'18 GA DE Jamarcus Chatman (Former UT commit 6/25/17)

[Volnukem]

He did say something along those lines. This is a quote from an article on SDS 5 months ago:

“I’m looking forward to Year 2 and putting my stamp on things,” Shoop said. “You may see more 4-3 than 4-2-5 concepts, but to the naked eye it won’t look a whole lot different.”

That likely means Gaulden is still out there, but the fits and coverages are different.

 

[bigl3327]

I know the defense looked awful last year, but with injuries and the roster he inherited Shoop was unable to run "his" defense. Hope to see major changes and improvement this year.

 

[MADISONGAVOL]

I have no clue. I missed it if he did. That would be a good thing though IMO.

He's said on multiple interviews we will be mostly nickel the way teams spread you out but we will run 4-3 against teams that it fits better. Let's just hope we can run a 4-3teams ate up our defense in it last year

 

[Darth_Shiveman]

He's said on multiple interviews we will be mostly nickel the way teams spread you out but we will run 4-3 against teams that it fits better. Let's just hope we can run a 4-3teams ate up our defense in it last year

FWIW, at PSU he often ran 4-3 looks even against teams that featured 11 personnel. Last year I went back and watched the 2015 PSU/OSU game for reference, and he PSU was in 4-3 sets ~1/3 of the time, even when OSU had 3 WRS on the field (largely because he was hedging his bets that they'd try to run the ball on early downs).

So we know Shoop is willing to run 4-3 looks even against teams that try to spread out defenses. We just don't know why he didn't last year.


It could've been because he didn't like what he had to work with at LB (but if that's the case, why change jobs to begin with?), because of injuries (but, again, why didn't we see more 4-3 early in the season when the team was healthy?), because he was trying to ease the 2016 Vols into his scheme, or because Butch wanted didn't want him to change things up too much.

Either way, we know he has run much more 4-3 in the past than he did in 2016. It's hard to tell why he changed things up in 2016 and if that trend will continue though.

 

[MADISONGAVOL]

FWIW, at PSU he often ran 4-3 looks even against teams that featured 11 personnel. Last year I went back and watched the 2015 PSU/OSU game for reference, and he PSU was in 4-3 sets ~1/3 of the time, even when OSU had 3 WRS on the field (largely because he was hedging his bets that they'd try to run the ball on early downs).

So we know Shoop is willing to run 4-3 looks even against teams that try to spread out defenses. We just don't know why he didn't last year.


It could've been because he didn't like what he had to work with at LB (but if that's the case, why change jobs to begin with?), because of injuries (but, again, why didn't we see more 4-3 early in the season when the team was healthy?), because he was trying to ease the 2016 Vols into his scheme, or because Butch wanted didn't want him to change things up too much.

Either way, we know he has run much more 4-3 in the past than he did in 2016. It's hard to tell why he changed things up in 2016 and if that trend will continue though.

I agree I watched psu and uga in bowl game he ran pretty much 4-3 entire time. I think if he wants to stop run against bama if and uga he better figure out 4-3. Personell...idk....scrstxhing my head on that one as we are not uber talented at the position but we had more than enough to run it last year....just my opinion......chaney ate whoops defense up last year. That needs to stop

 

[Darth_Shiveman]

I agree I watched psu and uga in bowl game he ran pretty much 4-3 entire time. I think if he wants to stop run against bama if and uga he better figure out 4-3. Personell...idk....scrstxhing my head on that one as we are not uber talented at the position but we had more than enough to run it last year....just my opinion......chaney ate whoops defense up last year. That needs to stop

I pretty much agree. I was genuinely surprised at how little 4-3 we saw last year. In the past, Shoop has run a LOT of 4-3, even against spread offenses.

I'd love to be able to pick his brain and hear why he went away from that so much in 2016.

 

[MADISONGAVOL]

I pretty much agree. I was genuinely surprised at how little 4-3 we saw last year. In the past, Shoop has run a LOT of 4-3, even against spread offenses.

I'd love to be able to pick his brain and hear why he went away from that so much in 2016.

Only rationale I have is we lost so much on defense last year and it being year one with whoop as the dc. However he has been reported saying the slide last year was his fault for being stubborn and not adjusting to personnel on the field. Try and figure that one out.....

 

[vols72]

Only rationale I have is we lost so much on defense last year and it being year one with whoop as the dc. However he has been reported saying the slide last year was his fault for being stubborn and not adjusting to personnel on the field. Try and figure that one out.....

Falling on the sword maybe?

 

[LouderVol]

Only rationale I have is we lost so much on defense last year and it being year one with whoop as the dc. However he has been reported saying the slide last year was his fault for being stubborn and not adjusting to personnel on the field. Try and figure that one out.....

good leadership. never dooley it and blame the players.

 

[wtorange]

I pretty much agree. I was genuinely surprised at how little 4-3 we saw last year. In the past, Shoop has run a LOT of 4-3, even against spread offenses.

I'd love to be able to pick his brain and hear why he went away from that so much in 2016.

He would probably say it was because after Kirkland and Reeves-Maybin went down it was hard for him to put 2 linebackers on the field much less 3.

 

[Darth_Shiveman]

He would probably say it was because after Kirkland and Reeves-Maybin went down it was hard for him to put 2 linebackers on the field much less 3.

I hear this a lot, but we never even saw it early in the season when those two and the rest of the LBs were healthy.

App state was a run heavy team and we were in the Nickel basically all night against them.

 

[wtorange]

I hear this a lot, but we never even saw it early in the season when those two and the rest of the LBs were healthy.

App state was a run heavy team and we were in the Nickel basically all night against them.

And who did we have after that game?

 

[Darth_Shiveman]

And who did we have after that game?

That's a different discussion than I was getting into and I'll answer it after I've said this:

All I'm saying is that given how few 4-3 looks we saw in Spring 2016 or in the first two games, I'm not sure using a lot of 4-3 looks was really part of the plan going into the season. I don't recall seeing any 4-3 looks that spring and all the practice reports came back giving reports of depth charts based on Nickel personnel.




To answer your question, until about th 3rd quarter of the VT game, we had basically our entire LB corps at Shoops's disposal (minus smith). Granted, JRM was out for the second half of App State because of targeting.

Then we lost JRM and Kirkland against VT and Sapp against against Ohio (he seemed stuck behind McDowell at that point, but the loss of depth hurt, nonetheless).

So yeah, I can see how by week 3 or 4 our depth chart pretty much necessitated more Nickel looks. But I also think that if a lot of 4-3 looks had been in plans, we'd have seen or heard about the team actually preparing for those looks before the injury plague struck.

 

[Darth_Shiveman]

So...um...guys


I wanna go on record and admit to my being a dumba**. I went back and watched the defense against App State. Early on before JRM was ejected, we actually were playing with 3 LBs on the field a decent bit. Bynum was the 3rd LB. But honestly, he didn't look that great. Or at least he didn't seem to bring any more to the defense than Gaulden (or even Osborne, at times) did in th nickel.


So, yeah. That probably explains it. Kinda seems like maybe Shoop just didn't have a SLB that he liked that much.


My bad for derailing the thread with a bunch of $#!+ that turned out to be largely based on a faulty premise.

 

[OGbabyaviVol]

So...um...guys


I wanna go on record and admit to my being a dumba**. I went back and watched the defense against App State. Early on before JRM was ejected, we actually were playing with 3 LBs on the field a decent bit. Bynum was the 3rd LB. But honestly, he didn't look that great. Or at least he didn't seem to bring any more to the defense than Gaulden (or even Osborne, at times) did in th nickel.


So, yeah. That probably explains it. Kinda seems like maybe Shoop just didn't have a SLB that he liked that much.


My bad for derailing the thread with a bunch of $#!+ that turned out to be largely based on a faulty premise.

That's how it's done. :salute:

Some could learn a thing or 2 from this.

 

[Bassmaster_Vol]

Gotta have Bituli on the field. DK, Sapp, and Bituli can do work if we use 3 linebackers imo

 

[avolation]

Gotta have Bituli on the field. DK, Sapp, and Bituli can do work if we use 3 linebackers imo

I think Bituli is really going to bolster our run defense this year. I cant wait to see him meet some running back in a hole and drive him backwards into the turf.

 

[buckfama]

I think Bituli is really going to bolster our run defense this year. I cant wait to see him meet some running back in a hole and drive him backwards into the turf.

I think we have one of the freshman step up and give some needed depth. Ignont or Ried could both be good players for us. If one of them can grasp the playbook then we would be. Lot better off depth wise and see what Shoop really wants to run.

 

[Darth_Shiveman]

Gotta have Bituli on the field. DK, Sapp, and Bituli can do work if we use 3 linebackers imo

I really hope we find a way to get Bituli on the field more, whether it's at SLB or MLB with Kirkland playing some WLB.

Between Smith and year more mature Bituli, I'm pretty certain we'll see much better SLB than we were getting from Bynum last year.

 

[BigorangeBoy]

I really hope we find a way to get Bituli on the field more, whether it's at SLB or MLB with Kirkland playing some WLB.

Between Smith and year more mature Bituli, I'm pretty certain we'll see much better SLB than we were getting from Bynum last year.

Agree, I just don think Bynum was athletically good enough for the position. More experienced, perhaps - but just couldn't make plays.

BTW, like the avatar. I saw the preview for the video game based on the Lovecraft story. Hopefully stays true to the story.

 

[Rishvol]

I really hope we find a way to get Bituli on the field more, whether it's at SLB or MLB with Kirkland playing some WLB.

Between Smith and year more mature Bituli, I'm pretty certain we'll see much better SLB than we were getting from Bynum last year.

I think Bituli would be a dominant SLB. Keep Kirkland in the middle. Yes there middle he's been a good MLB for 1 1/2 years so he know how to get things done at that position.

 

[jakez4ut]

So...um...guys


I wanna go on record and admit to my being a dumba**. I went back and watched the defense against App State. Early on before JRM was ejected, we actually were playing with 3 LBs on the field a decent bit. Bynum was the 3rd LB. But honestly, he didn't look that great. Or at least he didn't seem to bring any more to the defense than Gaulden (or even Osborne, at times) did in th nickel.


So, yeah. That probably explains it. Kinda seems like maybe Shoop just didn't have a SLB that he liked that much.


My bad for derailing the thread with a bunch of $#!+ that turned out to be largely based on a faulty premise.

this. yep...this is has been my contention all along...glad you posted this.

 

[jakez4ut]

I think Bituli would be a dominant SLB. Keep Kirkland in the middle. Yes there middle he's been a good MLB for 1 1/2 years so he know how to get things done at that position.

dominant? bituli and DK are both basically MLB. putting either one outside, you do give up some speed laterally.

smart football players, good tacklers, not the greatest in space speed wise. they way both get faster, is being better at diagnosing....and communication.

i do a gree though, if i had to pick 3 today in early July, i'd find a way to get Bituli out there, DK and probably Sapp.

 

[chaseasl]

dominant? bituli and DK are both basically MLB. putting either one outside, you do give up some speed laterally.

smart football players, good tacklers, not the greatest in space speed wise. they way both get faster, is being better at diagnosing....and communication.

i do a gree though, if i had to pick 3 today in early July, i'd find a way to get Bituli out there, DK and probably Sapp.

I don't think we are giving up any speed putting Kirkland on the outside, he has plenty of speed.

 

[85SugarVol]

DKjr is plenty fast enough.