First of all, very long read but I hope you enjoy it...
As we all know, with the hiring of new defensive coordinator Todd Grantham the Georgia Bulldogs will switch to a new defensive scheme in 2010. Grantham will install a 3-4 alignment opposed to the traditional 4-3 that has been Georgia's base defense for more about fifteen years. After two years of major struggles on the defensive side of the ball under former DC Willie Martinez Dawgs fans and the team hope for a breath of fresh air and the return of fear in opponent's eyes on Sunday. But the defensive change not only brings hope as the translation is usually not as smooth as many people think. I will try to give a little early outlook of what we can expect next season, what the new defense requires, who will thrive in the new system and how the Dawgs might adjust in the upcoming season.
THE 3-4 DEFENSE
Now in a 3-4 you operate with three down linemen and four linebackers. Due to the lack of a second defensive tackle this defense has certain requirements for the defensive line. At the nose tackle spot you want a big, stout run stuffer who is able to hold up against a double team and at the point of attack. Good 3-4 nose tackles are hard to find and the abuse a tackle will take is unrivaled by any other position. Both defensive ends also have to be big, strong players who ideally are a little taller. Long arms help them to avoid getting engaged by offensive linemen and hold at the line of scrimmage. Mostly you see converted defensive tackles play DE in the 3-4. It is not easy to find these type of players as the defense is especially demanding for your down linemen. Their main job is to stuff the run and let the linebackers make plays.
The outside linebackers are the players who are usually responsible for the pass rush. They also have to be able to seal the edge and attack the run. At the OLB position you find the huge advantage that the 3-4 has in comparison to the 4-3. With both OLB playing close to the line of scrimmage, the offensive doesn't know which LB will rush and it complicates protection schemes a great deal. In general a lot of emphasis is put on the linebackers as they have to generate the pressure, attack the gaps with force and even take on offensive linemen many times. In general you need bigger, stronger linebackers for the 3-4.
As you can see a lot in this defense is about size and strength. Grantham will implement a system though which will also allow the players to use their speed to their advantage. He won't have too many two gap reponsibilities and he will let his players attack down hill and penetrate the gaps.
DEFENSIVE LINE
Projected starters: DE Demarcus Dobbs - NT DeAngelo Tyson - DE Abry Jones
After losing three defensive linemen in the offseason the new year presents a lot of opportunities and challenges for other players to step up. Tyson seems to be the best fit at the nose tackle spot and he plays with solid leverage, has decent size and is fairly experienced. It is agruably the hardest job in football that he is assigned here and if he fails the entire unit will be affected immensely. Dobbs is rumored to bulk up over the summer and at 6-2 and at around 280 pounds he should be able to hold up at the line. He will also give Grantham the opportunity to generate pressure from the line, something uncommon for the 3-4. Abry Jones is a good fit at 6-3, 300 pounds and should see heavy minutes next year. In general though the Dawgs are a little undersized by basic standards. This will require Grantham to not only be creative with blitzing and schematic flexibility but also will put some emphasis on the players behind the starters on the depth chart. After being injured last season we should expect Derrick Lott to step up this year. He has the perfect size for a 3-4 DE and should see plenty of time next year. An interesting X factor is Kwame Geathers, who Mark Richt raved about late last season. He has the potential to be a true imposing presence with his gigantic size and clog up the middle. He has to learn to play low to the ground and play with great leverage. Freshman Mike Thornton and Garrison Smith won't have to make the switch as the upperclassmen but they should struggle early with the demands of a 3-4 defensive lineman. Further though it should be interesting to see who the coaching staff might ask to bulk up or switch positions and man a spot on the line in the future.
LINEBACKERS
Projected starters: OLB Justin Houston - ILB Darryl Gamble - ILB Akeem Dent - OLB Cornelius Washington
When we look at the linebacking corps the Dawks look a lot better prepared for the defensive change than on the defensive line. The Dawgs recruited a lot of defensive ends in recent years and have a bunch of interesting prospects to play on the outside. Justin Houston might be undersized as a 4-3 end but for an OLB he has the perfect size and has shown last season that he can get after the quarterback. He should be a star in this scheme. On the other side I projected Cornelius Washington as the early starter as he has good size and brings the athletic ability to play in space. It's gonna be really interesting who the coaching staff tries out here but in general, speed has always been a trademark of UGA's defensive players and that bodes well for position changes and versatility across the board.
Darryl Gamble should be the leader of this unit from day one. He is a senior, will be directly connected to Coach Grantham (as he coaches the LBs) and has shown in the past that he is a tremendous linebacker. Gamble at 6-2 and 255 pounds was born to play in this scheme and should have no problem adjusting. The other inside linebacker spot will be a little question mark. Akeem Dent is a solid starter and has a lot of experience. Richard Samuel switched from running back to linebacker and he should be a lot of fun to watch. He has to catch up on coverage schemes and gap responsibilites though. Akeem Hebron and Marcus Dowtin will see a bunch of snaps but are generally stricly 4-3 backers. They are fast and should mostly utilized in passing situations and on blitzes.
Montez Robinson also looks like a perfect fit at OLB but we have to wait and see what comes out of his off field struggles and the suspension.
SECONDARY
Projected starters: CB Branden Smith - SS Baccari Rambo - FS Jakar Hamilton - CB Brandon Boykin
The secondary looks to be a weakness on paper for the Dawgs as only Boykin has considerably starting experience. But toward the end of last season Smith and especially Rambo have shown a lot of promise and they should also benefit a great deal from a more aggressive approach from the entire defense. Rambo and Hamilton are an intriguing safety combo as both are fierce competitors, scrappy and hard hitters. They will embrace the attacking style of coach Grantham. Rambo has shown leadership aswell and projects to be the quarterback of the defensive backfield.
Smith and Boykin are both excellent athletes and should play a lot more man coverage next season. Opposing quarterbacks should get rid of the ball quicker which increases the chances of ill advised passes and mistakes. Both cornerbacks should see a ton of opportunities to make plays. Smith has to show that he can be a reliable full time cover man, something which he hasn't always done in the past. With highly touted freshman Alex Ogletree, the experienced Vance Cuff and Quintin Banks plus versatile Sanders Commings the Dawgs have good depth in the secondary. Also look out for more creative blitzes involving secondary players.
OVERALL RESUME
The Bulldogs will face a huge challenge this offseason with the defensive switch. The thing though is that it can't really get any worse. Seriously, the Dawgs needed a changeup in the worst way and the 3-4 is becoming more and more of the norm in today's game (atleast in the NFL, which will help getting recruits who look to prepare themselves in a pro style scheme). Last year's national champion Alabama played a 3-4, too. Now they had much more fitting personnel but the Dawgs aren't in terrible shape. They got big linebackers, talented pass rushers and they possess a lot of team speed across the board. The biggest question mark will be the defensive line. Grantham though has been a defensive line coach and he will look to get his boys up to the task.
The biggest improvement in my eyes and as many have said on this board already will come from the change of identity and attitude. The Dawgs will look for blood and they will take more pride in their defense again. The will and inner fire seemed lost in recent years under Martinez and one of Grantham's main jobs will be to reinitiate this fire. With everyone motivated and aggressive, schematic shortcomings and transition problems will be much much easier to handle. Getting the full value out of the defensive switch will take some time but DawgNation has to expect a big improvement from last year.
GO DAWGS!
coaching this talent up. Posted earlier with fire_dawg . . . this is probably the \"highest\" I have been since the 60's.