What are your thoughts on the defense, specifically our DL outside of Willis (who we know is having an outstanding year)?
The defense is pretty much what you'd want the defensive "style" to be for a Miami defense. The players in the area grow up playing aggressive, attacking, getting upfield, one-gapping etc. so it's smart to marry that style to what the personnel available in the area prefer.
J. Jackson- He's having a solid year. Improved a ton versus the run and really sets a hard edge. I'd like to see him improve his hand usage a bit, as currently he prefers that bullrush over other moves. He needs an inside counter to work off of the speed and power rushes. He should return for his Senior year in my opinion.
Bethel- He is a hard-working, scrappy player. At 285 pounds he just doesn't have the sand to play the 1-technique position against elite competition, but he's the best we currently have there.
Nesta- This is the guy you want to keep developing. His first step is outstanding, but he's also smart and tenacious. He makes mistakes and he doesn't have the strength to hold up to 50 plays a game, but he's going to be a good one.
Ford- Disappointment to me. Plays high, stays around the LOS instead of making plays in the backfield. Blocked by one guy too easily.
Tito- He's a nice depth piece- just as I wrote he'd be when the transfer came out. He's strong and tough and fills a role.
Garvin- Is a playmaker with a great burst. Needs better pass rush discipline so he stays in his lane more often. Could be better at setting the edge. He's a different player than J. Jackson, but his potential is an AA when he adds strength and if he stays until Senior year.
Patchan- I love Scott Patchan. His effort, his length, his toughness. He's probably a 3rd DE for his career, but he's a great guy to have.
Rousseau- Big loss for the defense. His length and his athleticism was going to emerge by November. The future is bright for this player.
Shaq- He's a good player. Instinctual. Rugged. His limited range makes him a bit less of a playmaker than you'd like at MLB, but he's an All-Conference level MLB. Makes a lot of "almost" plays where the ball is there and he almost intercepts it, or almost sacks the QB, or almost forces a fumble. Want to be a great MLB at Miami, you have to take the ball away some.
Pinckney- A great complement to Shaq because he likes to freelance, take chances, shoot gaps. He guesses wrong sometimes and that causes big plays. His speed and range are big-time. I'd like to see him come back to school, get into excellent shape, and have a year where he forces more turnovers. I get frustrated that our LB's don't cause more fumbles.
D. Smith- I think he's adjusting because he has kind of flatlined rather than taking another step at Striker. Misses too many tackles and is a step late in coverage. Good player. Potential for more.
Romeo- He's taken a big step forward. His coverage skills are markedly improved and he seems as though he's taken to Striker better than the others. Honestly, he would be pushing to start and play a lot on my defense.
McCloud- He's been good and the defense has asked him to do more of what he's good at and less of what he's not.
Mike Smith- It's hard to convert to MLB from pass rusher and his instincts have never gotten there. He also misses a ton of tackles. I would be getting Steed ready to play over him, personally, but the coaches like his effort. I haven't seen a backup LB who has really shown they should be playing at all at this point. Jennings has been poor. Perry has been "fine." If the three LB's all leave after this year it'll be crippling.
Mike Jackson- He's been good. Was hoping for a bit more of an All-American year, but thus far he's been borderline All-Conference instead. Given up inside releases a few times and the long speed has gotten exposed a couple of times. Don't mistake me saying he's not good- he's almost great- I just think his potential is there for more. He's a stud tackler on the edge.
Bandy- This guy has the dog and the instincts. I want to see better ball skills and I want to see him be a bit more under control. He's borderline reckless at times and he's missed jams and gotten off-balance. Better QB's will get him deep if he doesn't clean up some technique issues. He's maybe my favorite player though, so I'm not being critical.
Redwine- He's been good. Want to see more plays. He's an above-average starter at FS. Plays slower than his timed speed would suggest.
Jaquan- He's an eraser on the back end and his tackling erase mistakes from the LB's. Need him back for his energy and his intelligence. Think he needs to score points to be an All-American S though.
Knowles- He just makes too many mistakes to play on defense. Good special teams player.
Gurvan- I'd rather go down with this guy than with Knowles. This defense needs to create more fumbles and I think Hall will do that.
Blades- He'd be my third CB. His on-field passion and leadership puts his potential quite high. Dean, quite frankly, has been unplayable in my view.
Ivey- His potential is there. He needs to trust himself more. That comes with playing time. I like him quite a bit.
Frierson- Biggest disappointment that I've seen thus far. Confidence might be shot but he needs to fight back.
This defense is "very good" right now. It is a New Year's 6 level defense. We need another DT, another CB, and another LB to emerge to get to CFP good. Probably a top-15 unit and if they figure out the right mix of blitzes that leave the middle of the field exposed, they could be top-10. An injury to Willis is the single injury we can't afford. An injury to J. Jackson or Garvin or M. Jackson would be a big deal as well, but Willis changes what the offense is doing every single week.