DL depth

[clonedude]

I've been concerned about our DL quality and depth for some time now. Is this basically what we have....

DE: Parker, Neal, Maggitt, Laing, Moore (suspension?), Willie Scott, Mansfield, Lattimer (LB/DE combo), Rony Nelson, Nick Kron. Is Hatfield still with the team?

DT: Alburtis, Bailey Johnson, Rump, McDonough, Jerrod Black, Woods, Brandon Jenson.

What can anyone tell me about Laing, Moore, Scott, Kron, Jerrod Black, Woods, and Jensen? The reason I ask is because this is our future on the DL folks... as of right now. The rest are juniors or seniors basically... the the exception of McDonough, who I'm assuming will be a pretty decent player for us.

Does anyone have any insight on these young guys at all from last year's practices? It scares the you-know-what out of me that we only have one true freshman DT coming in (Jensen) and one true freshman DE (Kron). And neither of those two were recruited by anyone else basically. Kron is a walk-on I believe, right?

We have more WR's, RB's, and DB's than you can shake a stick at, but we basically ignored the entire DL recruiting this year. I'm crossing my fingers that Alburtis, Johnson, Rump, and McDonough can hold down the interior this year sufficiently, and Parker, Neal, Maggitt, and hopefully Nelson can hold down the end spots, but we are in dire shape for the future folks.

I know the staff knows what they are doing, but we cannot afford to get manhandled on the defensive front all year long. Not with our schedule. It could get REALLY ugly quick.

So what can someone tell me about our young backups across the DL to give me confidence they are capable at stepping in this year if needed, and more importantly for the future?

 

[ISU_Alum_2000]

I've been concerned about our DL quality and depth for some time now.

Me, too... since about 1977.

 

[ajk4st8]

Me, too... since about 1977.

Dont forget the 2000 line had like 7 guys who at least ended up in an NFL camp.

Nigel Tharpe, Tyson Smith, Ryan Harklau, Reggie Hayward, Kevin DeRonde, James Reed, Jordan Carstens

No shocker we were 9-3

 

[CyForPresident]

Kron is a Grayshirt.

Rump and McDonough will be solid at DT for the next 2 years. I have always liked Patrick Neal and he gets a bad name a lot of the time. He is a solid guy whose stats are very similar to Parker.

 

[mcblogerson]

I wish we had faster DE that could get a sack. The DT need to be developed, b/c the good ones out of HS probably aren't coming to ISU. Iowa always has a good pipeline of DT, mostly from developing 2 or 3 guys that have potential.

 

[flander1649]

Let hope Black lives up to some of the hype he had from redshirt year.

 

[heitclone]

That list doesn't seem quite as bad as I had thougth our DL situation would be, but the kicker is that theres no proven playermaker type of guy in that line up. Mainly its a bunch of servicable guys.

 

[bootcy]

I seriously doubt the staff ignored recruiting the DL.

 

[kmacattack]

Let hope Black lives up to some of the hype he had from redshirt year.

Two things....unlike the propaganda that many including myself have bestowed on other cyclones for hype such as Bo, Mr. Black was named the defensive scout team player of the year during his redshirt and several of Chiziks coaches had said he would be a big time player and potential all big 12 if his growth continued. So the hype was justified...now has the work ethic and the drive to get better continued...nobody knows but he was one guy that i was always seeing growing into the starting DT spot and be a big time player for us like Tuba....

Regarding the original posters question....

There is depth at the position, problem that many of us see is there's no serious difference between the starters and second team...we need at least 1 and hopefully 2 players to step up and be a force because we have two negative factors going against our defense...

1. Last year we were last in the big 12 in sacks. Our secondary is strong enough that if the timing of those routes were reduced, i feel our interceptions would increase.

2. With literally 3 new starters at LB, we will need to keep the OL occupied or those LB are going to give up a lot of rushing yards...

For me the two guys that i think will have the biggest impact on the DL are Rony Nelson and Jake McDonough. Why...

Rony Nelson is an All American JUCO player that had 20 sacks last year playing in the highly competitive Californian Juco system. You dont get 20 sacks or all american status without havin some skills!!!! If he gets to ISU, even if he's not the starter day one, he will spell Neal and keep both fresh which should help the speed off of one end for sure.

From what we've been hearing out of Camp, McDonough has really got his head on straight and has added a lot of muscle while keeping his weight about the same. For me, Mcdonough is being groomed exactly how Wally said he wants his DT which is a lot like how Iowa uses their DT, lean, mean, quick off the ball. There's no better pressure then quick pressure up the middle.

For me, these are the 2 DL that may change the dynamic of our DL for the upcoming years. Theres other guys like Moore, Laing, Black, Maggitt and Ruemp are all quality players, but i just not sure any are going to be IMPACT players and thats what our DL is missing....Give me one DE and one DT that can create havoc and our defense will be greatly improved!!!!!

 

[mt85]

I'm looking forward to seeing what Walter Woods can do. It is too bad he was injured during the spring. Hopefully that didn't set him back.

 

[UNIGuy4Cy]

Moore has been an absolute freak in practices from what I heard, he will push Neal and I think Parker and Nelson will split some time thats how good Nelson is.

 

[brett108]

There are two players that I can see becoming impact guys on the DL. One has been mentioned, and is Jake McDonaugh. He has the physical gifts to be a fast and active DT, like Mitch King and currently Klug over at the other school. He was recruited as a DE, but strength was one of his best assets, so moving to the middle is a good call. If he is healthy, he will probabyl be our best DT.

The second is Roosevelt Maggitt. Chizik loved this kid, and it looks like the only reason he wasn't more sought after was his lack of a position. I personally could see him being a hydrid player, like a Hughes or Von Miller. He is the only player that I have heard of on the roster who has legitimate potential as an every down threat on the QB.

 

[brett108]

Moore has been an absolute freak in practices from what I heard, he will push Neal and I think Parker and Nelson will split some time thats how good Nelson is.

During his recruiting he was mentioned as a physical freak, by far the strongest player on his high school team, and basically just able to bully people. Aaron Moore could be very good, but already having off the field issues does not bode well for his future at ISU. Be a bully on the field, not off it.

 

[UNIGuy4Cy]

During his recruiting he was mentioned as a physical freak, by far the strongest player on his high school team, and basically just able to bully people. Aaron Moore could be very good, but already having off the field issues does not bode well for his future at ISU. Be a bully on the field, not off it.

I think he learned his lesson from whatever Rhoads did for discipline, anyone know if he is suspended? Also the guy who I think will have a break out year on the DL is Bailey Johnson, he is a beast in the middle, one of the most under rated DTs in the league.

 

[StLouisClone]

I have always liked Patrick Neal and he gets a bad name a lot of the time. He is a solid guy whose stats are very similar to Parker.

Yes, sorry to say it, but they are both good for one or two sacks a year.

Unless Rony Nelson is the real deal, I'm afraid that we will dearly miss Chris Lyle this year.

 

[Frak]

I think that they have a nice rotation of DT/NGs in McDonough, Rump, Johnson, Alburtis. At DE, things are a little more uncertain...they are depending on Neal and Maggitt gaining size, Parker coming back from an injury and Nelson showing up.

Just my opinion, but I think that Jensen is a NG and Kron is a DT. Scott needs to gain a ton of weight. Woods needs to come back from an injury. Lattimer may help out at DE if Nelson doesn't show. Black just hasn't lived up to the hype yet.

I do agree with the OP about recruiting DL. They may not have "ignored" DL recruiting, but they sure haven't signed many of them. I know that the staff would rather not reach on DLs, but they need to keep that pipeline full or the depth really falls off.

 

[bigcyfan82]

Yes, sorry to say it, but they are both good for one or two sacks a year.

Unless Rony Nelson is the real deal, I'm afraid that we will dearly miss Chris Lyle this year.

Yes, and absolutely NO. Lyle was a solid player, and he did make a few quality plays. But if you have any idea about defensive line technique and Defensive End technique, you'd realize that he was terrible at this.

I always noticed him looking in the backfield instead of reading his key and block. He got himself trapped all the time by getting too far into the backfield and enabling the back to make a cutback. He was also terrible at defending any type of sweep play.

Don't get me wrong, he was a good player and will be missed, but for almost every good play he made, he made several bad ones. Easily replaceable.

 

[CyCloned]

I don't know if there is a guy in the bunch that is going to be a game changer, but at least CPR is not looking at turning linebackers or OL into DL because there is absolutely no one at all the fill the position. I remember D-Mac doing this a couple times. The more guys you have to look at the better chance you have of getting a star.