DCC: Marcus Freeman

Thanks to all who commented on yesterday's DCC post on Clinkscale. Today I'll recap what I found in taking a closer look at Cincinnati Defensive Coordinator/LB Coach Marcus Freeman. I was pushing diary length on the last one, and this goes even more in depth, but the board has more activity so I'm sticking with it.

Profile

If you're sold on a youth movement, the 34 year old Freeman is a bit beyond "wunderkind" status for 24/7's 30under30 list but nearly half the age of Don Brown. He's another Ohio guy (Huber Heights) and played LB for the Buckeyes from 2004-2008 under then OSU co-DC/LB coach, current Cincinnati HC Luke Fickell. Before joining the Cincy staff in 2017, Freeman spent a few years as LB coach for Kent State then Purdue, eventually snagging a co-DC title for one year at the latter.

If recruiting is your bag, he's brought a couple 4-star Ohio kids to the Bearcats and comes in at 108th nationally for 2021 to 24/7. That's good for 3rd in the AAC, a tough place to recruit, but doesn't quite line up with some of the hype I've seen. Although Cincinnati's 2020 41st ranked class was the best in program history, the perceived inability to capitalize on recent success (45th ranked class for 2021) has been mentioned as a knock on Luke Fickell. Regardless, Freeman is one of five finalists for the Broyles Award honoring the top assistant coach in the country.

Since I failed to address it in the Clinkscale post, I'll note that I see no conflict between the shape of our roster and what Cincinnati likes to run. Eleven Warriors calls it "multiple" with shifts among 4-3, 4-2-5 and 3-3-5 in their 2019 film study. They also note Freeman's use of "Banjo" coverage, which you may remember from Seth's recent Neck Sharpies on dealing with Mesh (i.e. Ohio State WRs dragging across the middle with a rub).

In the News

Freeman has certainly come up on the board quite a bit but I couldn't find any main page content with his name. So no word on how Brian feels about him, to the extent that means anything to you.

Elswehere, his name is coming up all over the country for open jobs. Maize n Brew had him on the short list to replace Brown. Tiger Details calls him "the hottest name in the country" in reviewing options to replace Bo Pelini. Hammer and Rails wants him at Purdue and he's been listed as a candidate for a first-time HC position at Illinois.

That said, he signed an extension with Cincinnati last year and turned down a chance to move to the B1G when Mel Tucker came calling:

"I have goals, personal goals, and one of those is wanting to be a head coach, and I believe I don't need to leave the University of Cincinnati to achieve that goal... going to Michigan State didn't make me feel like I was going to be any more closer to it. Did the relationship with Coach Fickell come into play? Absolutely. Did the relationship I have with our kids here come into play? Absolutely."

Defensive Rankings

Ultimately it's all about performance on the field and Cincinnati's defense has been getting it done at 11th in total defense (314 ypg) and 7th in scoring defense (16 ppg). They're shutting opposing QBs down to the tune of a 94.05 efficiency rating (2nd nationally).

For fans of fancy stats, they jumped from 17th in DFEI in 2019 to 5th this year. One possible concern is that the Bearcats have been one of the most penalized teams in the country every year Freeman has been there. I can't separate defense from offense, and maybe that's a Fickell thing, but you might have to brace for some hair-pulling flags under a Freeman unit.

Summary

There's a lot to like about Freeman. He's got multiple years running an arguably elite defense, which should allay concerns that a young guy needs a mentor. I don't think his actual recruiting record will wow anyone pining for someone with proven chops, but it's tough to tell at a mid-major and people have praised him. The personnel fit looks good. I'd be happy with this hire but less convinced the Brinks truck is enough to bring him into a dicey situation in Ann Arbor. He's a loyal Buckeye and coach in waiting should Fickell move up.

What's your take, MGoBoard?