The Spartan defense has been much maligned the last two year’s, and rightfully so. The aggressive, attacking, strip-the-ball, pressure the quarterback defense that was displayed in 2003, became a passive, hesitant, bend and break unit. The lack of a pass rush was only magnified by the horrible coverage, and sloppy tackling in the secondary that routinely got torched. It was apparent that MSU’s lack of depth, questionable talent, and speed all played a factor in the defenses inability to stop the opposition. I also believe there existed a bit of animosity/dissention on JLS’s defensive staff, especially between the line coach and Smith. The hiring of Derrick Jackson as the new front four position coach will hopefully pay dividends. He brings with him an enthusiasm not unexpected from a young coach looking to move his way up through the ranks and make a name for himself.
The Spartans were only able to record 36 sacks the last two years after totaling 45 for the entire 2003 season. Brandon McKinney’s never ending weight problem resulted in him never reaching his potential. MSU is still trying to find a viable RUSH end that has the speed to blow by defenders, as well as interior linemen capable of collapsing the pocket.
Jackson is taking a positive approach by becoming more focused on developing technique, and challenging each player to improve on a daily basis. One key that might help coach Jackson field a DL similar to what Spartan fans saw in 2003 is the fact that he not only has adequate numbers, but he has some young talent to work with.
The unquestioned leader of the front four is captain Clifton Ryan. Ryan has a reputation for being a tireless worker with a non-stop motor. That may be true, but I have not seen enough out of Ryan performance wise that makes me believe he is a dominant linemen. To me he appears to be stuck in neutral and just revving the engine. Maybe the loss of weight (down 10 pounds to 294) and moving him inside, along with the tutelage of Jackson, Ryan will finally make a believer out of me. Backing up Ryan is second year JUCO, Bobby Jones. Jones came to MSU after being rated one of the top JUCO defensive linemen in the country. It has taken him a year just to get into Big Ten playing condition, so his contribution is still under scrutiny. The other interior spot is being contested by David Stanton, a JUCO from the class of 2005 who played well at times last year, and 2006 JUCO, Ogemdi Nwagbuo, who enrolled early and was able to participate in spring practice. Nwagbuo has limited football experience, but Jackson believes if he can refine and develop his raw potential, he will make an impact in the rotation this fall. Improved play by Stanton will also allow MSU to redshirt some of the DT’s in this year’s class.
MSU is looking to upgrade the play of their defensive ends by attempting to introduce more speed off the edge. Sophomore Brandon Long is a lineman that Coach Jackson believes could make this a reality. Long, a converted high school linebacker has excellent speed and an explosive first step that allows him to get up the field and into the backfield quickly. What he needs to develop is better technique and the self confidence that comes with experience, as well as adding more size. At 237 he is a little too light to take on the massive offensive tackles he will be facing each week. Backing up Long are RS junior, Jonal St. Dic, and RS freshman, Reggie Graham. Graham is a tall, rangy DE with good quickness, but lacks weight and strength. He has the potential to become a Julian Peterson type DE/LB combination. Dic has the best strength of the three, but does not posses the speed of either Long or Graham, and is three inches shorter.
The STUD DE position is an open audition since Ryan slid inside. Sophomore Justin Kershaw and juniors Nick Smith and Derrick Outlaw are competing for the starting position. Kershaw emerged from spring ball as the starter heading into summer, but that was due to both Smith and Outlaw suffering injuries that forced them to the sidelines prior to the conclusion of spring practice. Kershaw is another young DL that hopefully Jackson can mold into a quality DE, as he appears to have the biggest upside. He has his weight up to 252, but could carry another 10 to 15 pounds. Smith’s potential has been limited due to injuries his first two years, while Outlaw is trying to regain his football instincts after trying to make it as a basketball player.
One other player worth mentioning is JUCO DE Ervin Baldwin. Baldwin won’t be available until preseason camp, but is said to be an extremely difficult lineman to block because of his combination of strength and quickness. The recent past has me wondering just how much of a contribution he will actually make, as several of the high profile JUCO defensive line recruits (Peko, and Jones come to mind) arrived lacking in strength, and the commitment to conditioning required to play in the Big Ten conference. Even if he does come into camp in peak physical condition, there is still the matter of him learning the defensive scheme.
There is plenty of potential and promise in this group even though no one has stood out as being the dominant linemen. A year of instruction was wasted in 2005 as the defensive line coach didn’t appear to be motivated to working with these young men. Thankfully he resigned. Coach Jackson is embracing the opportunity, and is being called upon to restore a pass rush that has been lacking the two previous seasons. If he is successful, the MSU defense will become a more formidable unit.
The linebacker position has experienced a lack of depth and quality talent for several years. That’s all about to change, as JLS has managed to stockpile several highly touted high school prospects to fill the void. This group is athletic, fast, but lacking in experience, as half the members are sophomores and below.
David Herron returns for his third and final season as the WHIP linebacker. His performance has steadily improved each year since being converted from fullback, but he is not the difference maker that an A.J. Hawk or Chad Greenway were for their respective teams. Backing up Herron are lightly used junior, Eric Andino, RS freshman Adam Decker and true freshmen, Josh Rouse. Decker received some accolades for his performance this spring by the coaching staff, and was one of the leading tacklers in the spring game.
The MIKE position is being manned by junior Kaleb Thornhill. Thornhill plays a more cerebral style, as he must make up for in smarts what he lacks in speed, and ability. Thornhill sat out the spring practice to recover from knee surgery. Steve Juarez spent a majority of his time with the first unit this spring in Thornhill’s absence. Juarez is a second year player who came to MSU from the JUCO ranks with a reputation as a speedy, agile, big hitting, linebacker. Another candidate is RS freshmen A.J. Hawken, who also had an impressive spring outing. True freshmen Eric Gordon, a 4-star rated recruit enrolled at MSU in January, and participated in spring drills. If he sees the field this year it will more than likely be on special teams.
The one defensive position that has continued controversy since it was implemented in 2003 is BANDIT. This position needs to be manned by someone with the speed of a DB, and the size and strength of a linebacker. Last year was the first time that MSU actually had an individual who fulfilled those qualifications. SirDarean Adams is a 6’, 230 pound, 4.4 speed linebacker, who struggles at times with the mental part of the position. Backing up Adams are junior Cole Corey, and sophomore Tom Dance. Corey is still waiting on a resolution from the court for an off the field high school incident that could result in jail time. Dance has the speed, but needs to add muscle to achieve an appropriate playing weight.
The added depth at linebacker will help MSU overcome any injuries that may occur besides allowing the backups to contribute on special teams. Decker, Hawken and Gordon appear to be the future of Spartan linebacking.
A great deal of MSU’s defensive struggles the last two seasons can be directly attributed to the secondary. The lack of depth and athleticism was repeatedly exposed as offenses were able to routinely make big plays. The staff used multiple combinations, and switched players from offense to defense in an attempt to shore up this unit. I always take as a sign of trouble true freshmen being inserted into the lineup over veteran players. Otis Wiley and Ross Weaver each spent time playing last year because MSU had run out of options. Their performances may have been no better that those they replaced (plenty of freshmen mistakes), however they did possess more speed, and athleticism. This year these two, a key JUCO addition, and some additional position changes are hopefully going to rectify the many problems associated with the Spartan secondary.
Ross Weaver was able to solidify his starting FC position with a solid spring, and was pushed hard by converted FS Greg Cooper. The position switch for Cooper appears to better suit his ability, however he and Weaver still have allot to learn about playing on an island, and there is still the matter of them performing at a higher level than what has been shown the past several years from others at this position.
The other corner position is being manned by returning starter, Demond Williams. To say Williams struggled last year would be an understatement, as he seemed to be out of position on many occasions, and his tackling was poor. Not the combination of abilities one desires in a cornerback. If Williams falters again the coaching staff will possibly look at putting Cooper on this side (depending on the performance of Weaver), or be faced with using inexperienced RS freshmen, Dan Fortener, or one of the incoming recruits.
MSU lost the brains of its defense the last three years with the graduation of SS, Eric Smith. Smith’s replacement Nehemiah Warrick has been the talk of spring ball. Warrick comes to the Spartans from the JUCO ranks, and brings more speed and play-making ability to the position than Smith. Warrick impressed coaches with his physical style and willingness to hit. His up tempo performance this spring was infectious to the entire defense, but it remains to be seen if this same attitude will carry over through the summer and preseason camp. Junior Mike Bell is Warrick’s backup at SS, as well as being #2 at FS.
The Free Safety position is being entrusted to sophomore Otis Wiley. The 6’2", 208 pound Wiley is the third member of the 2005 recruiting class to break into the starting lineup (Williams and Weaver are the other two). Weaver brings decent speed and athleticism to the FS position. As noted earlier, Mike Bell is the backup.
The entire secondary needs to show marked improvement individually and as a group if MSU is to have any chance of a winning record in 2006. This starting unit for the first time will consist totally of players recruited by JLS and his staff. Any deficiencies associated with these players will be directly attributed to Smith’s ability to judge and develop defensive talent.
This year’ defense, based upon personal, should reflect the attacking, aggressive unit of 2003. They also need to become more physical by punishing ball carriers and receivers. As is always the case, the front seven will determine the success or failure of the defense. Several keys to the defense performing at an acceptable level include: the front four supplying a strong up-field push and getting pressure on the quarterback. They also must be able to control the line of scrimmage and allow the linebackers room to roam by keeping blockers off of them. Linebackers, in particular David Herron and SirDarean Adams, need to make more plays and generate turnovers. The secondary has simply got to be able to cover better, period. Three of the four are 6’1" or taller, with only Williams and Cooper falling below that height. They need to turn some of those pass break-ups into interceptions, and possible scores.
