but he hasn't flashed much.
DB:
Alontae can come back
Burrell
Get both starting CBs back.
Flowers and McCollough can come back but we know they are limited playmakers. But maybe coaching gets a guy like Flowers to turn into a Theo or a Justin Coleman or Emmanuel Moseley type guy who has a great SR year. Even a Nigel Warrior finally got it.
The exciting core IMO is- Charles, Rucker and McDonald. Those kids can play and are more athletic or physical than the current safeties. McDonald hit a Mizzou WR harder in his few series than our starters have in their career. Just bodied the guy as 1 example of a skill set.
Slaughter has played well at nickel and it may allow Theo to play safety thus year. I like Slaughter's athleticism.
Again the key is being coached by Willie Mo and Banks. Maybe guys like Turnage and Hadden emerge as well.
They will go after the portal but I see a lot of good football players with some depth being coached the right way. But that is the foundation of a pretty good defense with some really good coaches.
Rodney Garner has his unit playing the run at a high level. He is playing a ton of guys who are getting a lot of development. Banks scheme is minimizing confusion with he and Willie Mo's DBs. And the linebackers are producing more than Henry T and Crouch did last year which is a credit to Brian Jean Mary and Banks.
I am able to go to the QB Club so we hear from all the coaches. Candidly, and this can't be quantified, but these defensive coaches come across significantly better in person than Brumbaugh, Felton, Neids and Ansley did. When I hear Garner, Eckler, Jean Mary and Willie speak you can just hear the veteran coaching presence and the character. Every single one of them just sounds like a grown man you want mentoring your son. Not that the others didn't have that necessarily but it was different hearing from the 2 staffs.
DL/DE:
Simmons
Omari
Terry
Kurott Garland
Not sure about extra Covid eligibility
Tyler Baron
Byron Young
Roman Harrison
Garner will clearly bring in an interior lineman or 2 from the portal. He will also get a full normal offseason to recruit portal and he will pull studs. I bet he already has a list of guys he will target. But the key is Garner coaching them. He is just so good as we see. Those 3 DEs are starting to shine as well which is a game changer. Have to be able to rush the QB and those 3 are starting to get home.
LB:
Banks is getting better each week
Beasley is impressive for being so new to LB and missing Spring. Jean Mary at QB Club really spoke highly of him. Basically said he was his best LB 2 weeks ago and that is being proven.
Mohan is 1 more guy that Jean Mary said is going to be a stud when he gets older. He raved about him.
Mitchell- maybe he comes back. It could be injuries or something else but he hasn't flashed much.
DB:
Alontae can come back
Burrell
Get both starting CBs back.
Flowers and McCollough can come back but we know they are limited playmakers. But maybe coaching gets a guy like Flowers to turn into a Theo or a Justin Coleman or Emmanuel Moseley type guy who has a great SR year. Even a Nigel Warrior finally got it.
The exciting core IMO is- Charles, Rucker and McDonald. Those kids can play and are more athletic or physical than the current safeties. McDonald hit a Mizzou WR harder in his few series than our starters have in their career. Just bodied the guy as 1 example of a skill set.
Slaughter has played well at nickel and it may allow Theo to play safety thus year. I like Slaughter's athleticism.
Again the key is being coached by Willie Mo and Banks. Maybe guys like Turnage and Hadden emerge as well.
They will go after the portal but I see a lot of good football players with some depth being coached the right way. But that is the foundation of a pretty good defense with some really good coaches.
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