NU moving to a 3-4 defense?

[C N Red]

I have been watching recruiting fairly closely for the past few years and I had a thought with how we are recruiting, especially this year, that maybe Bo is thinking about going to a 3-4 defense. Now, I would say there's probably a 1-5% chance of this, but just thought I would bring it up for some debate.

 

Bo really seems to be trying to get some big run stop type guys. For instance, Vincent Valentine is a recruit we are currently hard after, and he is a big Nose Tackle type guy. And really alot of the Defensive Linemen we seem to be recruiting now are bigger line type guys who could play tackles in a 3-4 scheme.

 

We are also recruiting ALOT of LBers, yes I know we are thin there being a main reason, but with an influx of good highly athletic LBers, we could have a few to be walk up types on the ends, functionally giving a 5-2 defense which is good for stopping the run but the guys on the outside are LBers and more athletic and faster than DEs to be able to stretch outside runs and cover if necessary.

 

We all know Bo is a LBer position coach at heart, and it wouldn't surprise me to see him possibly try a 3-4. Look at Green Bay and that's what they run. Now, they don't have the best defense, but they do well enough and they have good athletic LBers with big cloggers up the middle.

 

Now, I'm not sure if Green Bay ran a 3-4 when Bo was there or not, but with the kind of recruiting we seem to be doing it got me thinking.

 

And for the Rome fans(I'm not one, even though I'm listening to him right now bragging about himself and how he's gonna be working with CBS and all the stuff he gets to do, which I don't think is a great move by CBS as Rome gets annoying quickly), REACT!!

[MLB 51]

Maybe Rose is getting the final burn on ESPN. You are right though he does get annoying very quick.

[Redtillimdead]

I think Bo historically has been a 4-3 guy. I think his recruiting pattern is just a matter if building depth a positions of weakness. Close your eyes and fire and hope something sticks. Cause other than rose and McMullen, if you look back as far as October we have zero commits on our board that we were pursuing heavily back then. Our board looks nothing like it did in October. No diggs no debo no beavers no Bullard and so on. We are at the point of going after as well as some plan b and c guys. What kinda relationship do have time to build with these Johnny come latelys? Anyhoo I think this is a somewhat desperate attempt at filling a class with athletic guys with measurables not necessarily guys who excell at their positions.

[kchusker_chris]

if Bo was so absolutely stubborn that he wouldn't change the scheme up front this year...he won't be doing it any time soon.

 

i would like to see some 3-4 though. one thing nebraska brings to the big10 is speed. having more of that on the field can't hurt, and we're giving up 5 yards a carry anyway...

[HuskerShark]

I think Bo historically has been a 4-3 guy. I think his recruiting pattern is just a matter if building depth a positions of weakness. Close your eyes and fire and hope something sticks. Cause other than rose and McMullen, if you look back as far as October we have zero commits on our board that we were pursuing heavily back then. Our board looks nothing like it did in October. No diggs no debo no beavers no Bullard and so on. We are at the point of going after as well as some plan b and c guys. What kinda relationship do have time to build with these Johnny come latelys? Anyhoo I think this is a somewhat desperate attempt at filling a class with athletic guys with measurables not necessarily guys who excell at their positions.

 

I hate when there is a lack of Beaver

[Count 'Bility]

The switching conferences and trying to defend different styles of play are having a far greater impact on recruiting than anyone wouldve ever thought. I'm thinking it may be more in choice of personnel by the coaches as to choice in home by the recruits that's making it difficult. I know it's an excuse that so many dont wanna see, but I use it as the reason. Bo spent 3 years recruiting to stop the spread everyweek, not to mention he mastered to development of players to do the same. This is a huge adjustment for the players and the staff because our defense has to be far more multiple than it ever had to be in the Big 12. Maybe Bo is going to go to a 3-4. 3-4's seem to work very well against conventional offenses. Taking a d-lineman off and replacing with a LB can be very difficult for Oline, they have to go chasing around another quickie, plus as said before, it gives you that extra man to walk up and flash out for disguizes and zone blitzes. Maybe youre right, maybe Bo is in the process of designing another great scheme like the PESO was that everyone talked about when he started shutting down the spread in the Big 12.

[kchusker_chris]

The switching conferences and trying to defend different styles of play are having a far greater impact on recruiting than anyone wouldve ever thought. I'm thinking it may be more in choice of personnel by the coaches as to choice in home by the recruits that's making it difficult. I know it's an excuse that so many dont wanna see, but I use it as the reason. Bo spent 3 years recruiting to stop the spread everyweek, not to mention he mastered to development of players to do the same. This is a huge adjustment for the players and the staff because our defense has to be far more multiple than it ever had to be in the Big 12. Maybe Bo is going to go to a 3-4. 3-4's seem to work very well against conventional offenses. Taking a d-lineman off and replacing with a LB can be very difficult for Oline, they have to go chasing around another quickie, plus as said before, it gives you that extra man to walk up and flash out for disguizes and zone blitzes. Maybe youre right, maybe Bo is in the process of designing another great scheme like the PESO was that everyone talked about when he started shutting down the spread in the Big 12.

what are those? yet another benefit to the 3-4 which makes me think Bo won't end up any where near it. The 3-4 is everything we are not.

[Cornicator]

While you definitely need a big "anchor" in the middle of the 3-4, Nebraska also just needs to get bigger period along the interior D-line. There is a reason Jared Crick will likely be moved to a pass rushing D-end out of the 3-4 in the NFL. He is simply not big enough to be a down linemen in the NFL. Quite frankly, he wasn't big enough in the Big 10 had he been healthy.

 

The Huskers need to get bigger period in the front 7 in order to adapt to this league.

 

 

Just because they're recruiting a kid like Valentine doesn't mean their stepping away from the 4-3.

[The Dude]

I'm pretty certain Capers brought the 3-4 to Green Bay just a couple years ago.

[Enhance]

I don't see it happening purely because of Pelini's history. To my knowledge, he's never coached a 3-4 in college, and his 4-3 two gap scheme has done really well for him. The fact that we're bulking up on the line is probably by extension of our linemen getting pushed around last year by bigger offensive linemen. We also have an excellent S&C staff, so if anybody can recruit big linemen and make them quick, it's gotta be us.

 

I'm personally not a fan of the 3-4 as you sacrifice power for speed. We probably had the most athletic defense in the entire conference last year, but it bit us in the ass a lot Doesn't Green Bay still run 3-4? If they do, they finished 32nd in the league in yards per game - dead last. If they don't, well then this point is irrelevant.

[C N Red]

I don't see it happening purely because of Pelini's history. To my knowledge, he's never coached a 3-4 in college, and his 4-3 two gap scheme has done really well for him. The fact that we're bulking up on the line is probably by extension of our linemen getting pushed around last year by bigger offensive linemen. We also have an excellent S&C staff, so if anybody can recruit big linemen and make them quick, it's gotta be us.

 

I'm personally not a fan of the 3-4 as you sacrifice power for speed. We probably had the most athletic defense in the entire conference last year, but it bit us in the ass a lot Doesn't Green Bay still run 3-4? If they do, they finished 32nd in the league in yards per game - dead last. If they don't, well then this point is irrelevant.

Yes, Green Bay runs a 3-4. And yes there defense did not play well this year in the schemes of things, but you also have to realize that stats don't tell all. The same goes for the Saints I believe. Not sure of their defensive rank but I don't believe it's very good. The thing you have to realize is both these teams have great offenses that can score very quick, which in turn puts your defense on the field ALOT and can cause stats to look bad. I'm not saying either defense is good, because I've watched both and they both have definite holes, but them being on the field alot doesn't help. BTW, I'm a Bears fan so I'm in no way a guy who would stick up for either of these teams, esp GB, but just wanted to point certain things out.

[NUance]

Considering the number of LBs we are recruiting this year vs the number of D-linemen, the 3-4 makes sense. Shoot, we may not have much of the choice since we're pretty thin on down lineman depth. I can't believe we haven't been recruiting more guys for the D-line. Or for the O-line for that matter.

[MLB 51]

Don't think we have the Size on the D-line to run a 3-4. We do have the linebackers though.

[Enhance]

I don't see it happening purely because of Pelini's history. To my knowledge, he's never coached a 3-4 in college, and his 4-3 two gap scheme has done really well for him. The fact that we're bulking up on the line is probably by extension of our linemen getting pushed around last year by bigger offensive linemen. We also have an excellent S&C staff, so if anybody can recruit big linemen and make them quick, it's gotta be us.

 

I'm personally not a fan of the 3-4 as you sacrifice power for speed. We probably had the most athletic defense in the entire conference last year, but it bit us in the ass a lot Doesn't Green Bay still run 3-4? If they do, they finished 32nd in the league in yards per game - dead last. If they don't, well then this point is irrelevant.

Yes, Green Bay runs a 3-4. And yes there defense did not play well this year in the schemes of things, but you also have to realize that stats don't tell all. The same goes for the Saints I believe. Not sure of their defensive rank but I don't believe it's very good. The thing you have to realize is both these teams have great offenses that can score very quick, which in turn puts your defense on the field ALOT and can cause stats to look bad. I'm not saying either defense is good, because I've watched both and they both have definite holes, but them being on the field alot doesn't help. BTW, I'm a Bears fan so I'm in no way a guy who would stick up for either of these teams, esp GB, but just wanted to point certain things out.

Good point. I meant to mention that but was in a bit of a hurry!

[HuskerCarter]

Don't think we have the Size on the D-line to run a 3-4. We do have the linebackers though.

 

Are you sure about us having the LB to run a 3-4? Personally I don't think we do. We have depth at the LB spot, but a lot of that depth leaves next year and aside from Compton, Roach, Fisher and Whaley, no one else really has seen the field on the defensive side of the ball.

 

I don't see Bo or JP changing to a 3-4 defense at least within the next couple of seasons. We need better talent at the defensive end and linebacker spots after the 2012 season to really incorporate the 3-4 system.