Safety and Cornerback

meangreen87 · August 14, 2011

It is easy to focus on our depth issues and our lack of experience on the mean green defense....but....lets take a look at a spot I think will be strong point for our D.

Safety is a position I am very excited about. I think John Shorter will be a playmaker at SS, especially when he is coming up to play the run. I like him to start at SS with Ryan Downing getting some plays there as well. For FS, i like D Cook. He was hurt most of last year but he is a force at 6,2" 215 and long arms with the ability to play like a safety with great range. Which is what all good defenses need! Who else do y'all seeing making an impact this year?

As for CB, I like Royce Hill being our shutdown guy with Steven Ford playing the other CB. I am not sure if D'leon can hold down the spot he had most of last year--he basically played because of others injuries. Who else do y'all see contributing at CB this year? I could see 4 Cb getting significant playing time this year..

BTW I am excited to be a new contributor to GMG.com!!! I will be posting on here almost daily..

Edited August 14, 2011 by meangreen87

UNT 90 Grad · August 14, 2011

BTW I am excited to be a new contributor to GMG.com!!! I will be posting on here almost daily..

Welcome!

Mean Green 93-98 · August 14, 2011

Wow--now that's a first post! I also see Ford getting the starting nod, and he might be a better lockdown corner than Royce if the reports I heard from last year's fall camp were accurate.

Welcome to the board--I look forward to your contributions.

greenminer · August 14, 2011

If you've been following the Green Gang's practice updates, you would have caught Downing having a BIG day this past week.

As far as having a safety with long arms/range: it reminds me of Neon McGee. We could def use another one of his kind!

meangreen87 · August 14, 2011

Yeah I heard Downing had a big day on Saturday. Having athletic playmaking safeties makes all the difference in the world when it comes to having a good defense. Any chance that any of the true freshmen see any PT in the secondary this year??

The Fake Lonnie Finch · August 14, 2011

I like the depth was have there. Hill and Ford will be great this year. Safeties appear to be hard hitting...but, if the practice videos are any indication, everyone will be more hard hitting this year.

Green P1 · August 14, 2011

Do you really think of Royce as a lockdown guy? I know he's the best we've had for a while now... but that's bot saying much.

UNT Mean Green · August 14, 2011

CB: R. Hill, S. Ford, D. McCord, H. Jackson, F. Warner

FS: D. Cook, R. Downing

SS: J. Shorter, B. Graham

================

The secondary, for a change, should be a position of strength with some nice depth. The fact that our DC is a secondary guy helps, and our CB's coach is as energetic and fiery as they come only helps. I'm looking for big things from Freddie Warner. Word out of camp is that he looks the part and is starting to come into his own.

And as I've said before...they had better be with the likes of Houston, Tulsa, and several wide-open offenses in Sun Belt Conference play.

UNT90 · August 14, 2011

Do you really think of Royce as a lockdown guy? I know he's the best we've had for a while now... but that's bot saying much.

Hard to be a shut down corner when you have to shut them down for 15 seconds a play.

Just sayin...

NT03 · August 14, 2011

Hard to be a shut down corner when you have to shut them down for 15 seconds a play.

Just sayin...

This

Hopefully this year we can get some kind of pressure on the QB

BIG DAWG · August 15, 2011

I am pretty sure Cook plays SS...

Shorter and Cook are competing against each other for playing time

GrayEagle · August 15, 2011

I think that Cook is again the starter at strong backed up by Shorter. At the free I like Brad Graham backed up by Ryan Downing. I would expect Kerry Swarn to also see some pt since all but Cook are seniors.

I like Hill and Ford at the corners backed up by McCord and Warner. We're strong there this year but only Warner would return for next year. Jackson could be used here to give some experience for 2012.

We really need to have a good class here because most/all will play right away next year.

foutsrouts · August 15, 2011

I really like our DB's this year, but it's going to be tough right off the bat in that two (and possibly 3) of our first five opponents are very likely to have their QB's soon playing on Sundays. Let us hope that our bookend DE's have a breakout year to make things more manageable for the cover guys.

MeanGreenTexan · August 15, 2011

I'm excited about seeing a healthy Steven Ford this year at CB. Hopefully, he is as-advertised. I think Royce is a proven commodity. McCord will get plenty of reps and he is certainly able. I think the guy to watch here is RS Freshman Hilbert Jackson. I would really like to see him step up this year.

I think these guys should do well if, as stated above, we get some pressure on the QB from our front 7.

Shorter seemed to really put it together at the end of last year. If he can carry that momentum into this fall, I wouldn't have any problems starting him over Cook.

Downing was an able safety last year, but I think Graham is ready to step up and show why he was the JuCo defensive player of the year.

If Swarn/Warner/Washington/Marshall get on the field this year, it would be a plus, but hopefully they would get to play a bunch. Otherwise, I hope they get redshirts. I think Laramie will need a redshirt.