This is the position group we could probably do five separate shows on, so we'll keep it streamlined.
But make no mistake: this is the most loaded position group on the roster.
The top four corners
OJ Frederique, Xavier Lucas, Ethan O'Connor and Damari Brown are basically what you remember from last season, just sharper versions of it.
Lucas trimmed weight to get faster, Frederique and O'Connor both added strength, and Damari Brown is finally healthy. All four are starting-caliber, all four have real NFL traits, and I wouldn't trade this corner room for any in the country.
Go back and watch the playoff run when everyone was healthy.
Texas A&M's best receivers got shut down. Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith caught one deep shot on a blown coverage, and that's about the only time all postseason our top corners got beat by a top-tier receiver. That's the standard.
Frederique is the true competitor of the group, always letting you know when he's made a play. Lucas is the quiet one who just does his job at a high level every single snap. O'Connor plays with an edge — willing to talk trash, willing to get physical in the run game — the kind of energy every defense needs one of. As far as who takes the first snaps, it's likely Lucas and Frederique, with Brown and O'Connor rotating in right behind them.
The deepest room on the team
The nickel spot is loaded enough that it's less about naming one starter and more about naming a cluster.
Omar Thornton, a Boston College transfer, has been better than advertised. He's a hitter with real cover ability who has a real shot to be the kind of impact player Keionte Scott was for this defense last season. Bryce Fitzgerald might be the best overall athlete on the entire defense: a three-sport high school state champion who picked off six passes as a true freshman, second-most in the country at his position.
JJ Dunnigan might be the single most talented player on this defense, forcing the staff to find ways to get him on the field at nickel, at safety, even outside at corner.
Behind those three, there's a genuine group pushing for snaps: Camdin Portis, Ryan Mack, Chris Ewald Jr. and Isaiah Taylor all play meaningful reps at nickel, and Isaiah Taylor in particular played real snaps last year, including in the Notre Dame game.
The battle for the last spot in the room
The closest call in this whole group is between Brody Jennings and Jaelen Waters for who plays first off the bench. Jennings, out of Jacksonville Mandarin, came out of spring with the clear lead. Waters had a tough spring adjusting to a new defense and a wave of good receivers, but he's put together a genuinely great camp since. He started trusting his length and playing downhill instead of waiting on the ball, and the confidence showed up in real time — first the pass breakups, then the interceptions, then the swagger to go with it.
If I had to pick one, I'd lean Jennings simply because he came in with the head start. But I wouldn't be surprised either way, and both are going to see the field this year one way or another.
Safety
Zechariah Poyser is exactly what you expect: steady, reliable, no drama, no surprises. In the same vein, you can expect Bryce to also feature heavily here alongside his usage at nickel. I expect the coaching staff to move him around and make defenses constantly watch where he lines up on the field; the beauty of how far we've come as a squad.
Dylan Day is a name to watch. He's long, he's fast, he understands the defense, and he's made a real jump heading into what's now his third year. The comp both of us keep coming back to is Sheldrick Redwine, who didn't really pop for Miami until his third year either.
Combined with Thornton and Dunnigan all capable of sliding back to safety in certain packages, that group is the deepest of the deep spots in this room.
It's a deep room, but more importantly, it's a deep team. I feel great about where we stand as we head into gameweek.
But make no mistake: this is the most loaded position group on the roster.
The top four corners
OJ Frederique, Xavier Lucas, Ethan O'Connor and Damari Brown are basically what you remember from last season, just sharper versions of it.
Lucas trimmed weight to get faster, Frederique and O'Connor both added strength, and Damari Brown is finally healthy. All four are starting-caliber, all four have real NFL traits, and I wouldn't trade this corner room for any in the country.
Go back and watch the playoff run when everyone was healthy.
Texas A&M's best receivers got shut down. Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith caught one deep shot on a blown coverage, and that's about the only time all postseason our top corners got beat by a top-tier receiver. That's the standard.
Frederique is the true competitor of the group, always letting you know when he's made a play. Lucas is the quiet one who just does his job at a high level every single snap. O'Connor plays with an edge — willing to talk trash, willing to get physical in the run game — the kind of energy every defense needs one of. As far as who takes the first snaps, it's likely Lucas and Frederique, with Brown and O'Connor rotating in right behind them.
The deepest room on the team
The nickel spot is loaded enough that it's less about naming one starter and more about naming a cluster.
Omar Thornton, a Boston College transfer, has been better than advertised. He's a hitter with real cover ability who has a real shot to be the kind of impact player Keionte Scott was for this defense last season. Bryce Fitzgerald might be the best overall athlete on the entire defense: a three-sport high school state champion who picked off six passes as a true freshman, second-most in the country at his position.
JJ Dunnigan might be the single most talented player on this defense, forcing the staff to find ways to get him on the field at nickel, at safety, even outside at corner.
Behind those three, there's a genuine group pushing for snaps: Camdin Portis, Ryan Mack, Chris Ewald Jr. and Isaiah Taylor all play meaningful reps at nickel, and Isaiah Taylor in particular played real snaps last year, including in the Notre Dame game.
The battle for the last spot in the room
The closest call in this whole group is between Brody Jennings and Jaelen Waters for who plays first off the bench. Jennings, out of Jacksonville Mandarin, came out of spring with the clear lead. Waters had a tough spring adjusting to a new defense and a wave of good receivers, but he's put together a genuinely great camp since. He started trusting his length and playing downhill instead of waiting on the ball, and the confidence showed up in real time — first the pass breakups, then the interceptions, then the swagger to go with it.
If I had to pick one, I'd lean Jennings simply because he came in with the head start. But I wouldn't be surprised either way, and both are going to see the field this year one way or another.
Safety
Zechariah Poyser is exactly what you expect: steady, reliable, no drama, no surprises. In the same vein, you can expect Bryce to also feature heavily here alongside his usage at nickel. I expect the coaching staff to move him around and make defenses constantly watch where he lines up on the field; the beauty of how far we've come as a squad.
Dylan Day is a name to watch. He's long, he's fast, he understands the defense, and he's made a real jump heading into what's now his third year. The comp both of us keep coming back to is Sheldrick Redwine, who didn't really pop for Miami until his third year either.
Combined with Thornton and Dunnigan all capable of sliding back to safety in certain packages, that group is the deepest of the deep spots in this room.
It's a deep room, but more importantly, it's a deep team. I feel great about where we stand as we head into gameweek.
