E.T.G.
One of trus baby mommas
2 part series here. Glad to be talking about CFB again. Hope to get Offense up sometime soon.
*I listed the players I can see logging snaps. This side of the ball is pretty deep for the Gamecocks if everyone is back in school, staying out of trouble, and healthy. Some players I went into more depth about just because I had more to say.
Defense:
I will be the first to admit, I expected the unit to be good, I went as far as to say that this was going to be one of the best defenses Carolina had in a long time. I based a large part of my “Over 7 Wins” wager on the defense which was supposed to be the glue that held the team together. Things began to unravel before the opening week. Jordin Lindsey (DE) was ruled ineligible. His twin brother Dustin (LB) had another setback from a knee injury during the spring game. During the spring and summer, Casper Brinkley spent time adjusting to life at OLB, when Lindsey was ruled ineligible, he was moved back to DE to try and help the team. That move alone in turn weakened the linebacker corps. Jasper had a bad ankle that he rolled in practice and it was bothering him for long periods of the ULL game. The team went into the UGAY game, and besides a late 50yard run by Moreno, they basically shut that offense down. Things would only go south from there, wayyyyyyy south. Nathan Pepper (DL/DE) would be lost against SC State returning a turnover for a touchdown. It was a freak accident where he slipped trying to slow down in the endzone but he was performing the best on the DL at the time. Jasper Brinkley tears his LCL in the 1<SUP>st</SUP> quarter of the LSU game, he tried hard to keep playing throughout the game but was only a shadow of his former self. Later in the season, Captain Munnerlyn (CB) broke his foot against Arkansas and would be lost vs. Florida and Clemson. Carlos Thomas and Stoney Woodson, both corners, would be lost late in the Clemson game, only to leave a true frosh covering Aaron Kelly on 3<SUP>rd</SUP> and 15 in the 4<SUP>th</SUP> quarter. Brandon Issac was basically lost before the season started because of a shoulder that plagued a talented DB. Every team has injuries, yes. The difference at South Carolina is when Jasper Brinkley goes down, his backup was an undersized MLB in Marvin Sapp or a true frosh in Melvin Ingram. When other schools such as UGA and LSU are redshirting their blue-chip prospects on defense, South Carolina is playing Cliff Matthews out of position at OLB with a cast on his hand and Ladi Ajiboye at DT vs. SEC linemen. When Jasper Brinkley goes down with a season ending injury they are replacing him with an experienced upper classmen nearly as talented where as SC is placing a True Frosh in his position. Regardless of all of these problems, the team still did not perform to the level necessary to win in the SEC-East and the defense/special teams cost SC 2 games late in the year.
Change in Philosophy:
With Tyrone Nix departure, in come Ellis Johnson, formerly of Miss St and a large part of the reason that they even made a bowl game in 2007, it sure wasn’t the offense. I didn’t dislike Nix but I had a HUGE problem with his lack of aggressiveness on 3<SUP>rd</SUP> and long situations. This wasn’t something that happened just against Clemson, no, this is something I’ve witnessed with my own eyes too many times to recall. He also came up with some very clever defenses to try and stop Arkansas and UF such as 2 down linemen (joke). Ellis Johnson brings the same type of standard defensive approach in that the 4-3 will remain the base defense but he is more aggressive and that should benefit SC who should be able to play man coverage on the outside. Spurrier was going to hire Johnson originally when he came to SC, 4years late he has his man.
Defensive Line:
SDE: Jordin Lindsey – 5<SUP>th</SUP> year Senior, missed 2007 because of Academics. He knows the game of football and is very discipline w/ a lot of starting experience. Not the most talented player in the world but he makes up for that with football smarts and other intangibles like a motor that never stops.
WDE: Cliff Matthews – True Sophomore, he spent 2007 at OLB just so they could get him on the field. The staff felt like he was too talented to be on the sideline and w/ Casper Brinkley & Norwood playing DE, he wouldn’t be out there much, if at all. He also was only 230lbs last year, not nearly big enough to get around a LT. On top of all that, he broke his hand the week of the LSU game and played the remainder of the season with a cast on. From the start, this is said to be his natural position. Coming out of HS, he was rated the #3 WDE in the country, Carlos Dunlap (UF) was #1. Both should impact the SEC-East this year. He is cat quick and was timed in the 4.5’s during the winter. He is growing into his body at 6’5 250 but still looks lean and has a great first step at DE.
DE: Cliff Geathers – True Sophomore, will see the field, more of a work in progress because at 6’8 290, he has not grown into himself yet. He still could be a year away from being very good but is talented enough to contribute this year. Brother of Robert Geathers from the Bengals so good football runs in the family.
DE/DT: Travian Robertson – True Sophomore, the coaches are trying to figure out where to put him, he is more of a hybrid and can play either position. Physically he is very big and strong but as most True Frosh are, he was lost on the field last year. He will be in the rotation for sure this year although the coaches did consider RS him and moving him to full time DT during Spring. With the suspension of Kenrick Ellis and 1 less body on the DL, he will be heavily involved in the rotation.
DE/DT: Jonathan Williams – Senior, spent 2007 as his first year at SC coming from Juco. He is big enough to play DT and quick enough to play DE but likely will spend most of his time at DT. He showed flashes of good things last year but has to get more consistent.
DT: Ladi Ajiboye – True Sophomore, started nearly every game at DT, and really held his own. Should only get better as he gets stronger/more experienced. He is really 3years removed from HS because he attended Hargrave along w/ Cliff Geathers. I don’t have much else to say about him but he is the best DT as of now on the team.
DT: Marque Hall – 5<SUP>th</SUP> Year Senior. He was the best DL going into the 2006 season, he then tore his ACL. I was under the impression coming into 2007 that he was 100% and he was not. Now its reported that he is doing much better but I will take a wait and see approach with that. If he can return to form, it only helps Carolina that much more.
DT: Nathan Pepper – Junior. After it was apparent that Marque Hall was not 100%, Nathan began to lead the DL and although it was only 3 games, he was doing a hell of a job at DT. Then slowing down in the endzone in a freak accident, he tore his MCL vs. SC State and would be lost for the year. He was held out of contact during the Spring and at that point was not yet 100%. His health is very important to this defense though.
How I see the Depth Chart:
SDE- J. Lindsey / C. Geathers
DT: Ladi Ajiboye / Jonathon Williams
DT: Maque Hall / Nathan Pepper
WDE- C. Matthews / Travian Robertson
*With full health from Hall and Pepper, you would see a deep rotation at DT because they can all compete in the SEC. Kenrick Ellis (DT) was released from the team on 5/28 for failing his 4<SUP>th</SUP> drug test, he would of also been heavily involved in the DT rotation and given them even more depth, he had a lot of talent and it’s a big loss of a big body (6’5 350). There is a player who is expected to come in during the summer sessions, Jarriel King, who is a monster size wise (6’8 300) and was part of Spurrier’s 2005 class but has yet to make it into SC. He will get an immediate look at DE/DT if he does in fact finally make it to SC this summer. He was at Georgia Military Academy in the 2006 and 2007 season before being released from the team in 2007. He had 12 credits to finish up, he was suppose to be on pace to do so, who the hell really knows. He would be a nice addition but I am not counting him in the depth chart until I see he actually stepped foot on campus.
Linebackers:
WLB: Eric Norwood – Junior, 1<SUP>st</SUP> team all SEC in 2007 at DE. This move alone tells me some very important facts about what the coaches are thinking. They are willing to switch Norwood, a 1<SUP>st</SUP> team ALL-SEC performer with Matthews who they have a tremendous amount of confidence in to make the defense better. Norwood played a lot of plays as a standup and he dropped into some coverage last yr, he will still come off the edge in some passing situations, something he excels at, but he will also be free of a blocker as he tries to make the tackles. This moved surprised me at first, but he is better fit for this position, as is Cliff at DE.
MLB: Jasper Brinkley – 5<SUP>th</SUP> year Senior, 1<SUP>st</SUP> team all SEC in 2006 at MLB. Everyone knows, he was lost for the season vs. LSU. He was diagnosed with a torn LCL but from what I gathered, the ligament didn’t actually tear, it tore off the bone. I am no medical professional, that is just what I read. Needless to say, he was running around at a solid 270lbs and very very close to 100% in spring. He participated in everything except full contact drills and with another 4 months before the season, the rock of the defense will be more than 100%. I can’t say I will enjoy watching him tackle people though, I will cringe every time I see someone go near his knees. He CAN NOT be lost again.
SLB: Gerrord Sinclair – Junior, he has had injuries slow his career at SC down but the best word for Sinclair is solid. He doesn’t do anything great as far as hit-tackle-cover, but he doesn’t do anything bad either. He is solid at what he does provided, he can stay healthy and it appears he might finally be. This is an upgrade of anyone playing OLB last year.
MLB: Melvin Ingram, Sophomore – This is the future at MLB. The next Jasper but “more talented” as many have put it. Ellis Johnson went as far as to say he wants to design a package for Brinkley-Matthews-Ingram-Norwood to all be on the field together. He was lost last year because he could of used a RS year but physically speaking, he is ready. He broke his foot at the end of Spring but will be ready to go for fall camp.
OLB: Alonzo Winfield, RS Frosh – Ran one of the fastest times in the 40 over the winter on the team. At 220lbs, he is a smaller LB than the 4 previously listed but is very fast and covers a lot of ground. He will be on the field in passing situations because of his quickness. He is also a good tackler despite being undersized.
OLB: Rodney Paulk, Junior – He started 9-10 games as a frosh, then saw his playing time cut back last year, at this point, I can’t see him over taking Sinclair at OLB, has a lot of starting experience.
MLB: Marvin Sapp, Senior – Undersized at his position and plays behind the beast so its probably a good thing if he doesn’t see the field much, has a lot of starting experience.
How I see the Depth Chart:
WLB: Eric Norwood / Alonzo Winfield
MLB: Jasper Brinkley / Melvin Ingram / Marvin Sapp
SLB: Gerrod Sinclair / Rodney Paulk
*How good can this unit be? It all depends on #52. One thing is for sure, Norwood-Brinkley-Ingram need to lose some LB’s, all of which hover around 265-270lbs. Jasper is the leanest of them all and doesn’t have any fat but the other 2 are currently on slim fast.
Defensive Backs:
CB: Captain Munnerlyn, Junior – 1<SUP>st</SUP> team all SEC in 2007. Is small (5’9) but very fast (4.3) and has started since playing as a TF in the SEC. He is a lockdown corner. He broke his foot vs. Arkansas, sat out spring, will be 100% by fall. Also is punt returner
CB: Carlos Thomas, Senior – I dislike this kid, I won’t lie about it. He is fast and he is talented but he lacks that organ in his chest. He bulked up last year and got better about shying away from contact but he can be hit or miss as far as showing up to play. He has a WHOLE lot to prove this year in my mind.
CB: Stoney Woodson, Senior – As the same procedure as last year, he is in full competition at CB with Thomas for the spot opposite Munnerlyn. Which ever loses this battle will still ber very fast and very experienced as a backup. Stoney is better against the run, Carlos can be better against the pass but isn’t always consistent because his battle is with his head.
CB: Addison Williams, Sophomore – Not much to say here, played as a frosh due to injuries, he is pretty solid, is quick, but it was clear he shouldn’t of been covering Aaron Kelly
CB: Akeeme Aguste, Freshman – This kid is ultra talented. He is very quick, he has great instincts, and a lot of confidence. He is actually 2years removed from HS as he attended prep school and he had a very impressive spring. His biggest weakness would be his ability to get physical and stop the run. He will have a very successful career at CB if all remains well with him. I can see him getting some time in nickel/dime coverages this year.
Depth Chart:
CB: Captain Munnerlyn / AddisonWilliams
CB: Carlos Thomas / Stoney Woodson / Akeeme Aguste
S: Emanuel Cook, Junior – 2<SUP>nd</SUP> team all SEC in 2007. He is a head hunter, most likely the best tackler on the team and a true warrior on the field. Cook came back 9 days after having his appendix taking out to play against UGA. He is a ball hog and this is going to be his 3<SUP>rd</SUP> year starting in the SEC.
S: Darian Stewart, Junior – He is a little bigger and a little faster than Cook but also an excellent tackler. He won over the starting spot vs. UGA last season when he had a career high 9 tackles. He is very physical and has good speed.
S: Chris Culliver, Sophomore – The highly touted Culliver just could not grasp the offense and route running so he asked to be moved to this side of the ball in the spring. He is very natural playing this position compared to how he looked at WR. He is however not going to over take Cook or Stewart but provides solid depth and great speed.
S: Mark Barnes, Sophomore – He was rated as a very good Safety coming out of HS but there were concerns about his shoulder being able to deliver hits on defense. He began his career at WR but also requested to move to Safety during the spring. This is a very natural position for him as well. Another player who provides very solid depth.
Depth Chart:
S: Emanuel Cook / Chris Culliver
S: Darian Stewart / Mark Barnes
*The Defensive back unit as a whole should be very solid this year. As a passing defense in 2007, they did very well when all healthy and playing together. I love how physical Cook/Stewart are and Captain is a stud at CB.
Rivals Rankings of Defensive players in America:
Jasper Brinkley - #5 LB
Eric Norwood - #11 LB
Emanuel Cook - #9 DB
Captain Munnerlyn - #13 DB
Conclusion:
How healthy can this defense stay? If they make the year without any serious injuries, I can see them being ranked inside the top 25 or better as a total defense. Its easy to say the rush defense was terrible (12<SUP>th</SUP> in SEC) last year but I don’t feel that it is a fair assessment, especially when #52 and company are not on the field. Comparing the defense from last year (specifically the last 5 games of the year) to the potential of this one is like night and day. I think that all Carolina Fans will believe Ellis Johnson is an upgrade at DC and he has a lot more talent to work with this year than he had at MSU last year. They are still a bit young at some positions but they are also very experienced at every position and there is a lot more experienced depth as compared to years past. There is a lot of talent on defense and potentially speaking, there are 4 players who are 1<SUP>st</SUP>-team ALL-SEC caliber guys. The defense should keep them in every game as well.
*I listed the players I can see logging snaps. This side of the ball is pretty deep for the Gamecocks if everyone is back in school, staying out of trouble, and healthy. Some players I went into more depth about just because I had more to say.
Defense:
I will be the first to admit, I expected the unit to be good, I went as far as to say that this was going to be one of the best defenses Carolina had in a long time. I based a large part of my “Over 7 Wins” wager on the defense which was supposed to be the glue that held the team together. Things began to unravel before the opening week. Jordin Lindsey (DE) was ruled ineligible. His twin brother Dustin (LB) had another setback from a knee injury during the spring game. During the spring and summer, Casper Brinkley spent time adjusting to life at OLB, when Lindsey was ruled ineligible, he was moved back to DE to try and help the team. That move alone in turn weakened the linebacker corps. Jasper had a bad ankle that he rolled in practice and it was bothering him for long periods of the ULL game. The team went into the UGAY game, and besides a late 50yard run by Moreno, they basically shut that offense down. Things would only go south from there, wayyyyyyy south. Nathan Pepper (DL/DE) would be lost against SC State returning a turnover for a touchdown. It was a freak accident where he slipped trying to slow down in the endzone but he was performing the best on the DL at the time. Jasper Brinkley tears his LCL in the 1<SUP>st</SUP> quarter of the LSU game, he tried hard to keep playing throughout the game but was only a shadow of his former self. Later in the season, Captain Munnerlyn (CB) broke his foot against Arkansas and would be lost vs. Florida and Clemson. Carlos Thomas and Stoney Woodson, both corners, would be lost late in the Clemson game, only to leave a true frosh covering Aaron Kelly on 3<SUP>rd</SUP> and 15 in the 4<SUP>th</SUP> quarter. Brandon Issac was basically lost before the season started because of a shoulder that plagued a talented DB. Every team has injuries, yes. The difference at South Carolina is when Jasper Brinkley goes down, his backup was an undersized MLB in Marvin Sapp or a true frosh in Melvin Ingram. When other schools such as UGA and LSU are redshirting their blue-chip prospects on defense, South Carolina is playing Cliff Matthews out of position at OLB with a cast on his hand and Ladi Ajiboye at DT vs. SEC linemen. When Jasper Brinkley goes down with a season ending injury they are replacing him with an experienced upper classmen nearly as talented where as SC is placing a True Frosh in his position. Regardless of all of these problems, the team still did not perform to the level necessary to win in the SEC-East and the defense/special teams cost SC 2 games late in the year.
Change in Philosophy:
With Tyrone Nix departure, in come Ellis Johnson, formerly of Miss St and a large part of the reason that they even made a bowl game in 2007, it sure wasn’t the offense. I didn’t dislike Nix but I had a HUGE problem with his lack of aggressiveness on 3<SUP>rd</SUP> and long situations. This wasn’t something that happened just against Clemson, no, this is something I’ve witnessed with my own eyes too many times to recall. He also came up with some very clever defenses to try and stop Arkansas and UF such as 2 down linemen (joke). Ellis Johnson brings the same type of standard defensive approach in that the 4-3 will remain the base defense but he is more aggressive and that should benefit SC who should be able to play man coverage on the outside. Spurrier was going to hire Johnson originally when he came to SC, 4years late he has his man.
Defensive Line:
SDE: Jordin Lindsey – 5<SUP>th</SUP> year Senior, missed 2007 because of Academics. He knows the game of football and is very discipline w/ a lot of starting experience. Not the most talented player in the world but he makes up for that with football smarts and other intangibles like a motor that never stops.
WDE: Cliff Matthews – True Sophomore, he spent 2007 at OLB just so they could get him on the field. The staff felt like he was too talented to be on the sideline and w/ Casper Brinkley & Norwood playing DE, he wouldn’t be out there much, if at all. He also was only 230lbs last year, not nearly big enough to get around a LT. On top of all that, he broke his hand the week of the LSU game and played the remainder of the season with a cast on. From the start, this is said to be his natural position. Coming out of HS, he was rated the #3 WDE in the country, Carlos Dunlap (UF) was #1. Both should impact the SEC-East this year. He is cat quick and was timed in the 4.5’s during the winter. He is growing into his body at 6’5 250 but still looks lean and has a great first step at DE.
DE: Cliff Geathers – True Sophomore, will see the field, more of a work in progress because at 6’8 290, he has not grown into himself yet. He still could be a year away from being very good but is talented enough to contribute this year. Brother of Robert Geathers from the Bengals so good football runs in the family.
DE/DT: Travian Robertson – True Sophomore, the coaches are trying to figure out where to put him, he is more of a hybrid and can play either position. Physically he is very big and strong but as most True Frosh are, he was lost on the field last year. He will be in the rotation for sure this year although the coaches did consider RS him and moving him to full time DT during Spring. With the suspension of Kenrick Ellis and 1 less body on the DL, he will be heavily involved in the rotation.
DE/DT: Jonathan Williams – Senior, spent 2007 as his first year at SC coming from Juco. He is big enough to play DT and quick enough to play DE but likely will spend most of his time at DT. He showed flashes of good things last year but has to get more consistent.
DT: Ladi Ajiboye – True Sophomore, started nearly every game at DT, and really held his own. Should only get better as he gets stronger/more experienced. He is really 3years removed from HS because he attended Hargrave along w/ Cliff Geathers. I don’t have much else to say about him but he is the best DT as of now on the team.
DT: Marque Hall – 5<SUP>th</SUP> Year Senior. He was the best DL going into the 2006 season, he then tore his ACL. I was under the impression coming into 2007 that he was 100% and he was not. Now its reported that he is doing much better but I will take a wait and see approach with that. If he can return to form, it only helps Carolina that much more.
DT: Nathan Pepper – Junior. After it was apparent that Marque Hall was not 100%, Nathan began to lead the DL and although it was only 3 games, he was doing a hell of a job at DT. Then slowing down in the endzone in a freak accident, he tore his MCL vs. SC State and would be lost for the year. He was held out of contact during the Spring and at that point was not yet 100%. His health is very important to this defense though.
How I see the Depth Chart:
SDE- J. Lindsey / C. Geathers
DT: Ladi Ajiboye / Jonathon Williams
DT: Maque Hall / Nathan Pepper
WDE- C. Matthews / Travian Robertson
*With full health from Hall and Pepper, you would see a deep rotation at DT because they can all compete in the SEC. Kenrick Ellis (DT) was released from the team on 5/28 for failing his 4<SUP>th</SUP> drug test, he would of also been heavily involved in the DT rotation and given them even more depth, he had a lot of talent and it’s a big loss of a big body (6’5 350). There is a player who is expected to come in during the summer sessions, Jarriel King, who is a monster size wise (6’8 300) and was part of Spurrier’s 2005 class but has yet to make it into SC. He will get an immediate look at DE/DT if he does in fact finally make it to SC this summer. He was at Georgia Military Academy in the 2006 and 2007 season before being released from the team in 2007. He had 12 credits to finish up, he was suppose to be on pace to do so, who the hell really knows. He would be a nice addition but I am not counting him in the depth chart until I see he actually stepped foot on campus.
Linebackers:
WLB: Eric Norwood – Junior, 1<SUP>st</SUP> team all SEC in 2007 at DE. This move alone tells me some very important facts about what the coaches are thinking. They are willing to switch Norwood, a 1<SUP>st</SUP> team ALL-SEC performer with Matthews who they have a tremendous amount of confidence in to make the defense better. Norwood played a lot of plays as a standup and he dropped into some coverage last yr, he will still come off the edge in some passing situations, something he excels at, but he will also be free of a blocker as he tries to make the tackles. This moved surprised me at first, but he is better fit for this position, as is Cliff at DE.
MLB: Jasper Brinkley – 5<SUP>th</SUP> year Senior, 1<SUP>st</SUP> team all SEC in 2006 at MLB. Everyone knows, he was lost for the season vs. LSU. He was diagnosed with a torn LCL but from what I gathered, the ligament didn’t actually tear, it tore off the bone. I am no medical professional, that is just what I read. Needless to say, he was running around at a solid 270lbs and very very close to 100% in spring. He participated in everything except full contact drills and with another 4 months before the season, the rock of the defense will be more than 100%. I can’t say I will enjoy watching him tackle people though, I will cringe every time I see someone go near his knees. He CAN NOT be lost again.
SLB: Gerrord Sinclair – Junior, he has had injuries slow his career at SC down but the best word for Sinclair is solid. He doesn’t do anything great as far as hit-tackle-cover, but he doesn’t do anything bad either. He is solid at what he does provided, he can stay healthy and it appears he might finally be. This is an upgrade of anyone playing OLB last year.
MLB: Melvin Ingram, Sophomore – This is the future at MLB. The next Jasper but “more talented” as many have put it. Ellis Johnson went as far as to say he wants to design a package for Brinkley-Matthews-Ingram-Norwood to all be on the field together. He was lost last year because he could of used a RS year but physically speaking, he is ready. He broke his foot at the end of Spring but will be ready to go for fall camp.
OLB: Alonzo Winfield, RS Frosh – Ran one of the fastest times in the 40 over the winter on the team. At 220lbs, he is a smaller LB than the 4 previously listed but is very fast and covers a lot of ground. He will be on the field in passing situations because of his quickness. He is also a good tackler despite being undersized.
OLB: Rodney Paulk, Junior – He started 9-10 games as a frosh, then saw his playing time cut back last year, at this point, I can’t see him over taking Sinclair at OLB, has a lot of starting experience.
MLB: Marvin Sapp, Senior – Undersized at his position and plays behind the beast so its probably a good thing if he doesn’t see the field much, has a lot of starting experience.
How I see the Depth Chart:
WLB: Eric Norwood / Alonzo Winfield
MLB: Jasper Brinkley / Melvin Ingram / Marvin Sapp
SLB: Gerrod Sinclair / Rodney Paulk
*How good can this unit be? It all depends on #52. One thing is for sure, Norwood-Brinkley-Ingram need to lose some LB’s, all of which hover around 265-270lbs. Jasper is the leanest of them all and doesn’t have any fat but the other 2 are currently on slim fast.
Defensive Backs:
CB: Captain Munnerlyn, Junior – 1<SUP>st</SUP> team all SEC in 2007. Is small (5’9) but very fast (4.3) and has started since playing as a TF in the SEC. He is a lockdown corner. He broke his foot vs. Arkansas, sat out spring, will be 100% by fall. Also is punt returner
CB: Carlos Thomas, Senior – I dislike this kid, I won’t lie about it. He is fast and he is talented but he lacks that organ in his chest. He bulked up last year and got better about shying away from contact but he can be hit or miss as far as showing up to play. He has a WHOLE lot to prove this year in my mind.
CB: Stoney Woodson, Senior – As the same procedure as last year, he is in full competition at CB with Thomas for the spot opposite Munnerlyn. Which ever loses this battle will still ber very fast and very experienced as a backup. Stoney is better against the run, Carlos can be better against the pass but isn’t always consistent because his battle is with his head.
CB: Addison Williams, Sophomore – Not much to say here, played as a frosh due to injuries, he is pretty solid, is quick, but it was clear he shouldn’t of been covering Aaron Kelly
CB: Akeeme Aguste, Freshman – This kid is ultra talented. He is very quick, he has great instincts, and a lot of confidence. He is actually 2years removed from HS as he attended prep school and he had a very impressive spring. His biggest weakness would be his ability to get physical and stop the run. He will have a very successful career at CB if all remains well with him. I can see him getting some time in nickel/dime coverages this year.
Depth Chart:
CB: Captain Munnerlyn / AddisonWilliams
CB: Carlos Thomas / Stoney Woodson / Akeeme Aguste
S: Emanuel Cook, Junior – 2<SUP>nd</SUP> team all SEC in 2007. He is a head hunter, most likely the best tackler on the team and a true warrior on the field. Cook came back 9 days after having his appendix taking out to play against UGA. He is a ball hog and this is going to be his 3<SUP>rd</SUP> year starting in the SEC.
S: Darian Stewart, Junior – He is a little bigger and a little faster than Cook but also an excellent tackler. He won over the starting spot vs. UGA last season when he had a career high 9 tackles. He is very physical and has good speed.
S: Chris Culliver, Sophomore – The highly touted Culliver just could not grasp the offense and route running so he asked to be moved to this side of the ball in the spring. He is very natural playing this position compared to how he looked at WR. He is however not going to over take Cook or Stewart but provides solid depth and great speed.
S: Mark Barnes, Sophomore – He was rated as a very good Safety coming out of HS but there were concerns about his shoulder being able to deliver hits on defense. He began his career at WR but also requested to move to Safety during the spring. This is a very natural position for him as well. Another player who provides very solid depth.
Depth Chart:
S: Emanuel Cook / Chris Culliver
S: Darian Stewart / Mark Barnes
*The Defensive back unit as a whole should be very solid this year. As a passing defense in 2007, they did very well when all healthy and playing together. I love how physical Cook/Stewart are and Captain is a stud at CB.
Rivals Rankings of Defensive players in America:
Jasper Brinkley - #5 LB
Eric Norwood - #11 LB
Emanuel Cook - #9 DB
Captain Munnerlyn - #13 DB
Conclusion:
How healthy can this defense stay? If they make the year without any serious injuries, I can see them being ranked inside the top 25 or better as a total defense. Its easy to say the rush defense was terrible (12<SUP>th</SUP> in SEC) last year but I don’t feel that it is a fair assessment, especially when #52 and company are not on the field. Comparing the defense from last year (specifically the last 5 games of the year) to the potential of this one is like night and day. I think that all Carolina Fans will believe Ellis Johnson is an upgrade at DC and he has a lot more talent to work with this year than he had at MSU last year. They are still a bit young at some positions but they are also very experienced at every position and there is a lot more experienced depth as compared to years past. There is a lot of talent on defense and potentially speaking, there are 4 players who are 1<SUP>st</SUP>-team ALL-SEC caliber guys. The defense should keep them in every game as well.
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