He starts day one on this Defense.
He’s a 4-3 2-Tech Inside in our scheme, he’s also a 3-down lineman so he doesn’t have to come off the field on passing downs or 3rd downs. He still will come off the field in certain packages because we have depth & we can mix it up all along the line, but point is, he’s not a typical big slow NT, he’s got good pass rush ability & will be a stout run defender.
His youth is the + side of bringing him in, because he already got his initial first push playing as a TF at Maryland & has spent a year in a S&C program & Maryland’s S&C Director Ryan Davis is a good strength coach, he was at Bama in 2009 - 2011 with Terry Jones & Scott Cochran, he was also at Samford when Pat Sullivan was their HC. So that means the kid was in good hands at the beginning of his development & was able to get on the field as a TF & contribute, so now getting him into our program will further expedite his development & having him ready to play early.
He’s not a finished product by any stretch, but his upside & growth allows us the flexibility to play him as a True Sophomore while still letting the upperclassmen get reps & the young guys like Taylor & Roberts the opportunity to continue to develop & get their opportunities on the field as well. What he basically is, is a fast tracked 2021 signee that is on the same trajectory as kids like James Williams, Kamren Kinchens & Chase Smith as players who can/will be expected to give us significant snaps this season.
But adding him makes everybody else’s job easier, including him. Because he’s not going to be asked to just be a 2-gap Nose that just takes on double teams all game, he’ll get the ability to get one on one matchups & affect the pass too, he’ll be an interior lineman that gets lots of pressures, TFL’s & sacks from the B-gap & also open things up on the line for the DE’s, because if teams try to double team Darrell, Mesidor & Agude will make them pay on the outside & Taylor/Lichtenstein will get theirs beside him as well while collapsing the pocket. But when he gets his one on ones he’s absolutely gonna wreak havoc in the backfield bulldozing Guards & getting after QB’s & RB’s.
The best aspect of his game is not just his size & strength, it’s his feet & his ability to move, he definitely still has to polish & continue his development in stacking & shedding blockers & learning more disengaging techniques to beat OL’s while using leverage, but any DLine coach with half a brain can teach this kid the tricks of the trade & get him up to optimum level. And the best part is, he has all the physical tools you want & the natural strength you can’t teach, so all you really need to teach him is all the technical mechanics of being a dominant interior lineman & he’ll handle the rest himself, he’s already halfway there due to his freakish genetics.