Lance Guidry goes in-depth on defense

DMoney
DMoney
9 min read
Defensive coordinator Lance Guidry had an immediate impact on Miami’s defense last year, as the unit rose from #66 to #48 nationally (+18) in scoring defense and from #80 to #36 (+44) in yards per play. He went in-depth after Friday’s practice about the unit’s continued progress:

On the defensive backs: “We've got some new additions, Meesh Powell and Savion Riley. Then we got a couple freshmen who are doing good. Zaquan Patterson and Dylan Day. So a little bit of growing pains for the young guys, but I think they're making some plays. Today, Dylan Day had a good day. Yesterday, he didn't. And Zaquan probably had a better day yesterday."
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"The other guys are catching on pretty good. Meesh is probably playing the strongest out of the guys that just came in. But yeah, really pleased. Just a little thin at a couple spots.”

On Meesh Powell: “He's really, really smart. He's played a lot of ball games, including the biggest ball game in college football. So there's not a lot that he hasn't seen. It's just he's trying to adjust the terminology and a couple of different things the way we play it. But he's gonna be a really good, really impact player for us.”

On CB depth: “We’ve got a couple injuries, which is hurting us right now. I think we're down to maybe four corners. So anytime you're down to four corners, you start to get tired and we're having to use a couple of safeties to play with the three. Hopefully, we'll get [Damari] Brown back after the spring. We’ve got a couple of freshmen that aren't here yet. We'll add some depth if we need to in this offseason. I feel good, but right now it's not good. We're a little thin.”
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On Chevis Jackson: “I had two cornerback coaches while I was at Marshall. First guy left, and then we had a chance to hire whoever we wanted that was available, and I kind of knew Chevis from when he played at LSU. He'd been coached by Corey Raymond, Nick Saban, Kirby Smart, Bo Pelini, all those guys. He came from a good pedigree, played in the NFL, and then I saw it firsthand.”

“Our corners probably played the best at Marshall that year, my last year there, so I know what he can do. And he's already made a difference with our corners here. A really good teacher, very motivated guy, and I think he'll do a good job recruiting.”

On Jaden Harris and Savion Riley as first-teamers (with Powell at nickel): “Doing good. Harris is probably the most improved player on the defense right now. He's got a lot of confidence. He's not sitting behind two older guys. Right now, he's playing the boundary safety (James Williams’s position last year), but I'm going to move him to some field safety as well and keep swapping him and Savion and just add those young guys in there as well.”
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“Savion's long, he's got good top-end speed. Right now he's trying to learn everything. He's a little tired today, kind of got on him. We're getting a little thin. But he's smart, he's rangy, and he's a really good tackler. That’s what we saw when he played at Vanderbilt.”

On whether Powell is strictly a nickel: “No, he's a field safety as well. So when we play base, where we bring the SAM backer in, he'll play the free safety. But when we go to nickel, he becomes the nickel.”

On whether any other DB can move to corner: Dylan Day's one of the guys that's been playing out there. He has a chance, but he's young. Right now, he's playing nickel, free safety and corner. He's playing a lot of reps at a lot of different positions. He's probably the only one inside that I think could do it. Maybe Markeith Williams. He's been doing well, too. Markeith's having a good first three days, so really excited about him as well.
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On Jadais Richard: “He's doing good. We've been holding a little bit, so we tried to put the oven mitts on to keep him from holding. He's the most improved corner from the fall. Coach Jackson was kind of a tall corner when he played, so he kind of relates to him.”

On the continuity in the defense: “Most of the guys know the defense, which is good. You're not having to install a whole new defense. Of course, we hired a defensive back coach that already knows the system. So I didn't have to teach the defensive back coach the system. It's a lot better. It's a lot cleaner. We've had a really three good days. The quarterback [Cam Ward] is really hard to defend. He's going to be a really good football player. He extends plays. I'm really excited. I like where we're at. But we need to make a step further when we come back from spring break.”

On the LB who made the most improvement: “Probably Popo [Aguirre]. Popo's running with the ones. I also think Wesley's improved drastically. Kiko [Mauigoa] is not going right now, so they're getting a lot of reps. I think Bobby Washington will do well. And keep your eyes on Bobby [Cameron] Pruitt. That guy's going to be a really good football player. So excited about those guys. You know, each and every week one guy improves and we'll go from there.”

On EDGE transfer Elijah Alston: “Very fast kid, kind of like a big linebacker. He's going to rush the passer well. Knows the system. Another guy that's familiar with it, so he didn't have to learn a lot. I think he'll make a big impact. If you look at his highlights from at Marshall last year, probably was his best year. I had him a couple years ago. My last year there, he was kind of beat up a little bit. He had a bad ankle. The year before, he was a lot more productive. But last year, he was off the charts. So yeah, I think he'll make a big impact as well.”

On DT transfers CJ Clark and Marley Cook: “CJ had a pick six today. Marley is doing really well. Marley's a little bit shorter, compact guy, but he's a big effort guy. He was a wrestler throughout high school, really strong kid with great leverage. So excited about both of those additions.”

On where he’d like to see the most improvement from last season: “Just making fewer mistakes schematically, gap fits, coverage stuff, quarterbacks scrambling and staying on our routes. That’s what we call plastering. Our quarterback's doing a good job of extending plays, so we're having to stay in coverage longer. That is good because it's going to happen [in games]. We didn't play the run well against Rutgers. You got to stop them and just get the guys tackled and start the chains again. You always got a chance.”

On the 3-3-5 formation: “It just depends on what our numbers look like. I'm trying to get the best players on the field. We're doing a lot of the same things with four down [linemen] because a guy like Elijah Alston can do that. A guy like Marquise Lightfoot can do that. Trying to stay as multiple as we can with the same personnel, that way the offense don't know we're changing personnel and what's coming.”

On defending Cam Ward: “It's tough. He's going to be a really good football player. He's very poised. You can't rattle him. He's seen everything before. He's got something to him. You can tell he's a natural leader. He likes to compete. I think he can win a bunch of ballgames for us.”

On how Cam Ward helps the defense: “It helps us when you got a quarterback that's athletic and moves around. You got to stay in coverage longer. It changes your pass rush lanes to where you can't just free rush on a guy. It’s going to help us. Right now, we're probably not as good as we want to be because of him. Because you know that, first of all, we can't tackle him. We know that. But another thing, he's moving in and out of the pocket, and you're having to adjust your lane. He's making it tough on us, but it'll make us a better defense. I really believe that.”

On Reuben Bain: “Just stay healthy. He did a great job in the weight room. He looks good. He's gained some weight, but he's still explosive and fast. He's strong. Just trying to get him to the fall, get him to Saturday. I think that he's probably got a little bit better pass rush moves right now than he had. He's been working on them, you can tell. I'm excited to see what kind of year he can have. Get a guy back like [Akheem] Mesidor, really help him on the other side, along with Elijah, and maybe a couple more additions. It'll free up Reuben a lot more.”

On whether Bain will be a DE or DT: “He'll stay at defensive end for us. I mean, I won't move him because he brings a different dynamic there. Depends who drafts him, if he gets drafted. He goes to a 3-4 system. I can see him playing a 4. He can play outside, but I think he'll end up being inside on that level. I think he'll end up being a 3-tech. If you ask me, I'm not saying he can't play outside, but if you ask me what I think he is, truthfully, I think he's probably going to be a great 3-tech in the NFL.”

On whether Zaquan Patterson can make a similar impact as a freshman as Bain: “With a defensive lineman, it's a little bit easier. You can kind of pin your ears back and go. But on the back end, if you mess up, it's a touchdown. So Zaquan’s got a taller task. Usually safeties, it takes him probably about a year and a half, a year, getting something underneath him. But we're going to try and speed him up, see what he can do. But he definitely has the skill sets to be a difference maker, no doubt.”
 

Comments (57)



4:05
and we have talked about and we have gone at length in talking about Miami they're offensive pieces it's not that for me it's that they were 25th in the country in Total Defense last year they were the 11th team in the country last year in defending the Run they were there were what was one bad area that they had I'll talk about they were 19th in team sack they were 37th in the country on third down now do they get got to get better through the air yeah they were 55th and passing yards allowed but they bring in obviously in my opinion one of the best corners coaches in all of the country I I joke about him all the time on the show because he was at Marshall during the whole Notre Dame thing

Historically Lance Guidry‘s defense gets better in the 2nd season and I have no reason to believe that trend will not continue with this defense.

The system experience should help the returning players, play a lot faster and make more plays.

Although this staff did bring in 8 guys from the portal, that will have a significant role in this defense, two of them (Dyoni Hill & Elijah Alston) have already played in this defense. In addition Marley Cook, C.J. Clark, & Mishael Powell were all able to participate in spring.
Leaving only Simeon Barrow, Tyler Baron, & Jaylin Alderman needing to learn the system over the summer and fall camp.

I believe in the past a big factor in the lack of player development was also the lack of staff continuity. The continuity of this staff will pay off big for this defense and if Ahmad Moten, Josh Horton, Damari Brown, & Jaden Harris can take the next step we could be looking at a top 10-15 defense this season.
 

Guidry seems to love the Hybrids

Not to be confused with Tweeners that don’t really seem to have a position
Yes he does because they're integral to his system. Guidry's defense is all about being able to stay in base personnel while having the positional flexibility/versatility to shift into different fronts and alignments with the ability to defend different offenses, schemes and formations.

For example, a kid like DJ Pickett with his height, speed, lateral quickness, agility, instincts, coverage ability, explosiveness and ball skills would literally be like a queen on a chess board in Guidry's defensive scheme. With a player like that in the secondary, it would allow Guidry the freedom and ability to do so many different things on defense.
 
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Tbh it might be a little blessing in disguise having Kiko out

He’s a vet and these young backers can get some much needed reps. There’s some good ones on the depth chart
Yes I am very happy to hear about Popo, I thought he could really be standout stud here eventually.
 
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Really like the point he made about Cam forcing the defense to stay in coverage longer and adjust pass rushing lanes. TVD **** sure wasn’t doing that. Should pay dividends.
 
You can tell he’s a student of the game on D, and therefore a problem solver. He’s never overwhelmed by a bad performance. Always a welcome sign.
Fantastic read! I can't wait from a football junkie perspective to see how he adjusts for what is a thin secondary and how he uses his front seven in that regard.
 
I just love the versatility. The man has three completely different nickel options that he can use depending on the situation. The traditional nickel corner for obvious pass situations. The traditional SAM for obvious run situations and the hybrid safety/lb for everything in between. The ability to shift on the fly and make adjustments is what really impressed me with him.
×1000 There is also a hybrid DE/LB. Plus I believe that the traditional Sam you mentioned and the hybrid Safety/LB are the same position.
 
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His defense would be 10 levels more effective if we had a true lockdown corner with some height/reach. I know, I know, they’re rare and expensive.

I wanted Ellis Robinson above almost any recruit because I think that type of player disproportionately helps Guidry’s strengths (disguised blitzes, etc.).

Absent that type of corner and with some question marks at Safety (unless one of the safeties really surprise us), instead of the smoke and mirrors with the DL he did last year, he’ll likely have to do that with the coverages this upcoming season.
@LuCane Would DJ Pickett fit those parameters?
 
I've not really watched enough of any of the recruits this year. I think @JHallCanes asked me about a recent Safety commit, but I've not been able to really watch much more than a few clips of him, either. That starts cooking for me like in October and peaks in December.

What do you think about Pickett?
Personally I think Pickett is everything that Guidry wants in a CB. He has great speed, freakish length, agility, instincts, lateral quickness, ball skills, man and zone coverage skills, explosiveness and is a proven playmaker. Add that to the fact that Pickett is a transcendent talent when it comes to positional versatility. Having a kid like Pickett would allow Guidry to take his defense to its maximum effectiveness. Pair him with kids like Ben Hanks Jr, Jaboree Slime To Antoine , Stubbs and Patterson and we have a Miami No Fly Zone!
 
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From time to time I watch games from last year. We will definitely be better on both sides of the ball even with the exact play calling from last season. There were a few guys on both sides of the ball who just weren’t good enough. It shows up time and time again. It’s truly a thing to behold when you’re not watching the game in the moment rooting for us to win.
 
From time to time I watch games from last year. We will definitely be better on both sides of the ball even with the exact play calling from last season. There were a few guys on both sides of the ball who just weren’t good enough. It shows up time and time again. It’s truly a thing to behold when you’re not watching the game in the moment rooting for us to win.
They're gone now 😀
 
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