Now back to business - the defensive line. Gone is Vincent Brown and in comes Jerome "Jappy" Oliver to coach the unit. Brown left with Poindexter to UConn to become the linebacker's coach and the co-defensive coordinator. While I was sad to see Brown leave, the promotion was well deserved. Our defense has had its ups and downs over the past few years, but the defensive line has always been up to the challenge.
I honestly have no clue what to think about Oliver. He has 35 years of experience, including stops at big name programs such as South Carolina and Notre Dame. He was previously the defensive line coach and associate head coach at Buffalo (in a way, similar to Tom O'Brien's role at UVa). I'm not involved in any assistant coaching circles, but Oliver seems to be a solid replacement for Brown. Buffalo had 38 sacks last season (10 better than UVa) and also has worked with Tenuta at Notre Dame in 2008.
Thankfully for Oliver, he has plenty of talent to work with in Charlottesville. Despite losing DT Brent Urban (4th round pick to the Ravens) and DE Jake Snyder (undrafted to the Vikings), this group has the depth to replace them, and probably even improve upon last season's statistics. (For more info on UVa draftees, check out this post from a few weeks ago).
Let's get into a few more details about the talent Oliver - and also London, who assists on the defensive line - will work with.
Defensive end (left) likely starter: Eli Harold (Jr.)
I like to start each post with the most accomplished and proven player. On the defensive line, I think there is no doubt this player is Eli Harold. He came in with all sort's of hype: the No. 1 player in Virginia by Rivals, five-stars from Scout, four-stars by ESPN and Rivals, the No. 1 outside linebacker by Scout, unanimous top-50 recruit...the list goes on and on. He was a real steal for London to grab, and his commitment is a true testament to London's ability on the recruiting trail. Harold had been set on Florida for a while, but he switched to UVa because he thought London could be the father figure he never had (he grew up without a father, and his mother died of pancreatic cancer in 2011).
It is also worth noting that he is freakishly athletic for a defensive end. He reportedly runs the 40 in 4.46 seconds (take that for what it's worth). Basically, he's faster than most skill-position players (he did play wide-receiver in high school). His unusual speed is partly because he is a tad undersized for a defensive lineman at 235 pounds. He struggled his freshman season because of his weight, when he weighed 215-220. He plans to reach around 245 by the time he graduates. His true position is probably as a 3-4 outside linebacker due to his size and athleticism.
Harold came on a little slow his freshman season (maybe due to his light weight, but also due to a difficult learning curve from high school to college). But by the end of the season, his talent was evident. He made his first start against NC State, where he recorded 1.5 sacks and snagged an interception. He only recorded two sacks on the season, but that number was actually third on the team. His talent had become evident.
In 2013, he continued to excel, leading the team with 8.5 sacks (the fourth most in the nation by an underclassman) and 15 tackles for loss. He was dominant in the BYU game, recording two sacks and creating havoc in that star-studded backfield led by QB Taysom Hill, who is a pre-season Heisman candidate. Harold also added three sacks against Virginia Tech - the most sacks in a game by a UVa player since 2008.
If Harold has a flaw, it is that he is too inconsistent. Seven of his 8.5 sacks came in just three games - BYU, Maryland, and Va. Tech. This can happen to pass-rushers that rely primarily on speed, like Harold. Offenses can run plays up the middle, throw screens, or have many quick, three-step drop pass attempts. This will neutralize most speed rushers.
However, one anonymous head coach called out Harold for taking plays off. I have no clue how true this is, but it would not really surprise me. At his size, he has to get exhausted at times, especially in the run game while working against linemen that can weigh up to 100 pounds more than him.
For this reason, I hope he gets more breaks this season, especially on early downs. He is fine against the run, but his real strength is pass rushing. If Harold doesn't have to play every down (and he shouldn't - I'll get into the depth in a second), then he can focus on rushing the quarterback and hopefully have more of an impact in all 12 games.
Still, I am kind of nit-picking here. Harold is a fantastic player, make no mistake about it. He was named to Phil Steele's preseason third team All ACC. He is a quick, athletic pass-rusher that is also phenomenal against the run for his size. I just want him to become elite. I think that is a possibility this year, especially with Max Valles rushing from the other side in nickel situations. Harold has shown the impact he can have in games; now it's time that he does it in all 12 contests.
Depth
First off the bench behind Harold is another athletic freak in Trent Corney (Jr.). Corney came to UVa with a sparse football background. Most recruiters thought he was better suited for a track scholarship, a sport he played damn well in high school. No recruiting services even ranked him or gave him any stars. Add that to the fact that he could have played wide receiver, safety, running back, linebacker, or defensive end, and you had yourself a true unknown.
He came in, had a decent camp, and established himself as a defensive end. After scant playing time his freshman season, he moved up to Eli Harold's back-up in 2013. He recorded two sacks on the season - both in mop-up duty against VMI.
Corney serves as a great example of a Mike London redshirting blunder. Corney played on special teams from time to time throughout his freshman season. While I understand wanting to take advantage of Corney's athleticism, what the hell was Mike London thinking?! This man had barely played the game before, and he had the potential to develop into a solid player. But now with Harold in his same class, Corney will rarely see the field.
I'm hoping he will relieve Harold in certain situations (mostly early downs) in 2014, but thanks to Mike London, we'll truly never know what he could have been given a year as the full-time starter.
Despite my anger, he is a very capable back-up in 2014. Also, as a side note, check out this video of Corney jumping out of a pool. That is freakish athleticism.
Defensive end (right) likely starter: Mike Moore (Jr.)
After spending two seasons behind Jake Snyder, Mike Moore will move into the starting lineup in 2014. Moore was a consensus four-star recruit that was the No. 11 defensive end in the nation by Rivals. He is also the son of former UVa All-American quarterback and later assistant coach Shawn Moore.
I would have preferred to see Mike Moore get the benefit of a redshirt his freshman season, but it's always tough to convince top-flight recruits to sit for a year. Not only do the players on the team not want to be redshirted, but it also scares off other potential recruits in the forthcoming classes. Moore has come along a bit slower than most four-star prospects. In 2012, he recorded two tackles for loss and one sack - all in garbage time.
In 2013, he cracked his way into the rotation by spelling Jake Snyder from time to time, while also playing defensive tackle in some nickel situations. He didn't see much playing time, but it was more than in 2012. He recorded one sack and 1.5 tackles for loss among his 16 tackles.
To me, Moore looks like a Jake Snyder clone with a higher upside. If he was going to develop into a stud, we probably would have a clue by now. However, Snyder was no slouch to sit behind either. And it seems that Moore has learned a thing or two from Snyder. Moore was a recipient of the Rock Wier award given to the most improved player during spring ball.
Don't expect Moore to rack up a bunch of sacks, but I think somewhere around three or four is doable for 2014. That being said, his biggest impact will come in the run game, as is the case for most left defensive ends. I don't think we'll see a drop off at the position as he succeeds Snyder.
Depth
Moore's primary back-up will be Kwontie Moore - the former all-world recruit at middle linebacker. Kwontie was a consensus four-star and rated as the No. 3 middle linebacker in the country by Rivals. He definitely would have benefited from a redshirt season, but like Mike Moore, he was too good of a prospect to sit.
In 2012, Kwontie sat behind Steve Greer, only seeing time on special teams. In 2013, he was not only beat out by Henry Coley, but he also only played two games - BYU and Oregon - due to injury. So now two years and a disheartening six tackles later, Kwontie is giving defensive end a try.
But this isn't even his first position switch. With little time to be found at linebacker last season, the coaches moved Kwontie down to defensive tackle. I had noticed that Kwontie seemed to be slower than the rest of the linebackers, but this made no sense. Did the coaches want him to gain 50+ pounds in a few weeks? All that I know is that Kwontie has not and probably never will reach his high school potential.
Hopefully, however, Kwontie can find a home at defensive end. At the two practices I attended, he looked pretty good. He's not great at working against guards and tackles, but he can sure shoot off the line. He'll definitely be more of a pass rush type of guy.
Now that he's at defensive end, it really makes you wish that he would have redshirted. Our top four defensive ends are all juniors. I'm fine with Eli Harold and Mike Moore getting snaps their first year on grounds, but Trent Corney and Kwontie Moore did not gain anything in that first season. Now we have two pretty solid players that will never see time starting.
Kwontie Moore might see a few plays in sub-packages, but still, he will not have a large role on the defense, which is a real shame. There was all sorts of hype surrounding Kwontie even just over a year ago when it was thought he could challenge Coley at MLB. But sometimes recruits just don't pan out. To Kwontie's credit, he has never once complained about playing time, and he has embraced his new position. I think everyone would agree that to this point, he has been a bust. But at least he's been a team player.
Behind Kwontie Moore is Jack English (RS Fr.). Because he redshirted last season, I don't have much to say regarding English. He was a three-star recruit from St. Christopher's in Richmond that is listed at 6-5 and 265 pounds. If he has added a little weight since last season (which I'm sure he has), he could be a solid player. Jake Snyder 2.0? That's a possibility; they have the same measurables. But this is all just speculation, since there is no such college film to speak of.
This season will essentially be another redshirt year for English, as will 2015. By 2016, his junior season, he should be groomed and ready to play strong-side defensive end, assuming he doesn't get recruited over.
Defensive tackle likely starters: David Dean (Jr.) and Andrew Brown (Fr.)
Just like at the top, I'll start with the more accomplished player. Although Brown has more talking points, that means we'll begin with David Dean, who was just recently named to Phil Steele's preseason third team All-ACC
Dean was a three-star recruit by Scout and Rivals and a four-star by ESPN. He redshirted his first year and received a little time in 2012, highlighted by his sack against Wake Forest. In 2013, he stepped into the starting role (due to the departures of Chris Brathwaite and Justin Renfrow), and did a fantastic job. He was sixth on the team with 49 tackles, including 7.5 for loss. He also added four sacks - tied with Max Valles for second on the team.
It's tough to pay too much attention to guys like Dean every down just because your eyes don't draw to the trenches. However, I never noticed him get terribly beat, and plenty of times I saw him get penetration in the run game and/or pressure the quarterback. His coming out party (like Valles) was against Pitt, in which he recorded 1.5 sacks.
For 2014, I expect similar numbers, although probably more disruption in the backfield. The reason he won't add too many more sacks or tackles for loss is because of his new teammate - Andrew Brown.
Along with safety Quin Blanding, Brown is one of two consensus five-star recruits London pulled in for the 2014 class. At 6-4 and 300 pounds, he already has the ideal size of a college (and even professional) defensive tackle. He is widely considered the best defensive tackle recruit in the nation, and ESPN has him as the No. 5 overall recruit. He was even named the 2013 Gatorade National Player of the Year - as a defensive tackle!
Brown enrolled for the 2014 spring semester so he could participate in spring practice. Unfortunately, he suffered turf-toe in one of the first practices and missed the majority of spring ball. He is still expected to be able to participate in summer training camp.
Now there are two telling signs to point out. The first is that just a few practices in, Brown was already receiving first-team reps. Second, Brown is part of Phil Steele's preseason fourth-team All-ACC. If those two don't show you the potential and expectations for Brown, then I don't know what will. I mean, he practiced two or three times and is listed as the co-starter at defensive tackle. That's incredible!
What a talent we're going to have! Almost a year since his commitment, I'm still gushing about him. While he might not transcend the program like a quarterback or running back could, he could have the same type of impact that Ndamukong Suh had at Nebraska (minus all of Suh's dirty, cheap-shot plays).
I must give another shout-out to Mike London for landing Brown. I am not kidding when I say Brown could have played anywhere in the country. His final three schools were UVa, Virginia Tech, and Alabama. Thankfully for Wahoo Nation, he wanted to stay in-state, loved Mike London, and like Blanding, wanted to help rebuild the UVa program.
I realize that it will take time for his impact to truly be felt, but I think in the neighborhood of five sacks is a realistic expectation. He is very quick, and what scouts love are his hands once the o-lineman tries to engage. I don't know any specifics, but he apparently has great hands at fighting off blocks to avoid ever really engaging with the offensive linemen. He should do just fine replacing Brent Urban, which is saying something. We can only hope he stays in Charlottesville for four years.
Depth Behind Andrew Brown
Defensive tackle is always a position that you want to have a lot bodies to rotate in and out to keep the big boys fresh. This season, it appears we will.
First off the bench behind Brown will be sophomore Donte Wilkins (he is currently listed with Brown as an "or" for the starting position). Wilkins was expecting to see some time during his freshman season, but I think he was a little surprised by how much playing time he actually got. Wilkins started four games in place of the injured Brent Urban. To expect Urban's same impact from Wilkins was unfair for a true freshman, even despite his four-star rating by 247sports (Rivals, Scout, and ESPN all gave him three-stars).
To be honest, I'm not really sure what to make of Wilkins. Like I said, I don't pay much attention to the trenches during a play. Overall, I saw some positives and negatives from Wilkins. The key is whether or not he develops.
I think his best comparison is actually David Dean. Both were ranked similarly by recruiting services, and both seem to be fairly quick for bigger guys. Unlike Dean, however, Wilkins will not hear his name again in the starting lineup for at least two more years (of course, barring injuries).
But Wilkins is the type of player you want as a backup. He has starting experience and the ability to play in both the base and nickel defense. You have to believe that Wilkins will see a decent amount of playing time this season.
Currently behind Wilkins on the depth chart is sophomore Andre Miles-Redmond (we'll call him AMR to save some time). AMR is a very weird case in that he was recruited across the board as a three-star guard (even though he was a bit of a tweener at 260 pounds), but once he arrived on grounds, London somehow decided that his home was on the defensive line ... at defensive tackle.
I'm not going to act like I know London's future succession plans or anything, but I still don't understand this move. We are currently frighteningly bad in terms of offensive line depth, and here I am listing players left and right that can contribute on the defensive line. Who's to say if AMR would have ever taken meaningful snaps at guard, but I can tell you he won't at defensive tackle. I mean, seriously? Why would you put a 260 pound, three-star guard at defensive tackle? He was small on the o-line. Even now at 280 pounds, he's small for a defensive tackle.
I hope for the best, but I fear that this kid's career was ruined by this coaching staff. Don't expect to see him on the field in 2014.
And now, behind AMR is Chris Brathwaite, who sat out the 2013 season due to an academic suspension. It was a shame he had to sit out because he was coming off his best season in 2012. He led UVa with 3.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss. He was a sure-fire thing to start opposite Urban before his suspension. That and Justin Renfrow's transfer pushed Dean into the starting lineup, where as noted, Dean performed admirably.
Unfortunately, it is unfair to expect the same Brathwaite in 2014 that we saw in 2012. He is fourth on the depth chart for a reason - it takes time to adjust back to the game after taking a year off. It's tough for big guys to stay in playing shape, and without a coach or reps at practice, linemen's hand-moves can wither away. In the two practices I saw, he was a shell of his former self. He never was able to penetrate the backfield. Sadly, due to his redshirt season in 2010, he still lost a year of eligibility in 2013 and is now a senior for 2014. Unless something drastic happened between the spring game and now, Brathwaite won't see the field much in 2014.
Depth Behind David Dean
I am sorting out the 'depth' section into to categories because that is how it appears on the depth chart. So according to the depth chart, there is only one backup behind Dean - senior Greg Gallop.
That is why before I get into any details, I want to point out that the defensive tackle spots are basically interchangeable. Players will practice on a certain side, but the principles between the two spots are nearly identical. That means even though Wilkins, AMR, and Brathwaite are listed behind Brown, they could just as easily see time in place of Dean. Hopefully that explains why on the post-spring depth chart, one DT position has four players while the other only has two.
As for Gallop, don't expect him to see the field. He redshirted 2010, but still did not see action in 2011 or 2012. He made his debut last season (as a junior) against VMI. He played in three other games.
Gallop is a walk on. To be honest, it's pretty impressive that he is even staying for a fifth year. He must really love the game, which I commend him for. With an injury or two, it's not inconceivable that he would see time. However, I don't think he'll ever see meaningful snaps.
Now for some reason, Tyrell Chavis (RS Fr.) is not listed on the depth chart, but I would expect Chavis to wind up being the first off the bench for Dean. Chavis is a massive man that is every bit of 6-3 and 290 pounds (which he is listed at). I'm not going to lie, this guy is absolutely huge. Take my word for it.
He spent a year prepping at Fork Union before he came to UVa and then proceeded to redshirt in 2013. To be honest, I really expected Chavis to play and for Wilkins to redshirt, since Chavis had that extra year at Fork Union. However, it ultimately was Chavis who sat, and I don't know if I'll ever complain about a redshirt.
Chavis was a four-star by 247 sports and a three-star by Scout, Rivals, and ESPN. He committed to us, then de-committed after former defensive coordinator Jim Reid was fired. After a valiant pursuit by those demonic fools in Blacksburg, Chavis recommitted to UVa.
I really have nothing to go on here except that his size is important. He likely is our biggest lineman, so he could see action in goal-line situations.
I'll temper my expectations about Chavis cracking the lineup immediately for two reasons. First, he did not stand out during the spring practices. I wasn't looking for him, but I never noticed him during individual or team drills. Second, I find it odd that he's not on the depth chart. I don't know if there are some off-the-field issues here, but it's weird that four year bench-warmer Gallop (sorry, Greg) is on the depth chart and highly touted Chavis is not. Maybe it was just London paying respect to Gallop. But at the same time, this is a football team coming off a two-win season, so the best players should be on the depth chart. I fear something fishy is going on with Chavis.
Conclusion
If you have made it this far in the post, I commend you. You are a true Wahoo. To those who just skipped down to the 'conclusion' part, I guess I still applaud you for reading about another potentially abysmal UVa football team. BUT.... this defensive line could be pretty good.
The reason this post is so long is because of the depth on this unit. I almost split this post up into two separate posts - one for defensive ends and one for defensive tackles. But because they are both coached by Jappy Oliver, I figured I'd just throw them both together.
Anyway, that's the takeaway I want you to get from this post - we have defensive line depth. I am more than comfortable with Eli Harold and Mike Moore as our starting defensive ends, and I even feel comfortable with Trent Corney or Kwontie Moore playing some meaningful snaps. At defensive tackle, David Dean and Andrew Brown should be a dynamic duo. With the depth of Wilkins, Chavis, and Brathwaite among others, we should be solid here as well.
As I hope people learned from championship teams both collegiately and professionally, a strong defensive line can take you a long way. The Seahawks rotated talented guys in and out on the d-line this past season, as did the Giants in their two recent championships. In the SEC, teams have such big, powerful running backs (Trent Richardson, Todd Gurely, etc.) because of the huge, yet still fast, defensive lineman. In short -- a good defensive line can carry a team farther than you might think.
That's why I think the success of the defense hinges on the defensive line. You know what you're going to get from the linebackers -- steady play. The secondary (with it's talent) should account for around 15 interceptions. But this interception number can vary up or down based on the play of the defensive line. If they're creating havoc, then the secondary, and thus defense, will thrive.
We had 28 sacks last year, good for 39th in the nation. While that is somewhat respectable, I expect more from this position unit (let's leave out Valles for now). With more consistency, Harold should improve upon his 8.5 sacks last season. I think Brown will grab a few as well (Urban, despite his great play, only had one sack last season).
While Urban and Snyder's leadership will be missed, I think their production is easily replaceable with this unit. And we will still have depth behind the starters. I wish more guys were redshirted to separate the defensive end class, but I guess that will become a problem in 2016. While London should definitely have that issue in the back of his mind, another losing season this year will end his tenure at Virginia, so it's not his primary concern.
If London is smart, he will put a lot of his faith in the defensive line. And while the talent on offense might ultimately doom his head-coaching career, the defensive line will do their part to keep him around.
Next Week: Special Teams
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