SB Nation - Glenn Dorsey

Ndamukong Suh A Finalist For the Lott Trophy

Jon Johnston — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 01:27:49 -0000

Ndamukong Suh has terrorized offensive players all season. He's a finalist for the Lombardi Award, Outland Trophy, Nagurski Trophy and the Bednarik Award.

Browse more photos »

A day behind on this but Ndamukong Suh is a finalist for yet another award as finalists for the Lott Trophy were named yesterday. Suh also is a finalist for the Lombardi Award, Outland Trophy, Nagurski Trophy and the Bednarik Award. He's also among 15 players on the "players to watch list" for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award.

Finalists for the Lott Trophy are Safety Eric Berry of Tennessee, Defensive End Jerry Hughes of TCU, Linebacker Rolando McClain of Alabama and Defensive Tackle Ndamukong Suh of Nebraska.

Berry is a junior from Fairburn, Georgia who was the SEC Defensive Player of the Year as a sophomore and is widely considered the best defensive back in the country. He was twice selected the Lott Player of the Week this season.

Hughes is a senior from Sugar Land, Texas who was converted from a high school running back to defense as a freshman. Hughes was the Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year last season when he led the country in sacks with 15. This year, in addition to his continued stellar play on the field, he has been honored as a local hero for his community involvement in the Fort Worth area.

McClain is a junior from Decatur, Georgia who is the driving force on an Alabama defense that has been superb in leading the Crimson Tide to an undefeated (12-0) season.

Suh is a 300-pound senior from Portland, Oregon who has been the dominant defensive player in the country, credited with 22 quarterback hurries and 16 tackles for losses. He's been named a Lott Player of the Week a record three times this season.

The Lott Trophy is awarded annually to the nation's best defensive player. It is the first time Tennessee, TCU and Nebraska have had a finalist for the Lott Trophy.

        Past winners of The Lott Trophy:

        2004 - David Pollack, Georgia

        2005 - DeMeco Ryans, Alabama

        2006 - Dante Hughes, California

        2007 - Glenn Dorsey, LSU

        2008 - James Laurinaitis, Ohio State

The LSU Preview

outsidethesidelines — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:16:56 -0000

No smoke and mirrors needed this week. No clever turn of phrase needed to build drama and intrigue with this game. Nope. To paraphrase what they say in the sales business, this is simply a game that sells itself. It's 'Bama v. LSU. Saban Bowl III. National championship implications clearly on the line. The entire country turning its eyes towards Tuscaloosa to play close attention at this contest. Again, this one sells itself. Let's look closer at the match-ups:

Alabama Offense v. LSU Defense

After putting up points and yards by the bushel in the first month of the season, the once prolific Alabama offense has slowly ground to a virtual halt over the course of the past five weeks. The vertical element of the passing game went into the Witness Protection Program in early October, and we still haven't seen any signs of it returning as of this writing. Mark Ingram has been nothing short of phenomenal -- sans the fumble against Tennessee -- but the lack of a vertical element to the passing game, combined with untimely penalties, questionable playcalling, and struggles in the red zone have kept the Tide offensive attack at bay and off the scoreboard.

Admittedly, the level of competition has been high the past several weeks. Kentucky has a good defense, and Ole Miss, South Carolina, and Tennessee rank in the top 25 nationally of more statistical categories than not. But such is life in the SEC... it's a brutal gauntlet of quality opponent after quality opponent, and there will be no rest for the weary this weekend when the Bayou Bengals come to town. Alas, when LSU arrives in Tuscaloosa, they will bring with them a defense that is as good as those we saw in October, if not better.

And unfortunately, injuries continue to take a toll on the Tide. Colin Peek looks to either miss this game or play nowhere near 100%, and that's a very big loss for the Tide. Michael Williams will likely play better than he did two weeks ago against Tennessee because he will be more prepared, but Peek is a critical element of our offense, and unfortunately Williams is an imperfect substitute.

Defensively, the weakness for LSU starts up front at the line of scrimmage. Shocking as though that may be -- I imagine I need remind no one that LSU's defensive line ate us for dinner from 2003-2007 -- it is nevertheless true. To be sure, it's certainly not a bad group, but it isn't a dominating one and it is not up to the level that we have come to expect the past several years out of LSU. Inside, seniors Al Woods and Charles Alexander are good players that any team would love to have, but they probably aren't to the level that we saw the past several years out of LSU with Kyle Williams and Glenn Dorsey. Likewise, the rotation isn't what it has been in previous years in terms of quality depth.

The real weakness for LSU on the defensive line largely comes outside at end. Senior Rahim Alem has been a bit of a disappointment this year. He was always a liability against the run -- which is why, despite leading the SEC in sacks in 2008, he wasn't a starter -- but he hasn't rushed the passer as well this year, generating only three sacks in the first eight games (only one of which came in conference play, and that was against Vandy). Opposite Alem, Lazarius Levingston hasn't exactly played poorly, but he hasn't really made an impact either. He has yet to generate a sack, and only has ten tackles on the year. Making matters worse, they are somewhat undersized, and mixed with their lack of a consistent pass rush, that generally explains why LSU's run defense has been somewhat middling, and also explains why they are at the bottom of the SEC in sacks.

Unfortunately, the rest of the LSU defense is significantly better. The linebacker corps struggled greatly in 2008, but they have made tremendous strides in 2009 under new defensive coordinator John Chavis. There is not one standout at linebacker like Alabama has with someone like Rolando McClain -- or had with Dont'a Hightower -- but it's a good group that gets the job done. Perry Riley, Kelvin Sheppard, Harry Coleman, and Jacob Cutrera are all good football players, and they are in many ways unique players that give Chavis a lot of options. Riley is a big, physical player who excels against against the run, and Coleman's past as a former safety makes him a very versatile player, particularly in passing situations. Kelvin Sheppard is probably the best all-around player of the bunch, and while Cutrera isn't a standout, he's a senior who can really play whatever position they need off the bench. Again, it's not a group that has the one rockstar standout like you find with a guy like Rolando McClain or Brandon Spikes, but it's a good group of players that have produced at a high level for John Chavis.

The real strength of the LSU defense, however, comes in the defensive backfield, where the Bayou Bengals have an absolutely ridiculous collection of talent. Just look at the names and their recruiting hype... Chad Jones, #1 safety prospect in the country in 2007. Jai Eugene, #1 cornerback prospect in the country in 2006. Patrick Peterson, #1 cornerback prospect in the country in 2007. And guys like Chris Hawkins, Brandon Taylor, Karnell Hatcher, Ron Brooks, and Danny McCray? Yeah, they were generally "only" four-star recruits who could have had pretty much their pick of any school in the country.

Not surprising given that collection of talent, LSU's defensive backfield has led the way. Patrick Peterson is the best cornerback in the conference now that Kentucky's Trevard Lindley is slowed by an ankle injury, and Chad Jones is every bit as good of a safety as Eric Berry. And, obviously, the rest aren't too shabby. These guys have been the key for the LSU defense this year. The defensive line has struggled and frankly been very bad in terms of rushing the passer, but the back end has covered so well that LSU still fields one of the best pass defenses in the country.

Coach Saban and company have talked about stretching the field vertically this weekend, and that is almost certainly something that we will have to do in order to breathe life back into our deceased offense. LSU does not have the great run defense that they have sported in years past, but it's far from a bad unit, and you can rest assured that they will be able to limit Alabama's running game well enough to force the Tide to do something in the passing game in order to score a lot of points. Keep in mind that, as I mentioned in the Radio Hour, if you are unable to throw the football, then defensively you don't need to stop the run, you only need to somewhat limit the run. In other words, you just have to make sure that the opposing offense doesn't run it down your throats to the tune of 250+ rushing yards. Rest assured, LSU is likely more than good enough to do that up front.

Offensively, Alabama faces the same dilemma that it largely faced against Tennessee. Greg McElroy and the passing attack have struggled to move the football, and the opposing defense will look to limit Ingram and company and force McElroy and the wide receiver corps to beat them. Unless we can be more consistent and explosive in the passing game, the end result looks to be very similar to what it was against Tennessee.

Alabama Defense v. LSU Offense

For all of the strength of the LSU defense, the LSU offense hasn't been anywhere near as good, and if you look closely this is a group that ranks near the bottom of the country in most statistical categories.

At the skill positions, at least, this is an extremely dangerous offense. Without doubt the LSU wide receiver corps is easily the most talented that the Tide will face all season, and literally every single LSU wide receiver that will touch the football this Saturday will be a truly elite athlete in every sense of the phrase. Brandon LaFell will be a first-day draft pick next April, and both Terrance Toliver and Reuben Randle are physically impressive players who were the #1 wide receiver prospects in the country when they came out of high school. Richard Dickson is a good tight end in his own right, and he too will probably play on Sunday. Furthermore, Charles Scott is also a future NFL player, and while Keiland Williams never really lived up to his five-star status when he signed with the Tigers in 2006, he's still a fine player in his own right. And finally, while Russell Shepard and Trindon Holliday are somewhat of one-trick ponies, both have such ungodly speed and athleticism that they can present major challenges to a defense once they get the ball in their hands. Bottom line, struggles or not, if you look at the quality at talent at the skill positions for LSU, you would swear this is an elite offense.

The real problem with LSU offensively has been in the trenches and, perhaps not surprisingly, at the quarterback position. Struggles in those two areas have largely grounded the LSU offensive attack, and have turned an offense that should be high-powered based solely on its skill position talent into a unit that has greatly struggled to move the football and score points.

Ciron Black at left tackle for the Bayou Bengals is a four-year starter who will likely be a first round NFL draft choice next April, and at right tackle Joseph Barksdale -- a five-star recruit in 2007 -- is one of the best right tackles in the SEC. Unfortunately for the Tigers, however, the performance of the centers and guards has dipped significantly. The loss of starting left guard Herman Johnson and starting center Brett Helms have been felt all season, and the replacements just aren't in the same league right now. Josh Dworaczyk took over for Johnson, and the replacement starter for the gargantuan comes in at barely 280 pounds. Likewise, sophomore T-Bob Hebert hasn't necessarily been bad, but again he's just not in the same league as Helms right now. Right guard Lyle Hitt looked solid enough when sandwiched between Helms and Barksdale, but he too has seen his performance dip by having to take on greater responsibilities with Hebert alongside him. As a whole, the performance of the center and the guards just hasn't been anywhere what it was a year ago.

The struggles on the interior offensive line have effectively proven fatal to the LSU rushing attack. I've long said that the biggest impact on your rushing attack comes from the play of your center and your guards, and 2009 Tigers would prove to be a fine case study in that regard. The tackles are there, as are the backs, but LSU has struggled on the interior in the running game, and that has largely killed their rushing attack. The once potent Scott and Williams are averaging only about 4.8 yards per carry now, and prior to facing Tulane and their god awful run defense they were barely averaging 4.0 yards per carry.

The other problem for LSU offensively is quarterback Jordan Jefferson. While clearly an intriguing prospect with a great upside -- Jefferson has a good frame, a big arm, and is a legitimate dual-threat -- Jefferson is really playing out of necessity right now, and it shows. Truth be told, if the LSU coaching staff really had their druthers, Jefferson would probably be riding the pine this year while watching fifth-year senior Ryan Perrilloux run the Tiger offense, but alas the Football Gods would not cooperate. As a result, Jefferson has been forced to make the best of a bad situation, and he has clearly had his growing pains. He holds onto the ball entirely too long which creates a lot of sacks -- which explains why LSU is near the bottom of the conference in sacks allowed despite having the best tackle combo in the league -- often struggles to work through his progression, and does struggle at times to get the ball to his talented wide receivers. Combined, this has largely grounded what should otherwise be an explosive passing attack.

In all fairness, though, what Jefferson has done is manage the game and not get his Tigers beat. For all of the criticisms that you can make regarding his performance to date, he has protected the football, which is clearly priority number one for the LSU coaching staff. Jefferson has thrown a mere four interceptions this year on roughly 200 passing attempts, and has allowed the LSU defense to lead them to victory in close games. If nothing else, that is far more than could ever be said for the man that Jefferson replaced.

Defensively, Alabama brings the attack that you all know so well, and there will probably be little changes this week. Charles Scott and Keiland Williams had great success running the football against us a year ago, but with a healthy Terrence Cody this time around, plus Herman Johnson and Brett Helms playing on Sunday, the Tide ought to shut down the LSU rushing attack. If Charles Scott and company have a good deal of success come Saturday, it will legitimately come as a bit of a surprise.

The real key for the Alabama defense will be containing big plays in the passing game. For lack of a better way of putting it, the skill position players for LSU are unreal good, and they will stretch us to the absolute maximum this weekend. Our defensive backfield, collectively, will have to play the game of their lives this weekend, and to make matters even more worrisome we will also have to make sure that Russell Shepard or Trindon Holliday also don't beat us with a long run out of the backfield. Given the way we have struggled offensively the past several weeks, even giving up only one or two really long plays can easily be the difference between victory and defeat, and unless the offense improve, our defense has effectively zero margin of error.

Going a long way towards preventing those big plays to the skill position players will be effectively rushing the passer. Jefferson isn't a world-beater at quarterback, but his receivers sure as hell are, and he has the arm to make all of the throws. If Jefferson consistently has time to throw the football, we're in big trouble defensively. The LSU skill position players are simply too good to expect any defensive backfield to keep covered for any real length of time.

Putting It All Together

All in all, these two teams match up closely. If the Alabama offense were producing like it did earlier in the year, the Tide could be reasonably expected to win this game with relative ease, but with our offensive struggles of the past month and no definite sign of improvement, this game figures to be a close one that goes right down to the wire. Unless we can significantly improve offensively, the LSU defense is good enough to keep our offensive attack at bay, and while the LSU offense probably won't score a lot of points against our defense, they clearly have another skill position talent on the outside to make a few big plays to squeak out a close victory in a low-scoring game

And do look for this game to be a close, low-scoring game, no two ways about that. Neither team looks to score that many points, and expect the coaching staffs of the respective teams to play accordingly. LSU almost lost to the Tide in 2007 when they chose to kick to Javier Arenas late, and their loss last year was fueled by a slew of costly turnovers. Expect Les Miles and company to avoid both this weekend with a struggling Alabama offense. LSU will kick the football away from Arenas, and play safe on offense so that -- even if they don't score a lot of points in their own right -- they won't take the risks that could result in several costly turnovers. We're struggling greatly on the offensive side of the ball, and when facing a team of that nature you make sure that you do not allow cheap points. Expect LSU to force the Tide's offense to consistently move the ball 60+ yards to get points.

For Alabama, the path to victory is clearly in the trenches. We hold a fairly significant advantage in both match-ups at the line of scrimmage, and there is where we must win this football game. We must stop the run defensively and rush Jefferson, and offensively establish the running game and make like easy for McElroy and the Alabama passing attack. If we can do that, we win this football game. On the other hand, if LSU can fight us to an effective draw in the trenches, then this game will be decided by the skill position players, and that's a losing proposition for us. That's not to say we absolutely cannot win a game of that nature, but LSU does have more raw talent at the skill positions than we do, and that is a game that will clearly favor the Bayou Bengals. Again, our path to victory lies in the trenches. We have to dominate this game at the line of scrimmage. Period.

One way or the other, look for this to be an absolutely brutal game. The stakes are extremely high for both LSU and Alabama, and their respective players will perform accordingly. Les Miles, regardless of whether or not it is fair, will forever be judged relative to Nick Saban, something that is clearly not lost on Miles or his team. This is their biggest game of the year, and clearly the biggest game of the year for their fan base as well. Truth be told, they have been preparing for this game for two weeks now. Making matters more interesting, this game determines the SEC West, LSU is still technically alive in the national championship race, and they are clearly looking to make a definitive showing that they are still at their 2003-2007 form. On the other sideline, Alabama has been staring this one down for two weeks. We control our own destiny in the national championship race, and we know full well that this is now effectively a one-game season. If we want to get to where we want to go, we all realize that we must directly go through LSU. And, also, don't think for one second that it is lost on our team that they need to win this game in the trenches. Expect these two teams to line up and wage absolute war. There will be blood.

Hope for the best.

Preppy White Guy for Heisman

T.H. — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 22:31:42 -0000

More photos » AP

Browse more photos »

I've never paid much attention to the Heisman trophy, primarily because you never see a UNC player in contention for it, but I've also never seen a devastating takedown of the whole charade in one paragraph. Until Matt Hinton came along, that is:

Not that the anointed trio doesn't deserve their share of adulation, but the total exclusion of other viable candidates only emphasizes again how ga-ga Heisman pundits and voters remain for the classic letterman-jacket type: Seven of the nine winners this decade have been clean-cut white quarterbacks from mega programs, many of them foregone conclusions with halos around their head. In the Detmer/Torretta tradition, milquetoast winners Eric Crouch (who couldn't pass, lost his last game by 26 points and went on to be battered in a national championship rout) and Jason White (who had no knees, lost his last game by 28 points and went on to be battered in a national championship loss) will go down as eternal indictments of the Heisman formula -- especially White, who was voted in over the spectacular Larry Fitzgerald and his scary dreadlocks. Pat White, the only quarterback ever to win four straight bowl games, was never invited to New York, but Brady Quinn, beleaguered punching bag in two straight BCS blowouts, was. God forbid a David Pollack, A.J. Hawk, LaMarr Woodley, Glenn Dorsey or Brian Orakpo ever make their way into the discussion.

The Pat White - Brady Quinn comparison alone is golden. And that's just for people who made the ballot for the damn thing.

Les Miles Is Reclined In the Warmest Seat In the SEC

Richard Pittman — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 11:44:44 -0000

Like it or not, Tiger fans, this is a make or break year for Les Miles.

The caption above says, "Like it or not," because honestly, I don't like it. I like Les Miles. I think he's been a fine coach. He has not been mistake-free by any means, but he has been a good coach for us, and I think he is a decent man who loves his players and whose players love him. Why else would so many juniors looking at a huge payday in the NFL return for their senior seasons? Laron Landry, Glenn Dorsey, Early Doucet, Ciron Black, Brandon Lafell, Charles Scott and others returned for senior seasons when the NFL would have made them wealthy. That speaks volumes about a coach. Winning a national championship doesn't hurt either.

But this is big-time college football, and he's getting paid well north of $3 million per year, and it's not to win 3 SEC games a season. Last year was a profoundly disappointing year for LSU, winning only 3 conference games, losing a couple of big games late, and surviving a scare against Troy by the skin of our teeth.

There is not a coach in the SEC who is more than two consecutive profoundly disappointing seasons away from putting his job at serious risk. Les has had one.

The title of this article is not, "Les Miles Will Be Fired After the 2009 Season". I don't believe Les Miles will. I believe his seat is the hottest in the SEC at the moment, but that the SEC appears at first blush to be in a relatively stable cycle at the moment. Urban Meyer and Nick Saban are likened as to golden calfs at their respective institutions. Mark Richt, despite bizarre claims to the contrary, is trucking along nicely at Georgia. It would take a monumental collapse for South Carolina to want to ditch Spurrier, and he would quit first. Houston Nutt is the toast of Oxford, and Bobby Petrino had a sufficiently promising opening season not to have to worry about this one too much. Bobby Johnson is coming off Vandy's best season in a generation, and Rich Brooks is doing a lot better now than when they refused to fire him a few years ago.

Add in three brand new coaches, all of whom appear to have job security at least through year one, and that leaves championship-winning Les Miles as the coach most in need of a good season, and for more reasons than one. Rightly or wrongly, Les Miles also has to face the spectre of the barrage of taunts of "winning with Nick Saban's recruits." This is the first year in which players from pre-2005 recruiting classes will not make up a substantial part of the starting lineup, and while I think it's a stupid criticism (no one said Urban Meyer won in 2006 with Ron Zook's recruits, or that Nick Saban won the SEC in 2001 with Gerry Dinardo's recruits), until he has a good season from this point forward he will have no choice but to endure it.

The good news for Les Miles is that I highly doubt we are in for another 3-5 season. Poseur rightly points out our mediocre special teams play last year, but we all know the two reasons we stunk it up in 2008: problems at quarterback, and problems stopping other quarterbacks. It looks like we've made great strides in correcting both of those problems. Jordan Jefferson made huge strides between the loss to Arkansas in his first start and the win against Georgia Tech in his second, and has gone through his first Spring with the team, where we can justifiably expect more development. He has not been perfect in practice, but we expect him to be a solid quarterback this year.

In addition, the hiring of John Chavis, Brick Haley, and Ron Cooper, and the reshuffling in the secondary has given us every reason to expect the epic disaster of last year's pass defense to experience a significant uptick.

Now we don't know how much better the QBs will be or how much better the pass defense will be, but we are quite justified in expect them to be at least a little better. "A little better" in both of those categories last year would have probably given us a 9-win regular season in 2008. "A lot better" in both of those categories would have put us in the SEC Championship game with a shot at going to the BCSNCG again.

But make no mistake about it. If we see a repeat of last year, there will be many calls for Les Miles to be fired. He may not actually be fired, but it would be a Charlie-Weis-like situation where everyone knows the Sword of Damocles is beginning its downswing and only a miracle rescue would stave off its descent.

I don't expect it, and I certainly don't relish it, but that's the life Les Miles has chosen. If he did not want to forever be no more than 2 seasons away from looking for a new job, he could have stayed in the business world, where he was before he called Bo Schembechler and got back into football. I like him, and I think he's good for LSU, but that's the way life is at this level.

Class of 2009: DT Chris Davenport

Richard Pittman — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 17:00:20 -0000

via image.cdnl3.xosnetwork.com

I so desperately wanted to make Chris Davenport a headliner, but I think ultimately I have to make him a solid player instead. Davenport is a huge 6'4" 323# defensive tackle out of tiny Mansfield High School in Mansfield, Louisiana. He was a 5-star on both Rivals and Scout, and he was a big pickup for the Tigers. He's a very likable young man, and he was all-LSU from the beginning of his recruitment.

Davenport certainly has the tools. He is huge, and strong, and has good quickness at his size. He may not be a mountain like the one they have in Tuscaloosa, but he is at least a rolling hill. Physically, he could end up being the perfect 4-3 defensive tackle, or perhaps a 3-4 nose tackle.

So why not give a 5-star his due? I just have too many misgivings about it. Davenport comes from a very small program; Mansfield is a 2A school. It was not a very good team. In Davenport's junior year, they were 6-5. In his senior year they were 1-9. He was playing in a not-very-good division and you just don't know how good the instruction around him was. To add to the uncertainty, Davenport lost most of his senior year when he tore a meniscus. He returned to action in time to participate in the U.S. Army All-America Game, but was not 100% healthy and was not really in proper shape, and therefore was not that effective.

I will say that the coaches reportedly love this kid, and think he is going to be a total stud. He has gotten healthy and is in good game shape and ready to go. He is reportedly a physical specimen, with as high an upside as we've seen in a defensive tackle since we signed Glenn Dorsey. His videos show a raw talent, and he definitely has the upside of a 5-star. You just have to wonder if maybe he needs more coaching before he's really ready to contribute. I definitely think I'm taking a minority position. He could well end up being an immediate contributor, especially in light of the fact that there is so little depth at defensive tackle right now.

Some YouTube highlights after the jump.

5 Keys To A Successful Season, Bonus Edition #2: The Last of Saban's Recruits

Richard Pittman — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 11:42:37 -0000

Do they not make these people shave for these pictures? Come on Coleman! They used to make people wear suits for their roster pictures.

Way back before the 2007 season, Nick Saban was hired at Alabama, and I was (and still am, for that matter) a resident of Tuscaloosa. I cannot tell you how many times in the next 18 months I defended Les Miles only to hear the retort, "But he is doing it with Nick Saban's recruits." In 2007, many a Bama fan discovered the world of recruiting, and they've been obsessed by it ever since.

Well, it's now 2009, and 4 full seasons have passed since Nick Saban last walked a sideline wearing purple and gold, and one might be tempted to think that the spectre of "But he is doing it with Nick Saban's recruits" has passed. You would be partly wrong. Sure, the roster is mostly made up of people from the 2005 class and beyond, all of whom gave Les Miles their Letter of Intent, but if you look back on Nick Saban's last recruiting class at LSU, the 2004 class, two names will stick out at you as still being on the LSU roster: Harry Coleman and Charles Alexander.

Coleman was a "greyshirt" in 2004, meaning he delayed his enrollment for a semester and actually counted towards the 2005 class. He was never actually coached by Nick Saban, but he turned in a signed Letter of Intent to Nick Saban, so I guess he still counts. He redshirted in 2005, then was a special teams monster for a while before taking over for Craig Steltz at safety. He had a tough year at safety last year and has since moved to linebacker.

Charles Alexander has had an injury-filled career at defensive tackle. He redshirted in 2004, so he was actually coached by Nick Saban. He lost most of two subsequent years to injury, including most of the 2007 national championship year. He was granted a 6th year of eligibility by the NCAA and so is back now for his second senior year.

Both of these players will have significant roles on the 2009 team. Coleman appears to be the starting strongside linebacker in the John Chavis system. He was actually listed as a linebacker when he was signed, but moved to safety because he is and was a "tweener". Just a little big for a safety but small for a linebacker. While he was outstanding in the BCSNCG after the 2007 season, I believe last year proved he was not ideally suited for safety. The new defensive staff moved him to linebacker where he will increase the speed on the field.

Alexander was a force in 2007 before he was injured. Everyone remembers how that defense struggled after the chop block on Glenn Dorsey, but people forget that the truly dominating efforts ceased after Alexander was hurt. We outscored our first two opponents that year by a combined 93-7 before Alexander got hurt. We mauled MTSU, but after that the games tightened up a lot, and I attribute a lot of that to the loss of Alexander, who was a great blocker-occupying defensive tackle beside Glenn Dorsey, allowing Dorsey to run free a little more.

Last year, we saw a version of Charles Alexander that probably was not ready to come back and play. He started, but was largely ineffective. Charles Alexander will probably have a smaller role. It is not expected that he will be a starter. He will likely be the third defensive tackle in the rotation, behind senior Al Woods and junior Drake Nevis. The staff is going to try to protect him because he has had so many problems. If he stays healthy, I would expect his role to increase as the season progresses. At his best, Charles Alexander is just too good to hold back.

The "Winning with Saban's recruits" label is somewhat tongue-in-cheek here. Obviously, the bulk of this team is Miles' guys. These two will play their roles, however, and they will be important players to the success of this team. Harry Coleman will be asked to play a lot of roles, from run-stuffing to covering wide receivers, with probably an occasional blitz thrown in. Alexander will at least provide depth at defensive tackle, if he stays healthy, and may be our starter by seasons' end when the games get bigger.

5 Keys To A Successful Season, Part 3: Interior Offensive Line Play

Richard Pittman — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 11:43:08 -0000

In a column written just over a year ago and on another blog (hard to believe I've been at ATVS for only just over a year), I said that the interior of the offensive line was the second most important part of an offense, behind only the quarterback. I still believe that. Here is what I said:

2. Interior Offensive Line: This is where I part ways with a lot of other commentators. I think the key position-to-position matchup on any football field is the battle between the center/guard combination and the defensive tackles on the other side of the ball. Whoever can win the battle on the interior of the line goes a long way towards having success, both in running the ball and in throwing. If your interior offensive linemen can handle the defensive tackles 1-on-1, you will almost certainly have a lot of success on your offense. If you interior offensive line needs double-teams to keep the tackles out of the backfield, that frees up the rest of the defense to maneuver with several unblocked players. It's also great to have guards who can get to the second or third level and block linebackers or safeties, but I'll settle for linemen who can handle the tackles. I think interior offensive line is often overlooked, or it is believed you can just plug players into the position interchangeably. They certainly aren't paid nearly as well in the NFL at these positions as are the tackles, but I think you absolutely need these guys to have success in order for your offense to have success.

If you remember how big of a part of our defense a healthy Glenn Dorsey was, I think you would agree with me. A defensive tackle who can beat your interior linemen will disrupt everything you try to do. You can run away from a defensive end. You can avoid throwing at a certain cornerback. You can't escape a defensive tackle. The play starts right on top of him. The SEC has some good ones, like Terrance Cody (Bama), Geno Atkins (Georgia), Jeff Owens (Georgia), Malcolm Sheppard (Arkansas), and others who will be playing in the NFL.

This is why the guards and the center are so important. They don't get the attention that the tackles get, but these guys make up more than 1/4 of your offensive personnel on the field at any given time, yet the casual fan almost completely overlooks them and considers them virtually interchangeable.

LSU has some issues at this position.

LSU has a veteran offensive line returning, with a 4th year starter, a 3rd year starter, and a 2nd year starter all here. The problem is that we will be replacing Herman Johnson and Brett Helms at left guard and center respectively. Those are two of the three interior line positions. We return Lyle Hitt, who has been a bit under the radar even though he is a 3-year starter. He was not placed on any of the All-SEC teams, and I excluded him (with reservation) from the list of top 10 players on the team.

Hitt is a guy who has been a starter since his sophomore year. He's just done it very quietly. He has been a steady, but unspectacular presence on the right side of the offensive line.

I would call your attention to the 2007 season when Hitt was joined on the right side by Carnell Stewart. Carnell certainly had some difficulties at right tackle, but when it was 3rd and short (or 4th and short) and we needed a first down, we would famously call Jacob Hester's number, but we would almost invariably call Hitt's and Stewart's as well, as we would call on Hester to run to the right side. Hitt and Stewart formed a dominant run-blocking pair on the right side, and Hitt is still there.

I am confident that Lyle Hitt will be a fine player at right guard, but what of the other positions? T-Bob Hebert was a member of the heralded 2007 recruiting class, and was a pretty big recruit out of Georgia where he had settled with his famous father after Bobby Hebert's NFL career ended. He redshirted as a freshman, when LSU had Helms and Ryan Miller on the 2-deep at center. Last year, he began the season as a backup center and played a lot of special teams and was a fullback at times in short yardage, but then he injured his knee covering a punt. He tore a ligament and was out for the season.

With Brett Helms moving on at the end of a fine career at LSU, T-Bob Hebert joined the battle to take over his starting spot in the Spring, despite still being much less than 100%, and not being able to take full contact in Spring Practice. Despite this, Hebert has apparently beaten out redshirt freshman P.J. Lonergan for the center position. Hebert is now listed at 301# and reportedly is stronger than he was before he injured his knee. That position battle is still ongoing, but expect Hebert to be the starter on September 5.

The new starter at left guard is Josh Dworaczyk. This is another member of the Class of 2007, which was one of the most celebrated recruiting classes in LSU history. That class is certainly growing into a big part of the core of this team, as 3 of the 5 starters on the offensive line will be from the 2007 class. Dworaczyk was a backup at this position last year, and when Herman Johnson went out with a minor injury against Bama, he plugged in for a series and acquitted himself admirably. He also played special teams, and a little at tight end. He took over the "blocking tight end" role that Joseph Barksdale had played the previous year, a position that allowed LSU to get a 6th offensive lineman on the field to block and got a young offensive lineman a little experience. He was, therefore, basically our first lineman off the bench last year.

In order for a team to excel, players can't just "hold their own." Some of your units have to be able to beat the units opposite them on the field. Lyle Hitt will have to emerge from his anonymity and be a force on the inside. Hebert and Dworaczyk won't have the luxury of playing like rookies for long, as we get Georgia less than 1 month into the season, and they have two future NFLers (and veterans at that) on the interior of their defensive line. Hitt/Hebert/Dworaczyk vs. Atkins/Owens may be the key matchup of that particular game.

The Future? FSU Target's Comparable Players.

SWFLNole. — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 08:50:27 -0000

Many of you have probably seen me say that I don't really like comparisons for recruits because they don't fully do credit to the unique talents of the player. I prefer long technical player evaluations and watching a lot of film to try and get a grasp of what player is and isn't. However often times player comparisons work very well, and can give a very real picture of a player's best assets because people have seen popular players so much. If I were to say that a runningback runs low and shifts weight like Barry Sanders all of you smaft football fans would know what I meant. So without (much) further ado, here are some of FSU's target recruits with their comparable players as FSUStateofMind, FSUncensored, and I see it.

Please keep in mind these are merely playing style/physical comparisons, it is not to say these players are already or will be as good. It merely shows what they could be like if they work hard and fulfill potential.

OLB Christian Jones, Lake Howell HS: OLB Julian Peterson, Seattle Seahawks

Both are very long athletic linebackers who run well, and close on tackles extremely fast. They are both physical specimens. Christian is an extermely sure tackler, and while some think he ends up with his hand on the ground eventually this is a great comparison now. This was unanimous.

WR DeJoshua Johnson, Pahokee HS: WR Tyrone Prothro, Formerly Alabama

Before Prothro practically broke is leg in two he was a disaster for the SEC. He was always considered a small WR but made up for it by being extremely elusive and quick. DJJ compares favorably with Prothro on all of these levels and has quality hands as well. Another way of looking at him if you want to use FSU players is a mix between Bert Reed and Taiwan Easterling.

S Chad Abrams, Kathleen HS: S John Lynch, Mostly Tampa Bay Bucs

What did John Lynch become famous for? Hitting. Hard. Chad Abrams absolutely sticks kids down there at Kathleen HS in Polk County. He is a ballhawk who still needs to refine his coverage skills, which were never John Lynch's best attribute either. But both can lay the wood and are good enough in coverage to be a menace to other team's receivers.

CB LaMarcus Joyner St. Thomas Aquinas: S Eric Berry, University of Tennessee

Joyner truly is a unique talent. He does so many things well that it is hard to pin him to one guy. But if I said this: Best HS CB in the country, excellent tackler who drives through players with no problem, extremely quick and overly physical at the line of scrimmage; who am I talking about Berry or Joyner. FSUStateofMind comments "Eric Berry with a bit of Reggie Nelson spkrinkled in" sounds like a recipe, but true nonetheless.

RB/FB Debrale Smiley, Thomas County Central: RB Jerome Bettis, Pittsburg Steelers

It's not just the size; although that is a big part (get it, big). Anyone who watched Bettis knows that he had excellent feet and body control/movement for a man of his size. He was not merely a straight forward, run you over back. Anyone who has seen the elusive Debrale Smiley highlight video, or even better seen him play live will tell you that the exact same thing can be said for him.

RB Gio Bernard, St. Thomas Aquinas: RB Maurice Jones Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars

I have to admit this is my favorite comparison of the entire article. You may have heard Gio weighed in at 210 lbs at Seminole Showtime. He is built compactly just like Jones Drew. He breaks a lot of tackles and has deceptive quickness and burst. I used to not be the biggest fan of Bernard, but if he can retain his skills (elite vision/ cut back ability included) at that weight he is the best back in the state of Florida.

LB Jeff Luc, Treasure Coast: LB Patrick Willis, San Francisco 49ers

Jeff Luc is one of the most physically imposing LB is recent history. Some say he is already physically maxed out. I say he is already physically ready for the NFl so it doesn't matter. Prototypical MLB players that scare offenses because they hit so hard. The knock on both of them has always been that they have trouble turning and covering in space. Patrick Willis dominated the SEC at Ole Miss, Jeff Luc will start his domination of college football soon.

DE Tavaris Barnes, Jacksonville First Coast: DE Marcus Spears, LSU/ Dallas Cowboys

Barnes is extremely raw and plays way too high. Odell will get that under control. Marcus Spears also had some of the same problems when he first went to LSU. Spears frame allowed him to add a lot of good weight and become a dominant SDE. Barnes frame is very similar; his potential is very similar to Spears who was a first round pick.

ATH Christian Green, Tampa Catholic: WR Chad Jackson, UF/Patriots

You'll have to excuse the image, but since UF recievers don't EVER do anything in the league he is more recognizable as a Gate. They have identical size, within an inch and 10 pounds of each other. Neither of them is the fastest guy on the field (Shaw and DJJ are faster) but they both have more than adequate speed. Also Jackson and Green excel in open space and finding running lanes with the ball in their hands, and can use their size if need be but don't rely on it. Jackson was an elite reciever in his time at UF, and Christian will be great in his time as a Nole(hopefully).

Note: We discussed this ad naseum. Dwayne Bowe, Michael Crabtree, and Braylon Edwards were discussed, however this made the most sense, and multiple people agreed on it.

WDE Corey Miller, Byrnes HS: Jamaal Anderson, Arkansas/Falcons

Both are prototypical Weakside defensive ends who use a variety of pass rushing strategies not just outside speed rushing, although that is something they excel at. Jamaal Anderson put on good weight at Arkansas and was drafted high by the Falcons. Miller will add a great WDE for the next few years to our roster.

CB Terrence Mitchell, Hillsborough High: CB Alphonso Smith, Wake Forest

Both have a similarly small build, and both are perpetually underrated because of it. I don't have to tell FSU fans about Smith. Mitchell has a chance to do the same thing and prove some of the evaluators wrong about him. Many people I know who have seen him play live, and in 7 on 7 action say he is going to continue being a WR shadow.

DT Anthony "Amp" McCloud, Thomas County Central: DT Glenn Dorsey, LSU/Chiefs

McCloud is often overlooked for a number of reasons. First to be in good shape, not carrying bad weight. He is reportedly at a good 290 lbs (size matters folks). He wasn't heavily recruited because he was a known non-qualifier. However he plays like Glenn Dorsey which is a good thing for FSU if he does indeed get back here from JUCO. People in the N Florida/S Georgia area that I have talked to say that his talent compares pretty favorably to Jacobbi, if just a notch below.

RB Marcus Lattimore, Byrnes HS: RB Terrell Davis, Denver Broncos

This is a huge comparison to hang on a kid; a RB who helped define a decade in the league. However, I am comfortable with it. Lattimore shares more than just a great build. Davis was legendary for a few things. He had impecable vision, and he had feet, legs, and hips that made any cutback possible. Teamed with a burst from strong legs he didn't need top end speed to dominate. These skills worked perfectly for the zone blocking scheme employed in Denver. Marcus Lattimore's skill set practically mirrors the ones laid out for Davis. Just saying.

CB Terrence Brooks, Dennellon HS: CB Janoris Jenkins, UF

FSUStateofMind chimes in:

Their builds are very similar. Both were underrated coming out of high schools. And both were fans of the opposition (for their current teams' fans). Jenkins was a huge FSU and ended up signing with Florida after Mickey Andrews didn't want him. Brooks is a huge fan of UF and committed to FSU. Jenkins and Brooks are hitters at the CB position. We can only hope that Brooks makes the impact that Janoris Jenkins has.

I would add that Jenkins was ahead of Brooks in terms of technique at this time in recruitment, but Brooks has the size and hips to truly have Jenkins like potential.

So what say you, patrons of TomahawkNation?

-What are your favorites?

-Do you disagree with me? Why?

-Do you see some from other guys not included like Ed Christian, Brandon Willis, Brandon Gainer, Kenny Shaw (who I tried to come up with a good one for), Damien Jacobs, any of the TE's?