More On Next Year's Front

Anyone else wonder why Ondre Pipkins took a picture while in a shipping container?

It is for reasons like this that I think Pipkins is the most important recruit that Michigan brought in this year. He looks like a beast and hopefully can anchor the DLine for years(!).

[I remember rumors on the board that Pipkins wasn't happy that guys like Danny O'Brien were being recruited....perhaps the coaching staff back off of them to keep PeWee happy....]

The OLBs?

Count the war daddies on the Michigan defensive line. You come back with a true freshman and an inconsistent former five star who can't play consistently without standing up straight. The other guy who would be two-gapping in a 3-4 is… Nate Brink? Jibreel Black? A true freshman? Not happening.

Has the Ash ship sailed?

Everytime I see a post about the DL that isn't basically "it's gonna be a gaping hole" I get a little more confident.

Straight up one gap, because it's simpler to teach.  All of the coaches from Hoke on down emphasize technique as the first priority for any player to be practicing.  Learning the scheme and adjusting was always second.  Considering that college players progress through much faster year to year than NFL players, and are developing their bodies at a much higher rate, I don't see Michigan trying to get complex just because they finally have a true 1-Tech as a freshman (well since Will Campbell, who unfortunately did not receive consistent coaching, but is a 1-tech body/resource more than Marting ever was or will be).

The advantage of having DL two gap is that it removes gaps from the LB's responsbility.  In a pass first league like the NFL, you need every possible NON-DL back in coverage.  Fortunately the player resources at hand are physically completely developed, highly experienced, and most importantly available for practice as much as possible!  Or look at it the other way, not taking classes in addition to weight lifting, practicing and reviewing film.

For Michigan, keeping it simple means that Pipkins has a better chance of seeing the field as a true freshman.  Continuing to keep it simple means Pipkins has the best chance of dominating the 1-tech and thus forcing opposing offenses to dedicate two blockers to try and remove him from his 1 gap.  That is one less blocker on Demens, etc.  But that doesn' mean Demens doesn't have the other gap, he will, and will control it easier being unblocked.

The other constantly repeated theme of the coaches was "consistency in practice gets you on the field for the game"  Based on who was on the field for the first half of the season compared to the last half, it definitely seemed like lower talent players were out there.  Quite likely because they provided a constant "B" effort in comparison to younger higher talent options who provided alternating A and C effort (Will Campbell).  On top of that, Mattison wants 7-8 starting level players to rotate on the DL, which to me means they are hoping that Will Campbell is the starting 1-tech with Pipkins as the relieving 1-tech on the rotation.

At the end of the season, Campbell was clearly the sub for Martin, and depending on the game he saw varying degrees of time.  But you did not see him next to Martin except for the Bear and Goal line packages.  I'm sure the upcoming Spring Game won't provide any resolution, since these coaches seem to like experimentation over Fan wowing performance.  Just compare the response to the 2010 Spring Game review versus the 2011 Spring Game.  Everyone was sure that Denard couldn't do anything right and Gardner was going to start.  Ignoring the statement by Coach Hoke that his goal was getting as many plays on film as possible so the players could review it on their own time from Spring to Fall camp.  Mike Martin intercepting a pass because he dropped into coverage, etc.

But come Fall we will see Will Campbell at the 1-tech, and Pipkins will rotate in to relieve him.  The only guess is what the proportion of time will be between the two as the season progresses.

I think the bigger toss up is the 3 tech spot and the SDE.  But my money is on experience over talent/star ratings.

But why should I try to be realistic toward an untested recruit.  Clearly it's impossible for Pipkins to bust or struggle with the transition from high school to college.  Yes he performed well against the cream of the crop of his peers, but next year he goes against OL with 4 years experience blocking in college and four years of college strength and conditioning.  At this point, I don't see any difference between Recruit Will Campbell and Recruit Ondre Pipkins, other than who the coaches are who recruited him and will train him.

We've seen this show before 3 years ago with Campbell.   I'm pumped about Pipkins, but he's not even enrolled early.  To expect Pipkins to play at a level where he is not a huge liability is optimistic.  True freshmen in the middle who play well are just very rare.

I see a 1 gap defense like the Colts the past few years where you hope to get a lead and force teams to play catch up.  That way you can deploy a front with Black, Roh, Clark and just try to use your quickness to Fuck. Shit. Up.  

I think we're writing off Washington, Ash, Rock etc way too soon.   I would imagine Washington is much stronger than Pipkins and way ahead of him in terms of scheme.  I say Washington is the leader in the club house for that spot.

If he surprises me I'll be elated, but I still don't see them trying to deploy him in different situations.

This is why I said earlier that Mike Martin actually might surprise some people with productivity as the NT in a 3-4 scheme:

"In short, while a 1-gap player attacks gaps, a 2-gap player attacks people. Football's conventional wisdom states that an effective 2-gap lineman, particularly one who lines up in the middle of the defense like Wilfork does, must be enormous. Coaches refer to them as "war daddies." But size is actually less important than athleticism and smarts."

Conventional wisdom dictates that Mike Martin is vastly undersized as a 3-4 nose and will get PWND in the NFL (some are even saying he should convert to DE).  When I said Martin could play nose, this is what I had in mind.  He may be "small" but he's an incredibly strong for his size and a wrestler with the balance and technique to not lose leverage.  He's also very quick and -- if matched up 1-on-1 against a center -- can penetrate and cause problems, which is all the ILBs would need to make plays.  About the worst thing that can happen is a double-team, but if he's taking on two blockers then one of the ILBs should have a shot at the play.

A 4-3 doesn't have to be a 1-gap defense and a 3-4 doesn't have to be a 2-gap defense.

A head-up defensive lineman doesn't have to be a 2-gap player.  A shaded defensive lineman can't be.

So, just b/c we don't have a DL who can't be an effective 2-gapper doesn't necessarily mean we won't be an odd front.  (Although I would guess we won't be.)

In fact, the legendary Bo defense from the 70s and early 80s was the Michigan 5-2 slant/angle defense.  The defensive line always sparked (stemmed, stunted, whatever you want to call it) into a single gap, despite lining head-up over the OL.

Also, having a 2-gap defense not only requires "war daddies" but also requires highly instinctive LBs who can get into his proper gap.  This depends on the gap in which the 2-gap DL ends up.