We will only have one defensive tackle that I currently feel confident in and honestly we don't know a whole lot about Daniels at D end yet. I am hoping that some of the new guys will be able to step up since we have recruited more size than in the past. That does not make them game-ready, however.
I think we will be ok at linebacker but we need improvement out of Hyde (I think it will come with experience). I have seen a number of poor plays from him this year so far, including poor tackling and getting beat on some routes. I hope that Tanner Miller continues our trend at safety and that Jordan is back and ready to play at a high level.
- Daniel has seen the field quite a bit already this year ... and in more than just scrub duty too. He's going to be MUCH MORE than serviceable in 2011.
- Alvis had earned A TON of praise from Norm ... and the kid is only a RS FR. If the buzz he's generated weren't enough ... he's looked awful solid when he's seen the field. And, for the record, he's still on the ascent when it comes to physical development and handling the "learning curve" ... in other words, the kid is going to get A LOT better. I'm REALLY excited about him and I'm already pleased with what I've seen of him in games.
- Nardo has been surprisingly solid for us as a DT in scrub duty. Considering that he's a walk-on ... that really tells you about the strides that he's had to make in order to see the field. When you watch him in drills ... he holds his own. The kid can play.
- Bigach earned a lot of early buzz ... however, injuries had prevented him from seeing much prior action (along with so many close games back in '09). Anyhow, he's seemingly taking advantage of his SO season and has seen a good many reps so far. He's already been showing flashes ... he seems to have a pretty darn nice motor ... and I've seen him get pretty nice penetration on quite a number of occasions. By my estimation, he seems to still be maybe a half-step slow in live action ... and that's prevented him from getting TFLS to go along with his penetration. However, I think that part of that has to do with the fact that he's still getting acclimated to the speed of game action. I remember noticing that Ballard and Clayborn were just missing opportunities to get sacks and TFLs by a half step a few years back ... and they've subsequently gained that step through gained experienced and physical development. I expect the same out of Bigach.
Anyhow, going into the season, I was a tad bit worried about our situation at DT. Now I'm not very concerned at all. Besides, we're frankly pretty deep at DE. As a result, I really wouldn't be shocked if the coaches try to see how well Forgy can handle playing on the interior. He too is a backup whom the coaches have said a few nice things about. I've read quotes from the coaches saying that he's a guy who probably won't see a whole lot of action this year ... just because we're so deep ... however, he'll definitely be in the picture in 2011.
Besides all the upperclassmen on the DL ... I think that some of the underclassmen D-linemen might end up stepping up and having a chance to contribute ... and maybe make some noise.
