Are there any players capable up stepping up and belong in the secondary, sounds like we are getting very thin.
Sounds like we have a 3 man rotation at safety and 4 at corner.
Ramirez, Liddell and Coley
Dean, Tolliver, Pulley and Collins
Who is Cornelius? Do you mean Jared Collins?
Byron Keaton got quite a bit of work with the second-team corners during the preseason, so he is an option there. He is a walk-on, so there may be a bit of a drop-off. Of course, Richardson was a walk-on, too. Nate Dalton is also a corner who may see some limited playing time.
At safety, Reid Miller ran with the backup defense throughout the preseason. Again, a drop-off, but he has experience there.
Thinking outside the box, but there are several good athletes who may be able to step in if depth ever becomes an issue. I think of players like Alexy Jean-Baptiste who could probably move to safety from linebacker. Then there are backup players on offense who have experience in the secondary.
How about Jordan Jones at DB for the remainder of the year?
They need to do something. They are thin and do not seem to be able to cover or tackle very well. We heard all spring and August about this transformation on the back end. Maybe so, but it seemed like the same ole pitch, watch them catch, and then miss a few tackles. I watched La Tech cover our receivers, so it surely can be done.
D.J. Dean is back in the mix at CB this week after not playing vs. LTU. He’s listed on the two-deep released today.
We have two DB 2016 recruits (D. Edwards and M. Smith) who were likely going to redshirt. I suspect they are getting a look, but will still redshirt. It will take some extra effort by the players to do their part, but we have what we need to get the job done without pulling redshirts or panicking. Both Pulley and Coley are hard hitters. They need reps to fully develop, but will contribute.
I admit I’m not a sophisticated observer, but it certainly appears to me we still have some glaring problems with pass defense. We cannot afford another injury in the D backfield. It sure hurts losing someone in the first game.
As Danny Ford once said, it does not take “a scientific rocket” to see the issues.
I think they can make do with who they’ve got at CB and S, if (and I realize it’s a big if, given what’s already transpired and how early it is) they stay healthy.
DJ Dean will help. He can play nickel, freeing up Toliver to play more at boundary in tandem with Pulley. I’m interested to see DJ. When healthy, I think he’s one of their two best CBs, but it’s been a while since he’s been healthy.
Toliver will still play a lot of nickel and probably start there, but he much prefers boundary to nickel. I’ve thought for a while he’s their best CB. Collins played every snap or close to it Saturday. I’d expect that to continue.
If there are more injuries, Byron Keaton at CB and I guess Reid Miller would be next up. Worth noting, Nate Dalton worked at FS behind Liddell and Miller during camp. Needless to say, they need to stay healthy.
We have a real lack of depth in the secondary and it will be exposed Saturday I’m afraid. It’s the position with the least amount of talent and quantity on the team.
It has been a weak spot for Coach B and it has to get better as more & more teams have comforted (insert TexASS win over ND)
We all know his opposition to it but he better learn how to defend it and recruit speed and better talent to do it
X factor Coach Rhoades knows Patterson well and brings that to the table
Injuries don’t help but at some point this D has to respond and make plays that flip the field and change momentum
We get a good test Saturday
We already had a test; this coming weekend is a colonoscopy.
:lol:
OK that was uncalled for!!!
i spit tea all over the table :lol: