Derek Mason has often talked about the problem of getting off of the field on 3rd downs last season. I thought part of the problem was the lack of a pass rush. If you look at this year's nickel defense, I think Vanderbilt has the potential to get after opposing quarterbacks especially on 3rd and long situations.
The nickel defense could look like this:
DT- Caleb Azubike/ Jonathan Wynn
DT- Adam Butler/ Jay Woods
OLB- Stephen Weatherly/ Josh Smith
OLB- Nehemiah Mitchell/ Landon Stokes
MLB- Darreon Herring/ Zach Cunningham
MLB- Nigel Bowden
Nickel- Emmanuel Smith
That is an athletic group that allows Mason to get creative with pass rushing schemes. Azubike and Weatherly have proved that they can be hard to block, and the Smith brothers could definitely play a big role here as well. Emmanuel Smith had 3 or sacks in the spring game, and Josh Smith's name continues to be mentioned in plays in the backfield.
Thoughts?
The nickel defense could look like this:
DT- Caleb Azubike/ Jonathan Wynn
DT- Adam Butler/ Jay Woods
OLB- Stephen Weatherly/ Josh Smith
OLB- Nehemiah Mitchell/ Landon Stokes
MLB- Darreon Herring/ Zach Cunningham
MLB- Nigel Bowden
Nickel- Emmanuel Smith
That is an athletic group that allows Mason to get creative with pass rushing schemes. Azubike and Weatherly have proved that they can be hard to block, and the Smith brothers could definitely play a big role here as well. Emmanuel Smith had 3 or sacks in the spring game, and Josh Smith's name continues to be mentioned in plays in the backfield.
Thoughts?
