The Blue Board

I'll get mine this afternoon. Not making the mistake of doing 3 things at once this time.

Wisconsin

Some how last year we finished #2 in conference games for pass defense averaging about 130 yds per game and only 6 TD's. The problem is that most of those 6 were real big ones(2 @ MSU,OSU,etc). Also #1 in efficiency. I refuse to believe we were that successful. We lost our #1 rush end for the year and what some would have argued was our best DB. Although Fenelus stepped up to make that a bad argument. The bottom line is that we had no pressure on the QB and I am not sure how we survived that. If you look at the B1G sack leaders last year you won't find a Wisconsin guy in the top 20-25. Some of that due to injury as stated earlier, but also moving Borland to Mike LB took away his pressure off the edge. Of course i don't have to mention JJ Watt leaving a year early. I think what did save us was an opportunistic defense. Between Fenelus, Henry, and Johnson there were 9 int's in conference play. Regardless of what the statistics show I would have given our passing defense somewhere around a B- last year. We played our safeties not to give up the big play and allowed teams to nickel and dime us all day. There were several times where the underneath stuff went for big plays. At big moments we had some blown assignments and we don't have the type of athletes back there to make up for that.

Bottom line is that for us to improve or at least make those statistics more legitimate we need a pass rush. I know we are focusing on the back 7, but I just don't think we have the talent in the back 4 that can win without pressure on the QB. If there is one position that we seem to have the hardest time recruiting difference makers I would say DB. Yeah QB has it's moments and so does DT, but overall it seems we always have holes back there. The contrast is that we are so deep at LB they are not as exposed as they should be. Having Gilbert back and hopefully the developing of some of the young guns at DE (which is slowly turning into a position of strength) should increase the pressure on the QB.

LB - we return 2 of the 3 starters in Borland and Taylor, but Armstrong started 2 games last year and logged a bunch of snaps. Many think that Connor O'Neil starts the season with an advantage of playing some last year. As of right now AJ Fenton is really impressing the coaches. The young guys Landisch and Watt are making play after play and wouldn't be surprised when Vince Beigel hits campus he has something to say if he doesn't RS. We have two All-conference guys coming back and can fill the 3rd from a pool that we may have stocked better than any other position on the team. I expect very big things from this unit. Not only good, but quicker and more athletic than we have ever been as a unit. They can do more in the pass defense assuming they aren't relied on too much for pressure.

DB- You look at it a couple of different ways. First we lost Antonio Fenelus who ended up being our best corner, but we get back Devin Smith who I thought coming into last season was better than Fenelus. Then again i didn't have a high opinion of Fenelus. When Smith went down Marcus Cromartie stepped in and did a fair job. He showed some flashes, but also made some big mistakes. One thing I liked about him at first was that he was a hard hitter, but seemed to back off that while getting dinged throughout the season. You would assume that a healthy Smith and Cromartie would start the season on top, but redshirt So Peniel Jean may push one of them as the season goes on. He played in all the games last year and could be a star in the making. As much as I am down on our CB's I think we have recruited better in the last couple of years. The problem they are all diamonds in the rough waiting to be polished. None of them are sure fire difference makers. The young threesome of Darius Hillary, Devin Gaulden, and Terrence Floyd have been talked up from time to time and mostly interchangeable at this point. I look for one of these guys to push for time and I would think Hillary would be the first to do so. The guy I am really excited about is Hugs Etienne, the incoming freshman from Florida. He was an early enrollee, but did suffer an injury in spring practice. It will be interesting to see if they redshirt him. One thought is that there is enough depth ahead of him where he wouldn't get the minutes, but I think his upside will show through. Either way this unit scares me as it always does. It is such a developmental area for us and we seem to take on so many injuries here. Without knowing their level of development until they hit the field it is always an unknown.

Safety- - We lose Aaron Henry, which is bigger from a leadership standpoint than production. Never felt he recovered from his knee issues, but the kid was a leader from day one. We should hire him as a GA as soon as he doesn't stick in the league. His replacement will most likely be Dezmen Southward with Shelton Johnson coming back in the other spot. Southward was a freak athlete type that we picked up after he only played football his senior year. He has had plenty of playing time and started 3 games last year. His upside is through the roof, but that is based on his athleticism at this point. This may be the year where he puts it all together. Shelton Johnson should be consistent, but both need to get better at angles. Southward is one of the few back there who can recover during a play. The two backups will most likely be Michael Trotter and Michael Caputo. There were highly touted coming and could very well mean a bright future at the position. I would not be surprised to see either one push the guy in front of him early in the season. Both are more none for making hits than coverage skills. The incoming freshman DJ Singleton is the one to watch out for when he hits campus. One of our more underrated recruits last year IMO. He seems to have everything that we have been lacking back there. We don't have a ton of quality depth so I would be surprised to see him RS. He comes in physically mature enough to play right away.

Overall I am always concerned about certain parts of the defense. Mostly always the back 4. They may be adequate, but like i said earlier they need a pass rush. Overall I think our Pass Defense will be better than last year with the improvements up front and the talent we have at LB. We just need to hold our breath until the back 4 hits the field. I would be happy to be wrong about them. We have one of the later spring games so we should get more of a picture there.

1. Edge pass rush should be better than the 9 sacks MSU got out of Gholston and Rush combined. Coaches are liking at least 3 of the DTs in White, Hoover and Kittredge; after than a couple of RS FR look good for depth, but probably no more than 15 snap/game type contributions. It'll be interesting to see how opposing OL handle Gholston this year; last year the double teams were to the inside, this year they'll be to the outside. Could mean more successful LB blitzes (Denicos Allen had 11 sacks last year).

2. Talked about somewhat above, but one thing to note is that MSU brought back every single DE from 2011 this year . . . and both '11 back-up DEs were beat out by RS FR. Denzel Drone (SDE, 6'2 262) is now at TE; Gholston is being backed up by Joel Heath (6'6 277). At WDE, Rush's back-up Corey Freeman (6'3 250) was dinged up and has been passed by RS FR Shilique Calhoun (6'4/6'5 245). You'll see a lot of the RS FR on special teams, particularly the LBs. Thomas has been injured and is reportadly 280 pounds. I don't think he's playing LB anytime soon.

Feel pretty good about the back-up DBs. The Drummond/Williamson battle should net MSU 1 solid starter at the FS position, and Isaiah Lewis' back-up at SS (Jairus Jones) nearly beat Lewis out for the spot last spring before tearing his ACL that spring (he actually rehabbed and was able to play the last 4-5 games of the year. At CB Mylan Hicks (5'11 200, RS Soph) had a back injury that kept him out of most of the games last season and forced him to play at S on the practice squad; his only game of regular season action was the bowl game. He's healthy and making a push to be the #3 CB. A pair of RS FR CBs, Trae Waynes (6'1 175) and Arjen Colquhoun (6'1 180) are looking like the next guys after Adams/Dennard leave.

Unfortunately the guy who I think could be the next big-time CB at MSU is playing WR (Lippett). Lippett played pretty well last year as a RS FR at CB (18 tackles, 5 PBU) and at 6'2 195 had the potential to really be an impact player there. I was hoping that MSU's WR situation would be better sot hat LIppett could stay at CB . . . but that's the way the cookie crumbles.

For Michigan;
DE: Defensive Ends should be improved as 3(4?) Year Starter Craig Roh slides over to SDE, as opposed to WDE, to allow Frank Clark or Brennan Beyer, both Sophomores, to play at WDE. Clark and Beyer will be competing all year for the starting spot as Clark is more athletic, but Beyer has better technique and a better understanding of the D. DE's should be better, more experienced, and faster than last year.

DT: Michigan will be replacing walk-on starter Will Heinenger with former WDE Jibreel Black which, IMO, is a step up as long as Black can put on 20+ pounds by fall. Black is a lightning quick player for a DT and should be fun to watch. However, the big question on Michigan's Defense is how they will replace NT Mike Martin. Obviously the replacement will be a fairly large step down in Will Campbell. Although Campbell has reportedly assumed the role as one of the team's leaders and is taking massive strides both on the field and in the weight room. My hope is that either Campbell finally lives up to his 5* billing due to 3 D-Line Coaches or that the improvement at the other 3 positions offsets Martin's loss.

LB: Michigan's LB's will be greatly improved after returning all 3 starters and with some fresh meat in talented Freshman Joe Bolden. At SLB Michigan returns Jake Ryan, the athletic playmaker who should be improved if not physically, mentally. Backing him up will be former Safety abomination Cam Gordon who would have started last year if not for a back injury and Ryan's stellar play. At MLB Michigan returns Kenny Demens who will be starting for his 2nd and a half year. Challenging Demens for time is touted Freshman LB Joe Bolden. Bolden impressed the coaches during spring and looked solid during the Spring Game. And finally at WLB Michigan returns Desmond Morgan. Not the most athletic guy, Morgan, who is entering his Sophomore year, is a hard hitter and should improve in his 2nd season. Backing him up, and potentially challenging for the starting spot is Brandin Hawthorne, an athletic 5th year senior who played well in the spring game (Including a fantastic one handed interception) and 2 Freshman LB's; James Ross and Kaleb Ringer. Overall, Michigan's LB's will be a solid unit both in run support and in pass coverage. Compounding on to the fact that Michigan returns all 3 starters is the fact that Michigan enters its 2nd season in the same system, a first for everybody on the team.

CB: Cornerback is confusing to me. At one spot will be Blake Countess who is entering his 2nd year and will be a very solid player. At the second spot returning starter JT Floyd, who ran with the 2's this spring, will challenge Courtney Avery, Terry Talbot, and Delonte Hollowell for playing time. The Cornerbacks, while a liability recently, return everybody worth returning and will also improve to be a solid unit.

Safety: The best unit on Michigan's Defense. At SS will be 4 year starter Jordan Kovacs, who not too athletic is almost never out of position and is a sure tackler. At FS Michigan returns Thomas Gordon, an athletic playmaker who is entering his second year of starting. Backing them up will be Marvin Robinson, a hard hitting safety who struggles with keeping his assignments at times, and Freshman Jarrod Wilson who is great at pass coverage but needs to bulk up.

As a whole Michigan's Defense should improve, especially seeing as how they return the entire back 7 and the only question mark on the team is, fortunately, the position which has 3 coaches who specialize with them. The Pass Defense especially should improve the most because for the first time in a while Michigan returns everybody and has a competent DB coach and DC.

Thanks, the FR and SO are going to be big contributors on Michigan's D this year, partly because Hoke is so much better at identifying, bringing in, and developing Defensive talent than RR was.

Have we lost the crowd?

would this be better served on the B10 board? won't get lost in the shuffle and would help to make sure the board doesn't die.

Ehh... The back 7 is probably the strongest unit on our football team as a whole. Don't read into Floyd running with the 2's... he is the starter coaches were just sending a message as they did with many other players this spring. Avery, Raymon Taylor, Talbott, Howell give us very nice depth at corner and all have game experience. Thomas Gordon was our best defensive player this spring by all accounts from people who attened many practices... so I think he is primed for a really good season this year. I agree the big concern is the interior, we are really solid on the outside right now.

I think the biggest thing for our defense is that... This is the first time in 4 years that we are running the same system 2 years in a row and have coaching stability not only on that side of the ball, but in general with regards to the program. I think this is what is going to help the most. There is no substitute for time and experience in a system. Last year guys were playing in completely new systems and basically winging it more often then not out their as Mattison has alluded too many times.

I posted on Bucknuts, Nebraska, Badger247, Voice of the Hawkeyes, tRCMB, the Indiana Board and PSU's board.

Pass Rush. I feel better about the pass rush than I do the run defense. The base defense last year was NT Mike Martin (3.5 sacks), DT Will Heinenger (1 sack), SDE Ryan Van Bergen (5.5 sacks), WDE Craig Roh (4 sacks). Michigan is losing a solid pass rush duo in Martin and Van Bergen, but their strength was against the run. This year, Michigan's front 4 should be better at getting to the QB, but against the run is in question. Will Campbell is replacing Martin, and for a pass rush purposes it might be a push, Campbell had 2 sacks in his limited time last year. Jibreel Black is moving from WDE to the DT position, the oline and coaches have talked all spring about his quickness being a problem for the offense, even if he is slightly undersized. Black had 1.5 sacks in his limited time last year, and he had a sack on Gardner in the spring game this year. Roh returns, but moves to the SDE position. He should provide as good, if not better pressure on the QB compared to Van Bergen. At the WDE position we have Brennen Beyer and Frank Clark battling it out. I feel that Beyer will be in for running downs while the more athletic Clark will come in on passing downs. In summary, I feel the front 4 is quicker and more athletic with a better chance at getting pressure on the QB without a blitz.

Now speaking of blitzes, Mattison brings them, and he brings them from all over, except the CBs. Jordan Kovacs, SS, tied for second on the team with 4 sacks. Michigan finished 29th in the nation is sacks, and I expect that number to stay the same or rise slightly.

Passing defense, Michigan finished 16th in the nation in pass defense at 190.5 ypg. In B1G play that number improved to 185.2 ypg, 5th in conference play. Pass efficiency D last year finished 36th nationally with a rating of 120.48, allowing 59.1 completion %, giving up 12 TDs, while recording 9 INTs.

The only lose in the back 7 is Troy Woolfolk. He started 10 games, but he finished much less than that. At the end of the season he was bouncing around, but the starters I mentioned earlier had their postitions locked up. With the back 7 returning I strongly feel that this will be the strength of Michigan's Defense this year. Michigan's needs to force more INTs with pressure up front and tighter coverage from the DBs. No true concerns for the back 7 going into the fall.

I'll add a little here if thats ok,

CB: Andrew Green has made large strides over the off season, but he still is young and makes mental mistakes. He is good in zone coverage, but is also very good at shadowing WR's and has learned not to bite on head fakes, and route recognition.

Mo Seisay has been everything he been advertised to be, gets the system already and has a frame that you can't teach. Very physical and maybe more so than Price or Dennard before him. He has great leaping ability and his break on the ball is lightning quick.

CJ Jackson, finally making it to campus this year, has been doing a lot of work with local pro's in his area and seems to be a workout warrior so to speak, time will tell if he can grasp Pelini's scheme this year, but should be used as a solid back up if needed.

Safety PJ Smith is back healthy for the first time since his freshman year, he is the cover guy on the defense. He will play center field and read the QB. He is long and rangy, and has good speed and leaping ability for jump balls. He was suspect in seasons past when tackling but has shown a tremendous improvement in that area.

Damion Stafford this kid is NFL material through and through and his position coach Joseph can't stop talking about him. He is picking off balls regularly in practice and also is known as a extremely heavy hitter. He is great on blitz's and stopping RB's out of the back field.

Nickle with Evans and Heard, both a young and have a lot to learn. Heard is the most phycically gifted and just a natural talent. This is his first year at CB and he moved over from RB to get out the log jam between AG/AA and himself. So far his natural ability has really grabbed the attention of the staff and the people watching in practice. Evan's just needs some confidence and allow the game to come to him. He thinks way to much and slows him down. But when he does show flashes he is a blanket.

Dime Jackson has this spot pretty well locked down and except for some situations with C.Cooper, is a great cover guy that brings a hitting attitude against bigger splitends and RB's.

All in all Pelini has put in a ton of time with this group over the spring... first time since 08-09. If that is anymeaning to you we were a NASTY pass defense thos years. Pelini's scheme takes a lot of smarts, and we had to sacrifice some talent for understanding last couple years, but everyone is on the same page now and its looks very likely they could be the strength of the team.

Keeping in mind the Nebraska pass defense is only as good as our front 7 and more importantly the front 4. If we can't get pressure we won't fare well in coverage. We will live and die by the ability of those guys up front and the back end will give the DL/LB more time to make plays than last year, but they still have to make plays in our 2gap system.

Not to , josh is one of our, nebraska.247sports.com/Huskers Illustrated, most informed members. This post by josh, is some of the best "inside" information on the state of the Husker football program anywhere. Enjoy.