Will McDonald on Hard Knocks
- Thread starter FriendlySpartan
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Yep. You don’t underperform and then go 15th overall in the NFL draft.
It’s as much that and people thinking Heacock misused him.
We’ve had some very good college players on defense in recent years. But let’s be realistic. In the 7 seasons under MC and Heacock we’ve had a 1st, 4th and 7th round pick. That’s it in 7 years.
Well they do with QB, but not usually with DL
That's even more of a compliment of Heacock and Matt Campbell. The system works with our athletes and can still have high performing defenses as compared to all defenses in division one football. I'm not sure if you were being negative or positive but indirectly you have a complimented Heacock and Campbell.
I don't think people are saying his performance was underwhelming, just that how they used him was underwhelming. If they had schemed to reduce how much teams could focus on him, he may have had more stats, but that may have come at the expense of the overall defensive performance.
I was being very positive re our staff and our players. There hasn’t been much NFL talent on that side of the ball and they have been one of the better defenses in the country. Everybody is maxing out what they have. We have had a ton of guys that maybe don’t have NFL measurables but have been terrific players for ISU. And the staff has done a great job identifying and developing those guys.
He’s so disciplined too, going to have multiple double digit sack years
I don't know why anyone would second guess anything with regards to how Will was used on the defense. We've consistently had one of the best defenses in the country, so that's great, and Will was a first round draft pick. Now he's being featured on Hard Knocks. Can't ask for much more than that.
He can, but the NFL refs seem a lot more attentive to that. Seems like the Big 12 refs are hesitant to call someone multiple times. NFL guys don't care. If you held four plays in a row, you might get called four plays in a row.
This. Sure maybe he could have had a few more sacks if we built the defense around him but he still broke the record and was a first round pick while we maintained a very good overall defense. It seems like a rare "everybody wins" type of situation. Well done by Heacock and Campbell.
In a 3-3 or 3-4 the linebackers are critical in gap integrity. If they cannot be such than it is exposed from time to time. 4-2 is a heavier front but in certain downs without pressure can be -1 for coverage not to mention more congested in the front...but your linebackers need to understand their responsibility for pass and have the athleticism to maintain run discipline and athletic enough to fill their pass responsibilities. That did not happen last year consistently. This gets chalked up to being a bend but don't break defense until the field compresses toward goal. I wonder if we use another heavy set DB to take a linebacker out (weakest group) and adjust for our strength + depth (defensive backs). 3+2+6 (light set). 3+3+5 (with a hybrid DE taking flats on occasion to create confusions and LB setting vacant spot for setting the edge (Vaughn). I am sure the professor will figure it out.
He has the opportunity to be a very good player in the NFL with the Jets, and will play better than at ISU just because of the scheme of their defense, which has four down lineman compared to our three. The Jets also have some very good, young D tackles which will open up to Will being one on one more, allowing him to come off the edge and do what he does best, getting to the QB.
You can see from Hard Knocks that he is a high motor guy, does not give up on a play and has a bright future ahead of him. I was really hoping he would be there when the Chiefs drafted at the end of the 1st round, he is actually the type of edge rusher they have been missing for years.
You can see from Hard Knocks that he is a high motor guy, does not give up on a play and has a bright future ahead of him. I was really hoping he would be there when the Chiefs drafted at the end of the 1st round, he is actually the type of edge rusher they have been missing for years.
Totally agree. If the holding against Will McDonald wasn't egregious/completely obvious, it's like it wouldn't get called. Even then some blatantly obvious holds went uncalled. It seemed Will McD would always get around the OL to the outside and the OL would reach from behind and have his arm across Will's chest/neck grabbing the opposite shoulder's jersey. Had to be frustrating for Will.
I can see some grey area for the official if the OL's hips seem to be in front/even with Will's hips, but as soon as Will gets by the OL's hips, it's holding. Which was not called consistently.
This is the same for NBA/NCAA, maybe even more of an extreme difference. An NBA coach could try Huggy ball but his team would be in foul trouble before halftime and they'd lose every game.
Yeah it's generally way more succinct. I did see a couple of hands to the outside on him the other night.
NFL also tends to be way more fundamentally sound which helps and perhaps these were also rookie O linemen.
From what I've seen, they'll allow a bit if it is very quick, but will call anything that is sustained.
