The goal is mostly to confuse blocking calls/assignments by stacking the LBs behind the DL then having designated post-snap responsibilities.
a new LB for NU
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The goal is mostly to confuse blocking calls/assignments by stacking the LBs behind the DL then having designated post-snap responsibilities.
You're right, not exceptional, but I did check a handful of rosters UW, Iowa, Minn, OSU, and ours. He'd have been tied for the biggest on NU with Coleman, and, of course, way taller than Bergin. He'd be in the top quartile of the rest of the teams I checked. Reiterating, you are right, he was not exceptional, so you don't have to point that out. I found a 260 lb guy on Wisconsin, I think, but 6'3" 240 for Paddy was accurately portrayed by BWM67 as pretty big. And unlike the Fitz narrative of not enough time in the weight room, Paddy had some pipes. Strong guy.
My point is that the “Irish law firm” got by playing fundamental football in a fundamentally sound scheme, not because of outstanding physical attributes.
Fisher was big but pretty slow, but made up for it by being so good at presnap diagnosis, read and react (and shedding blocks) and angles that he bordered on just psychic. You can get away without speed if you just know where everything is going before anybody else does and never ever ever ever make a mistake on the way there. Watching Trey Semon run little circles around him exposed his athletic shortcomings, but also was one last chance to realize how GD good of a football player that kid was.
Same goes for Ghallager, with a few differences.
Same goes for Ghallager, with a few differences.
No... He had different calls from the sideline, talent, and disruptive DL who forced double-teams. Another thing that helps LBs is linemen who bat passes, rip at running backs, and pressure the QB to generate turnovers that LBs collect. Didn't have that in 2021.
This guy looks to be a very good addition to our defensive coaches: https://247sports.com/college/north...inia-Techs-Ryan-Smith-as-CBs-coach-178766576/
Those guys, plus a much larger rotation of quality guys. We could field 4 guys who were fresh and well suited for the pass/run situation at basically all times in 2020. This year we had like 4-5 ok linemen tops, several weren’t healthy often (ie, Miller), and many of those specialized at one side of the game or the other, forcing us into situational weaknesses (ie Adaboware was very good against the pass but meh vs the run, but our lack of depth forced him to be used on most downs).
I wouldn’t call Lancaster a classic NT even at the NFL, but this is still a good counter. NU has a long history of developing linemen who are most suited for 3-4 play at the next level anyway… hence why Green Bay, home of a DC who is a patriarch of JON’s defensive tree, is stacked with NU linemen.
It also only takes so much. Arkansas runs a 3-4 that utilizes two DT style players and a JACK LB that is a real rush hybrid, often in 3 point stances, and their NT was John Ridgeway, a 320 LB grad transfer from FCS Illinois State. Ridgeway wasn’t amazing, but he was plenty sufficient to fill the role.
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This. I love Joe Spivak, he's a legend. However the DTs gave us nothing. The ends faired no better and also got no containment.
Sad state of affairs in the front seven
He was recruited as a center I thought, becoming a DT only once they saw his strength in person. Could be wrong but I believe him and North both were recruited as OC/IOL.
So while he was my favorite NU DT, he was a find not a recruit
I recall that he was highly ranked as a center but NU was always recruiting him as a DT.