Wolverine247 Board

Didn't realize he was that player. Heard about him, pretty remarkable story.

I was doing a little thinking, and this class is basically done. There are 3 open spots as of right now, and at the very least, Hoke expects the class to get to 20. I really don't think anything above that number will be available until after the season. So the next four commits will have to be dedicated to positional needs.

WR - Treadwell
RB - Isaac
DL - Poggi
LB - Levenberry or Gedeon

All of these guys could possibly make a decision in the next month, then we'll have to wait to see if anymore spots open.

But if we nailed four of those guys down, this class would be outstanding.

I was trying to understand how the 4-3 under works and digging for some info, and came across this from a Houston Texans fansite. It's a few years old, but still very interesting as to what type of players are needed.

Typically, the 2 best players on your 4-3 under need to be your weak side DE and your SAM linebacker. Conveniently, we have Mario Williams as our uncovered DE and have newly selected Brian Cushing to play SAM. The uncovered DE in the 4-3 under needs to be an absolute beast, being able to take advantage of 1-on-1 matchups in all pass rushing situations while also being the primary contain on outside runs to the weak side. We have a DE who had double digit sacks while being triple teamed - now he is going to see 1-on-1 a lot unless teams are willing to run 2 TE sets all the time. That makes me very happy.

The number one reason why more teams don't run a 4-3 Under is the difficulty in finding a player good enough to play the SAM. He needs to be big, strong, fast, and able to cover or rush the passer at any given time. He lines up on the outside edge of the TE at all times, and harasses him off the line, never allowing a free release, staying underneath on routes because you have your safety over the top. He also gets one-on-one matchups on the outside to pass rush. I'll take Brian Cushing versus Dallas Clark, Bo Scaife, or Marcedes Lewis any day of the weak. He needs to be a great run defender as well, because he CANNOT be reached, or there is a huge running lane to the strong side.

When you have two great rushers on the outside like that, you force the defense to decide to either chip Mario or Cushing with a RB, leaving Mario 1-on-1 with a tackle, or Cushing 1-on-1 with a TE - either way, it's win for the Texans.

Inside the SAM, you need to have a powerful run-stopping LDE. Not coincidentally, we happened to acquire Antonio Smith, certified awesome-run stopping DE. He needs to be able to always occupy the strong side offensive tackle and not be reached or washed out by the strong side guard, who is left uncovered. He is going to catch a lot of single blocks from the RT, or trey blocks from the T and TE, with the FB trying to spill the SAM to open up the inside run. Adding Antonio Smith absolutely solidifies that position, frees up Cushing to wreck havoc, and makes running to the strong side an undesirable option.

Your weak side DT needs to be a premier pass rusher. Being positioned on the backside 3-gap with a DE right outside him makes it very difficult for the offense to double team him. A center-guard double team would require the guard to cross his face and leave the 1 technique in open space, while a guard-tackle double team would leave Mario Williams free. Both unfavorable. We happen to have Amobi Okoye manning the 3 technique spot in our D. A speedy pass rusher, Amobi's talents were completely wasted in a read-and-react defense. In this scheme, Amobi will not only be allowed, but be required, to beat the backside guard one-on-one to rush the passer and break up the run plays. Another great fit.

The 1 technique is vital to the success of this defense. We happen to not have any fully qualified 1 technique DT. In this scheme, the strong side DT needs to be very big and powerful, able to withstand constant double teams, as he is essentially occupying the center and strong side guard to keep the others free. Heard of anyone like that on the Texans' roster? Me neither. I think the coaching solution is to throw as many fresh bodies at that spot as possible. A 3 or 4 play rotation of TJ, Deljuan, and Okam might be the best solution, since we do not have a premier talent to occupy that space. It will be interesting to see how it is dealt with this season, but as of now is the primary weakness in our front 7.

Moving back to the Linebackers (SAM doesn't really count, as he plays on the line the vast majority of the time) we have our Middle Linebacker and Weakside Linebacker. The MLB primarily lines up 3-4 yards deep over the play side 3 technique, and his job is to shed that guard and make plays, crush FB isos, and scrape over the top to the play if its outside. In cover one, he will usually be manned up with the first back out to the TE side. DeMeco Ryans at this position is great, as it allows him to attack the line of scrimmage on run plays. His first step is always downhill, looking to blow someone up. If the back he is supposed to cover stays into block, he has the option of blitzing or of setting into a little mid-hook zone, to help deter drags, slants, and curls.

You weakside linebacker in the 4-3 under needs to be your fastest and best coverage linebacker, as he is protected by the defensive lineman in front of him and therefore must be able to get anywhere on the field pretty darn quick. He has control of the backside A (1) gap, and will either shoot the gap on inside runs or scrape over on outside runs. If the play is to his side, he is the primary pursuit to the outside as well. On coverage situations, he generally plays short middle and helps out where he needs to be. Adibi, due to his speed and coverage skills, is a great WLB for the 4-3 Under. He will be allowed to make more plays because he will be harassed significantly less by offensive lineman.

Sweet. If his dad/coach was told this, then I'd have to like our chances.

I want CA WR/ATH Sebastian LaRue as a Wolverine. Anyone know where we stand with him?

Is Joey Bosa visiting?

The other B1G teams to offer Drennon and Webb are Iowa, Purdue, and Penn State. They could very well be a package deal, so this could give us an advantage. That's assuming we're still open to taking a DT and DE in addition to Poggi (if we land him).

Yes, for the spring game. We're in the top-six with Florida State, Florida, Alabama, Wisconsin, and Ohio.

would take either one gotta love that Shane

but the big one is comming next week

I know you want to guess a commit and get it right, but do we have to put up with this every weekend?