Warren Overrated?

Submitted by B on

I thought he looked great at the beginning of the year, but I think Woolfolk has been better since he switched to CB. Part of me suspects that he may be injured (even before the punt collision), but I can't see someone who has to play that far off of a receiver being drafted early.

Hoken's Heroes

October 25th, 2009 at 11:10 PM ^

Our CBs are doing all they can, especially when playing 10 yards off the LOS. DW hasn't been perfect but he's been the only shining light in the 2ndary, if you want to call it a 2ndary. Let me also just say that I give Kovacs a lot of credit. He's not an earth shattering safety but he's doing a lot better than those who were recruited and didn't have 2 knee operations. Kovacs gets my admiration. I just fear what the D is going to look like next year when it's Grahamless.

BlueGoM

October 26th, 2009 at 5:46 AM ^

I'm hoping for an improved defense next year. Losing Graham will hurt, but Martin, Van Bergen, and Roh are all young. Martin and VB are sophomores. Roh is a true freshman. Another year of Barwis and he'll be a threat, IMO. I'd have to think that Will Campbell will be ready to play next season. He got blown off the ball against Iowa, badly, hopefully he's going to improve his technique.

If RichRod and company can convince Warren to stay, combined with an actual second straight year with the same D coordinator, I expect the defense to improve. Without Warren, uh, maybe not so much. We still need help in the secondary and at LB recruiting-wise, of course, something which has been talked about ad nauseam; I'm sure RichRod and co. are pushing hard to get that help.

[Edit: Oh, and to respond to the original issue: No, Warren is not overrated. 5* recruit, started a few games as a true freshman IIRC. He played most of last year w/ an injured foot he couldn't push off of too. Iowa tried to throw against him and got burned. ]

Beavis

October 25th, 2009 at 11:11 PM ^

I gotta think there was some reason why he was playing so far off his man, while TW was right up on his.

Has anyone heard of a solid explanation? (not including "he was at Rick's on Friday night")

Greg McMurtry

October 26th, 2009 at 8:29 AM ^

on every play, but on a few plays Stevie Brown was over the slot man and DW was over the end. The coverage was zone and Brown had the short zone and DW had the deep routes. On a quick throw directly to the end Brown could not get out on the edge and it was killing the zone coverage look.

ohio-michiganfan

October 25th, 2009 at 11:16 PM ^

I'm not a football coach but I would say that the db's line up on the receiver the way the defensive coach has told them to line up. I'm sure this changes based on coverage and blitz calls.

brad

October 25th, 2009 at 11:47 PM ^

Warren is an excellent college football player, and is as likely as ever to be a solid pro corner. He happens to play on a team with poor safeties and linebackers who are not strong in pass coverage. He is one of two starters in the back seven (Brown) who can consistently make a solo tackle, he is excellent in man coverage and he has made huge plays this season.

Where are you coming from, are you just trying to convince us that he should stay next season?

mgopat

October 26th, 2009 at 12:38 AM ^

I remember a time when calling Stevie Brown "one of two starters in the back seven who can consistently make a solo tackle" would be considered blatant sarcasm. What a difference a year and a position switch makes.

mejunglechop

October 25th, 2009 at 11:48 PM ^

If anyone with who actually knows football can answer this it'll be much appreciated: what was the deal with Warren lining up 12 yards off the LOS? I know that it's something directed by the coaches, but what might be the reasoning behind it? It's not like he's playing against all world receivers.

bouje

October 25th, 2009 at 11:51 PM ^

on the opposite corners and Warren didn't have much help (I was at the game haven't watched film just a guess). You'd probably want your best corner on an island and if he gets burned you're screwed whereas you roll the safety coverage over to your less productive corners to give them help.

That and the fact that our safeties aren't necessarily the best/most reactive/most athletic probably plays into that.

B

October 25th, 2009 at 11:55 PM ^

Take a deep breath. My post was also saying that Woolfolk is underrated. He is playing really well, and I believe his contribution is overlooked when there are posts that say the secondary is in shambles other than Warren. Warren is a great player, but he is not beyond reproach. I believe he was beat on at least one touchdown last game, and the quick passes to his man really hurt the defense. Perhaps that is Robinson's doing, but whatever it was it did not work. Obviously Warren has made some incredible plays (Indiana), but his play has digressed significantly.

umchicago

October 26th, 2009 at 9:47 AM ^

you really don't know what you're talking about.
1) i don't believe he was responsible for any of the TDs; unless he was covering Zug on the first one; looked like a 10 yd slant route toward the post(i couldn't tell as i was at the game); ezeh, brown (2) were responsible for the others.
2) regressed since indiana??? really??? forget about the TD at Iowa??? and the other pass breakups there??? that was just 2 weeks ago. i don't think he had a bad game against DelSt either.

No, he didn't have an impact against PSU, but it's ridiculous to expect a CB to have impact plays every week. hell, the WRs for PSU barely had 100 yds for the game. the TEs and RBs had more yds.

warren's game this year has improved greatly this year. this post is an absolute joke.

flysociety3

October 26th, 2009 at 12:01 AM ^

I think besides the Western Michigan game, Warren has been a really smart player and has made some big plays.... I just thought he had some dumb penalties against WMU, but obviously by the score it didnt matter... love the guy, and I love woolfolk... williams and kovacs on the other hand..... BLOW

BlueinLansing

October 26th, 2009 at 2:03 AM ^

overrated. I do believe people have made him out to be much better than he is.

He's a very good corner, probably won't be an all-american unless he has a steller SR. season. Should have some kind of an NFL career in his future.

Right now the D coaches are so freaked out by our terrible safeties they are playing him way off the ball, and thats not his strong suit.

Warren and Graham are easily our best tacklers (with a special nod to Kovacs).

I do find it very odd that since Woolfolk moved to the other corner, teams are suddenly throwing Donovan's way more. That just doesn't make much sense.

PurpleStuff

October 26th, 2009 at 2:45 AM ^

Do you have any idea what cornerbacks do in a defensive scheme? Have you ever played football in your life? Are you a defensive coach at any level of football?

My guess on all of these is a big fat NO! Donovan Warren has played exceptionally well by "people who know what to expect from DB's"-standards all year. The fact that he is only a junior and is playing with an otherwise sub-par secondary makes it even more impressive. The kid is going to make a lot of money in the NFL some day, and I can only hope that he listens to your blog post and decides he's not ready for the NFL so we can keep him on campus next year.

TMayBG20

October 26th, 2009 at 4:11 AM ^

They were playing a form of cover 2 with the boundary (weakside) corner high. This allows them to keep williams in the box and play the run. Also, the TD when Kovacs got beat up the seam. He was out of position by alignment. It doesn't matter how fast, big, or strong he was...he wasn't making that play. Much of the problem with the defense is what you saw last year with the offense. A lot of young players in a new scheme. Don't think for one second that GR's system is easy to learn. It is huge bag of mix-ups well suited for the NFL. When these extremely young and inexperienced players have been in the system for a while, usually 2 spring balls, they will cause a lot of offensive coordinators to have sleepless nights.

jblaze

October 26th, 2009 at 7:38 AM ^

I think he'll play on Sundays and have a pretty good NFL career (like Marlin Jackson or Leon Hall). I don't think he'll end up like Ty Law of like Woodson, though.

Make no mistake though, he's the 2nd best player on the D this year. If he stays, he'll be the best player on D next year.

crum

October 26th, 2009 at 7:47 AM ^

Do you realize he has absolutely 0 safety help. He plays every down like they are running a 0 coverage blitz and with the safety on his side normally playing closer to the line (This is by design because he can cover better than anyone we have 1on1) so he is on an Island. They have him off the line to keep everything in front of him and to help keep him from getting beat on a deep ball. IMO the only time he gets beat on a deep ball is a double move in short to moderate yardage downs and that wont happen often, he is a very, very good corner.

The reason teams keep throwing at him is because he is 1 on 1 and there is a better chance of a completion against 1 on 1 coverage, even if the CB is the best cover guy on the team, and perhaps the Big Ten.

STW P. Brabbs

October 26th, 2009 at 7:49 AM ^

In between plays, Warren was clearly limping. It wasn't the Brett Favre Memorial Post-Interception Hey Look At Me I'm Playing Through Pain Here Limp - he was trying to play it off, I think, but there was no doubt he was struggling.

I'm betting that's why he gave receivers extra room and why he let Zug score a touchdown on him. If you think Warren is overrated, you've completely forgotten the first 6 games of the goddamn season. Did you ask if Tom Brady was overrated after he had a couple of bad games at the beginning of this season, too?

Kilgore Trout

October 26th, 2009 at 8:16 AM ^

For what it's worth, he was signaling to the bench that he needed to come out directly before the punt collision. He was tapping his helmet and running off and suddenly turned around and rushed back into the play.