X's and O's chatter: Defensive Line

[fatty fat fat]

I really, it will be pretty good. I was reading athlon's (@dillons east btw) and specifically, the "big 12 coach scout report" feature on KSU. He said our defensive line was pretty good.  (I'm guessing this was before cline went out) he also said our defense was "the most relentless they faced" 

So, let's think about it.

DE - CAMPBELL (c'mon ian, plz be very good this year)
DE - Abana (myspace picture)
DT - Calvin (dad posting @ gpc.com, hopefully good sign)
DT - Balcomn (well, I don't know)

Any thoughts? Anyone else you see cracking into the mix?

[Legore]

I really, it will be pretty good. I was reading athlon's (@dillons east btw) and specifically, the "big 12 coach scout report" feature on KSU. He said our defensive line was pretty good.  (I'm guessing this was before cline went out) he also said our defense was "the most relentless they faced" 

So, let's think about it.

DE - CAMPBELL (c'mon ian, plz be very good this year)
DE - Abana (myspace picture)
DT - Calvin (dad posting @ gpc.com, hopefully good sign)
DT - Balcomn (well, I don't know)

Any thoughts? Anyone else you see cracking into the mix?

I think we'll be mostly in the 3-4 and Xavier Stewart will be in the mix at NG with Calvin and Balkcom.  Someone will have to step up and provde depth at DE.  Not sure who it will be Guidry, Kirk, Felder, Hardold, someone on GPC was pumping up Jack Hayes but I don't know about any of those guys.  At least we'll have some bodies there to work with. 

When you step back and look at things we're actually building some depth and size in the trenches.  The DL could be very good in 09 if things come together with Calvin and Stewart in the middle and the Fitzgerald kid from UVA is as legit as they say.  I'm not a huge fan of everything Prince has done but he's done a pretty good job of building back some depth and size in the interior.  It was pretty much crap on both sides when he took over. 

[Pett]

I'm justing praying that Gillespie makes it.

[yosh]

I really, it will be pretty good. I was reading athlon's (@dillons east btw) and specifically, the "big 12 coach scout report" feature on KSU. He said our defensive line was pretty good.  (I'm guessing this was before cline went out) he also said our defense was "the most relentless they faced" 

So, let's think about it.

DE - CAMPBELL (c'mon ian, plz be very good this year)
DE - Abana (myspace picture)
DT - Calvin (dad posting @ gpc.com, hopefully good sign)
DT - Balcomn (well, I don't know)

Any thoughts? Anyone else you see cracking into the mix?

As DT goes (and to a lesser extent ILB), so goes the defense.  I hope Calvin is the next Fatafehi.  I heard some good things about Balcom, but you never know what to believe from practice stories.  The DEs and OLBs will be very good, as long as the inside guys can be decent as a whole.  Childs may also see some time at DE again, but this is just speculation since we look to be really deep at OLB and a little thin at DE.

[Lamesauce]

A couple other names along the DL that haven't been mentioned in this thread are Gabe Crews and John Finau. Finau is a JC transfer that I really don't know too much about. Crews got some pt last year, and he certainly has some size down there, but I think he may have played last year out of necessity, he was one of few healthy DL's down the stretch....it should be an interesting season to say the least in terms of our DL...huge unknown IMO.

[ksuno1stunner]

dillons east

 

[fatty fat fat]

dillons east

 

Your contribution is greatly appreciated.

NOT.

[Poopley]

I asked about interior defense. Here's what was said.

Crews is marshmallow soft. He plays with no motor. He has no mental intensity. He doesn't work his butt off in the weightroom. So look for him to do absolutely nothing.

Xzavier could be a beast. He's lazy.  He could do something, but he'll have to decide he wants to play as well as he talks. Give him credit, though -- he knows how to say the right things. Now it's a matter of doing them.

Balkcom -- he's like Rudy, only he plays DL. Great character kid. You love to have these guys on your team, you might even start them, but you want guys like Xzavier to come in on the second series of the game and play most of the snaps.

Calvin -- they have big hopes for him. Hadn't heard what kind of shape he arrived in. Hopefully he isn't another Abana since we need him to be good in his first year.

For ILB, I was told that Sekona is the closest thing we have to a consistent playmaker. Everyone else is just kind of meh. Pomele gets out of position all the time -- brought in a bunch of bad juco habits, but this guy had some hopes for him.

[steve dave]

Tib's told me (and apparently the wall to the right of me) that Balkcom was really, really good somehow to which I said, "LOFL".  He said, "No, srsly".  I still don't believe it. 

[ksu4tc]

If I remember correctly, Balcolm's name kept popping up during all the Spring drills.

I sure as heck hope he added 25 lbs to his frame b/c he was HORRIBLE last year playing at the weight he was. I know, I know... we didn't have anyone else to play when Cline went down, but seriously, watch some film from last year's games. #92 was pushed ALL AROUND.

Perhaps #92 @ DE with Calvin and X-Man in the middle (with Campbell on the other end)?

[McGrowlTowelZac]

I have almost forgot what a good d-line looks like, it feels like its been too long.

[yosh]

I asked about interior defense. Here's what was said.

Crews : sucks

Xzavier : sucks

Balkcom : sucks

Calvin : 

For ILB, I was told that Sekona is decent; everyone else sucks.

Jesus that was a depressing report.

[catzacker]

NT - Calvin/Crews/Finau
DE - Abana/Ian
DE - X/Balcom/Harold


I like X at the DE spot in a 3-4.  That line up has the potential to be good, but given the track record, it gets a 'meh' for right now.  IMO, the LB's, as a unit, will suck this year, but the DL's level of suckiness will determine how much.   

[McGrowlTowelZac]

NT - Calvin/Crews/Finau
DE - Abana/Ian
DE - X/Balcom/Harold


I like X at the DE spot in a 3-4.  That line up has the potential to be good, but given the track record, it gets a 'meh' for right now.  IMO, the LB's, as a unit, will suck this year, but the DL's level of suckiness will determine how much.   

I think you're right with that.  I do think they have potential, but at the moment. 

[Hercules Antigua]

he also said our defense was "the most relentless they faced" 

You know that part is from Mack Brown

[ksuno1stunner]

dillons east

 

Your contribution is greatly appreciated.

NOT.

DT:
crews - he looks scary, but lazy
balkcom -
kendall - 3rd string center
x -  missouri game (right?)
boyd - will be a good placement for miami
gillespie - i bet he can't wait to get to osu when he gets out of juco
calvin - 

DE:
childs - ripped!
abana - agreed.  facebook pic   everything else
faustin - is he really still here?
guidry - huge!  will probably be like crews though imo.
kirk - ....kidding!
campbell - meh

Thoughts on 3-4 D:
good thing we get to use only one dt.  unfortunately we still have to use two dt.

[KSUIntegrity22]

I think our D-Line has potential. I'm typically against the 3-4 but if we can have someone step up in the interior, I wouldn't mind it. It would also make the 3-4 better if we'd wrap up

[steve dave]

kirk - ....kidding!

Best part imo 

[cas]

I think Calvin is going to be really good. No specific reason, just a good feeling.

[KSU4ME]

Every DL we have can be blocked 1:1, except maybe Campbell.

[KSUIntegrity22]

Every DL we have can be blocked 1:1, except maybe Campbell.

Uhh... except Childs... ... ...

Don't even need to put a man on him.

[KSU4ME]

Uhh... except Childs... ... ...

Don't even need to put a man on him.

McCardle.  He could block Childs.

[KSUIntegrity22]

McCardle would look like an all-pro blocking Childs.

[Bennettisgod]

I'm justing praying that Gillespie makes it.

It looks like he'll be playing for your archrival in a couple years:

Tony Gillespie won’t be a Wildcat after all.

After Saturday night’s Oil Bowl, the former Jenks defensive lineman confirmed he would not be playing football at Kansas State.

Instead, Gillespie will go to junior college for a semester before a planned transfer to USC.

“I just didn’t want to say anything about it earlier because I didn’t want Kansas State to look bad,” Gillespie said. “But I am going to USC.”

Gillespie will serve a “greyshirt” year split between the College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, Calif., and USC.

http://kansas.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=490&tid=115138993&mid=115138993&sid=897&style=2

[Bullfn33]

The D-line is definitely the X-factor this year.  If they suck like last year, we'll win 4-5 games, if mediocre we'll win 6-7, if damn good we'll win 8-9.

[ksuno1stunner]

 

I'm justing praying that Gillespie makes it.

It looks like he'll be playing for your archrival in a couple years:

Tony Gillespie won’t be a Wildcat after all.

After Saturday night’s Oil Bowl, the former Jenks defensive lineman confirmed he would not be playing football at Kansas State.

Instead, Gillespie will go to junior college for a semester before a planned transfer to USC.

“I just didn’t want to say anything about it earlier because I didn’t want Kansas State to look bad,” Gillespie said. “But I am going to USC.”

Gillespie will serve a “greyshirt” year split between the College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, Calif., and USC.

http://kansas.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=490&tid=115138993&mid=115138993&sid=897&style=2

gillespie - i bet he can't wait to get to osu when he gets out of juco

[ksu98]

anybody whos played ncaa football knows childs is a god

[opcat]

I asked about interior defense. Here's what was said.

Crews is marshmallow soft. He plays with no motor. He has no mental intensity. He doesn't work his butt off in the weightroom. So look for him to do absolutely nothing.

Xzavier could be a beast. He's lazy.  He could do something, but he'll have to decide he wants to play as well as he talks. Give him credit, though -- he knows how to say the right things. Now it's a matter of doing them.

Balkcom -- he's like Rudy, only he plays DL. Great character kid. You love to have these guys on your team, you might even start them, but you want guys like Xzavier to come in on the second series of the game and play most of the snaps.

Calvin -- they have big hopes for him. Hadn't heard what kind of shape he arrived in. Hopefully he isn't another Abana since we need him to be good in his first year.

For ILB, I was told that Sekona is the closest thing we have to a consistent playmaker. Everyone else is just kind of meh. Pomele gets out of position all the time -- brought in a bunch of bad juco habits, but this guy had some hopes for him.

Calvin is no Abana.    There were enough eyeballs on the guy to make it on the juco top list.