Theres a article of IrishEyes front page where he says that he prefers to play defense. He hasnt really heard anything from the coaches on which position he'll play, but he'd prefer to play D-line. With Nuss and Nwankwo on the D-line, we arent in that bad of shape after all. We'll need more top flight talent in the trenches, but these two plus Ian Williams is a big help.

 

http://notredame.scout.com/2/610827.html

It's nice to see kids like Nwankwo and Nuss are team players and are willing to do what CW wants them to do.

 

It's ashame guys like Austin, Jones, and Blackwell all went elsewhere.

He sounds like a great kid. I'm excited about him. And he sure seems excited about ND.

 

If he does play DT, he could be good although he has limited experience (Nuss played more in HS than he did). But one of his strengths as an OL, according to his HS coach, is getting to the second level to block. That speed and athleticism bodes well for his potential at DT. I could see him and Ian Williams at DT, playing well for us, in a few years, if we stay in a 4-3.

I told you guys before christmas that he was recruited to play DT. My friend is team chiro for his HS team. He says that Nwankwo is like Godzilla in football pads! I guess that would make Wright, Mothra?

I told you guys before christmas that he was recruited to play DT. My friend is team chiro for his HS team. He says that Nwankwo is like Godzilla in football pads! I guess that would make Wright, Mothra?

 

 

So Nuss and Nwankwo are playing DT. That's interesting (and good news), but as usual I have some questions. First among them are the size issues. Most DTs (and OG/Cs for that matter) max out around 6'3. Anyone who's played on the defensive line knows how important leverage and staying low is. If you're much taller it's difficult to maintain a low center of gravity and balance/control.

 

Based on the look of the recent recruits Charlie actually seems to be going in the opposite direction. Mullen, Nuss, Nwankwo, and even Leitko last year are all 6'5 or better. So my question is does anyone know why we're going after these bigger type of defensive tackles. Bigger guys are better at pass rush, as they can create more of an upfield rush and are better at engaging at the line scrimmage and getting their hands up and knocking down passes in the alleys. Not a bad strategy with how bad our secondary has looked at times.

 

My concern is more related to run stopping. Taller guys are at a disadvantage against a solid running game. They can't hunker down as well and fill up holes. The top run stuffing DTs are usually no bigger than 6'2. Taller DTs are easier to block because there is just more of them to block. This concern is exaserbated by our still not having good enough linebackers to stop the run. I know some of this year's top flite recruits are above 6'5 (Jones, Blackwell, Barksdale are all tall), but in general that's uncommon.

You rtaise some good points blue and I have no answers unless Weis has a plan. It is a bove to big 6 5 and 300 pounders.

I think it will all depend on skill and technique. If Jappy gets these guys ready to play, then I would much rather have Nuss lining up at DT around 6'5" and maybe 300lbs by the time he gets on campus. Also, when a 6'4" or 6'5" guy puts his hands up its hard to throw over him.

blue....i understand your thought...and im not sure about the others, but Mullen is definitely not 6"5. When i met him in September i can honestly say it was 6"3 or 6"3.5 max. I agree with your reasoning though, you have to get low to be a DT.

They just have to get low. I don't think its a big deal at all. Sam Young is a great lineman and he doesn't have a hard time run blocking because he is 6'7" or 6'8"

 

If you have taller DTs, they tend not to be as bulky and might be more athletic than a player the same weight but 3 or 4 inches shorter.

Here is an free article by Mike Frank that was written in December:

http://story.scout.com/a.z?s=109&p=2&c=602213

 

Two things that stand out for me are his coach describing his versatility and Emeka has "feet like a basketball player."

 

That quickness off the line and footwork around offensive lineman may counter act having a higher center of gravity - besides I think a lot of that can be corrected by coaching. He puts on 20 to 30 more pounds and he will be an absolute terror up the middle.

Indy,

I was talking about interior linemen. Offensive tackles and defensive ends tend to be taller. Again, I don't care how athletic a guy on the middle is, he needs to be strong, quick, and able to stand his ground. The fact is it's easier to push around a taller target.

 

We're talking more and more about switching to a 3-4 defense, but I frankly don't think we have the personnel right now to do it. The requisite is a shorter, stronger, space eater in the middle. Right now we apparently have a few pass rush defensive tackles, but nobody to stop the run.

 

I'm not saying having taller defensive tackles is a bad idea, but I'm not sure how great of an idea it is with out current personnel around the field.

Blue - you have good points on the DT angle. I think 6'3" is an ideal size, and in fact one of the best that ever played here and has had a LONG and productive NFL career is Bryant Young, who is 6'3".

 

Many times with guys who are 6'0" or 6'1" and 290-300 pounds, while they get good leverage as you mentioned, they often have very short arms and have trouble wrapping up. Zorich did this a lot at ND. He was strong enough where he could pop people and bring them down, but out in space he often had trouble wrapping up because though his arms were the size of Popeye's, they were pretty short.

 

But we've also had good ones who were taller - Jeff Alm was a monster at a legit 6'7" and 290

great points D Fence. For me, I could care less about 'measureables' of a DT. Give me a guy with a ton of heart and determination, and a never dying relentlessness and he will make more than his fair share of plays. We should know this after watching Derek Landri for 4 years. As for the size of a DT in a 3-4 or 4-3 base defense.....again, it depends but it isn't vital. Generally, its believed that you need a huge, thick DT that will take up blockers in a 3-4....well thats fine but you are going to sacrifice some pass rushing as a result. Nuss and Nwanko are both young, powerful guys that are only going to get better and they are willing to do whats best for the team. I'd rather have guys like that who may be lacking a tad in the 'measureable' category but aren't primadonnas like Barksdale and Austin.

Sort of a "devil's advocate" question here....should we be worried that we are entrusting two guys who are not D-line specialists (having played both Dline and Oline) to our front lines? I feel a lot more comfortable with a pure DL like a Trattau (if he stays)

Almost every top player plays both ways.... Recruiting services just project him to a certain position. remember Barksdale was projected on OL by some services. Go back to the when Nuss was offered, he was told he would get a chance to play both sides of the ball. I'm really not all that concerned.