DE Dylan Wynn knows how to find a loose ball.
Last week I looked at the DT situation for the Oregon State football team headed into spring practice. The conclusion was there were bodies, but no standouts.
Also, I pointed out that the DTs in the gap cancelation defense just need to take up as many blockers as possible for the DEs and LBs to do their job and get all the glory.
My conclusion was the DEs must be the DL play-makers in the pass rush and containing the outside run. So, let’s take a look at the DEs.
There are nine returning DEs on the roster. Upperclassman veteran Taylor Henry retired in the middle of the last season and as of now there are no incoming recruits. Coach Mike Riley didn’t make DL a priority this recruiting year.
Scott Crichton (6-3, 258): He has a breakthrough season as a freshman all-American with 74 tackles, 14.5 tackles-for-loss, six sacks and six forced fumbles. He’ll be a standout for the next three years.
Dylan Wynn (6-2, 240): Took over as the other starter by midseason. He had a 44 tackles, 5.5 tackles-for-loss and five fumble recoveries. He’s a high motor guy who never gives up. He could be another defensive anchor for three more years.
They are a good place to start for the Beavers. Both of them should be much better next season due to experience, and Wynn in particular with intense offseason weightlifting. Let’s look at the depth and who can be pass-rush specialists.
Desmond Collins (6-2, 254): Redshirted last year. I don’t know much about him, yet, but Rivals.com rated him a three-star athlete. He’s a guy of the future.
Rusty Fernando (6-3, 232): Played some as a pass-rush specialist due to smaller size and speed. DL coach Joe Seumalo had a great line about him when he first saw Fernando on campus: “Get that kid a sandwich,” to get some weight on him.
Rudolf Fifita (6-3, 263): A JC guy who arrived last season. He was a solid guy off the bench with eight tackles in 11 games. He should play a similar role next season.
Akeem Gonzalez (6-3, 233): Redshirted last season. Riley and defensive coordinator Mark Banker had a friendly discussion over what side of the ball to play this three-star athlete. Banker found him, so he kept him. He’s a player of the future, and could be a pass-rush specialist, too.
Blake Harrah (6-1, 245): A JC guy who came in last season, but hurt his knee during training camp. He redshirted to recover from surgery. He was looked at as a potential starter in spring practice. So, if he can get his speed back, Harrah could work his way into the rotation in place of Henry.
Devon Kell (6-4, 251): The walk-on had three years in the program to develop. He could be a pass-rush specialist, but has been bulking up. He’s good for depth at the moment.
Mana Rosa (6-3, 268): Another guy with three years of development. He has battled injuries in his career. Until he can stay healthy and show what he can do, he’s a good depth guy.
Rusty Fernando and Blake Harrah could make a difference at DE next season.
So, the Beavers have two returning starters, two JC guys who had some playing time, a JC guy who redshirted ready to go, two redshirts we haven’t seen and two others who have been around a while and are looking for their break.
The position appears to have play-makers for the coming season and guys ready to step in if there are injuries or general attrition. That’s why Riley didn’t make this position a priority, but would pick up players if the right guy came along.
All these guys must make a difference. Looking back, when OSU’s defense played well it had standout DEs named Bill Swancutt, Jeff Van Orsow, Dorian Smith, Victor Butler and Slade Norris.
They all had speed, a nose for the ball and hit hard. And all of them played in pros at some level. Most of them had NFL looks.
21 comments
angry says:
Dec 27, 2011
No legit/D1 DTs on this roster, and Riley said it’s not a priority. Gonna be a long year…
Beavrob says:
Dec 27, 2011
This is a good group of DEs. Just think of how much havoc they could wreak if accompanied by dependable DTs. Solid DT play will be the glue that holds the rest of this defense together. Beating that drum again, but Beavs need immediate help (read “JC recruit”) at this position. It will be interesting to see who they land.
73GradMike says:
Dec 27, 2011
Regular visitors to this column have read my issues with Banker’s defense with DEs. Ever since Jeff Van Orsow, few if any ends have ever shut down the run around their corner. I have been told that the OSU scheme is to have DEs rush the passer and have the LBs cover the corner. This has been one of the three biggest problems on D for OSU.
With a 99.99% chance that Banker will not change his defensive scheme, we’re likely to be in trouble versus the run again around the ends. Wouldn’t it be nice to see a DE cover the end run as well as effectively rushing the passer?
That being said (yeah, written), Crichton and Wynn are wonderful in the current D scheme. I also saw Fernando and Fafita make some nice plays this past season.
The DE athletes are not the problem. Once again the problem is Banker’s defensive scheme (and probably his recruiting of DTs). Of course NFL quality LBs would disguise DL weaknesses.
Could there possibly be a grain of truth in so many fans faulting the D scheme and the poor recruiting of DTs at OSU?
midwest beav fan says:
Dec 28, 2011
In addition to poor play at DT, our linebackers have been average at best. When the Hawaiian MLB left the program a couple years ago, that hurt. I’m disappointed with the play of our LB’s, specifically our outside LB’s. I know many of them are young and will improve. I thought Akuna would make an immediate impact.
While I agree our play at DT has been woeful, with seven or eight DT’s on scholarship, how many more scholarships can you give to DT’s?
On another note, it would be interesting to see where Boise State and TCU’s recruiting classes were ranked the last five years compared to OSU. If they are close to the Beavs’, I think that is an indictment on the coaching staff and the schemes that they are running.
bbb says:
Dec 28, 2011
i think the LB’s were better than the year before but due to injuiries and poor interior line play we didnt get to see much of it. if we run more 3-4 next year the lbs will show up a bunch.
Chris says:
Dec 28, 2011
When can we expect a 2012 schedule?
bbb says:
Dec 28, 2011
late january. that’s when osu puts its collective hand out.
BeaverDon says:
Dec 28, 2011
If you are meaning specifics, bbb is correct. Basically the Beavers reverse this years schedule.The teams they played at home in 2011 the play on the road in 2012 and visa versa. And the Beavers have Nicholls State instead of Sacromento State.
bbb says:
Dec 28, 2011
well i think the people above kind of said it all. they would be even better with interior help.
RenoNVbeavr says:
Dec 28, 2011
73GRAD – Good call regarding Van Orwsow being the last true run-stuffing DE.
Cliff: Question: This is probably ludicrous for me to even suggest but have the Beavs ever considered a 3-4 defense? Barring that he can stay healthy, Masiani would be an incredible NT in this defense and Crighton would make an excellent 3-4 DE. Move Wynn to OLB or if he bulks up a bit then the Weakside DE. They have speed at the LB (Welch, Doctor, Unga) position. Even if Masiani cant play FT at the NT position, the Beavs could arguably do some hybrid packages with a 4-3 unit as an alternative. I understand that Banker probably has absolutely no clue to how to manage a 3-4 D but thought I would ask all the same.
Cliff Kirkpatrick says:
Dec 28, 2011
Riley’s philosophy is if you run a certain package, you better have a good backup to fill in if the starter is hurt.
Is there a back NT for Masaniai? I don’t think there is a legit one at the moment.
RenoNVbeavr says:
Dec 28, 2011
All the more reason for Banker to step out of his perennial, unimaginitive cubicle and experience with defensive schemes that fit his personnel, not what he stubbornly insists will “succeed” despite the lack of talent level. Masiani occupies blockers, based on his lack of productivity (and health) in making tackles or putting pressure on the QB. I recall Vic Fangio utilizing space-eating DL in similiar capacity when he was DC at Stanford with success.
bbb says:
Dec 28, 2011
cliff-
in the 4-3 we need another legit starter and 2 back ups. so the 3-4 would actually be the lesser problem for depth. id start criton, castro, wynn up front. welch, robinson, unga, doctor at lb. that is our best 7 players for that line up. then you have fernado, semeulo, and harrah backing up the line. wilson, cowdin, jabrawl as movable back ups for the line backers. that is a total of 13 players to run in and out all game long. there are others that could get in the mix as well.
howard chrastil says:
Dec 28, 2011
lm not worry about the defense,it the running game is bad,and the line too.,the offfense is not good at all,but they were young group,so next season the beavers sure win 8 or 9 games with everyone coming back.l guess we will see.
OSU4Life says:
Dec 28, 2011
I don’t care how many NFL quality DT’s or DE’s a team has, if the defense is on the field most of the game, they won’t be very productive. OSU must have an offense that can score at will, and score often for the defense to improve! An offense that scores Touchdowns, not field goals. An offense that is out for blood, not for moral victories. For OSU to become Champions, they must first establish the attitude of Champions! The mindset must change, both defensively and offensively.
bbb says:
Dec 28, 2011
osu4life-
if you have a great front 7 you wont be on the field most of the game because the other team will be a one dimensional passing team. even if they move it some through the air you can still win the time of possesion battle and they tend to struggle in the red zone. see our offense last year.
OSU4Life says:
Dec 28, 2011
My philosophy is that a high scoring offense is a great defense, especially in the high scoring Pac-12. Also, It is much easier to recruit a bunch of athletic, quick & fast guys, than it is to recruit big, quick & fast, athletic 6 ft+, 300 lbs+ Defensive lineman. Obviously both Nikegon and Boise State are finding success using this method even if they use different schemes, the result is the same. I think OSU would be more successful if they implemented the Boise State playbook into their scheme! BSU QB’s rarely hold onto the ball longer than 3 seconds, they are balanced, they are creative, innovative, and they light up the scoreboard!
bbb says:
Dec 29, 2011
to get to a bcs bowl(which is the goal right?) you need both.
OSU4Life says:
Dec 29, 2011
That’s the truth. I hope a BCS Bowl is the goal for OSU, and not just the fans!
RenoNVbeavr says:
Dec 28, 2011
OSU4LIFE – Is it any wonder that teams like BSU or UO go full throttle for 60 minutes, regardless of the score on the scoreboard? They may have just that exact mindset you noted: Score so many points that this forces opposing offenses to abandon the running game and pass the majority of the time. Doubly so, scoring in a myriad of ways and doing so at a breakneck speed. Kelly and Petersen dont even seem to need a stout defense when you have an offense scoring 40+ pts per game, though BSU somehow, someway seems to continually be above average on D overall. Yes, going 3 n outs (or turning the ball over) like the Beavs seemed to do at an agonizing frequency this year will do nothing but kill our undermanned D. The mind-numbing lack of innovation on this offense is incredible. I have noted often that I was able to call out 3/4 of the Beavs offensive plays throughout much of this year and I have NEVER played a down of organized FB. Unacceptable!
dunerat says:
Dec 28, 2011
The Beavs. need to get away from Recruiting heavy in a group one year then go away from that group for 3 years. They need to spread out positions evenly each year. They can only bring in 1or 2 good Recruits in each position each year anyway, anyone else is just a gamble.