Weee'rre Baaccckk
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It seems to me that our defense will be drastically improved this season
A.) We return many players on D. Many starters are back, as are several highly rated players who have had some meaningful experience
B.) Stout linebacker core. With AJ and Curt healthy, our line backing core has a chance to be top 5 in the SEC. These guys have all had plenty of PT and experience and are poised for their best seasons yet. And lets not forget Brewer's switch to linebacker. He should provide stable pass defense as a LB while providing much needed speed on the edge that we lacked so often last season. Great move IMO
C.) Mount McCullers and Mo Cuch will anchor the interior of the defensive line which could be the surprise of the year for us. With an entire season under their belt, particularly against a daunting SEC-filled schedule, as well as 2 offseasons training against one the best offensive lines in the NCAA, this d-line truly has an opportunity to explode onto the scene this season. And let's not forget about the potential that Jacques Smith and Marlon Walls bring to the table. And with Danny O and Corey Miller providing depth, this should be a bunch that has a lot of success this season.
D.) Talented safeties with SEC experience and a solid rotation. Randolph, McNeil, and Moore will be a great tandem which should get better every game.
E.) Unit cohesiveness. The majority of these guys have been playing together for 3 years now. That's a lot of time to build relationships and comradery. With competent coaching in place, these guys should be able to build familiarity with one another, particularly during in-game situations regarding assignments, adjustments, etc.
F.) Transition to a traditional 4-3. Our defensive players will finally be able to play in the system they played in high school (most of them), and will finally be able to play in the system they were recruited to play in. The players will fit the system and schemes this year, as opposed to last year when this was clearly far from being the case. This will make a huge impact on the success of the defense.
G.) Competent Coaching. With Martinez and Jancek in control on the defensive side of the ball, I think it's safe to say that our defense finally has some coaches with quality SEC experience and knowledge, not to mention that they're familiar with one another, on the same page, and equally important are friends and actually seem to enjoy working with one another. And with Thigpen coaching the linebackers, I truly believe they will be an incredibly talented and successful unit this season.
H.) Butch Jones. The biggest difference on the team. The way he has brought this team together and having them buy into what he's selling so successfully, this team has a new energy and mindset that we haven't since Fulmer's glory days. We truly hit a home run with this hire, and the on-the-field results should provide credence to this fact.
All in all, it's a great time to be a Vol. Our defense should be vastly improved this season, and will be key to the amount of success we have this season.
Go Vols!
A.) We return many players on D. Many starters are back, as are several highly rated players who have had some meaningful experience
B.) Stout linebacker core. With AJ and Curt healthy, our line backing core has a chance to be top 5 in the SEC. These guys have all had plenty of PT and experience and are poised for their best seasons yet. And lets not forget Brewer's switch to linebacker. He should provide stable pass defense as a LB while providing much needed speed on the edge that we lacked so often last season. Great move IMO
C.) Mount McCullers and Mo Cuch will anchor the interior of the defensive line which could be the surprise of the year for us. With an entire season under their belt, particularly against a daunting SEC-filled schedule, as well as 2 offseasons training against one the best offensive lines in the NCAA, this d-line truly has an opportunity to explode onto the scene this season. And let's not forget about the potential that Jacques Smith and Marlon Walls bring to the table. And with Danny O and Corey Miller providing depth, this should be a bunch that has a lot of success this season.
D.) Talented safeties with SEC experience and a solid rotation. Randolph, McNeil, and Moore will be a great tandem which should get better every game.
E.) Unit cohesiveness. The majority of these guys have been playing together for 3 years now. That's a lot of time to build relationships and comradery. With competent coaching in place, these guys should be able to build familiarity with one another, particularly during in-game situations regarding assignments, adjustments, etc.
F.) Transition to a traditional 4-3. Our defensive players will finally be able to play in the system they played in high school (most of them), and will finally be able to play in the system they were recruited to play in. The players will fit the system and schemes this year, as opposed to last year when this was clearly far from being the case. This will make a huge impact on the success of the defense.
G.) Competent Coaching. With Martinez and Jancek in control on the defensive side of the ball, I think it's safe to say that our defense finally has some coaches with quality SEC experience and knowledge, not to mention that they're familiar with one another, on the same page, and equally important are friends and actually seem to enjoy working with one another. And with Thigpen coaching the linebackers, I truly believe they will be an incredibly talented and successful unit this season.
H.) Butch Jones. The biggest difference on the team. The way he has brought this team together and having them buy into what he's selling so successfully, this team has a new energy and mindset that we haven't since Fulmer's glory days. We truly hit a home run with this hire, and the on-the-field results should provide credence to this fact.
All in all, it's a great time to be a Vol. Our defense should be vastly improved this season, and will be key to the amount of success we have this season.
Go Vols!
