Hunter Deyo commits

Since the kid's high school style is basically runaway truck he'd have to have potential on both sides.
 
  • Winner
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So getting away from taking about the in-state program on the decline, what does this mean for ISU? Are we going to get back to a 4 man front with the DT talent that we have coming in? Or are we going to see a constant substitution pattern to match situations?

Not yet would be my guess. Factoring out true freshmen (likely redshirting) we have 3 IDL on scholarship, next year we'd have 4, add Brown and Onyedin lose Robertson. 2023 still at 4 lose Lee add Deyo.

To me if you're going to switch to a 4 you'd want this number between 6-8. Granted freshmen don't have to redshirt but you really don't want to make it a habit. So for now I'd say we're a three man front team that occasionally could slide to a four.
 
  • Informative
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I could see them running some 4-2-5 against teams like Iowa, Texas, etc. It's not that dramatically different to the 3-3-5 being that you're (not ISU necessarily) frequently blitzing a lb or corner for a 4th rusher in that package. Also, the 4-2-5 with a monster back is essentially a 4-3 base just more flexibility for a 3 man safety. My dream is to have such a good personel package we can throw out whatever formation we need that day or moment and still maintain a high level. The way we use Young as almost a 4th backer you could almost call our defense an A-typical 3-4.
 
I could see them running some 4-2-5 against teams like Iowa, Texas, etc. It's not that dramatically different to the 3-3-5 being that you're (not ISU necessarily) frequently blitzing a lb or corner for a 4th rusher in that package. Also, the 4-2-5 with a monster back is essentially a 4-3 base just more flexibility for a 3 man safety. My dream is to have such a good personel package we can throw out whatever formation we need that day or moment and still maintain a high level.
Another Iowa kid being brought in, McLaughlin, should make our defense be able to multiple with his size and range potential. He should be able to basically act as a LEO and have us set up in 3-3-5 but if he rushes, then it's basically a 4-2-5. Makes it so you don't need two traditional ends with their hand in the dirt, could have a couple traditional interior lineman, one end, and then your LEO.
 
I could see them running some 4-2-5 against teams like Iowa, Texas, etc. It's not that dramatically different to the 3-3-5 being that you're (not ISU necessarily) frequently blitzing a lb or corner for a 4th rusher in that package. Also, the 4-2-5 with a monster back is essentially a 4-3 base just more flexibility for a 3 man safety. My dream is to have such a good personel package we can throw out whatever formation we need that day or moment and still maintain a high level. The way we use Young as almost a 4th backer you could almost call our defense an A-typical 3-4.

You can do the same thing rolling a safety up on Enyi's side taking away any of his contain responsibilities and remain in your base package.
 
So getting away from taking about the in-state program on the decline, what does this mean for ISU? Are we going to get back to a 4 man front with the DT talent that we have coming in? Or are we going to see a constant substitution pattern to match situations?
Short of using four man lines—which is a possibility but I’m not sure we’ve seen it since 2017–I’m envisioning a lot of mixing and matching on the lines. Players as explosive as Deyo, Brown, Singleton, etc. provide flexibility as ends in our three man front. In run-first situations it would be great to be able to go heavy.

The Big 12 may be starting to go bigger (WVU and TTU have both put a newfound emphasis on tight ends in recruiting) so maybe we will see more four man fronts.
 
  • Agree
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2nd year back. Last year they had a bunch of close losses and even almost beat Michigan. Probably should’ve but I think they missed a field goal in crunch time.

Not saying that means they should be pulling a bunch of great recruits, but Greg knows how to recruit that area. Half of their 2022 recruits are from NJ and the rest are from eastern states (yes I called Ohio east).
And at 3-6 it was tied for their best conference record in the big 10. There’s a lot of talent in the area and Schiano had them consistently competitive in year 1. The guy can flat out coach.
 
This is the coveted position in recruiting on the defensive side of the ball. This is big time. Short of QB, a guy with the potential to be a big time force on the inside is the most important piece to get in a recruiting class.
 
With Deyo committed now getting either is a plus but not a big need.
It wasn’t a big need before Deyo committed.
To me, recruiting rankings would be better if they were tailored to what a team actually needs.
When you get up in the recruiting rankings, “need” has little to do with anything. Matter of fact, Alabama right now could probably go a year without signing anyone, and be just fine and dandy.

Indeed, “need” is an entirely different matter right now in Matt Campbell’s office than it was in Paul Rhoads’, Chizik’s or Dan McCarney’s.

I remember when every recruiting class was about desperately trying to fill gaping holes in the starting lineup. McCarney never had more than three linebackers he could play, manufactured OL from whatever he could, and at one point was forced to use a young OG at DT because he had no one else.

Matt Campbell? He’s sitting back trying to figure out what shiny new toys he can give his assistants to play with.

Adding more DT’s like Deyo (and maybe Tawfiq Thomas) is all about weaponizing Jon Heacock’s defensive wizardly scheming.

And coming up soon, I think, we get to see what shiny new wide receivers get left under Tom Manning’s Christmas tree…delivered by an elf named Scheelhaase.

It’s a great time to be a Cyclone!
 
And at 3-6 it was tied for their best conference record in the big 10. There’s a lot of talent in the area and Schiano had them consistently competitive in year 1. The guy can flat out coach.

Yep. Plus he plays in the East so a 3-6 record in year 1 is not a failure. He is a good coach and is raking on the local talent.
 
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Not yet would be my guess. Factoring out true freshmen (likely redshirting) we have 3 IDL on scholarship, next year we'd have 4, add Brown and Onyedin lose Robertson. 2023 still at 4 lose Lee add Deyo.

To me if you're going to switch to a 4 you'd want this number between 6-8. Granted freshmen don't have to redshirt but you really don't want to make it a habit. So for now I'd say we're a three man front team that occasionally could slide to a four.
Implementing a four man front doesn’t necessarily mean switching to it full time. It just gives Jon Heacock options. Like using Enyi inside.

And even with Isaiah Lee and JR Singleton (and a lighter Tucker Robertson), I’d hardly be surprised to see Howard Brown push the four game limit on a redshirt, after being on campus all Spring.
 

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