Expanded Roles on Defense

[Menzies_Jay]

With 7 seniors on defense last season we'll get to watch a lot of young new Rebels start making a name for themselves on that side of the ball.

Who are some of the young players we can expect to see take on major roles?

 

[rebelbuck]

I am curious to see how all the young D Lineman look in spring. Tatum, Iofeta & Holloway and Jones at the End spots. Jones & Holloway are long athletes and I want to see the kind of transformation they have gone through since arriving. Both were around 215 when they got here.

At the LB spot, David Tate and Cameron Carr looked the part during practice. With Tau and MacAleenan gone lots of reps to go around for young guys. Outside of Keyes taking over at MLB lots of interest in how we utilize LB's this year.

Tykenzie Daniels is one to watch at CB. See if he can come in and compete with Hough, Mouton, White, Jackson.

The O line will be competive as the 2 Deep returns except Kreitler. Lets see what a RS year did for Brayton and Outlaw.

 

[Menzies_Jay]

I'm assuming Jericho Flowers will make a return also to the defensive side, especially considering the depth UNLV should have at WR next season. He looked pretty athletic and skilled. His on-field experience acquired as a freshmen can only help him going forward for whatever position he ends up occupying.

 

[rebelbuck]

I see Flowers moving back to CB as well ,with the #'s at both spots. WR will be deep especially when all the recruits arrive in the fall.

Secondary has some question marks but Jackson, Mouton , Hough are a nice group of CB's. Biggest question is at Safety. Austrie, Afalava saw the field but were limited with injuries. Gibbs comes in but we still need someone to step up.
Could possibly see Jackson or Hough moving back there.

 

[RebelinWA]

If we're super deep at qb I d like to see Paladech at safety. Defense was lacking speed. Not as bad as when hauck was in office, but we still need to get faster.

 

[Menzies_Jay]

If Palendech can hit and tackle then I wouldn't mind seeing him back there in coverage either. Hell, why not? He's so quick and athletic and long I would hate if his ability is simply wasted holding a clipboard every game on the sideline.

That TD run against UNR where he broke 30 tackles en route to the end zone, and of course, that dazzling TD run against Wyoming where he hit the afterburners and easily outpaced the entire Cowboy secondary were things of beauty. His passing is suspect at times but not his athleticism.

Obviously if he ends up getting a percentage of QB game reps then everything else is moot. But if next season becomes the Armani Rogers show, then I'd still like to see Palandech's speed get utilized somehow, and if it can help the defense then so be it.

 

[rebelbuck]

Why do we always "have" to move a QB. Avoiding tackles/punishment and being the one who initiates it are 2 different animals. I say lets see the battle play out in Spring before we guess where everyone ends up. As we have seen injuries can pop up and having 2 guys with games reps going into the fall wouldn't be worst thing.

I think regardless of who wins the QB job, there will be a role to Play for all 3 QB's. Considering what our running game was able to produce with inconsistent play in the passing game, we dont need a guy to come in and throw for 300+, just keep defenses honest by making the throws they are asked to make on play action and occasionally first down to keep teams off balance.

Biggest Danger of moving any of the QBs is that would leave us with only 3 Scholarship QB's in the fall. One of them being a true freshman coming off not playing his senior year due to injury.

 

[Bullmastiff 1]

Its difficult to project on guys we haven't seen play like Tate, Tatum or Holloway. (We'll start getting a better idea when Spring rolls around)

Gabe McCoy-I think he will see his role expand this year. I believe he has physically maxed out around 220lb. He is probably to small to be a full time DE. He will be in the running for one of the OLB spots. In a very small sample size last year he showed some ability to create preasure on the QB. My guess, he will play at both LB and DE in obvious passing downs.

 

[Menzies_Jay]

This subject is hypothetical completely and if the season scenario involves Palandech at QB then absolutely he belongs there (this is what I anticipate happening).

If the scenario leaves Palandech only watching, however, (hypothetical, of course) then similar to how Ohio State used Braxton Miller elsewhere when another QB arrived, I'd hope UNLV would use Palendech's play-making ability on the field somehow, somewhere.

I think he's the third fastest on the team. He's here for one year only and keeping him sidelined (if that's the situation) would be a loss, imo.

As for playing safety, I agree, who knows how physical he can be or not. I do think, though, if not at QB, Palandech is capable of competing and helping in some capacity somewhere. He's just too fast not to be used in one way or another. Most likely he'll be used at QB depending on Armani's production and readiness.

 

[mvvsmith]

Try him at RB if your being hypothetical. Guy can break tackles our running backs can't because of their size.

 

[mvvsmith]

Love to see him on some end around or pitch outs