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Look to the Transfer Portal: Discussion thread

flips said:
Thanks. That would be our nickelback right? Would be nice overhaul of secondary. Best on the outside corners, some concerns about Jakobe in coverage at safety, but all in all worlds better than last year. If Scott is going to be the primary nickel I wonder what we're going to do rotation wise? Lucas/OJ/O'Connor should be top 3 outside corners IMO. I wonder if they plan to try Brantley at nickel in obvious passing downs?
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Likely a nickel with ability to be the 3rd safety.
 

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Warrior808 said:
Thats a nice piece to add. Versatile base nickel / backup safety with the ability to bring in Brantley to the slot if going up against a smaller/quicker guy that could give us trouble.
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He was also a good punt returner at Auburn.

In 2023 he was 8th in the country averaging around 14 yards per return.

Took a step back in 2024.
 
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Warrior808 said:
Thats a nice piece to add. Versatile base nickel / backup safety with the ability to bring in Brantley to the slot if going up against a smaller/quicker guy that could give us trouble.
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Yeah this sounds great. So idea would be Scott slides to Jakobe's safety position and Brantley to the slot on obvious passing downs/when there's a slot who's killing us on early downs?
 
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JayCane20 said:
Think he’s strictly a corner. Probably plays nickel and on the boundary rotationally.

20-30 snaps per game guy
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I don't get why everyone thinks this though. Brantley likely knows he **** well needs to play Nickel if he wants any shot at an NFL career. His injury history already doesn't help him at all in that regard. And just last year Damari entered the season as our starting Nickel before getting injured week 1. Like it's all he's done sure...

Regardless, out of Lucas, OJ, OConnor, Brantley, Damari.... We should have a solution at nickel already. I don't view Nickel CB as nearly as big of a need as many apparently do. Ultimately I think the game plan will just be matchup dependent. Going against a run first team, probably gonna see more Damari in Nickel. Going against a team with a shift slot, Brantley can play that more.... We have a **** load of CBs now.

But what I will say is like last year, Spring Portal was pretty good at DB. It was pretty *** at most other positions. So from that perspective I get the point of just going well we have a little need and we have money to spend, may as well get the guy at a good deal. But like there is no way a depth safety and DT isn't a much bigger need right now imo. But hey I also see zero reason to trust Markeith at all, and there are no portal DTs.
 
Calinative said:
I don't get why everyone thinks this though. Brantley likely knows he **** well needs to play Nickel if he wants any shot at an NFL career. His injury history already doesn't help him at all in that regard. And just last year Damari entered the season as our starting Nickel before getting injured week 1. Like it's all he's done sure...

Regardless, out of Lucas, OJ, OConnor, Brantley, Damari.... We should have a solution at nickel already. I don't view Nickel CB as nearly as big of a need as many apparently do. Ultimately I think the game plan will just be matchup dependent. Going against a run first team, probably gonna see more Damari in Nickel. Going against a team with a shift slot, Brantley can play that more.... We have a **** load of CBs now.

But what I will say is like last year, Spring Portal was pretty good at DB. It was pretty *** at most other positions. So from that perspective I get the point of just going well we have a little need and we have money to spend, may as well get the guy at a good deal. But like there is no way a depth safety and DT isn't a much bigger need right now imo. But hey I also see zero reason to trust Markeith at all, and there are no portal DTs.
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I'm not sure what you're referring to. I answered if I thought Brantley plays and safety and I said I think he strictly plays corner - both nickel and on the boundary.

I agree with most other points. Nickel is an extremely high priority IMO. It has evolved into the most versatile position on the field on defense. Watching Porter chase dudes around and give up 6-7-8 yards with ease on every completion to the slot shows how important it is. He was viewed as one of the better cover guys we had and he had no idea how to play that position. Same might be said for Brantley since he's never played it before.

Granted, its a new scheme and we'll play way more zone and cover 3 match so, it won't look the same off of that alone. Being stuck in man coverage led to Porter chasing the motion man and getting exposed like that. Mixing it up will help but having a true nickel is still important.
 
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JayCane20 said:
I'm not sure what you're referring to. I answered if I thought Brantley plays and safety and I said I think he strictly plays corner - both nickel and on the boundary.

I agree with most other points. Nickel is an extremely high priority IMO. It has evolved into the most versatile position on the field on defense. Watching Porter chase dudes around and give up 6-7-8 yards with ease on every completion to the slot shows how important it is. He was viewed as one of the better cover guys we had and he had no idea how to play that position. Same might be said for Brantley since he's never played it before.

Granted, its a new scheme and we'll play way more zone and cover 3 match so, it won't look the same off of that alone. Being stuck in man coverage led to Porter chasing the motion man and getting exposed like that. Mixing it up will help but having a true nickel is still important.
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Asking if Brantley will play safety was such a dumb idea I thought he meant is he purely a nickel and that you were saying he's should just mostly be an outside CB. Lol my bad
 
Calinative said:
Asking if Brantley will play safety was such a dumb idea I thought he meant is he purely a nickel and that you were saying he's should just mostly be an outside CB. Lol my bad
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Got you. I think he takes 75% of his snaps at nickel. Probably 25% elsewhere depending on how healthy the rest of the roster is.

At best he would be our 5th boundary corner I would think behind Lucas, OJ, O'Connor, and Damari.

Even Keionte Scott has played a ton of boundary CB at Auburn. He was at his best in the Nickel, though and Brantley will have a hard time getting him off the field. Probably looking at his snaps limited unless Scott misses time or Scott has to slide back to Safety for whatever reason.

We should be versatile enough to adjust to matchups with size/speed/etc. across the board.

Might be the deepest and most talented CB room in America. Not counting the unproven freshmen - OJ is a returning true-freshman all-American, Lucas is basically an honorable mention in that category (missed by 1 spot allegedly), O'Connor is my favorite CB on the team and likely right in that discussion, Scott was 2nd team all SEC in 2023, and pre-season 1st team All-American in 2024, and Brantley was Big 10 honorable mention.
 
JayCane20 said:
Got you. I think he takes 75% of his snaps at nickel. Probably 25% elsewhere depending on how healthy the rest of the roster is.

At best he would be our 5th boundary corner I would think behind Lucas, OJ, O'Connor, and Damari.

Even Keionte Scott has played a ton of boundary CB at Auburn. He was at his best in the Nickel, though and Brantley will have a hard time getting him off the field. Probably looking at his snaps limited unless Scott misses time or Scott has to slide back to Safety for whatever reason.

We should be versatile enough to adjust to matchups with size/speed/etc. across the board.

Might be the deepest and most talented CB room in America. Not counting the unproven freshmen - OJ is a returning true-freshman all-American, Lucas is basically an honorable mention in that category (missed by 1 spot allegedly), O'Connor is my favorite CB on the team and likely right in that discussion, Scott was 2nd team all SEC in 2023, and pre-season 1st team All-American in 2024, and Brantley was Big 10 honorable mention.
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Should, key word SHOULD, be an absolutely insane flip/turnover of that room. Incredible. From the worst I've ever seen to a legit strength of the team. Maybe THE strength, outside the OL.
 
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JayCane20 said:
I'm not sure what you're referring to. I answered if I thought Brantley plays and safety and I said I think he strictly plays corner - both nickel and on the boundary.

I agree with most other points. Nickel is an extremely high priority IMO. It has evolved into the most versatile position on the field on defense. Watching Porter chase dudes around and give up 6-7-8 yards with ease on every completion to the slot shows how important it is. He was viewed as one of the better cover guys we had and he had no idea how to play that position. Same might be said for Brantley since he's never played it before.

Granted, its a new scheme and we'll play way more zone and cover 3 match so, it won't look the same off of that alone. Being stuck in man coverage led to Porter chasing the motion man and getting exposed like that. Mixing it up will help but having a true nickel is still important.
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The wider the splits, the more important the Nickel.

Offenses start from inside out.
 
OrangeBowlMagic said:
Should, key word SHOULD, be an absolutely insane flip/turnover of that room. Incredible. From the worst I've ever seen to a legit strength of the team. Maybe THE strength, outside the OL.
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Definitely a "should". But I can see it flopping. OJ was surprising to everyone but he did get exposed against Syracuse, Lucas has all the tools but he still seems clunky to me as a true cover corner, Brantley and Damari are injury prone.

I think Scott at Nickel is a sure thing and O'Connor as a sticky boundary CB is a sure thing.

Pulling in Safety to the conversation, I think Poyser is a sure thing but he is jumping up in competition. Thomas is low-floor/high-ceiling and then no experienced depth back there behind those 2. Health could drag guys like Scott out of position to play Safety and Brantley into an every down Nickel where he isn't as comfortable. Hard to speculate on guys staying healthy or not and really a waste of time so I won't try. Hurts everyone at every position when starters get hurt.

Just playing advocate there. I think you usually end up ok at places you worry about in the pre-season (us right now at WR and LB) and get burned when you think you're all set and comfortable at a position (DL, OL?, TE?, QB?). I was afraid RB would be this year's "burn" position that we thought we were all good and rode it out but they addressed it with insurance by adding Brown. Hard to categorize DB as where we thought we were all-set considering the room was flipped. Just need to see it gel and see how it plays out.
 
Bender said:
The wider the splits, the more important the Nickel.

Offenses start from inside out.
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Yep. As much as we've needed pure cover guys there in the past, the best "star" or "nickel" however we label it, has to be able to cover and tackle in space. Scott gives both.

My biggest fear based on the roster we have is we try to play Bain and Mesidor too often together on both ends and we get stuck in a lot of situations with the ball on a hash and tons of grass to the boundary. Makes you susceptible to the sweeps to the field side with bigger/slower ends. With someone like Brantley, you basically always have to matchup to the formation strength, so if they align the strength to the field, they get an extra blocker on a guy that already isn't a sure tackler.

With Scott, you can mix field/boundary and formation strength alignments and not get exposed and not let the offense know what they're going to catch you in on certain play calls. That killed us many times. Teams just set us up knowing where we would be on a specific call.

Athletic ends like Lightfoot and Pickett will also be big in breaking tendencies because they can thrive in either alignment.
 
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JayCane20 said:
Yep. As much as we've needed pure cover guys there in the past, the best "star" or "nickel" however we label it, has to be able to cover and tackle in space. Scott gives both.

My biggest fear based on the roster we have is we try to play Bain and Mesidor too often together on both ends and we get stuck in a lot of situations with the ball on a hash and tons of grass to the boundary. Makes you susceptible to the sweeps to the field side with bigger/slower ends. With someone like Brantley, you basically always have to matchup to the formation strength, so if they align the strength to the field, they get an extra blocker on a guy that already isn't a sure tackler.

With Scott, you can mix field/boundary and formation strength alignments and not get exposed and not let the offense know what they're going to catch you in on certain play calls. That killed us many times. Teams just set us up knowing where we would be on a specific call.

Athletic ends like Lightfoot and Pickett will also be big in breaking tendencies because they can thrive in either alignment.
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Hetherman requires his CBs to tackle. If they don't tackle, they don't play.
 
Calinative said:
Asking if Brantley will play safety was such a dumb idea I thought he meant is he purely a nickel and that you were saying he's should just mostly be an outside CB. Lol my bad
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Never asked if Brantley would play Safety friend. Just asked someone who knows DB play if it was possible.
 
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