Brown, Davis, Jerrod-Eddie Key To Defensive Resurgence

I am a proponent of the 2-Tackle theory in defensive football; that is, if you have two absolute studs at the defensive tackle positions, you can dominate a football game defensively. The reason for this is simple: With the current move to zone-blocking schemes in college football, the technique is to go for a temporary double-team of the defensive lineman at the point of attack, and for one blocker to then move on to the next level, and block the linebacker. With a stud defensive tackle, a difference-maker, you have to substain the double-team block, because to peal off and go to the next level means the play will end right there, because you don't have a single offensive lineman who can handle this stud one-on-one. If you have two stud defensive tackles, you have taken up four of the five available offensive linemen, leaving one man available to block two defensive ends in an even front (think 4-3 defense) or even three men in an odd front (3-4 defense). Given that a play will be run to one side of the line or the other, the guard-tackle combo on one side will help double-team the defensive tackle to that side, and with the center-guard double-teaming the interior tackle on the inside, this leaves the defensive end or OLB free to shut down plays to his side.

If you can dominate the line of scrimmage in football, you can dominate the game; hence, two stud defensive tackles allow you to dominate a game on defense. Many Aggies will remember when we had Rocky Bernard and Ty Warren on the defensive line in 2001; Warren rotated at NG and DE, while Bernard was a DE in our 3-4 scheme. Those two studs helped us dominate opponents on defense, on what I feel was the last true Wrecking Crew defense A&M fielded. Both Warren and Bernard are now still playing in the NFL.

Looking at the Aggie defensive line as we head into the 2009 season, Tony Jerod-Eddie, Eddie Brown, and Rod Davis are the main focus of our attention. Eddie Brown played in all 12 games last season, starting the last two against Baylor and texas. He had a solid year for a true freshman, with 25 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 pass defended. With a year in the weight room, I expect Brown to get stronger, although he really doesn't need to gain weight; 284 lbs on his 6'0 frame is fine. Tony Jerod-Eddie also played in all 12 games last season, starting seven of them. Jerod-Eddie had 20 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 pass defensed, 1 forced fumble, and 1 kick blocked (against Texas Tech). He played last year at 256 lbs, but has bulked up to 298 lbs on his 6'5 frame. He is the ideal size for an interior defensive tackle. Rod Davis redshirted last season, but was a highly-touted player recruit coming out of high school. Despite some questions about consistency, he performed well during the Spring Game. At 6'1, 305 lbs, Davis just needs to make sure he keeps his weight under control. Brown, Davis, and Jerod-Eddie can be the keys to a defensive resurgence in 2009.

I am expecting Eddie Brown and Jerod-Eddie to start, with Davis rotating in to provide depth. If we can get a consistent effort from two of the three, and get an interior push along the defensive line, everyone else's job on defense is made easier. If we can Brown, Jerod-Eddie, or Davis to play at the level of difference-makers, and require a double-team on every play, our defense can become a dominant unit. With Von Miller and Matt Featherston manning the outside edges of the defensive line at DE and Jack/OLB respectively, we should have a good outside contain unit. If Brown, Jerod-Eddie, or Davis consistently require a double-team, we're looking at Miller and/or Featherston constantly coming into the backfield, and causing mass havoc play after play. Havoc in the offensive backfield is our ultimate goal on defense.

With Garrick Williams (35 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks) manning the second level at linebacker, and Trent Hunter and Jordan Pugh roaming the third level at both safety positions, the Aggies should have a solid, three-level defense. If Brown, Davis, and Jerrod-Eddie all play up to their potential this season, we could see our defense go from a team weakness last season to a team strength this year. More importantly, we could see a return to the Wrecking Crew defenses of old.