2012 Spring Preview
Top Position Battles - DLs
2012 Spring Preview
Top 50
Non-Conference Games
-
More
key 2012 spring quarterback battles
-
More
key 2012 spring running back battles
-
More
key 2012 spring offensive line battles
-
More
key 2012 spring defensive line battles
Follow Us ...
#ColFootballNews
1. LSU
It’s LSU. It reloads, right? In this case, yes. Michael Brockers might be the best defensive tackle prospect in the 2012 NFL draft, but the Tigers have other terrific defensive tackles waiting in the wings. Brockers was a big, active presence on the inside, but so was Bennie Logan, who came up with 57 tackles with three sacks. He’s the anchor of the line now and should get a bigger national spotlight, but who’ll go next to him? Anthony Johnson played a key role in the rotation as a true freshman, and now he’ll get the first look to take over in the second starting spot where he should dominate. His nickname is The Freak, and he’s about to show why. 287-pound senior Josh Downs made nine tackles working behind Brockers, and while he might not have the talent of the other options, he knows what he’s doing. Ego Ferguson was a top recruit last year and has all the tools to be another great one.
Sam Montgomery is a lock for All-America honors. The freakishly athletic end came up with nine sacks and should be one of the top ends taken in the 2013 draft, assuming he comes out. Kendrick Adams was one of the main men on the other side, but he was keeping the seat warm for Barkevious Mingo, who came on as a sophomore to make eight sacks and grow into a game-changer. He should shine with a bigger role. Lavar Edwards might not be the quick-twitch athlete the coaching staff wants on the end, but he’s good enough to provide decent depth.
2. Michigan
The Michigan defense wasn’t exactly the brick wall it’s supposed to be as the Michigan defense, but it was night-and-day better than it was under Rich Rodriguez. It started up front with a veteran line that turned into one of the Big Ten’s best against the run and got steady production to the quarterback.
And now it’s time to start over.
Craig Roh is an active end but he needs to make more stops against the run and has to be the leader as the only returning starter. On the other side, Ryan Van Bergen was a 288-pound veteran who’ll be missed, and while the 260-pound Jibreel Black and the 264-pound Nathan Brink aren’t nearly as big or as talented, the have a good motor. Will Campbell has the 6-5, 322-pound size and the talent to be an anchor to work around in place of Mike Martin, but everything has to finally all come together after a disappointing start to his career. 302-pound Quinton Washington also has a world of upside, but like Campbell he hasn’t yet played up to his potential.
3. Miami
The Hurricanes D-line is going to receive a little extra attention from the coaching staff between now and the opener. And who could blame Al Golden & Co.? The program was hammered by the one-two punch of graduations and early departures, losing a half-dozen key contributors from a year ago. The result will be a series of intense battles that might not be decided until late in August. The closest thing to a sure-thing is second-year DE Anthony Chickillo who turned heads with his play as a rookie. From that point, it’ll be a free-for-all involving a mix of kids and graybeards, with all of them looking for a starting nod. On the inside, seniors Curtis Porter and Darius Smith are in the best positions to become key cogs in the middle of the run defense. It’s go time for Porter, whose considerable potential has been stunted by injuries the past two seasons.
4. USC
While there aren’t many areas of concern for the 2012 edition of the Trojans, the defensive line just might be one of them. Three starters are now making a case for the NFL, end Nick Perry and tackles DaJohn Harris and Christian Tupou. Perry’s decision to forego his final season of eligibility means it’s going to be a pivotal senior year on the outside for Wes Horton and Devon Kennard. Although both players started six games in 2011, neither got to the quarterback more than three times, which was hardly emblematic of their physical ability. With NFL scouts looking on, and snaps more plentiful, each player has a chance to use next fall as a jump-off point toward a fat payday. Sophomore George Uko started two games when Harris was injured last fall, and figures to succeed him on a full-time basis at tackle. J.R. Tavai, the only lineman not to redshirt a year ago, is being groomed to supplant Tupou at the nose in his second season removed from high school.
5. Pittsburgh
DE Aaron Donald resided in the shadows of his older teammates a year ago. That won’t be so much of a problem in 2012. Last season’s breakout star, who had a team-high 11 sacks, is the new leading man now that DE Brandon Lindsey and tackles Chas Alecxih and Myles Caragein have burned through their eligibility. On the interior, two of last year’s young backups, Tyrone Ezell and Khaynin Mosley-Smith will be bucking for a big promotion. Donald’s partner at defensive end will be far less clear, though, especially since Paul Chryst’s new staff will not be using Lindsey’s old panther position. The clock is ticking for a couple of Dave Wannstedt’s former five-star recruits, T.J. Clemmings and Shayne Hale. Neither player has shown much since being signed in 2009 and 2008, respectively.
6. Iowa
There wasn’t any pass rush last season and the run defense was shockingly soft. Even so, the Hawkeyes have huge issues up front with three starters gone along with most of the key backups. The lone returning starter is end Steve Bigach, a 282-pound senior who has yet to make much of a mark with just one sack and 24 tackles last season. Joe Gaglione isn’t starting from scratch at tackle, but he’s an undersized 255 pounds and has to be a part of a rotation. Carl Davis brings the beef at 310 pounds, but he still needs more time and seasoning. And then there’s a major abyss. Louis Trinca-Pasat has to go from being a good prospect to a producer, while 300-pound Jaleel Johnson might be thrown to the wolves right away on the inside. This spring, though, the coaching staff needs to find at least some semblance of a two-deep to work around later this summer. It just might take every snap of every practice to do it.
7. Clemson
The play of the line, both on offense and defense, could trip up the 2012 edition of the Tigers. New coordinator Brent Venables will be missing three of last year’s starters up front, steady DT Rennie Moore and a pair of all-stars, DE Andre Branch and DT Brandon Thompson. It’s a good thing Clemson does about as good a job as anyone in the ACC of signing and developing gifted defensive linemen. On the outside, sophomore Corey Crawford is a former four-star recruit who spent his first season on the two-deep of a league champ. The 6-5, 280-pounder played about 20 snaps a game, and has the look of a future star. For the bowl game, Tyler Shatley and DeShawn Williams were the backups at nose guard and tackle, respectively. However, Shatley has been moved to offense, opening the door for a sophomore, either Tavaris Barnes or Grady Jarrett to win a job.
8. California
Cal’s three-man D-line will be a tale of two very different sagas. The interior will be in fine shape, with the returns of senior nose guards Aaron Tipoti and Kendrick Payne. Both ends, though, need to be replaced by former backups. Ernest Owusu and All-Pac-12 second teamer Trevor Guyton were key cogs in last year’s defense that ranked 19th nationally in sacks. It’s a good thing that the Bears have attracted quality players to the position in recent recruiting cycles. Junior Deandre Coleman showed surprising quickness for a 315-pounder at times last fall, while underclassmen Gabe King, Mustafa Jalil and Viliami Moala have high ceilings that they’ll begin to approach later in the fall. All four will be clawing for playing time in the spring and summer.
9. North Carolina
Talent begets talent, at least in terms of the Carolina defensive line. Whatever is said about former head coach Butch Davis, no one can suggest he and his staff couldn’t attract top-notch recruits to Chapel Hill. While the Tar Heels are losing three terrific players, DE Quinton Coples, DE Donte Paige-Moss and DT Tydreke Powell, the program is confident it has three near-equals waiting in the wings. One way or another, it wants to get Sylvester Williams, Tim Jackson and Kareem Martin, the team’s three best linemen, on the field. With Larry Fedora’s new staff employing a bandit, a hybrid of a linebacker and an end, the 6-6, 260-pound Martin is likely to shift inside in 2012. Williams is set to bloom into the kind of run-stuffer who attracts a lot of attention from NFL scouts.
10. Penn State
The Nittany Lions will have one of the nation’s best linebacking corps to clean up any messes left by the defensive front, but it would be nice if the line could get into the backfield from time to time. Devon Still might have died down the stretch, but he was still good enough to earn Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors. He’ll be missed on the inside, while pass rusher Jack Crawford is gone from the right end and 277-pound Eric Lattimore is done after playing a key role in the rotation on the left side. Jordan Hill isn’t much of a space-eater, but he’s a veteran who needs to be active and effective as top returning tackle starter. DaQuan Jones has the 312-pound bulk, but he only made eight tackle. Sean Stanley is set at one end, while C.J. Olaniyan has to emerge as a new pass rushing star in place of Crawford on the right side.
-
More
key 2012 spring defensive line battles
-
More
key 2012 spring offensive line battles
-
More
key 2012 spring quarterback battles
-
More
key 2012 spring running back battles
Follow Us ...
#ColFootballNews