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TT leaving is a big loss. Question marks now in the middle of the DL as well as the entire back 7.
I dont see the LBs as questions... Pope and Gant are players who just couldn't get onto the field due to very good OLBs in front of them. Also sorry to Tuf but whoever replaces him will bring more options to the table at MLB.

The secondary though is where the works needs done. Luckily I think we will be substantially deeper at safety with Ransom and Kourt along with Proctor. Then Banks being back is a good start as well and we should have more options at the other spot. Bottom line is we can't do worse than this past season.

I agree though losing TT sucks.
 
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I dont see the LBs as questions... Pope and Gant are players who just couldn't get onto the field due to very good OLBs in front of them. Also sorry to Tuf but whoever replaces him will bring more options to the table at MLB.

The secondary though is where the works needs done. Luckily I think we will be substantially deeper at safety with Ransom and Kourt along with Proctor. Then Banks being back is a good start as well and we should have more options at the other spot. Bottom line is we can't do worse than this past season.

I agree though losing TT sucks.

LB talent isn't a question mark but no matter how good they are, the group is losing a metric shit ton of experience. I also don't think any of them will be as good in their first year of starting as Werner was in his last.
 
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LB talent isn't a question mark but no matter how good they are, the group is losing a metric shit ton of experience. I also don't think any of them will be as good in their first year of starting as Werner was in his last.
True but these guys have played a ton of football... won't they all be basically seniors? Maybe we don't have a Pete but I think collectively they can be as good due to more than likely having an upgrade at MLB.
 
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Losing Togiai not only impacts the d-line but the backers as well. Having those two stud inside guys eating up blockers keeps those backers free. Going to be an even bigger challenge now versus inside run with a new nose and two new inside backers. But this is why you recruit and develop. Guess that’s why they say next man up. We shall see.
 
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Playing under a true Frosh QB does not always improve ones draft stock. I am going to be an optimist and read into both Olave and Ruckert returning that they have seen something in Stroud that they like. O next year could be better than this year.

But the D without Tommy has work to do.
 
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But the D without Tommy has work to do.
DT Taron Vincent (#20), CB Tyreke Johnson (#21), DE Tyreke Smith (#34), LB Teradja Mitchell (#44), DB Josh Proctor (#71), and DL Tyler Friday (#93) were all top-100 recruits in the Class of 2018. They are entering year four in the program, and they all need to step it up (especially Vincent, Johnson, and Mitchell; the others have shown some flashes but no consistency).

Also from the class of 2018 (all 4* recruits): LB Dallas Gant (#166), LB K'Vaughan Pope (#217), DE Javontae Jean-Baptiste (#219), CB Sevyn Banks (#221), and CB Cameron Brown (#323). Banks has been solid, not spectacular, and I could see him taking his game to the next level in 2021; Brown is recovering from injury and should vie for a starting CB spot in 2021; the other three have been mostly garbage time players.

The Class of 2018 had a ton of talent (#2 overall class, .9429 average per recruit), but very few guys have really played up to their potential (NPF, Ruckert, Togiai), while Chris Olave was a sleeper who has played like a 5-star recruit.

The Class of 2018 has produced zero All Americans so far; the equally great Class of 2017 (#2 overall class, .9459 average per recruit) has produced six: Wyatt Davis (twice); Chase Young; Jeff Okudah; Shaun Wade; J.K. Dobbins; and Haskell Garrett; with Thayer Munford looking like a possible seventh selection in 2021.

The Class of 2018 has been disappointing - they've been good, but far from their lofty recruiting rankings. The 2021 season hinges on these veterans playing up to their potential.
 
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Well @LordJeffBuck hit the nail on the head, there's several guys from the 2018 class on defense that HAVE to step it up next year, particularly with the Togiai departure. Good news is we saw that happen with a ton of our seniors this year and I have faith we can do it again.

Losing Togiai is a killer, but Vincent has experience and he needs to elevate his game in a big way to not drop off too much on the interior DL. Same goes for Cage. I will say that Togiai's departure could be a selling point to land JT in the 2021 class...could have the chance for an instant impact on a championship caliber team. Regardless, we're going to need Hall to be ready to go in the 2021 class, and I think he has the ability to contribute right away.
 
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TT leaving is a big loss. Question marks now in the middle of the DL as well as the entire back 7.
I agree somewhat. But let’s look at back 7 and try leave Coombs and scheme out for now.

Proctor is a known commodity and solid. Hickman and Ransom have flashed. Just need one of them to emerge.

Banks quietly became one of the more consistent guys. Next year he could easily make the jump to elite status.
Cavazos has length and athleticism coming out his ears and he’s everything you want on the hoof but certainly unproven. If he has a Banks type year from ‘20 then that works fine, especially if Banks moves up to the next level like I suspect. And Cavazos certainly has the ability to have a better ‘21 than Banks did in ‘20.
Williamson is suddenly the veteran leader by a large margin and provides depth and a lit of experience.
To me the CB situation focuses on those 3 primarily but a fully recovered Brown may factor in or one of Martinez, Watts or maybe by some miracle the light comes on for Tyreke Johnson.

My money is on the 3 mentioned however and Banks has an opportunity to become a multi-millionaire and this is his season to show out. I think he will and I also think Cavazos may have more natural talent than anyone currently on the roster.

So that leaves the LBs and is actually my area of greater concern than the DBs because Wade was the only loss as far as starters.

I see Dallas Gant becoming a household name and I can see it happening early. This guy to me just has an “it factor” and would have already made his move last year if not for so many vets ahead of him. Can Teradja be the man in the middle not just with his own play but helping to get everyone set? That’s my biggest question mark is leadership in the back 7, especially among the LBs. Who is the 3rd LB? My guess would be Pope but that’s a total mystery. To me it’s Gant, TM and (fill in the blank)

Ok, so now the worry: LBs are clearly the biggest unknown followed by coaching. Does Coombs have the chops? There’s talent in the DB room and a little bit of experience. Heck it is easy to overlook that these guys played and beat Clemson and played in the NC game. Lost in the loss is the experience those guys picked up so I’m less concerned about that group.

I’m very concerned with LBs and the fact that Coombs is unproven still in terms of calling a defense. There was enough experience (and talent) in the back 7 last year that there wasn’t really an excuse to get torched so much. Now what can he do with less overall experience and unproven talent.
 
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I’m not sure how much weight Tyler Friday can add to his frame, but I’ve mostly preferred him inside. With Togiai gone, I wonder if they don’t try and bulk him up, and make him a mainstay on the inside. If he could get around 290lbs I like his upside at DT more than DE personally.

That said, he’s been very good as a DE against run so he adds value and depth outside. From a need standpoint, I think he’s more valuable inside.
 
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I’d also add, we’ve used transfer portal exceptionally well.....if we needed to a add a body for upcoming season, it feels like DT would be it. Not sure what’s available, but will be interesting to see if OSU lands another impact player.
 
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