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2019 Spring Preview: DT

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Liberty City El said:
That's just it though, it's a 100% CIS myth that we don't have depth, when we actually do.

Our fans are just always scared & assume the worst case scenario will happen every year, so they think every single starter is going to get injured for the season at every position, so we need a roster full of Grad transfers in order for them to feel better.

Fans just don't think it's ever possible for players to be developed early in their career, that's why TF & Red Frosh/Soph scare them so much & make them think there's no depth. If it was up to them Ahmmon Richards, Trajan Bandy, Malek Young, Shaq Q, Mike Pinckney, Joe Jackson & a bunch others woulda never played until they were Redshirt Juniors.
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I would agree with that and to your point yes we certainly do have depth and there is also quite a bit of talent. My point is quite simply that I will be glad when we have ideal numbers at every position group. The next 2 recruiting classes should take care of that.
 
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I think we'll be fine at DT. I like the combo of nesta and bethel as starters. Definitely gonna hurt losing Willis, guy was a monster, but we have lots of bodies we can rotate at DT which matters over the course of a long season. And our D end room is pretty stacked so I wouldn't worry too much overall.
 
We played bethel out of position as a 1 tech last year but he held it down for the most part.

I’d like to see him get a shot back at that 3 tech spot that he played as a freshman. I’d like to see a rotation of him, Nesta, & Nnoruka at DT & Ford, Miller, & Martin in rotation at the 1 tech spot.

I’m hoping Nesta has developed a nice array of pass rush moves bc he cannot think using the bull rush every play will work. Being mean won’t work all time...needs to really use his hands.

Excited about the DT from NY..a big kid like that whose also played RB screams old school Cane baller.
 
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Tee3000 said:
We played bethel out of position as a 1 tech last year but he held it down for the most part.

I’d like to see him get a shot back at that 3 tech spot that he played as a freshman. I’d like to see a rotation of him, Nesta, & Nnoruka at DT & Ford, Miller, & Martin in rotation at the 1 tech spot.

I’m hoping Nesta has developed a nice array of pass rush moves bc he cannot think using the bull rush every play will work. Being mean won work all time...needs to really use his hands.

Excited about the DT from NY..a big kid like that whose also played RB screams old school Cane baller.
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Our best 3 DTs at one technique and our worst 3 at the other seems ill advised.
 
I then DT is going to be solid. Silvera, Bethal, Ford, Miller, and Chigozie Nnoruka. If Martin shows anything, then that's just a bonus.

I'm really looking for big jumps from Silvera, Ford, and Miller. How much they improve in strength and technique will determine how far this d-line goes as a group.
 
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Number1CanesFan said:
I then DT is going to be solid. Silvera, Bethal, Ford, Miller, and Chigozie Nnoruka. If Martin shows anything, then that's just a bonus.

I'm really looking for big jumps from Silvera, Ford, and Miller. How much they improve in strength and technique will determine how far this d-line goes as a group.
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Let's hope these guys pan out. The defensive tackle issue is the biggest looking at the fall. Silvera projects well, but really hasn't play. Ford has played little and Miller remains an unknown. Bethel is undersized and lost a starting job late in the year. Nnoruka is another hope-and-pray guy we're banking on. And then, we're looking at a 3rd DL coach in as many years. Just a lot of unknowns.
 
It's college football and you're losing roughly a quarter of your roster every year to graduation plus early draft entries. There are always going to be areas where the team doesn't have a ton of experienced depth. It's impossible to be deep and experienced at every position. This is why you hope your recruiting and development pay off. People here think Miami is the only team that has to deal with new players and losing guys to the draft. Every single team has positions where they're relying on unproven guys to fill a void.
 
I like the depth, but it's the experience that worries me.. We just need these guys to get in the weightroom and bigger, faster and stronger that is definitely a must for the entire group!! Now we have 3 solid returning player's (Nesta, Bethel and Ford) but we need others to come in and be ready to give minutes here and there and hopefully the UCLA transfer is the guy that can come in and push for a starting position along with the 3 returning players..
Nesta is the guy that I'm hoping makes the big leap and becomes a problem for opposing offenses.. We definitely need one of the guys to be that player that causes havoc to open up space for others..
 
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Tee3000 said:
We played bethel out of position as a 1 tech last year but he held it down for the most part.

I’d like to see him get a shot back at that 3 tech spot that he played as a freshman. I’d like to see a rotation of him, Nesta, & Nnoruka at DT & Ford, Miller, & Martin in rotation at the 1 tech spot.

I’m hoping Nesta has developed a nice array of pass rush moves bc he cannot think using the bull rush every play will work. Being mean won’t work all time...needs to really use his hands.

Excited about the DT from NY..a big kid like that whose also played RB screams old school Cane baller.
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Agreed.

Have never liked Bethel at 1T. Problem is, he doesn't move well enough to be the kind of 3T our defense needs. I do like him best at 3T though. I'd have him split duties with Nesta behind Nnoruka at 3 and leave Ford and Miller (not even counting on Martin) at 1.

I'd love it for the 3 true fresh DTs to just S&C and maybe a little spot duty here and there at most next season. There is absolutely no reason we should have to depend on them next season.
 
DTP said:
It's college football and you're losing roughly a quarter of your roster every year to graduation plus early draft entries. There are always going to be areas where the team doesn't have a ton of experienced depth. It's impossible to be deep and experienced at every position. This is why you hope your recruiting and development pay off. People here think Miami is the only team that has to deal with new players and losing guys to the draft. Every single team has positions where they're relying on unproven guys to fill a void.
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Agreed. We seem to nitpick Miami more because we know and analyze their roster more. But yes, I agree. Every team loses and has to replace a decent amount of their roster from year to year.
 
At this time last year, we were having this exact discussion. None of the guys who played DT last year played much for us in 2017. Bethel and Ford were rotation guys, Willis wasn't even on the active roster and Tito was in Illinois. Obviously, Nesta was in high school. We had no idea if any of those guys were going to be successful. Thankfully our staff did a great job of developing the younger guys while keeping the wild card, Willis on the straight and narrow. We've got a nice mix of impact guys and role player types at tackle this year and I have confidence that our staff will have them performing at a high level.
 
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We'll see what happens, but right now all we have is hope. Hope that it'll work out because on paper, nothing says we're going to be that good at DT.
 
bacane said:
Let's hope these guys pan out. The defensive tackle issue is the biggest looking at the fall. Silvera projects well, but really hasn't play. Ford has played little and Miller remains an unknown. Bethel is undersized and lost a starting job late in the year. Nnoruka is another hope-and-pray guy we're banking on. And then, we're looking at a 3rd DL coach in as many years. Just a lot of unknowns.
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I hear your concerns. I'm not worried about Bethel. Many say he's undersized. I don't think 15 lbs means a **** thing. He's not Aaron Donald, but Bethel and Aaron Donald weighs 285 lbs and double teams can't stop Donald. Bethel, like every one else, just needs improved strength and better technique. I don't think he will be great, but he will be solid.
 
Anyone else think Nesta looked tiny in that pic in front of Hard Rock the other day? I see a lot of Gaytor twitter trolling Nesta for being fat... a bit odd since he's a DT.

It doesn't seem like he's put on any size or muscle since he's stepped on campus which isn't good being that he probably isn't much over 6'1
 
We need to bring her in as a late 2019 signee. She can play the 1 tech. She benches 425lbs and squats 600lbs. Send banda to Texas to nab her for the Canes.

 
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