Since the season is upon us, I thought it might be a good time to go through the different position groups and give a brief overview of the position group, point out a few highlights, draw some comparisons to last year and previous seasons, and try to paint a realistic picture of what to expect this year from that position group.
I decided to do the posts in order of the position groups that have undergone the most change first, so the obvious first choice is linebacker. Please jump in the discussion with your thoughts, observations, and questions. It's finally time to talk football!
Linebacker will go from a team weakness to a team strength this season. It's crazy how much difference there will be at the position group overall. With the injuries and guys sitting out due to transfer or grades, there simply were not any guys to turn to outside of freshmen for depth. D'Nerius Antoine could not gain eligibility. Devante Averette got injured. Demarcus Sherod dealt with injuries and was limited throughout the season. Kris Catlin was academically inelgible. Chad Whitener had to sit out a season as a transfer. Lyndell Johnson had recently been dismissed from the program, while Dominic Ramacher and Jeremiah Tshimanga left voluntarily. That is a total of eight guys that the coaches at one point had anticipated would be there to provide depth in 2014 that simply were not available. True freshmen Gyasi Akem, Justin Philips, Josh Mabin, and Kirk Tucker were going to have to fill out the second unit. Even with that, Mabin was lost to injury and had to redshirt, creating a desperate situation at MLB.
The good news is that the youngsters from the 2014 class have proven to be quality players, but due to returning veterans will not be forced to carry major roles this season, thus giving them the time to mature and grow into their roles. This is a tremendous asset for the trajectory of the program for the next few seasons. I will look specifically at the individuals in the breakdowns below.
Did you know that only 4 linebackers played in all 12 games last season? Can you name them all? Ryan Simmons, Seth Jacobs, Josh Furman, and......Kirk Tucker. The exasperated depth situation, little nicks and bruises, and game situations did not allow the Cowboys to ever really develop the necessary depth at linebacker all year long. Think about this: Ryan Simmons had 96 tackles, Seth Jacobs had 92 tackles, and Josh Furman had 64 tackles. Even using all special teams stops, the rest of the linebackers on the Cowboy roster had only 40 tackles combined for the season, including the bowl win over Washington. That's a pretty insane statistic when you consider how many defensive and special teams snaps were played last season.
MLB: Ryan Simmons returns as a quality Big 12 player and the unquestioned leader on the defensive side of the ball. He was thrust into a huge role last year and could seldom come off the field due to depth and inexperience issues. He never complained about the lack of rest, but it took a toll on him physically and to some extent limited how the defense played. In fact, the lack of depth at both inside linebacker spots kept the defense from playing as aggressively as Coach Spencer would have like to play last season.
This year, Ryan Simmons will again be the leader on that side of the ball, but will not be forced to play as many snaps. There is now a true backup in place as well as a host of other guys that could fill in for a rotation. This means that he will be less likely to be worn down in the second half of games and the season when the team needs him to make plays. Chad Whitener becoming eligible this year after sitting out the transfer season gives the defense a backup with some college experience. He has progressed really well and gained the confidence of the staff. This puts the team in strong position at MLB as the coaches felt pretty good about the upside of Josh Mabin, who prior to getting injured last year was looking like one of the gems of the recruiting class. This creates a true 3-deep at the position, but there's more considering that Devante Averrette and Kris Catlin could slide over from WLB to provide extended depth if needed. The change in circumstances at this vital spot on defense could not be more pronounced. I honestly can not remember a season where there was this much depth at MLB without having to move guys over from another position.
WLB: The situation last year was almost as bad at WLB, although there were a few more breaks for Seth Jacobs than Ryan Simmons as guys like Averrette and Sherrod did play some snaps during the season and there were some opportunities for the freshmen to step in situationally. Still, Seth Jacobs was a huge player for the defense. He was about as reliable as you could ask a college player to be, practically invaluable last season. He played through pain and carried a tremendous play making role. This year, he will have a lot more help, and as the case with Simmons, should be much stronger at the end of games and in November. (Keep in mind that there is no break in the schedule this year. It will be a relentless grind without a true bye week.)
Devante Averrette is back from his injury, flying around, and making plays. He brings a lot of athleticism to the position and will play quite a few snaps. His specialty is attacking the line of scrimmage and delivering big hits, so he is certain to provide some fun moments for the crowd. Kris Catlin returns from his missed season due to academics to provide depth and to provide leadership on several special teams units. Kevin Henry's future is really bright, and he will be a big hitter at LB in future seasons. Again, the team is looking at a high quality 2-deep with a legitimate 3rd guy ready to go if needed.
Star: Jordan Burton is going to seamlessly replace Josh Furman, which is saying quite a bit given how well Furman played last year (eventually growing into an NFL draftee). Burton made plays all over the field this spring and should become a big play guy for this defense and a key part of creating turnovers. He is a big time hitter that plays with high collision speed (as Glen Spencer is fond of saying). Justin Phillips will back him up and give the Cowboys a play-maker in the second unit much like they had in 2011 with James Thomas. Justin Phillips is a very instinctive player that has a nose for the football.
The fact that returnees like Gyasi Akem and Kirk Tucker are not in the top two here speaks loudly to the depth situation. Both of those guys could find themselves with roles on defense and key spots on special teams duties. Gyasi Akem has a knack for blitzing and could pick up some pass rushing responsibilities that Josh Furman had last year. Kirk Tucker (a converted safety) excels in coverage and could become part of a multi-linebacker package in long yardage situations.
Overall, the quality of depth at linebacker creates opportunities for the defensive staff to get creative in personnel groupings, pressure packages, and attacking schemes. Guys should play fewer snaps and be fresher throughout the season. There is no question that this position group is vastly improved and should carry the torch for the defensive improvement all season long.
I decided to do the posts in order of the position groups that have undergone the most change first, so the obvious first choice is linebacker. Please jump in the discussion with your thoughts, observations, and questions. It's finally time to talk football!
Linebacker will go from a team weakness to a team strength this season. It's crazy how much difference there will be at the position group overall. With the injuries and guys sitting out due to transfer or grades, there simply were not any guys to turn to outside of freshmen for depth. D'Nerius Antoine could not gain eligibility. Devante Averette got injured. Demarcus Sherod dealt with injuries and was limited throughout the season. Kris Catlin was academically inelgible. Chad Whitener had to sit out a season as a transfer. Lyndell Johnson had recently been dismissed from the program, while Dominic Ramacher and Jeremiah Tshimanga left voluntarily. That is a total of eight guys that the coaches at one point had anticipated would be there to provide depth in 2014 that simply were not available. True freshmen Gyasi Akem, Justin Philips, Josh Mabin, and Kirk Tucker were going to have to fill out the second unit. Even with that, Mabin was lost to injury and had to redshirt, creating a desperate situation at MLB.
The good news is that the youngsters from the 2014 class have proven to be quality players, but due to returning veterans will not be forced to carry major roles this season, thus giving them the time to mature and grow into their roles. This is a tremendous asset for the trajectory of the program for the next few seasons. I will look specifically at the individuals in the breakdowns below.
Did you know that only 4 linebackers played in all 12 games last season? Can you name them all? Ryan Simmons, Seth Jacobs, Josh Furman, and......Kirk Tucker. The exasperated depth situation, little nicks and bruises, and game situations did not allow the Cowboys to ever really develop the necessary depth at linebacker all year long. Think about this: Ryan Simmons had 96 tackles, Seth Jacobs had 92 tackles, and Josh Furman had 64 tackles. Even using all special teams stops, the rest of the linebackers on the Cowboy roster had only 40 tackles combined for the season, including the bowl win over Washington. That's a pretty insane statistic when you consider how many defensive and special teams snaps were played last season.
MLB: Ryan Simmons returns as a quality Big 12 player and the unquestioned leader on the defensive side of the ball. He was thrust into a huge role last year and could seldom come off the field due to depth and inexperience issues. He never complained about the lack of rest, but it took a toll on him physically and to some extent limited how the defense played. In fact, the lack of depth at both inside linebacker spots kept the defense from playing as aggressively as Coach Spencer would have like to play last season.
This year, Ryan Simmons will again be the leader on that side of the ball, but will not be forced to play as many snaps. There is now a true backup in place as well as a host of other guys that could fill in for a rotation. This means that he will be less likely to be worn down in the second half of games and the season when the team needs him to make plays. Chad Whitener becoming eligible this year after sitting out the transfer season gives the defense a backup with some college experience. He has progressed really well and gained the confidence of the staff. This puts the team in strong position at MLB as the coaches felt pretty good about the upside of Josh Mabin, who prior to getting injured last year was looking like one of the gems of the recruiting class. This creates a true 3-deep at the position, but there's more considering that Devante Averrette and Kris Catlin could slide over from WLB to provide extended depth if needed. The change in circumstances at this vital spot on defense could not be more pronounced. I honestly can not remember a season where there was this much depth at MLB without having to move guys over from another position.
WLB: The situation last year was almost as bad at WLB, although there were a few more breaks for Seth Jacobs than Ryan Simmons as guys like Averrette and Sherrod did play some snaps during the season and there were some opportunities for the freshmen to step in situationally. Still, Seth Jacobs was a huge player for the defense. He was about as reliable as you could ask a college player to be, practically invaluable last season. He played through pain and carried a tremendous play making role. This year, he will have a lot more help, and as the case with Simmons, should be much stronger at the end of games and in November. (Keep in mind that there is no break in the schedule this year. It will be a relentless grind without a true bye week.)
Devante Averrette is back from his injury, flying around, and making plays. He brings a lot of athleticism to the position and will play quite a few snaps. His specialty is attacking the line of scrimmage and delivering big hits, so he is certain to provide some fun moments for the crowd. Kris Catlin returns from his missed season due to academics to provide depth and to provide leadership on several special teams units. Kevin Henry's future is really bright, and he will be a big hitter at LB in future seasons. Again, the team is looking at a high quality 2-deep with a legitimate 3rd guy ready to go if needed.
Star: Jordan Burton is going to seamlessly replace Josh Furman, which is saying quite a bit given how well Furman played last year (eventually growing into an NFL draftee). Burton made plays all over the field this spring and should become a big play guy for this defense and a key part of creating turnovers. He is a big time hitter that plays with high collision speed (as Glen Spencer is fond of saying). Justin Phillips will back him up and give the Cowboys a play-maker in the second unit much like they had in 2011 with James Thomas. Justin Phillips is a very instinctive player that has a nose for the football.
The fact that returnees like Gyasi Akem and Kirk Tucker are not in the top two here speaks loudly to the depth situation. Both of those guys could find themselves with roles on defense and key spots on special teams duties. Gyasi Akem has a knack for blitzing and could pick up some pass rushing responsibilities that Josh Furman had last year. Kirk Tucker (a converted safety) excels in coverage and could become part of a multi-linebacker package in long yardage situations.
Overall, the quality of depth at linebacker creates opportunities for the defensive staff to get creative in personnel groupings, pressure packages, and attacking schemes. Guys should play fewer snaps and be fresher throughout the season. There is no question that this position group is vastly improved and should carry the torch for the defensive improvement all season long.
