The change at DE

[Number1CanesFan]

When he gets healthy Nyjalick Kelly will help the DE position as a true freshman.

He is the most gifted DE of any DE on this roster coming into college.

He will provide 3rd down pass rush at minimum imo.

I'm sorry, but I don't excited about freshman linemen on either side of the ball. Everyone always thinks the incoming freshman are college ready. Most are not especially at offensive and defensive line.

You just completely forget about Williams, Harvey, Roberts, and Ishmael. These are all blue chip players that should be ready to make a contribution. I'm not putting any freshman DE over any of these 4 DEs.

 

[grover]

It is a HUGE upgrade. But people have been way too hard on McCloud. He was pretty good and I think he makes a practice squad as an UFA and maybe even hangs on for a while in the league Trent Harris style.

 

[htownkidd]

He helps, bottomline. Good stuff.



I know it’s just a dream but I’d sacrifice the neighbors dog for Dorlus at this point. Elevates the entire defense and would light a fire in that DT room which has me concerned as well.

 

[FrancisSawyer]

When he gets healthy Nyjalick Kelly will help the DE position as a true freshman.

He is the most gifted DE of any DE on this roster coming into college.

He will provide 3rd down pass rush at minimum imo.

What exactly is his injury? What's the prognosis? I completely missed it apparently.

 

[mirvin88]

"For comparison, McCloud and Johnson had 54 combined."

 

[Hoyacane1620]

What exactly is his injury? What's the prognosis? I completely missed it apparently.

I think he had shoulder surgery.

 

[cway313]

We need a MLB badly.

 

[FrancisSawyer]

I think he had shoulder surgery.

When is he expected back?

 

[AtlAtty]

We need a MLB badly.

I think Steed at MLB with the Smith brothers on the outside is better than people think.

 

[cway313]

I think Steed at MLB with the Smith brothers on the outside is better than people think.

Better than what exactly? It could be worse but that's the whole point of my post why settle for that. He is a good candidate to be a rotational guy. That position needs an immediate influx of talent.

 

[gacaneaddict]

When is he expected back?

I think by fall camp.

I'm sorry, but I don't excited about freshman linemen on either side of the ball. Everyone always thinks the incoming freshman are college ready. Most are not especially at offensive and defensive line.

You just completely forget about Williams, Harvey, Roberts, and Ishmael. These are all blue chip players that should be ready to make a contribution. I'm not putting any freshman DE over any of these 4 DEs.

Well you should get excited. Not every freshman can play on the LOS, but Joe Jackson could, Chad Thomas could, Jon Garvin could, Leonard Taylor could, and so can Kelly.

Nelson, Donaldson, Scaife all played and started on OL as freshman.

 

[NDE]

WDE - Jahfari Harvey/ Antonio Moultrie/ Jabari Ishmael/ Thomas Davis/ Cyrus Moss
1T - Jordan Miller/ Jared Harrison-Hunte/ Allan Haye
3T - Leonard Taylor/ Jake Lichtenstein/ Ahmad Moten
SDE - Mitchell Agude/ Elijah Roberts/ Chantz Williams/ Nyjalik Kelly

You can play Roberts & Moultrie at DT & if we bring in another Portal DE that could allow Roberts to move back to DT permanently. I actually think we need more help at DT than we do at DE, we have (at least on paper) a feasible pass rush rotation with adding Agude, but at DT we’re banking on Miller, Hunte & Taylor to be the primary guys & if any one of them goes down (knock on wood) we’re fcked.

We need another DE, a DT, a true Mike LB & another CB IMO from the Portal.

Totally agree. You always spread words of wisdom. Thanks

 

[Redstate12]

Depending on who you talk to, some people think Moultrie will play DT here, but others say DE. Will be interesting to see his weight when he gets healthy.

Slide down on 3rd down pass rushing situations Nickel.

 

[Number1CanesFan]

I think by fall camp.


Well you should get excited. Not every freshman can play on the LOS, but Joe Jackson could, Chad Thomas could, Jon Garvin could, Leonard Taylor could, and so can Kelly.

Nelson, Donaldson, Scaife all played and started on OL as freshman.

That wasn't a good thing. I'm not anointing any freshman and we haven't even had a scrimmage. Also, I believe Kelly is not even practicing.

I just don't get how you can assume Kelly is going to play over the upperclassmen. Williams, Roberts, and Harvey were ranked higher in their class and Ishmael was 18th at his position to Kelly's 14th ranking.

Don't get me wrong, I like Kelly. I think he's going to be a very good player down the road. I just believe that the upperclassmen who ranked the same or better have developed more physically and mentally over an incoming freshman.

I don't think you should make any assumptions about freshman playing.

 

[Zbrod95]

I’ve heard that, too. Just don’t see it long-term looking at body type. Moultrie was getting pushed around by Miami in 2020 as a DT. He looked better last year as DE.

They could ask him to do it on passing downs. I really think we still need to add a premier guy at edge and a LB. We should be all in on Dar’jarri Coleman from JSU.

 

[DMoney]

They could ask him to do it on passing downs. I really think we still need to add a premier guy at edge and a LB. We should be all in on Dar’jarri Coleman from JSU.

Agreed. I would expect a run at Coleman now that Agude is in the boat.

 

[canadianhurricane]

I don't know what you guys are on, but I think we need a true NT more than anything. I don't trust our current interior DL to be as 'physical' as we need when they've played in a scheme that did not require it.

I think our LB play will only get better, especially with better coaching and a 'friendlier' defense that allows a bit more room to read and react.

I worry our current interior DL won't hold up all game, like we see with those war daddies Steele is use working with at Auburn. LT and JHH have potential but we haven't seen either of them be that disruptive force consistently.

Man, I wish Jayson Jones would of thought twice. He would of walked into a key role

 

[S.CarolinaCane]

While LB gets most of the attention, DE was just as thin headed into the offseason. The staff moved quickly to replace Zach McCloud and DeAndre Johnson with Mitchell Agude and Antonio Moultrie. Is it an upgrade?

From a pass-rush perspective, not really. Neither guy is Jaelan Phillips or Quincy Roche. But we’ve improved our roster in two key areas- length and activity.

Mitchell Agude is 6'4, 245 and looks even bigger with an 81-inch wingspan. Antonio Moultrie slimmed down to 6'4, 265 after making all-league as a DT. We were short on the perimeter last year. Teams ran right at our undersized defensive ends. Now we look more like a true Miami front.

But length, by itself, doesn't do anything. These guys combine that size with energy. It shows up in the stats. Agude had 55 tackles last year and Moultrie had 62. For comparison, McCloud and Johnson had 54 combined.

After watching multiple games on YouTube, the common theme is that these dudes play hard. Agude is faster and looks 4.6. Moultrie is stouter at the point of attack. Both guys run plays down from the backside and usually find themselves by the ball. That is a great place to start.

Now it's up to Salave'a, Jason Taylor and the crew to unlock our pass rush. Agude in particular has untapped upside, with 38 pressures but only two sacks. And expect us to keep looking for more in the Portal.

#45 Agude



#44 Moultrie

You made a point by saying these guys are Roche or Phillips..but then went on to describe how they can exactly like both of them.

Not bad.

However, I don't think I agree that the pass rush can't be as good as when we had them...not until I see it live..

The reason I say that is because there are some really good guys working with these athletes now.

With Roche and Phillips there was proven athleticism and ability ..imagine if those two got to work with the staff we have now.

I'll hold off judgement until then

 

[OldhamA]

We need another DE, a DT, a true Mike LB & another CB IMO from the Portal.

That's half a defence, dude.

We need them to play to WHAT standard? Coastal Champs? ACC Champs?

 

[AtlAtty]

Better than what exactly? It could be worse but that's the whole point of my post why settle for that. He is a good candidate to be a rotational guy. That position needs an immediate influx of talent.

Significantly better than last year.
Even if we don’t get a transfer MLB I I think Canes fans will immediately notice the much improved LB play.