2009 Miami Univ. Preview - Defense

CollegeFootballNews.com 2009 Preview - Miami RedHawk Defense

Miami University RedHawks

Preview 2009 - Defense

- 2009 CFN Miami Preview | 2009 Miami Offense
- 2009 Miami Defense | 2009 Miami Depth Chart
- 2008 MU Preview | 2007 MU Preview | 2006 MU Preview 

What you need to know: A stunning, shocking disaster, MU was supposed to have the MAC's top defense, or was at least supposed to be among the best in the conference, but it was among the worst in America in almost every phase. The biggest issue was the line that failed to generate any pressure and was shoved all over the place against the run. Now the front seven is starting from near-scratch with DT Martin Channels the lone holdover from last year's front four and Caleb Bostic the one returning starter from last season's all-star linebacking corps. The secondary gets everyone back except for top safety Robbie Wilson, but playmaking safety Jordan Gafford is back after missing most of last year. New defensive coordinator Carl Reese can't get less production than last year's defense, and there's just enough overall athleticism to hope for a quick improvement if there's any semblance of a pass rush. However, from all indications, the defense won't do anything crazy to try to generate pressure.

Returning Leaders
Tackles: Caleb Bostin, 40
Sacks: Joe Coniglio, 4
Interceptions: Ben Bennett, 1

Star of the defense: Senior LB Caleb Bostic
Player who has to step up and become a star: Redshirt freshman DE Mike Johns
Unsung star on the rise: Sophomore LB Jerrell Wedge
Best pro prospect: Bostic
Top three all-star candidates: 1) Bostic, 2) S Jordan Gafford, 3) S Ben Bennett
Strength of the defense: Overall experience, Linebacker
Weakness of the defense: Run defense, picking off passes

Defensive Line

Projected Starters: One of the few decent producers on the defensive front last year was senior Martin Channels, a 6-0, 325-pound bowling ball who started every game but one on the nose. Now he'll play more of a true tackle role working on the left side, and while he's built to clog things up, he's decent at getting into the backfield making eight tackles for loss along with 20 tackles.

Taking over at right tackle will be Jordain Brown, a 6-0, 294-pound junior who's built like a nose tackle but has the potential to be an interior pass rusher because of his quickness. A key backup last year, he made 12 tackles but didn't make any plays in the backfield.

Joe Coniglio was the only player to start every game last year on the line, working at right end, and now it'll be up to Morris Council, a 6-2, 259-pound junior, to take over. Coniglio was the team's leading sacker, even though he came up with just four, while Council made 23 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and 5.5 tackles for loss as a backup. He started the final two games of the year, and now he should add more speed to the position as the full-time end.

6-4, 270-pound redshirt freshman Mike Johns is more like a 3-4 end than a pass rusher in a 4-3, and he could end up seeing time at tackle. Extremely quick for his size, he'll work his way into the backfield to get the occasional sack, but he'll really excel as an interior pass rusher if he ever steps in at tackle. 

Projected Top Reserves: If and when Johns moves inside, junior Jordan Stevens will take over at left end after making 14 tackles and a sack as a backup. At 6-4 and 262 pounds he has good size and the athleticism to become a decent pass rusher, but he has to do more when he gets his chances.

Senior Mark Paun worked behind Channels last year on the nose, and now he'll be a backup at left tackle. The 6-3, 277-pounder made nine tackles in his limited role and he hasn't done much to get into the backfield despite his quickness on the inside.

6-6, 278-pound junior D.J. Svabik has beefed up over the last year and should be a bigger factor on the inside rotation with Brown. He has seen time on the end in the past, but he's better suited to a tackle spot where he made 13 stops as a reserve.

Watch Out For ... new defensive line coach Antoine Smith to do everything possible to figure out how to generate pressure. The line has to do something right after last year, and job one will be to come up with ways to get to the quarterback.
Strength: Size. The projected starting ends go 270 (Johns) and 259 (Council), while the tackles are big and strong. Bulk isn't going to be an issue.
Weakness: Playing football. In a disastrous 2008 season for the underachieving RedHawks, the line was the biggest disappointment. It did nothing. Absolutely nothing. MU came up with a mere 13 sacks, just 58 tackles for loss, and was last in the MAC, and 106th in the nation, against the run.
Outlook: Maybe it's an even-year thing. MU's line was a stunning disappointment in 2006, but came back with a nice 2007. It was a shocking flop last year, when the pieces were there to become the best line in the MAC, and now there has to be hope for a rebound under the new coaching staff. After doing nothing, the line has to find one thing it can do reasonably well, and it needs one player it can build around. That might be Channels, but a fearsome pass rushing end would be a huge help.
Rating: 5

Linebackers

Projected Starters: One of the most productive linebacking trios in MAC history only gets one piece back, but he's a good one. 6-3, 232-pound senior Caleb Bostic missed three games last season and had an underwhelming 40 tackles with 1.5 sacks. More like a weakside linebacker playing on the strong side, he's great at stuffing the run and is strong enough to handle any blocking tight end. He should break out and have a big final year, or at least be back to his 103-tackle sophomore form, after having problems with a foot injury last year. When he's right, he's all over the field making plays and he's a great threat in the backfield.

Looking to take over for Joey Hudson, who led the team with 109 tackles, in the middle is Jerrell Wedge, a 5-9, 227-pound tackling machine who should put up huge numbers now that he finally gets his chance. The sophomore made six tackles as a reserve but could hover around the 100-stop mark if he's not part of a rotation.

Clayton Mullins was the 2007 MAC Defensive Player of the Year and followed up his 143-tackle season by making 105 stops. David Davis will get the first shot at taking over for the perennial all-star on the weakside. The 6-1, 223-pound junior made just one stop last year, but the special teamer has bulked up and has the speed to make a big impact.

Projected Top Reserves: Combining with Davis on the weakside will be DeAndre Gilmore, a 6-1, 227-pound junior who made two tackles as a special teamer. Ultra-athletic for a linebacker, he's a former defensive back who could be used in a variety of ways on the outside.

Working in a rotation with Wedge in the middle, and getting every shot at the starting job, is 6-1, 224-pound junior Ryan Kennedy. He was a key reserve last year making 27 tackles. Able to play inside or out, he's one of the team's most versatile linebackers and is a strong tackler.

Watch Out For ... a steady rotation in the middle and the weakside. Bostic is a given, but the jobs are wide open for the other two spots. Gilmore and Kennedy are neck-and-neck for the starting gigs.
Strength: Bostic. When healthy, he's one of the MAC's elite defensive players and a possible Defensive Player of the Year playmaker. The rest of the linebacking corps isn't as bad as it might appear considering Mullins and Hudson are gone.
Weakness: Overall experience. All the new players in the mix have seen a little bit of time either as reserves or on special teams, but it's going to take a while to get everyone up to speed. Bostic will help.
Outlook: It was an awful year overall for the defense, and while it might hurt to lose Hudson and Mullins and their 214 tackles and 18 tackles for loss, it's not like the D did anything with them. A healthy Bostic could make all the difference, and while the new faces in the rotation might need a bit to figure out what they're doing, they're athletic and they'll put up numbers.
Rating: 6

Defensive Backs

Projected Starters: While the secondary returns plenty of experience and a few starters, the one loss, strong safety Robbie Wilson, is a big one. 5-11, 195-pound junior Ben Bennett started most of last year at free safety and will now move over to take over Wilson's old spot. He made 30 tackles with an interception, and now he should be a statistical star in his new spot. While he might not be all that big a hitter to be a strong safety, but he has 4.43 speed.

With Bennett moving over, 6-0, 206-pound junior Jordan Gafford will take over the full-time weak safety job. He finished fourth on the team in tackles in 2007 with 89, but he missed most of last year hurt with a shin problem after making six tackles. A huge hitter, he also has great range and the potential to instantly upgrade the secondary.

Junior Brandon Stephens was a spot starter at one corner last year, but he turned out to be one of the best tacklers in the secondary making 30 stops with two broken up passes. He didn't do enough when the ball was in the air, but he has the speed and the 5-10, 200-pound size to become a strong playmaker now that he has two years of playing time.

Starting at the right corner job will be Jeff Thompson after making 22 tackles with four broken up passes. The 5-10, 196-pound senior isn't the flashiest defender, but he's a sound, strong tackler who can do a little bit of everything on the outside. He'll get beaten too often on deep balls, but he doesn't miss any open field stops.

Projected Top Reserves: Senior Wendell Brunson took over a starting corner job late last year, starting three of the final four games, and finished with 18 tackles with four broken up passes. A good veteran, he knows what he's doing and can be used as a nickel or dime back and will be a key backup at both corner jobs.

6-1, 200-pound junior Peris Edwards is a speedy sophomore who can play either safety spot. Working as a reserve in every game, he made 16 tackles after making 17 stops as a freshman. He'll start out behind Gafford at weak safety, but he'll see time in a variety of places.

Watch Out For ... the return of Gafford. An all-around playmaker, he appeared to be ready to come up with a huge season before the injury problems. Now that he's back and healthy, he should be one of the team's leading tacklers.
Strength: Experience. With Gafford back, the secondary gets back enough talent and veterans to be steadier. Losing Wilson is painful, but the upgrade at the other spots, at least the hopeful upgrade, should make up for it.
Weakness: Making plays. The RedHawks only came up with six interceptions last year with one coming from a linebacker, one from a defensive lineman, and three from Wilson. That means only one interception came from the rest of the veteran secondary.
Outlook: Over the last few years, the pass defense numbers have been solid because everyone spent so much time running the ball. When teams wanted to throw on MU, they did. The RedHawks finished third in the MAC, and 28th in the nation, in pass defense, but was 12th in the league and 109th in the country in pass efficiency defense. The experience has to count for something.
Rating: 5

Special Teams

Projected Starters: Can Trevor Cook be a factor again? He gave way to Nate Parseghian, who hit 20-of-23 field goals last year, but he has handle the kickoffs and and has been great on onside kicks. He sat last year and will be back after an interesting first two years. While he has a big leg, he followed up a 10-of-13 freshman season with a shaky 5-of-10 sophomore campaign. It's his gig now.

Gone is Jake Richardson, one of the nation's elite punters, and his 45.4-yard average, but senior Chris DiCesare isn't a bad fill-in. He doesn't have any experience, but he has a good leg and is expected to be decent.

WR Eugene Harris is a solid punt returner averaging 9.1 yards per try last year, with two touchdowns, after averaging 9.3 yards per try in 2007. Dustin Woods will handle the kickoff return duties after averaging 25.6 yards per try last year. 

Watch Out For ... the kickers to not be all that bad. There will be a drop-off after losing Parseghian and Richardson, but Cook and DiCesare should be serviceable.
Strength: The return game. Woods is more of a gamebreaker as a kickoff returner than he has been as a receiver. Harris was bottled up a bit too often as a punt returner, but he also came up with two big scores. 
Weakness: Coverage teams. This is a big area of concern. The RedHawks, even with a great directional punter in Richardson, struggled allowing 13.1 yards per punt return. The kick coverage team gave up 21.1 yards per try.
Outlook: If the kickers can just be average, the special teams will be fine. The coverage teams have to do far more, but the return game should be among the best in the MAC.
Rating: 6.5