Position battle - LB

[The U is back to work]

I’m very happy we will have Chase and Mo who are both legit elder statesman across all of college football who both bought into this system but for those who know coverages - I’m terrified of that tandem getting murdered in wheel routes all day. What’s the way they stop this? Just rotate safeties over always?

 

[RF-4CCane]

Smith also did not start. However the guy who started over him Wesley Bissainthe was named 3rd team All-ACC, the same Wesley Bissainthe who this time last year was being called mid on CIS lol.

View attachment 360552

I’m just making the point that Heatherman had a very good LB in 2024, that fit his scheme.

If we’re being honest with our selves, we should recognize that lateral speed at LB was our weakest link last year on defense.
Not terrible, but it could have been better.

 

[Coach Macho]

Lmao Styles was 100% a 1st round LB before he did a single combine drill. He had an excellent season at LB, far superior than anything any LB we've had in like a decade have done. Like he's being drafted high cause he's got it all... Not just cause he's athletic. He may go top 10 at a devalued position and position that is one of the most difficult to produce early in the NFL at because he's such an elite athlete though ... But the production and quality of play is unquestioned.

Wow he missed one tackle against Mark Fletcher in the A gap...come on now

Not my point really. I'm just using Styles as an example of how you can't judge a Linebacker off (just) traits.

We ran on them because of their IDL got bullied by our IOL, styles was great in the box for a college lb. He isn’t really known for perimeter stuff, stack and shedding is his best traits imo

This isn't really about Styles. Again... this is more so a conversation about understanding what's needed for Linebacker and not simply falling in love with traits.

I used our game versus Ohio State as an example of how meaningless being a freak is when offenses decide to line-up and run down your throat. Styles' freakish athletic ability was completely nullified in a phone booth.

So in other words...

We can sit here and fall in love with Wiley's body and athletic ability, but we know absolutely nothing about his ability to tackle, process reads, be violent against blockers, etc.

THOSE TRAITS COME FIRST...because at the end of the day... the priority of any defense is stopping the run.

 

[Coach Macho]

Lmao Styles was 100% a 1st round LB before he did a single combine drill. He had an excellent season at LB, far superior than anything any LB we've had in like a decade have done. Like he's being drafted high cause he's got it all... Not just cause he's athletic. He may go top 10 at a devalued position and position that is one of the most difficult to produce early in the NFL at because he's such an elite athlete though ... But the production and quality of play is unquestioned.

Wow he missed one tackle against Mark Fletcher in the A gap...come on now

My point isn't really about Styles and what he can/can't do.

Read above this post.