The portal has brought in reinforcements for the 2025 Hurricanes in the form of WR CJ Daniels from LSU, S Zechariah Poyser from Jacksonville State, DT David Blay from La Tech, CB Charles Brantley from Michigan State.
In this article, I’m going to take a look at David Bray out of La Tech to see what he’s bringing to a Miami defense sorely in need of playmakers at all levels of the field. How does he look on the field? Find out, in this addition of
Upon Further Review.
Who Did They Face
For Blay, I’m reviewing his game against Arkansas. In that game, he mainly faced #63 C Addison Nichols, #72 G Joshua Braun, and #76 G E’Marion Harris.
As a multi-technique DT in their defensive front, he interacted with the C most often. Nichols’ carries a 69.4 overall grade from PFF, allowing 13 pressures on the season and two sacks. A pass blocking efficiency of 98.2%. For reference, Zach Carpenter earned a 69.5 overall grade from PFF, allowing 12 pressures and two sacks. A pass blocking efficiency of 98.6%. So, Nichols performing to that level in a tougher conference speaks to him being solid competition to review against and probably just as good as anyone he will see in the ACC. Coincidentally, Nichols is transferring to SMU, so Blay will see him again most likely.
Why Did I Choose That Game
Arkansas is an SEC foe, that’s pretty clear as to why you would choose that game to evaluate a G5 DT transferring to your program. Additionally, they run a Veer-and-Shoot offense, which is quite a difficult offense for a DT to face due to all the space that offense generates. The splits are wide, the keys are unusual to face, and they generally run tempo. Overall, the perfect game to review and hope you see encouraging signs.
Game Review
Blay utilizes short, choppy steps off the snap and likes to dive right to start. I’d like to see his continuing to move his feet on-contact as he tends to stop and get upright once he delivers that initial contact to the C. He looks to be stronger in the upper body than the lower body and has very heavy hands. Active and quick, he’s a “tree trunk” type that will lay roots and be that NT in the run game. He’s looking to penetrate, move the central point of the LOS, and find the football.
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Absorbs the initial contact and splits that gap when he sees a puller. I love to see that, a lot of times players will see a double split and stop to wait and find the contact. Get into that gap, absorb that hit from the side, and find the ball. He cleans up this TFL after the RB slips the LB (who really made the play, as that RB would be through that hole if he wasn’t there). Good play by Blay.
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During the broadcast the Arkansas coaches were asked who stands out for La Tech defensively and they said immediately, “#90, David Blay.”
This doesn’t look like much, it’s a really smart play by Blay. Arkansas runs that quick motion across the QB (where you see lots of pop passes) and are going to run a wheel off of it down the sideline. Instead of Blay just going recklessly after the QB, he keeps pushing this OL to force the RB to bubble. I know he did on purpose because he pursues the space towards the receiver in-case it’s a screen rather than going after the rolling QB (which he would never catch and be taking himself out of the play). This wheel was going to pop wide open if the receiver didn’t have to bubble and was the primary read on the play. QB has to throw it away.
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Draws a hold here, which is always good, but he could use his length here and get that OL off him easier and have the QB in trouble here. That’s an area he can really improve is in using length to disengage better and keeping eyes on ball. This G he is going against is not good at all, with the grading to reflect that as well.
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This is where Blay excels, splitting gaps. Here they try to double him and he just fires upfield and splits it with continuous effort. Really strong upper body that just holds off contact and keeps driving. He gets the sack on this play. That’s high level.
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Another hold forced by Bray on Nichols here. The LG also held on this play, so they gave the penalty to him, but both were called. Shooting gaps and absorbing side contact and drive through seems to be his best attribute at this point (a nice attribute to have). The issue will be when teams want him to shoot and run himself out of plays, can he be disciplined and work to find the ball better.
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You really don’t want your DT getting pushed wide on stunts etc. like this because if you are in man that gap integrity will be lost against a QB who looks to run. Rushes way too wide on the stunt here, when coincidentally, if he would use his ability to play through side contact and keep in the field of vision of the QB, it would be much more impactful than this looping route he takes here. On the interior, the goal isn’t simply get to the QB, which you might do once a game. The goal is impacting the QB through field of vision, clamping any escape gaps, and staying attached to the play.
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This is simply a place a DT simply never wants to be. Finding yourself in this spot is something the Canes will look to coach him to avoid.
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On this one he again goes to that “skinny” move where he drives with his shoulder and tries to split a double-team. It worked earlier and he got a TFL, but on this one the RG gets him as they anticipated him shooting and they move him easily. #72 is a solid player and is transferring to Kentucky. Something to remember when judging interior line play, you’re really not looking at the splash plays. You want to watch for consistency and how often do they win their matchup and force extra help. Blay thus far has had an impactful game against an SEC offense that was dynamic most of this season.
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Blay got hurt and missed most of a possession where Arkansas got their TD. He didn’t think he was injured, but the officials forced him off and Arkansas went tempo to prevent them from subbing and he never got back on the field. (Not pictured)
Next possession and this is a loss in outside zone. He’s head-up on the C and the job of the C here is to get a “reach” block where he has to reach the outside shoulder of that DT. His job is to get his helmet on the left shoulder of the DT and his right hand under the armpit of the left shoulder and push him away from the flow of the run. This is really good tape for the C and a loss for Blay, who can’t get there down the line and this run goes for a first down. When you’re singled up and head-up on a C, you have to flow down the LOS and get there on this play. The edge losing as well and not getting to the right shoulder of that OL didn’t help, so not singular.
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I picked on him, but this is still really excellent pursuit to get past your edge player on an OZ run and if his edge forces that RB one more step into the backfield, he gets this play here. That C was able to get his grip into him here, if he could get his right arm extended and break that grip he also would’ve gotten there. There’s some hand development that can make Bray go to another level in my view. Lower-body needs developed a bit more to explode off these blocks when a lineman gets the vices on you.
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This is how it’s done. First step quickness, locks out the arms and gets the vices, shucks him. The RB cuts back towards LT and gets passed him, but that’s not his fault that his fill LB was not there. He’s done more in a half than you’d ask of your DT all game.
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If I’m an OL studying Blay, I know he loves to go left with his initial drive. Drives upfield to the left, gets a bit wide, OL pushes him one step wide. QB takes off on a 4th down here and because he got pushed wide he is a half-step late. He gets a hand on the QB, but this play goes for a TD.
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Though I think his MLB getting treated like a teen getting throw out of the club might have helped knocked him left.
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I remember Leonard Taylor used to spin and give up his back quite a bit. While Blay shooting left every time is not as bad as a spin to the back, he is getting ridden down to his left quite a bit and the RB keeps cutting it back behind him. This offense is so difficult because of how they open up space, zone you and let you go where you want to go, then cut back off of it. But splitting a double and forcing the RB to cutback into your force player is a win for the DT.
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This is another example of Blay letting an OL get the vices on him. SMU is getting a solid C. If Blay ever learns to use his hands/length he will go to another level. (That is not a hold, this is what OL are taught to do, ball up cloth inside the chest frame and put the vices on)
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Blay wins this one, gets his hands inside of the C first, makes him do a sprawl with legs wide. If the RG doesn’t hit him from the side, he chucks the C here and gets after the QB.
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Here he beats the C (to his left, of course) and the RG is diving at his legs (I simply cannot stand that this is legal). In reality, he gets tackled around the waist and it is 100% a hold. While on the ground and a guy on his legs, he still works to get the RB’s legs. Who does extend for the first down, but I like that he does dirty work as well as the pretty stuff like shooting gaps. This play right here might look like a nothing play, but I guarantee a coach sees this play and says that’s a guy I can win with.
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Beats the RT inside (to his right!) and splits this gap. Makes another TFL. Best attribute is that ability to withstand side contact and keep gaining ground.
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In this game, prior to garbage time, Arkansas scored three of their four TD’s while Blay was out of the game. The one they did score was on a 4th down scramble where he was half a step from making a tackle to end their drive. To say Blay was the best player on the field for La Tech is an understatement, because he might have been the best player on the field for either team. Landon Jackson is a DE for Arkansas who caught my eye as someone who is really good, so that might be the one I’d push back and say he’s probably better, but it was a game he fit right in nicely with SEC players and in most cases was better.
By the Numbers:
One of my biggest complaints about PFF is how they often seem to misunderstand what is the players job on a play and how are they impacting the play outside of what would be expected for a player in that same spot. In this game, they had Blay as the second-best player on La Tech defense, which is quite debatable in my view. They had the MLB who got thrown out of the club as the best player, mainly due to the fact that he forced a fumble and they credited Blay with a missed tackle on the cutback run above where Blay forced the player to cutback into a Fill player who missed his spot and he grabbed his ankle.
Where I do like PFF’s data is in their overall snap, pressures, etc. data. Overall, they had Blay playing 443 snaps, with 12 total pressures with four sacks. He also had 24 run stuffs, which is a good number for a DT. I would’ve expected the pressure numbers to be higher based on this game, but it’s possible he sees more doubles against lesser competition.
The player that Blay is replacing, Simeon Barrow, was a better player this year. No doubt about that. Barrow played 378 snaps and had 28 pressures with seven sacks. He added 17 run stuffs, all while playing better competition.
Overall:
Blay is an exciting player to watch on tape. He was clearly their best defensive player and made things go on that DL. La Tech had a feisty defense that really kept them in most games because that offense was truly bad.
There was a real and noticeable drop-off when he left the field. Here is how I viewed him in a snapshot:
Strengths
- Quickness is above average for the ACC level and will give interior OL problems.
- Has a real knack for absorbing contact from the side and driving through it to complete plays and gain the advantage. Asking him to disrupt and attack gaps will get the most value out of him. That ability to handle contact from the side and play through it plays well to how often Miami stunts their interior players.
- The motor is well above-average for an interior DL who plays as many snaps as he does. It’s possible he actually would improve with a reduction in snaps, which might seem counterintuitive.
- Seems to understand what an offense wants to do and plays his responsibilities rather than stat hunting. On a defense that has seen players be disjointed and go looking for stats, that's a great trait for me.
Opportunities
- When his initial rush doesn't get to half-man (to the hip of the blocker) he tends to stop his feet and stand upright looking for a counter, which stops momentum and power. His pass rush plan needs to be more diverse so that he has a second move in mind when his initial quickness is stopped.
- Hand usage is a long way from where you’d like to see it. Allows vices to get put on him too often, especially in a 1-on-1 situation with a C.
- Tends to show his back if initial rush doesn’t win and lose sight of the ball. He keeps working even though he isn’t in an ideal situation, which speaks to his football character.
- Really needs to identify a go-to move other than initial quickness splitting a gap. If he could learn a snatch-and-pull move to get an OL off-balance, or improve a long-arm, he could go from good-to-great.
The bottom line is that replacing a Simeon Barrow is going to be difficult. Right now, you would say Blay will fill 3/4ths or more of him, but there is development runway left on this player and there are some things that if improves them marginally could get him a lot closer to that level this upcoming season. Justin Scott is ready to ascend to that role at NT, while Blay can give you 300+ snaps next to him. That means Moten, Horton, maybe Anthony Campbell or Blount need to develop into another quality role player inside.
Blay is a solid-7 or 8 player inside, just outside of the All-ACC teams, but a well above-average starter at this moment. Working with his hands to keep the vices off of him, finding one counter move that he can rely on, and getting a touch better at rooting with his lower body could get him to that next level. Great addition.
