Will college teams be able to find enough defenders

[hogsanity]

With the onslaught of the spread in HS football, and anyone with any speed at all being placed at WR if they have 2 working hands, will colleges be able to find enough quality db's to effectively defend the spread?  With all the shotgun and quick throws to the sidelines, pass rushes are being neutralized. The officials unwillingness to call ineligible players downfield is a factor as well. But the main thing is that when teams are running 4 or 5 wide, it is almost impossible to not have someone open for a slant or quick out, and with teams all spread out, a QB with any size can run up the middle for 3-5 yards on just about any play.

[DiamondHogFan]

A lot of HS players play WR and DB.  A lot of recruited WRs are moved to DB and vice versa.

We may not see many true freshman star DBs but those kids are athletic and can be taught pass coverage.

[Hoggish1]

With the onslaught of the spread in HS football, and anyone with any speed at all being placed at WR if they have 2 working hands, will colleges be able to find enough quality db's to effectively defend the spread?  With all the shotgun and quick throws to the sidelines, pass rushes are being neutralized. The officials unwillingness to call ineligible players downfield is a factor as well. But the main thing is that when teams are running 4 or 5 wide, it is almost impossible to not have someone open for a slant or quick out, and with teams all spread out, a QB with any size can run up the middle for 3-5 yards on just about any play.

This is the problem.  Conference officials need to fix this.

[bphi11ips]

Good question.  May be increasing opportunities for coverage guys.

[Aporkalypse Now]

There are plenty of skilled players to go around. The key is you MUST have a coach who recognizes that one side of the ball can't get all the speed/height/athleticism at the expense of the other.

I'll bring up one player in particular from a former coach to illustrate this.

Joe Adams. As exciting as some of the plays he made were, that kid should have been playing defense for us. Now I know, Petrino promised him whatever he had to promise him to get him to choose us over USC, but when a coach like Pete Carroll tells you a player is a future NFL all pro defensive player if he works at it, and then you put him on offense, that's a questionable decision, at best.

Playing offense may be the "sexy" choice, but luckily not every skilled, talented player sees it that way, nor do all coaches. I believe we have a head coach who will distribute the talent evenly.

[hogsanity]

There are plenty of skilled players to go around. The key is you MUST have a coach who recognizes that one side of the ball can't get all the speed/height/athleticism at the expense of the other.

I'll bring up one player in particular from a former coach to illustrate this.

Joe Adams. As exciting as some of the plays he made were, that kid should have been playing defense for us. Now I know, Petrino promised him whatever he had to promise him to get him to choose us over USC, but when a coach like Pete Carroll tells you a player is a future NFL all pro defensive player if he works at it, and then you put him on offense, that's a questionable decision, at best.

Playing offense may be the "sexy" choice, but luckily not every skilled, talented player sees it that way, nor do all coaches. I believe we have a head coach who will distribute the talent evenly.

The problem is, most of these kids play offense in HS, get accustomed to the accolades, see the guys on St and Sunday that get the publicity are mainly offensive guys, and that is what they want to do. Kind of like every 10 year old wants to be the Qb.


And, coaches get paid to win games, so they are going to put the guys out there to score points to win, be that HS or college.

[urkillnmesmalls]

There are plenty of skilled players to go around. The key is you MUST have a coach who recognizes that one side of the ball can't get all the speed/height/athleticism at the expense of the other.

I'll bring up one player in particular from a former coach to illustrate this.

Joe Adams. As exciting as some of the plays he made were, that kid should have been playing defense for us. Now I know, Petrino promised him whatever he had to promise him to get him to choose us over USC, but when a coach like Pete Carroll tells you a player is a future NFL all pro defensive player if he works at it, and then you put him on offense, that's a questionable decision, at best.

Playing offense may be the "sexy" choice, but luckily not every skilled, talented player sees it that way, nor do all coaches. I believe we have a head coach who will distribute the talent evenly.

Maybe Pete just saw his hands in high school??      (This won't be a popular post). 

[Aporkalypse Now]

Maybe Pete just saw his hands in high school??      (This won't be a popular post).

I may be wrong, but I believe it was confirmed that Pete did tell Joe he would make him an All Pro defensive back if he came to USC and if that's true, then he wasn't very smart to come to Arkansas to be a WR.

How's that for an unpopular post? LOL

[S.A.D.C]

I couldn't find updated stats for this year but look at the numbers below which confirm what we all know- the game is more offensive than ever before.  What it means to be a "good" defense has fundamentally changed.  Between the rules changes (all favoring offense) and players migrating towards offensive skilled positions it looks like the answer to the question at the OP is no.  That is why one or two game changing defensive players are more important than ever. 


Year   Points   Plays  Total yards   Yards per carry   Completion percentage
2013   29.6      71.8   412.6              4.47                 59.8
2003   26.9      71.0   382.6              4.01                 56.8
1993   24.4      70.5   371.2              3.98                 55.1
1983   22.1      71.6   352.3              3.80                 53.6
1973   21.0      70.5   323.6              3.85                 47.2
1963   15.8      61.7   265.3              3.63                 46.1
1953   17.1      60.3   268.2              3.92                 42.8

[hogsanity]

I may be wrong, but I believe it was confirmed that Pete did tell Joe he would make him an All Pro defensive back if he came to USC and if that's true, then he wasn't very smart to come to Arkansas to be a WR.

How's that for an unpopular post? LOL

I am not going to knock a kid for wanting to play a certain position, but decisions have consequences. Tebow could have been a 10 year NFL player if he had been willing to move to TE/H back, but he wanted to be a qb so now he is a sec analyst. Adams may very well have been  nfl type db, but he wanted to play offense and his nfl career was very very short.

I will say, when a guy like PC says something like that, you might want to listen.

[Aporkalypse Now]

I am not going to knock a kid for wanting to play a certain position, but decisions have consequences. Tebow could have been a 10 year NFL player if he had been willing to move to TE/H back, but he wanted to be a qb so now he is a sec analyst. Adams may very well have been  nfl type db, but he wanted to play offense and his nfl career was very very short.

I will say, when a guy like PC says something like that, you might want to listen.

Absolutely agree, said the same about Tebow, he had the luxury of saying no the NFL when it came to switching positions.

Obviously Joe had the same option because either Petrino wanted him on offense, or he just wanted him so badly that he didn't care where he played as long as he played , as opposed to Pete who had the luxury of telling a 5 star athlete he would play where he was told if he wanted to play for him.

I don't blame JA for wanting to play offense, I just think it was a dumb decision, and a cautionary tale for other kids who coaches are telling them that their skills are more suited to defense.  I mean let's face it , Joe was plenty fast enough to play WR, but too short, and suspect hands. IOW a perfect DB, a total burner who was athletic but so so hands and no height.

[GoHogs1091]

Yes, but the list of college teams who can is quickly dwindling to a short list.

Alabama
Clemson   As long as Venables remains there.  If he were to leave Clemson in the future, then a chance that they won't.
Florida State
LSU
Southern California
Florida
Georgia
Ohio State

That is basically the rather short list.

[Hogarusa]

I've been told the the spread is a gimmick and you cant win anything of importance in this high school offense.

So it shouldnt be an issue

[Aporkalypse Now]

I've been told the the spread is a gimmick and you cant win anything of importance in this high school offense.

So it shouldnt be an issue

LULZ that isn't exactly what was said.

BUT, it is in fact a gimmick, one that teams with really good defenses can beat.

I mean unless you have a Cam Newton type QB. Every team has one of those don't they?

[lasthog]

Absolutely agree, said the same about Tebow, he had the luxury of saying no the NFL when it came to switching positions.

Obviously Joe had the same option because either Petrino wanted him on offense, or he just wanted him so badly that he didn't care where he played as long as he played , as opposed to Pete who had the luxury of telling a 5 star athlete he would play where he was told if he wanted to play for him.

I don't blame JA for wanting to play offense, I just think it was a dumb decision, and a cautionary tale for other kids who coaches are telling them that their skills are more suited to defense.  I mean let's face it , Joe was plenty fast enough to play WR, but too short, and suspect hands. IOW a perfect DB, a total burner who was athletic but so so hands and no height.
[/quote

[elksnort]

This is a good thread for sure.

I was talking with a friend about this the other day. It must be harder and harder to find really good defensive talent these days from the high school ranks.

Football can by cyclical though.

[Aporkalypse Now]

This is a good thread for sure.

I was talking with a friend about this the other day. It must be harder and harder to find really good defensive talent these days from the high school ranks.

Football can by cyclical though.

It's not that's it's becoming harder and harder to find, it's that these kids have SO many more options about where to go to school now. Used to be about 20 schools you could go to if you wanted to be on TV every week, or wanted a shot at the NFL, but today with the plethora of tv channels and the internet, that is no longer the case. So same amount of talent, spread out among hundreds of schools, rather than 30 schools.

Obviously for the most part the elite talent are still going to the elite schools, but the next level, they are being distributed across more schools than ever before.

[Hogarusa]

Football rules are for the offense.  Networks want high scoring games like 51-50.  Its real difficult to be a great DB when you arent allowed to really touch the QB or WR

[elksnort]

It's not that's it's becoming harder and harder to find, it's that these kids have SO many more options about where to go to school now. Used to be about 20 schools you could go to if you wanted to be on TV every week, or wanted a shot at the NFL, but today with the plethora of tv channels and the internet, that is no longer the case. So same amount of talent, spread out among hundreds of schools, rather than 30 schools.

Obviously for the most part the elite talent are still going to the elite schools, but the next level, they are being distributed across more schools than ever before.

Very good point.

Football rules are for the offense.  Networks want high scoring games like 51-50.  Its real difficult to be a great DB when you arent allowed to really touch the QB or WR

Another very good point. It's catering to the less sophisticated audience (those who don't appreciate defense).

[Aporkalypse Now]

Very good point.Another very good point. It's catering to the less sophisticated audience (those who don't appreciate defense).

I wouldn't call them less sophisticated. It's just a different crowd. That's why baseball is losing viewers. People want to see fast paced scoring. No one has time for the old fashioned pitching duels anymore. Very few want to watch a team slug it's way to a 7-3 victory. Boring.

Maybe we're the weirdos, those of who like old fashioned smash mouth football.

[scruf]

Yes, but the list of college teams who can is quickly dwindling to a short list.

Alabama
Clemson   As long as Venables remains there.  If he were to leave Clemson in the future, then a chance that they won't.
Florida State
LSU
Southern California
Florida
Georgia
Ohio State

That is basically the rather short list.

You forgot UCA