Coach Stoops readily admits that they are limited in certain positions. To break that comment down Stoops is honestly telling the BBN they don’t have an abundance of talented 250 and 260 linebackers on the defense. So from what we are able to glean from the defensive schemes they are hoping to be confusing to the offenses they will face.
To the naked eye things will be reduces to getting off the field on third down – very important but coming from last in the league in 2012 how do they go about getting that done.
To opposing offenses they may think they are watching Nick at Nite on Nickelodeon TV. Defensive coordinator D. J. Eliot said that everything they do is multiple in keeping with his multiplicity. It takes multiple interview processes with Eliot to get a clear picture of what they intend to do with a limited defense. Aside from multiple – “We have to have enough bullets to attack offenses,” the coach that we’ve gleaned to be intelligent and calculating, said. Beyond talented senior Avery Williamson, who Eliot said is miles ahead of the other linebackers, no other linebacker has garnered much conversation. There may be times opposing offenses will feel like they are watching “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” bewitching (Bewitched) them, no pun intended. “We’ve got a ways to go but I like their effort and I like their intensity,” safeties coach Bradley Dale Peveto said.
Eliot said he thought early on they were ahead of where they are but since they put on the pads two days ago they’ve taken a step back. He said – “We’ve got a ways to go on our physicality.” He said the linebackers as a group are better. He said they as defense are tons ahead of where they were in the spring.
So, short of capable linebackers Eliot and Stoops is master minding a way to get more turnovers a huge short coming on last year’s team. “We are doing some odd things,” Stoops said. “We are trying everything. We doing everything we can to get guys in position to be successful.” It seems the pair of mad-scientist isn’t going to leave any bullets in their gun and every means to make up for the defense’s shortcoming is going to be utilized. They didn’t have one of the top defenses in the country at Florida State by accident.
Freshman safety Marcus McWilson is being talked about. Eliot said McWilson has the skill to be a nickel back. “We have to play him some off the hash (mark), too. Stoops said he has some thickness and weight to play closer to the line of scrimmage. It appears that in the old football vernacular he is like the “Bandit” that could show up at multiple positions. Eliot said Eric Dixon had been doing a great job at safety.
Avery Williamson was much more definitive about the defensive personnel. He said he likes the play of true sophomore linebacker Khalid Henderson. “He has definitely put in the work and he is still learning but he has gotten much better since the spring,” Williamson said. But that’s only two. We asked him is there anybody else he can talk about? “Yeah, Cory Brown is a good player,” he said. Brown is not the prototype size for a linebacker. He was a three year junior college transfer that has two years left. How does he make up for that deficiency? “Well I got recruited as a hybrid to roll over to play a little of linebacker and safety,” Brown explained. He said last season there was a change in schemes and he was playing head up on tight ends and closer to the line which is something he’d never done before and also setting the edge. Brown said - “I had never played up to the line very often just about every single play so this year. I’m taking a little bit of what I learn last year and also this year. So, all that should help me out this year. I feel, like kind of at home now because I’ll be playing on a slot-receiver.” Do to the fact he has play corner and safety he can combine the physicality and cover skills to be effective. Again, more interceptions are the goal – they had only five team interceptions last season. Brown had a dazzling, leaping pass breakup on fan night. Williamson also made mention of two other's he see contributing heavily. “McWilson and freshman Blake McClain are the nickels,” Williamson said of another freshman precinct heard from. “These are some guys that can really play. Blake is a real athletic guy that’s really been doing well. He’s been showing up in practice.” Again Nick at Nite where we envision Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, ala more interceptions. This defense has to survive on innovation and bewitching. Without seeing much of it to this point, I’ve imagined this is what the trained eye will see.