With a change among the many teaching employees comes a change in how the roster is constructed. Via the switch portal and the recruiting cycles we see how they’re trying so as to add gifted gamers throughout the board, however are placing an emphasis on entrance seven gamers on protection.
A few of that’s because of the success that Brent Venables has had as a defensive coordinator that began with elite play alongside the defensive position and at linebacker.
Looking at depth charts from Venables’ time at Clemson and new offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby’s time at Ole Miss, there are particular issues that merely look completely different to the best way the depth charts have been constructed below the earlier teaching employees. Hopefully, a type of issues is the “or” designation that didn’t actually delineate a starter.
As we glance to the longer term although, listed here are 5 observations from the depth charts from Brent Venables and Jeff Lebby’s final stops on the teaching path.
No Vast Receiver Designations
Oct 30, 2021; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners large receiver Marvin Mims (17) runs for a landing as Texas Tech Purple Raiders defensive again Malik Dunlap (8) chases throughout the first quarter at Gaylord Household-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports activities
Below Lincoln Riley, depth chart projections or official releases from the staff got here with designations for the large receivers similar to “X,” “Y,” and “Z.”
The “X” receiver performs on the road of scrimmage and is often your most bodily receiver, somebody who can beat press protection because the DB can actually line up proper throughout from the “X.”
The “Y” is the slot large receiver. This participant can line up on the road of scrimmage or off, however sometimes as a result of they’re aligned within the slot, they get cleaner releases because the protection participant doesn’t wish to must struggle by means of mass of gamers to maintain his protection tasks.
The “Z” large receiver is commonly the man you wish to get the cleaner launch on the skin. It isn’t to say they’ll’t beat press protection, however you wish to give them more room to permit their quickness and pace to problem the large receiver.
Wanting again at Ole Miss’ depth chart from 2021, Jeff Lebby didn’t designate his large receivers with specific positions. Now, they could have had these designations in-house, however that wasn’t for public consumption.
Two of their prime three receivers had greater than 155 snaps from the slot in addition to greater than 120 snaps on the skin. This means Lebby and his employees have been prepared to maneuver their gamers round to seek out favorable matchups.
Marvin Mims, who led the Sooners in receiving yards, had extra of an imbalance to the place he performed his snaps for OU in 2021. He performed greater than 200 snaps within the slot and fewer than 70 snaps on the skin. Michael Woods, Jadon Haselwood, and Mario Williams have been primarily outdoors receivers, enjoying fewer than 40 snaps within the slot. Drake Stoops was the one different receiver to play a major quantity of snaps within the slot, with 92% of his snaps coming from the within.
What does this imply for OU? Search for Marvin Mims to maneuver round much more. Whereas he’ll get snaps within the slot, it’s seemingly he’ll see a reasonably equal quantity on the skin as properly.
11-personnel the Base Offensive Formation
Dec 29, 2021; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Oklahoma Sooners large receiver Jalil Farooq (14) makes an attempt to elude Oregon Geese cornerback Dontae Manning (8) within the 2021 Alamo Bowl at Alamodome. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports activities
On depth chart projections for Ole Miss, three large receivers have been listed as starters. Wanting again at Ole Miss video games, you see the Rebels in 11-personnel early and infrequently. 11-personnel is one operating again, one tight finish, and three large receivers. Not dissimilar to what Lincoln Riley ran, however the Sooners used a number of 12 or 21 personnel, nonetheless you wish to outline the H-Again.
They used two tight finish/h-backs on the sector collectively quite a bit. Jeff Lebby will choose to unfold issues out a bit extra, which is able to get extra pace and playmaking potential on the sector within the passing sport.
Again to the Tight Finish
MANHATTAN, KS – OCTOBER 02: Tight finish Brayden Willis #9 of the Oklahoma Sooners runs up subject between defensive again Ekow Boye-Doe #25 and defensive again TJ Smith #7 of the Kansas State Wildcats, throughout the second half at Invoice Snyder Household Soccer Stadium on October 2, 2021 in Manhattan, Kansas. (Photograph by Peter Aiken/Getty Pictures)
The Oklahoma Sooners have made the H-Again place fairly well-known. They’ve had nice gamers that performed the hybrid position. Not fairly a fullback, however not fairly a good finish. Below Jeff Lebby, there wasn’t an H-Again designation on his depth chart. That doesn’t imply he didn’t deploy them as such, however search for a man like Brayden Willis for use extra like a standard tight finish.
Casey Kelly, who led the Rebels in tight finish snaps in 2021, performed a reasonably equal quantity of snaps in-line (lined up subsequent to the deal with on the road of scrimmage) as he did within the slot.
Conventional 4-3 Defensive Depth Chart
(AP Photograph/Brandon Wade)
Wanting again at Brent Venables defensive depth chart from Clemson, it seems such as you’d anticipate one to look. As a substitute of designating a “rush linebacker,” which operated equally to a 3-4 outdoors linebacker with go rush and protection tasks, Venables performed with two conventional defensive ends on the sting.
His depth chart additionally lists two defensive tackles as a substitute of a “nostril deal with” and “defensive deal with.”
As a result of Venables’ depth chart doesn’t use the “rush linebacker” designation and he runs with 4 down linemen, one would assume he has a slot or nickel cornerback amongst his starters. Venables sees 5 defensive backs, or nickel personnel as a sub-package. That means his base protection on the depth chart will consist of 4 defensive linemen, three linebackers, and 4 defensive backs.
Slot Nook vs. Sam Linebacker
Oklahoma’s Key Lawrence (12) and Justin Broiles (25) chase after Iowa State’s Jaylin Noel (13) throughout a school soccer sport between the College of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Iowa State Cyclones at Gaylord Household-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021. Oklahoma gained 28-21. Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman
Slot nook isn’t a designation on the depth charts that I may discover. It seems that his Sam linebacker is a hybrid linebacker-safety sort that may assist in run assist and play in protection. Like Isaiah Simmons, who performed a a number of defensive position for the Clemson Tigers.
Whereas Billy Bowman and Justin Broiles occupied the nickel nook position for the Sooners, search for them to make use of somebody like Key Lawrence or possibly Jaren Kanak in that spot. Somebody who has the dimensions to carry up towards opposing run video games, however provides one thing in protection as properly due to their pace and athleticism.
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