Talking 2009 Texas DBs: Part II Safeties

In conversations we had in 2007, a former player on the team told me that Ben Wells was by far the most impressive young DB. The player thought Wells could catch on to instructions extremely quickly and adapted more effectively than his peers.

Obviously, 2008 showed us that he could manage to look like one of the more brain dead players on the team. His poor performance and level on the depth chart mystify me, but I guess purple drank can get to even the best of us.

While we’re on the topic, this guy thought that Chykie was the best athlete on the team (with a debilitating attitude problem) and that Beasely was the best candidate to return punts (athletically, but supposedly dropped too many punts).

I’m not sold on Christian Scott. I think Muschamp relegating him to garbage time is telling. The guy I knew on the team also said Christian Scott basically mailed in his redshirt year and didn’t learn shit. Scott plays basketball fairly frequently at GRE/REC and his play perfectly matches what those warning signs would lead me to expect. He has a total defeatist attitude, doesn’t seem terribly bright, and doesn’t play team basketball. He makes Chiles (frequent playing partner and lazy player in his own right) look like Austin Croshere. He’s built like a brick, though.

Sometimes people grow up during college. Let’s hope.

I AM sold on C.Scott. He will show everyone that he has vastly improved. As for a pick up game at Gregory, who cares, he doesn’t play basketball for UT. He just hoops to get an aerobic workout and have some fun.

The fact that he’s built like a brick should tell you something relative to his commitment. I will agree that he dropped the ball on his redshirt year up til the season started last year. He now takes things more seriously and is prepared. He just needs an opportunity, which is what Muschamp and Akina are giving him. There has to be some reason that they are willing to do so.

E.T. has told me himself that Scott is the best safety on the team, especially athletically. He felt that he needed to be consistent in practice and learn his playbook, which he is doing. Consistency is now his middle name.

Just wait till this guy gets on the field…LIGHTS OUT OPPOSING OFFENSES!!!

djmango:

That’s encouraging news. My pessimism was based on stuff I saw reinforcing stuff I knew about Scott. I’m glad to see he’s taking things seriously now and understands that his window of opportunity is closing, a fact I wasn’t sure he wanted to accept.

My concern that was the combination of his attitude and lack of experience relative to other safeties would cause a downward spiral that would preclude him from ever starting.

Thanks for the info.

forgive the chopped grammar in the second to last sentence…

Also, I’m curious if anyone has a take on the coaches playing Brewster in 2008, giving us 6 sophomore safeties. Scholarship burn?

Question for the board. What are your expectations for the secondary this year? I find myself having extremely high expectations and am worried they’re getting a little out of hand. I want/hope the secondary to step up to make up for a weaker expected pass rush, but am worried the “success” (for a very young group of DBs) that the secondary had last year was largely due to orakpo and miller getting so much push/pass rush, with kindle coming in behind them. I don’t think anyone expects our tackles to get nearly the push this year, and I’m afraid Kindle may struggle on the weak-side alone this year. The impact that has on our pass defense is the big unknown to me. Thoughts?

Nice preview. These are always more fun to read when the position group is as loaded as this one. You don’t usually have such a big jump in expectations when you’re returning the same set of guys from year to year.

Brewster could be an eventual transfer candidate to Minny. He’s a bigger, slower version of Gideon and we already have the coach’s son thing down at safety.

In talking to some guys that know Wells, he’s a headcase. Hangs out on HenryJames’ side of the tracks.

So that’s the bad news. The good news is we have three all-conference caliber players in Chykie, AJ, and Earl. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them contended for national awards. Earl is our best player right now but AJ will surpass him at some point, if not this season. He’s that good.

Beasley might not like to get in the mix in run support but he does have good instincts and ball skills. Im probably in the minority here but I’d rather have DB on the field over Curtis Brown, either as a starting corner or as the fifth man in the nickel. We’ve been waiting for Curtis to be that guy we saw at Gilmer for three years now. Maybe he ends up being a senior year stud. For now he’s important for depth and will give us an occasional great play (tackle on the fake punt in the OU game to prevent a first down) and some headscratchers in blown coverage. Good point about special teams opportunities breeding confidence. Let’s hope it happens.

It will be interesting to see how much PT Christian Scott gets and whether he’s filling in for Gideon or just coming on in the nickel.

Good stuff, guys, esp. the background on some of the players.

My guess is it’s a totally different world at safety this season. Gideon started because he picked up the scheme faster than others. Thomas started because Superman is always going to stand out (odd that he redshirted in ’07).

In my view, the safeties played a safety-first style in 2008, which no doubt frustrated Coach Boom no end. This season, with at least B-minus knowledge of the system (up from C-minus), more of the natural ball skills and head-hunting techinques will be turned loose.

super analyses and commentary on the two threads.

much thank you.

E.T., I will always love you…

And you’re anything but a common man…

sorrry for the lag in comprehension, but, what is PBU?

thanks in advance

Pass broken up

passes broken up?

(my high-school years in a nutshell)

whoops & djmagno –
 
Thanks for the input and for the balance in view on C. Scott. As for Brewster playing last year, yeah, it could have been scholarship burn. I think it was more likely that we had no idea what we had in the secondary and needed as many eligible bodies as possible.
 
Spoons -
 
Our secondary will be good. Whether they’re great will depend on their ability to cause turnovers. The lost pass rush is big, but I think the guys we have at LB and DE will give us another pass rusher or two. As for DT push, Houston will do just fine and we may play a fair amount of 3-3-5 to bring pressure from unexpected places.
 
Thanks, Vasherized. Brewster may be a transfer candidate but my understanding is that it’s best for the Brewster clan if Nolan doesn’t play for Tim. I like Curtis Brown’s upside, but like I said, he really suffers from not having a redshirt. He could be a senior year breakout.
 
ed –
 
I’m glad that Thomas redshirted in ‘07. He came in weighing 170-175 and he needed to put on some weight. I think you’re right on that our safeties first instinct last year was risk aversion.

Whoopsapt,

I personally have been working on C.Scott along with the help of Fozzy, Chykie and E.T. There is a reason that Earl thinks Scott is the best safety relative to talent. And contrary to popular belief Scott is very intelligent…he just lacks a lil wisdom and his eyes got big when he got to Austin. So many more girls/women…if you know what I mean.

Now that he’s gotten a lot of that out of his system, he’s more focused than ever. I personally believe that starting Gideon over him was the best thing for him. Didn’t at the time, but in hindsight..def the best. I don’t know who will start and don’t even care, so long as Scott gets an opportunity. Once he gets on that field, EVERYONE will see why EARL THOMAS thinks he’s the best safety at UT hands down. Part of Scott’s problem is that he has never had to practice hard to show his worth/talent. He was just put in the game and his natural athleticism took over exceeding all expectations. Just like Boom said, he has to show that he can get the mental part of the game down. Now that he is fervently working on that, barring injury, it’s pretty much a wrap. Whomever is at the starting safety spot will have to MAKE PLAYS and not just be smart to keep their position because he has most of the play book down now. I have directed him to focus on learning the schemes and being a true student of the game.

Will he ever be a student like Gideon? Doubt it, but look at it this way…Now that he knows the playbook and is a lot more comfy with his knowledge than he was in the KU game, just imagine what’s going to happen this year!!

djmagno -
 
Good stuff there.

Danke Schoen Scipio…

Wells looked good in the spring game. I don’t go to practices so that’s about all I have to go on, but I hope he doesn’t transfer. He still has time to get his head straight.

Spoon,

Forgot to get atcha bro. Me, myself and I have the same expectations that you have. I think that the unit will be much smarter and definitely more playmaking. Let me give you my logic on the up and coming phenom…I am going to break down my opinion of who i think will be the main players to either start/get the most playing time.

Earl T. – awesome athlete, very intense and a vocal leader. Good cover skills and ball skills and very intimidating to receivers because of how physical he is. Not only that but he talks much smack and best of all, backs it up.

Chykie B. – outstanding athleticism, long arms and make up speed. Good cover skills but not the greatest hands for intercepting. Very physical and just has swagger for days. Not necessarily a vocal leader, but has so much heart and plays hard most of the time.

Blake G. – Cerebral guy, very football smart and a true student of the game. Athletic and has leadership ability, but isn’t really a playmaker. Last year helped hold it together in the DB squad.

Aaron W. – Outstanding athlete with good vision and ball skills. Has good cover skills and is very physical. Seems to have some vocal leadership and once again the overused word for last year…SWAGGER! Love his confidence.

Christian S. – Outstanding athlete with good ball skills and instincts. More of a jock than a student but is coming around. Has great hands for catching the rock and the speed to take it home. Very physical and hits hard, but needs to work on wrapping up more. Finally realizes that he has to EARN his spot.

Will continue later…getting off:)

good stuff here. thanks all around.

Excellent as always gang. Great comments too. The Scott update gives me a chub.

Why are you encouraging Gideon to jar?

“Wells looked good in the spring game. I don’t go to practices so that’s about all I have to go on, but I hope he doesn’t transfer. He still has time to get his head straight.”

Wells has that Greg Oden disease where everything that happens is a surprise to him. Talent doesn’t mean a whole lot when you’re always chasing.

Chris, I take it you are no longer infatuated with him then?

Take a look at the article on OB about Gideon. It’s pretty interesting.

In retrospect, I kind of wonder why Brewster was such a high profile recruit (offers from USC and Florida, IIRC) and Gideon’s only other offer was from Rice. Last name?

djmagno –
 
Feel free to summarize. A lot of people have left there.
 
Nordberg –
 
Yeah, I think so. When I reviewed our recruits in that class I asked the same question.

The big reveal is that Gideon watches Dancing With The Stars with his Mom. That’s about it.

Not only the article, but the commentary that follows. I thought about leaving and not continuing to pay $9.95 a month, but sometimes the articles aren’t on here. I will summarize at home, leaving work now:D