Give Willy Robinson credit — he doesn’t give up easy. He and Bobby Petrino continue to look for linebackers, even with only two and a half weeks left until the first game.
This week’s candidate is senior safety Anthony ‘Juice’ Leon. Leon (6-4, 227), who had a reputation as a big hitter before arriving in Fayetteville, might fare better closer to the line of scrimmage. That’s the thought, at least. After practicing there for two practices, he’s already found himself working at times as the first-team weakside linebacker.
While we applaud finding a spot for a big hitter, what does that tell you about the Hogs’ linebacking corps at this late stage? Juice is there less than 48 hours and he might be the starter?
“He really enjoys being at that position,” Robinson said. “We felt like he was very natural the first day we moved him there as far as his reads.”
Last year around this time, we were writing about the demotion of linebackers Wendel Davis and Jerry Franklin to the second team in the hopes of sending them a message. Davis completed his eligibility last season, while Franklin was voted one of the defensive captains for 2010.
But this week Franklin, who is a Butkus Award nominee, has again been working some with the second team. And the senior that apparently needs a message to be sent this year is Freddy Burton, who toiled with the newcomers on Wednesday afternoon while the other veterans got the second practice of the day off.
The signing this spring of Chris Smith, the highly touted freshman from North Carolina, gave a glimmer of hope that the Hogs would be bolstering their linebacker corps. But now that Smith has found a home as a pass-rushing defensive end, it appears to be the same song, second verse this season at linebacker.
In a year where this team has made obvious improvement on the defensive front and (fingers crossed) in the secondary, the Achilles’ heel of this defensive unit seems even more pronounced now.
Could there be more possibilities out there that Robinson and Petrino haven’t explored? What’s next…open it up for student body tryouts?
Interesting post… NOT! Just another slam on the defense and Willy Robinson disguised as… well, I’m not sure what! Personally, I’d prefer another hat posting than this one…
I agree with you Owasso. Seems a little bit critical at this point. Oh well some people always see the glass half empty and think they are being realist.
What's in that post that's not true? Why do we keep having to prod these upperclassmen to play by demoting them periodically to second/third team?
Don't get me wrong, I'm encouraged by the overall improvement of Willy's defense. Just wondering why this group of linebackers doesn't seem to be making the same strides as the other units.
Sunshine
Not your typical "half full" post by our resident optimist, Sunshine. But, unfortunately, something that is a legitimate concern. Anyone who has seen this team practicing or has even been reading the news about the personnel moves being attempted should be concerned.
If you look back at our practice posts, we've been very positive about the strides that the defense has been making. We're not on the "Fire Willy" bandwagon because we're seeing those improvements being made.
But I don't think many Hogs fans realize right now how much this team may miss Wendel Davis until they see those struggling to replace him. Hopefully Leon or someone else will step up big time.
This position, rather than the secondary, is probably going to determine our fate more than any other this season. More than the kickers, more than the QB, provided both Mallett and Wilson do not go down, more than the D-line. At least the coaches are focused on manning up the backers.
I respectfully disagree. With a strong D line and strong secondary, the LBs become less critical. We needed strong LB last year to catch what ran through the line, and provide pass coverage support for a weak secondary. given our strengths up front and in the back, some average LB play won't kill us.
It will hurt you when you play quality opponents. That is like saying being weak at running back didn't hurt us last year.
Until now, I thought that maybe they were just polishing up some depth. I'm sure I don't know. But, who is playing first and second team in camp is hardly an issue on a Petrino team.
The West is rock hard this year. This may be the year that someone goes to Atlanta with 3 losses. It's going to be a GREAT year one big week at a time.
I saw the Juice move differently. My impression was that they were trying to get their best players on the field even if it meant shuffling folks around. Give the depth at corner, the Crim move to safety and Juice to LB makes perfect sense. Juice has great size, a bit hitter, and can also offer a lot in pass coverage of the TE or WR stick or drags.
Don't disagree with the lack of depth at LB but this post implies a move of desparation rather than doing what we can to get our best players on the field in some way.
It still looks like bizarro world when you have Owasso criticizing this blog for being negative. My how the times have changed. I was a hugger and you were a darksider and we are all united on Bobby P. Go Hogs! It's going to be a great year!
JMHO, but come on guys. Juice isn't being moved to LB because things aren't working out in the LB corps. He's being moved because things aren't going as well at FS for him like the coaches and fans had hoped.
Leon's timing has never been that good back there in this particular defensive system. A move to LB could suit his instincts better, plus we can probably use the competition at LB to make sure everyone understands the importance of developing the best players there.
The FS depth can probably also endure losing the presence of Leon, considering coaches are saying Deante Carr is looking more and more like a candidate to play this season.
Of course all of this is purely conjecture at this point, not only to fans, but especially to the coaching staff.
Don't be suprised if experience wins out here, as it most usually always does.
Regardless of who winds up starting, I see Love and Burton splitting a lot of time at MLB.
I see Franklin establishing himself as a dominant Weak Side LB and Nelson splitting time with Leon at SS/Strong Side LB.
Those positions should be more natural for Leon in this defense. He can use his natual hitting instincts on run support, while matching up well with big SEC TEs on pass coverage.
You guys really ought to be more optimistic. There could be a lot of good come out of this.
GO HOGS GO, BABY!!!!!
A few thoughts come to my mind….first, where are Moss and Terrell Williams? I was pretty encouraged by the reports of Williams in spring practice, but not a word about him this Fall so far. And, it's interesting with all of the depth at Defensive End that Chris Smith was put at End and not LB. Could it be that our two best true linebackers are stuck and Defensive End in order to get us a pass rush (Tank and Smith)?
And, I know the media/writers can only cover so much, but interesting that there's been hardly any mention of a guy like Tramain Thomas. After filling in in the bowl game I was sure that would be a spring board to greater things this season. But, again, no word of him and Crim is moved back to safety to "stabilize" things.