switching from 4-3 to a 3-4 defense

[aubiefifty 18,231]

 

[Sani-Freeze 552]

Beyond the learning curve, it also takes a few years to get the right personnel. It's been a while, but both Bama and UGA had ugly transition years when they switched to a 3-4. 

 

Hopefully it will be worth it in the long run, but it's a tall order to start going head-to-head with Kirby and Saban for the exact same nose, DE and OLB players now. Historically AU has found some pretty good "tweeners" that worked in a 4-3. 

 

 

[AUgrad2013 114]

It will take the players time to transition to a new system, but I think defensively we have some good pieces for a move to a 3-4 defense. 
 

Nose/1” - Butler, Burks, Wright, Robinson 

Tackle/3” - Walker, Hardy, Hunter, Matthews

End/5” - Wooden, Walker, Handy, Foster-Allen, Okoli

OLB/Stud- Hall, Height, Johnson

 

I actually think handy has the athleticism to be a great OLB, based off his snaps this year. 

[Sani-Freeze 552]

1 hour ago, AUgrad2013 said:

It will take the players time to transition to a new system, but I think defensively we have some good pieces for a move to a 3-4 defense. 
 

Nose/1” - Butler, Burks, Wright, Robinson 

Tackle/3” - Walker, Hardy, Hunter, Matthews

End/5” - Wooden, Walker, Handy, Foster-Allen, Okoli

OLB/Stud- Hall, Height, Johnson

 

I actually think handy has the athleticism to be a great OLB, based off his snaps this year. 

Butler may be able to play 3 in this scheme, but I don't think he's a nose. He looks tall and skinnier than listed, and got blown off the line a good bit when he played. Burks didn't contribute at all this year, so he's a total unknown. That leaves Wright unless we snag a transfer. As far as the other spots, we don't even know yet who is coming back. 

[AUgrad2013 114]

7 minutes ago, Sani-Freeze said:

Butler may be able to play 3 in this scheme, but I don't think he's a nose. He looks tall and skinnier than listed, and got blown off the line a good bit when he played. Burks didn't contribute at all this year, so he's a total unknown. That leaves Wright unless we snag a transfer. As far as the other spots, we don't even know yet who is coming back. 

Yeah your right about Butler, I was torn where to put him. Looking at it again the nose position will have to be “by committee” we really don’t have anybody with the body for it besides Wright. He had some good snaps in bowl game. Maybe we can add a grad transfer. 

[AUinfusion 390]

3 hours ago, Sani-Freeze said:

Beyond the learning curve, it also takes a few years to get the right personnel. It's been a while, but both Bama and UGA had ugly transition years when they switched to a 3-4. 

 

Hopefully it will be worth it in the long run, but it's a tall order to start going head-to-head with Kirby and Saban for the exact same nose, DE and OLB players now. Historically AU has found some pretty good "tweeners" that worked in a 4-3. 

 

 

That’s my biggest concern with the move: competing with UGA and bama for the same players. It will be interesting to see how that plays out.

[bigbird 60,939]

I'd love to be able to replace Rocker with Terry Price.

[Gowebb11 9,871]

2 minutes ago, bigbird said:

I'd love to be able to replace Rocker with Terry Price.

Should be our first call. He quietly produces great recruiting and player development on a very consistent basis. 

[Hank2020 3,355]

15 minutes ago, Gowebb11 said:

Should be our first call. He quietly produces great recruiting and player development on a very consistent basis. 

Would be surprised if he left aTm for same position.

[bigbird 60,939]

4 minutes ago, Hank2020 said:

Would be surprised if he left aTm for same position.

Me too, especially since TAMU is his alma mater...but he'd be a homerun.

[bigbird 60,939]

"All about seeing our youth better than we were"

That's what it's all about!

[gravejd 3,304]

It is a for sure that we will switch to the 3-4? I did not watch Vandy play at all the last couple season but i heard that they had gone more to a 4-3 look just due to the players they had. We the stand up DEs and running 4 DBs most of the time i don't think the differences in 3-4 and 4-3 are as big a deal as they use to be. But that NT block eater is a must have if you are trying to run a traditional 3-4. If we don't have a big 350 dude to put there, i have also seen teams use a smaller quick guy and stunt him constantly to disrupt the interior of the OL. No ideal cause a stunt in the wrong direction can cause issues. 

[bigbird 60,939]

3 minutes ago, gravejd said:

But that NT block eater is a must have if you are trying to run a traditional 3-4. If we don't have a big 350 dude to put there,

76JeremiahWright

• Height:

  6-5

• Position:

  Defensive Tackle

• Weight:

  340

• Class:

  Freshman

• Hometown:

  Selma, Ala.

• High School:

  Selma

• College:

  Engineering

 

https://auburntigers.com/sports/football/roster/jeremiah--wright/16422

[gravejd 3,304]

6 minutes ago, bigbird said:

76JeremiahWright

• Height:

  6-5

• Position:

  Defensive Tackle

• Weight:

  340

• Class:

  Freshman

• Hometown:

  Selma, Ala.

• High School:

  Selma

• College:

  Engineering

 

https://auburntigers.com/sports/football/roster/jeremiah--wright/16422

Yeah that guy fits the mold!! 

[AUgrad2013 114]

11 minutes ago, gravejd said:

It is a for sure that we will switch to the 3-4? I did not watch Vandy play at all the last couple season but i heard that they had gone more to a 4-3 look just due to the players they had. We the stand up DEs and running 4 DBs most of the time i don't think the differences in 3-4 and 4-3 are as big a deal as they use to be. But that NT block eater is a must have if you are trying to run a traditional 3-4. If we don't have a big 350 dude to put there, i have also seen teams use a smaller quick guy and stunt him constantly to disrupt the interior of the OL. No ideal cause a stunt in the wrong direction can cause issues. 

Im sure coach mason and staff will develop the defense to best fit our players. He could run more 4-3 this year and try to evolve into a 3-4 over the next couple of years. His bases defenses at Stanford were 3-4 defenses. He had 3 large bodies up front, athletic edge players and physical inside LBs that could make tackles based on the DL eating up blocks. 

[Tigerpro2a 5,650]

1 hour ago, bigbird said:

76JeremiahWright

• Height:

  6-5

• Position:

  Defensive Tackle

• Weight:

  340

• Class:

  Freshman

• Hometown:

  Selma, Ala.

• High School:

  Selma

• College:

  Engineering

 

https://auburntigers.com/sports/football/roster/jeremiah--wright/16422

Kid looked pretty good when he was in this year. I thought he played well in bowl game, too. Has anyone heard if Truesdell is leaving or staying?

[AUgrad2013 114]

3 minutes ago, Tigerpro2a said:

Kid looked pretty good when he was in this year. I thought he played well in bowl game, too. Has anyone heard if Truesdell is leaving or staying?

I think Truesdell would be a good fit for what Mason wants to do and it would benefit him to take advantage of the 6th year. Odd to me that his names hasn't been mentioned anywhere. 

[Tigerpro2a 5,650]

Just now, AUgrad2013 said:

I think Truesdell would be a good fit for what Mason wants to do and it would benefit him to take advantage of the 6th year. Odd to me that his names hasn't been mentioned anywhere. 

Exactly what I was thinking and why I asked. I actually think a player like Truesdell would fit better with Mason than he did in our former staff's scheme. He isn't the most agile guy to wreck havoc on the line, but he is solid 300 lbs and could be a great 2 gap guy.