2014 Spring Preview: Defense

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With spring football nigh upon us all eyes are on the new-look Longhorns as they begin the Charlie Strong era. The one constant in Charlie Strong’s career has been defense. Coach Strong and his defensive staff will go to work trying to right the wrongs of Manny Diaz and permanently fix the band-aid that Greg Robinson put on the unit in 2013.

The 2013 Texas defense was a nightmare highlighted by allowing 550 rushing yards to BYU in week 2 of the season. This performance ended Manny Diaz’s coaching career at Texas and brought Greg Robinson back from retirement where he did as good of a job that one could expect on short notice. The talent is still there, as evidenced by the time under Robinson, and a guy like Strong is just the man to get the best out of the copious amount of talent that has collected on that side of the ball. Let’s take a look at the defense and what the Horns have to work with in 2014.

Defensive Line

KEY LOSSES:

Jackson Jeffcoat, Chris Whaley

RETURNING STARTERS:

Desmond Jackson, Malcom Brown, Cedric Reed

KEY ADDITIONS:

Derick Roberson, Poona Ford, Chris Nelson

KEY POSITION BATTLES:

Hasaan Ridgeway vs. Desmond Jackson

The biggest move in the off-season was retaining the services of Cedric Reed who notched 68 tackles and 10 sacks last year. The one thing the Longhorn defense did well was pressure the Quarterback, and Reed was a huge contributor in that area. Shiro Davis figures to mirror Reed on the other end and has the talent and pedigree to be the next great Texas pass rusher now that Jeffcoat has moved on. Bryce Cottrell and Caleb Bluiett could enter into the picture, but Shiro should have a pretty good handle on the job. True freshman Derick Roberson could also figure in, but will most likely need a redshirt year to add some weight to his lean frame. The conundrum will be what to do at defensive tackle. Malcom Brown should be a star in the center of that line, but the other tackle position will be up for grabs. Desmond Jackson has played a lot in the last few years, but hasn’t been able to play consistently enough to nail down the starting position. This is his job to take, but if Hasaan Ridgeway buys in to the new culture he has the tools to take the position away from Jackson. When Ridgeway was recruited at defensive end, it seemed like a forgone conclusion that he would eventually be moved to tackle. At 6’4 and 300 lbs, Ridgeway still has the quickness and pass rushing instinct to be a penetrating force next to Brown. True freshman Poona Ford could also figure into the position battle and will almost surely play as a freshman in some sort of rotation. Outside of Ford, the depth has been depleted and we know almost nothing of Alex Norman, Marcus Hutchins, and Paul Boyette. Chris Nelson shows a lot of raw talent, but could probably use a year to adjust. The Horns will undoubtedly need some luck at this position, because injuries could really expose this group.

Linebackers

KEY LOSSES: 

None

RETURNING STARTERS:

Steve Edmond, Peter Jinkens, Dalton Santos, Jordan Hicks

KEY ADDITIONS:

Andrew Beck, Cameron Hampton, Edwin Freeman

KEY POSITION BATTLES:

Dalton Santos vs. Steve Edmond

The good news is that this group lost no key players, but the bad news is that the unit struggled a lot last year. The return of Jordan Hicks on a medical redshirt year will be big, but Hicks will have to prove for once that he can stay healthy for a complete season. Steve Edmond is also recovering from a season ending knee injury that ended a year in which he was showing steady improvement. Deoundrei Davis, who redshirted last year could factor in as a dynamic outside linebacker with great speed and size. The position battle looks like it might come down to Santos vs. Edmond, though both could start if Peter Jinkens doesn’t pick up his play. Jinkens, who flashed in his freshman year but regressed last season, is the prototype linebacker needed to play in coverage in the Big 12. When healthy, Hicks should have one spot on lockdown and be a shoe in for a nickel ‘backer role. If Steve Edmond can finally put it all together and learn to use his instincts, he should be able to overtake Santos. Both are liabilities in coverage and can be forces in the run game, but Edmond has shown a bit more in the pass game. Beck and Hampton probably need a year, but Beck is already on campus so he could also enter into the picture at middle linebacker. Edwin Freeman could challenge right off the bat at outside linebacker in Jinkens’ position.

Secondary

KEY LOSSES:

Carrington Byndom, Adrian Phillips

RETURNING STARTERS:

Quandre Diggs, Mykkele Thompson, Duke Thomas

KEY ADDITIONS:

John Bonney, Jason Hall, Jermaine Roberts

KEY POSITION BATTLES:

Duke Thomas vs. Sheroid Evans/Antwuan Davis, Mykkele Thompson vs. Adrian Colbert, Leroy Scott vs. Josh Turner

For the first time in a while, DBU has a lot of uncertainty in the ranks. The unit returns three starters, but Thompson and Thomas still have a lot to prove. Only Quandre Diggs remains as a player with a proven track record. With a new coaching staff in place, this provides a perfect opportunity to open up competition at the other four spots in the secondary. It’s unclear if Diggs will stay at corner, nickel, or move to free safety, but I would think that the staff would want at least one experienced player at corner. The competition for the other corner could get interesting if Evans returns successfully from injury. Evans is a better athlete and was showing signs of coming on when his season was ended early. Antwuan Davis could also be a factor at cornerback entering his redshirt freshman year. Davis is a track standout who was a very impressive high school player and reportedly performed well in bowl workouts. Mykkele Thompson could see his position threatened by the more aggressive player in Adrian Colbert. Thompson has been the whipping boy of many Longhorn fans mainly for his aversion to contact and his propensity to make “business decisions”. Colbert may lack the range at safety that Thompson has, but could make his living as a downhill safety. At the other position Leroy Scott and Josh Turner are the most likely to do battle for the right to replace Adrian Phillips. Last year both players showed signs of growth, but didn’t do it on a consistent enough basis. This year both will need to step up and one will need to take it from the other. Chevoski Collins is another name that could factor in at safety, but I would guess this boils down to a Turner vs. Scott battle. The loser of this tilt could still end up as the starter at nickel.