Texas Defense: Full Depth Chart, Roles & Rotations

Summary

Inside Texas Football – Texas Defense: Full Depth Chart, Roles & Rotations

Date: July 25, 2026
Host: Inside Texas
Guests/Analysts: Ian, Pack

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Episode Overview

This episode of Inside Texas Football takes a deep dive into the Texas Longhorns’ projected defensive depth chart for the upcoming season. Leveraging a just-published article by Eric, the Inside Texas team breaks down every level of Texas’ defense—discussing player roles, scheme fits, position battles, and rotational possibilities with in-depth, insider analysis. The conversation zeroes in on how Texas will deploy its defensive personnel, with a focus on not only who will start, but why, and what skill sets the staff is prioritizing at each position.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Defensive End (DE) Competition & Role

• Primary Battle: Lance Jackson vs. Xena – near identical in size, no clear starter yet.
• Pack’s Take (02:36): “A lot of stuff gets determined in fall camp… those first three installs really aren't about figuring out who your best players are. They're just about teaching the guys what to do and how to do it.”
• DE Responsibilities in the Must-Champ Defense:
  1. Hold the point of attack (especially against double teams)
  2. Pass rush with discipline—can’t lose outside leverage
  3. Diagnose run game concepts quickly (05:27)
• Ian’s Insight (05:27): Xena listed as base DE, Jackson as nickel DE. Implies Xena may be preferred in 3-down sets, Jackson in 4-down.

Defensive Line Size Philosophy & Potential Pairings

• Trending Up in Size: Both Jackson and Xena around 275 lbs. Vosic lighter at 252, but potential to add weight. Jamari and Carlton are even bigger; could grow into 3-techs (06:13–06:35).
• Interesting Rotational Thought:
  • Play Jackson and Xena together as four eyes in certain packages for versatility & run defense. (06:35–07:07)

Jack Linebacker (OLB/Edge)

• Starter: Colin Simmons (expected)
• Ascendant Freshman: Richard Wesley projects as backup, despite being reclassified and still high school-aged.
• Third/Developmental: A. Rogbo—great pass rush get-off, adding size but currently undersized (07:33–09:20)
• Pack’s Quick Jack Job Description (08:14): “Setting an edge and then taking those little bubble routes, those quick outs— that's the main thing.”
• Ian’s Take: Wesley’s rapid rise, and Rogbo’s weight gain suggest serious competition behind Simmons, prepping for succession.

Interior Defensive Line (DT/NT Pairings)

• Starters: Hero Canoe, with Alex January or Gifford (described as 1A/1B)
  • Watson (rotation)—playing with more power, optimism for improvement over prior struggles.
  • Deep group: Myron Charles, Justice Terry, and Josiah Sharma provide intriguing depth.
• Pack’s Breakdown (09:48): Nose and tackle fairly interchangeable; differences mostly in technical responsibilities and run fit vs. aggression.
• Ian’s Analysis (13:25): New pairings allow Watson to attack upfield, resembling his role at Syracuse.

Sam Linebacker/Nickel Hybrid

• Sam: Used in base (non-nickel) looks; Spence projects as the main guy, with frosh Kosiak Paula impressing as well.
• Pack’s Sam Job Description (15:18): "Sam is the base version of the nickel... pretty much going to do all the same stuff." More blitzing in base.
• Ian’s Note: Position maybe more situational this year, especially relevant against multi-TE teams like Ohio State, less important vs. spread teams.
  • “I would be hesitant about how relevant this will be this season except...Ohio State...” (18:07)

Inside Linebackers (Mike/Mac & Will)

• Mike/Mac: Juice Cryer (starter), with Ty Anthony Smith and Spence as depth.
  • Pack’s Teaching (19:40): “The original, like meaning behind it was because it was a Mack truck... since then it’s kind of evolved...” Now patience > “plug the gap,” with focus on “overlap” and not giving up explosives.
  • In coverage, not often stressed unless facing certain personnel (e.g., athletic 3rd receiver/back).
  • Potential coverage weaknesses if matched with speed at No. 3 or vs. fast backs (23:00).
• Will: Rasheen Biles (key every-down LB), with Tyanthony Smith and Rocky Cummings as depth.
  • Ian’s View (26:09): “Biles is the only surefire really good linebacker on the team. And they are going to play him in the position that fits him best. They don’t want to waste him at Mike… he’ll be in the pass rush packages.”

Nickel/Star (5th DB)

• Projected starter: Grayson Littleton
• Rotation: Xavier Filsaume (converted from S—impressive transition), Wardell Mack.
• Pack’s Breakdown (28:51): More coverage skills needed than Sam, especially in man-coverage against spread sets. Star does more blitzing in base, while nickel plays more pure man.
• Ian’s Observation (30:09): Littleton’s quiet retention of first-string status is a positive indicator.

Safety (Field/Strong & Boundary/Free)

• Field/Strong Safety: Jelani McDonald
• Boundary/Free Safety: Derrick Williams
• Backups: Kobe Black, Jonah Williams, Jordan Johnson Rebel
• Pack’s Safety Responsibilities (31:54):
  • Field S: “Playing with that cheat technique...” often providing run support as alley/cutback player.
  • Boundary S: Needs to be strong in coverage vs. the boundary No. 2.
• Flexibility: Switching field/boundary by scheme, cross-training players to maximize strengths or cover up weaknesses.
  • Possible reason for shifting Williams and McDonald: “I don’t know if this is about mitigating weaknesses or maximizing strengths.” (36:29)
• Memorable Description: “Jelani... is a heat-seeking missile when you watch him run into the box.” (36:59 – Host quoting Simmons)

Cornerbacks

• Starters in Nickel: Bo Masco (boundary), Cade Phillips (field)
• Depth/Rotation: Warren Roberson, Samari Matthews; John Meredith (freshman, possibly in mix sooner than expected)
• Pack’s CB Schematics (38:51): Corners may align left/right or boundary/field; more soft coverage to the field, more press into boundary; press man less common to the wide side.
• Sophomore Ready?: Meredith needs to develop technique, but could push for starting role in year two (41:55).

Talent & Transfer Portal Tension

• Host (43:26): “The strength is the talent and the weakness is the talent… all these guys could immediately start and get good money pretty much at most schools.”

Defensive Package Variations (Base, Nickel, Pass Rush)

• Base vs. Nickel (43:45):
  • Base: Zero nose & two heavy fives (Shafrard excels), more under fronts, softer coverage
  • Nickel: More 2i action, quicker, lighter front, Spence to bench, more nickel/Star DB alignment
• Pass Rush Packages—"Nickel Rabbits/Dime Rabbits":
  • Nickel Rabbits: Focused on getting "fast forward movers" on the field.
  • Core pass rushers: Colin Simmons, Hero Canoe, Xena, Lance, plus blitzing Biles, Ty Anthony Smith, and multiple DBs.
  • Pack’s explanation (46:59): “Anytime you hear nickel rabbits, dime rabbits, dollar rabbits, that's the pass rush package.”
  • Dime rabbits likely more common (more DBs, fewer LBs), with Spence likely to be added for pass rush (48:19).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Insights

• On Fall Camp & Depth Chart Fluidity:
  Pack (02:36): “Those first three installs really aren’t about figuring out who your best players are. They’re just about teaching the guys what to do and how to do it.”

• DE Core Responsibilities:
  Pack (03:41): “Number one thing is you gotta be able to set an edge… understand what run game you’re getting…”

• Jack LB, Summed Up:
  Pack (08:14): “Setting an edge and then taking those little bubble routes, those quick outs—that's the main thing.”

• On ‘Overlap’ at ILB:
  Pack (19:40): “You’re going to see them be a lot more patient because you want to create some overlap to the defense.”

• On the Coverage Vulnerability at Mike:
  Pack (23:00): “That’s the fear… if a team has speed at three…and the linebacker has to take the number two receiver and he has to do it from inside out… you don’t have good leverage…”

• Summary of Nickel/Star Differences:
  Pack (28:51): “You’re going to see [the nickel] more in coverage than the Sam… you do need a little bit more of a coverage oriented player for the nickel or for the Star.”

• Safety—On Jelani McDonald:
  Host quoting Simmons (36:59): “Jelani… is a heat-seeking missile when you watch him run into the box.”

• Depth/Talent Management:
  Host (43:26): “The strength is the talent and the weakness is the talent… these guys could immediately start and get good money at most schools.”

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:36 – Pack on DE Competition & Why Depth Charts Are Fluid
• 03:41 – Must-Champ DE Responsibilities
• 05:27 – Ian reads the tea leaves on DE roles in base vs nickel
• 08:14 – Pack summarizes the Jack LB duties
• 09:48 – Pack breaks down inside DL jobs in this defense
• 13:25 – Ian: Watson’s new role could unlock his full potential
• 15:18 – Sam/nickel distinctions and fit
• 19:40 – Pack: Mike/Mac role, importance of patience and “overlap”
• 23:00 – Where Mike can get exposed if matched with speed
• 26:09 – Ian: Biles is the key, best at Will
• 28:51 – Star (nickel) differences from Sam, why coverage skills matter
• 31:54 – Pack: Safety responsibilities (field vs boundary) in detail
• 36:59 – Simmon’s take on Jelani McDonald: “heat-seeking missile”
• 38:51 – Pack on CB roles and alignment
• 43:26 – Host on Texas’ “good problem” (talent logjam)
• 46:59 – Pass rush packages explained (nickel/dime rabbits)

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Flow, Tone, & Closing Thoughts

The episode maintains a technical but accessible tone—aimed at Texas fans who want to know the “why” behind the defensive depth chart, not just the “who.” The analysts make a point to explain intricate schematic concepts (overlap linebacking, pass rush packages, run fits) in simpler terms, always circling back to how these concepts will manifest on Saturdays this fall. There’s a sense of both optimism for the room’s depth and awareness of the challenges in balancing development, scheme fit, and—uniquely in today’s NIL era—roster management.

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Recommended For:
Anyone following Texas Football who wants not only player-by-player updates but a true understanding of modern defensive structure, key positional battles, and how the coaching staff will deploy and maximize an extremely talented roster in 2026.

Transcript

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[Host]

Everybody, welcome to the Saturday school. We normally do must champ school here where we teach you some schemes. We're gonna do something a little bit different today because Eric released an article a couple days ago about the projected defensive depth chart. So we're gonna get the opinions of Ian and package what that actually means with those players in those spots. But first, head over to inside Texas where you can join for $1 right now. And then on top of that, you get 50 off your first year. Just click that link in the description. It'll take you right there to sign up. We'd be excited to see you. All right, let's not waste any time, fellas. Let's start with defensive end. So right here, the key thing that's interesting is that it's being listed Right now as Lance, Jackson or Xena, and they both weigh about the same as well. So not a clear starter as of right now. Does that tell you anything, Ian or Pack?

[Pack]

I don't think so. You know, a lot of stuff gets determined in fall camp when you're trying to figure out what you're actually going to do over the course of the season. Right when you're thinking about what you're doing in the winter, the spring and the summer, a lot of the time you're really installing your base concepts. You're teaching guys, you know, the fundamentals of the system. You're telling them the base techniques of things to play. Fall is more so where you really figure out, you know, who you are and what you're going to be able to do. And that's where you'll be able to see, you know, what does Lance do really well, what does Xena do really well, and then how do they fit generally within the structure of how those other 10 guys are going to fit in terms of does one guy help the line a little bit more than the other? So I don't know that it. It's really all that concerning or all that like, intriguing to me just because, you know, those first three installs really aren't about figuring out who your best players are. They're just about teaching the guys what to do and how to do it.

[Host]

What does this position get asked if you could name like the top three things, what is the defensive end in the mustache?

[Pack]

Yeah, so when you're talking about a defensive end, you're really talking about a strong side end. So when you're in a mid front, this is the four eye that does not have the jack to his side. So you have to be able to hold the point of attack. And really you have to be able to take on double teams because most of the time you're going to be set to the field and your, your overhang to that side is going to be the star. And they're going to try to leave him out of the fit for RPO purposes. So you've got to be able to really hold the point. You got to be able to play a little bit tighter on that tackle, not give up any space in that B gap, force the ball to bubble out and give the star time to first read, run past to know that it is a run, and then get involved. So really the number one thing is you got to be able to set an edge. And then in four down, you have to have a good understanding of how to Play with proper rush lane discipline. You can't be going into the B gap and then giving up outside contain. Because when you're in four down, a lot of the time you're playing something that's a little bit more match heavy. And when you're not playing something that's Ripley is when you're in cover seven, when you're in cover one, you don't have anyone who's looking at the quarterback most of the time. So you got to do a really good job of keeping guys caged in the pocket. So that's the number two thing. And then the number three thing is you got to be able to understand what run game you're getting. And this kind of holds for every position on the front four. You got to know if the tackle arcs out, are you getting midline read, are you getting power arc? You got to know what, in terms of what you're getting, are you getting just a simple zone play? If the tackle blocks down, are you getting zone to the opposite side, are you getting counter all of that stuff. So really the three things are you got to be able to hold the point, you got to be able to rush with proper discipline. And then you got to be able to understand what are you getting. From a run game perspective.

[Ian]

There is a. There is a clue as to which of these guys is better at which of those two things. And that's that in base they had Eric sourcing, had Xena as the. As the number one defensive end and base and then Jackson as the number one defensive end in nickel. So if we are still assuming, I think we are, that the nickel package is. Will have mint but will probably be more over front heavy then it. That could be an indicator that from what they've seen so far, they think Lance is the better four down end and Xena is the better three downed guy.

[Host]

And generally these guys are going to be larger too though both those guys are at 275. Vosic, what was he like? 250 something?

[Ian]

252.

[Host]

Yeah. Still a little bit lighter than we'd want, but he has the frame to be 275. He's just not there yet. And then of course Jamari and Carlton, who is so big that he has a potential to end up as a three tech in his career. So think bigger guys or at least the goal. Bigger guys, longer, bigger frame.

[Ian]

All right, I don't, I don't think this is gonna happen because they have Wesley and a Rugbo. But Pack, what would you think of the 27 team playing like Jackson and Xena together as either four eye.

[Pack]

So like putting a nose and then having your two four eyes be Xena Lance and then having your Jack be Wesley.

[Ian]

Yeah, yeah, sure. Or dime or whatever.

[Pack]

Yeah, you could do that as long as you felt like Xena could hold the point. Really, that's. Especially if you're gonna put him to the side of. Of Wesley. I feel like you'd feel pretty conf. Pretty comfortable with that. As long as. As long as he's somewhat okay against doubles and he's not getting. And he's not getting put five yards deep into. Into the back. Into the secondary.

[Ian]

Yeah. Big. Biggest.

[Pack]

Yeah.

[Host]

All right, let's hit Jack. Colin Simmons gonna be the starter. I know we're shocked by that. But it is interesting that Richard Wesley, who reclassified, right, so he's supposed to be a high school senior right now, is projected as the second Jack. And we've heard great things about him too. Just mentality wise and confidence and skill wise too. And then a rogue go at that three spot. And if you watched all 22 last year, a rogo had the second best step on the team behind Simmons. So he had that pure pass rusher kind of get off. But he wasn't very big. So these are the. I don't think this is a. It's a little shocking on the freshman being at two here in the projection. But what. What's a. What does a Jack need to do quickly and then we can talk about the actual players.

[Pack]

Yeah. So really the Jack is more of a key spot when we're talking about mint. Because he's going to be. When you're talking about mint. Right. You've got those three interior players. He's the only guy on the line who's going to be shaded outside of a tackle or the end man on the line of scrimmage. Most of the time you know when they're going to run mint, they're going to run mint for Mod, which means he's going to be a first to flat player into the boundary. So he's going to be a run first player. Once he sees run, he's trying to set the edge, make sure nothing goes beyond him. And then on pass he's going to take whoever's first outside. So really that's the main thing. It's setting an edge and then taking those little bubble routes, those quick out stuff like that.

[Host]

Okay, cool. Is there anything interesting here, Ian, about the switch of Wesley or Rogbo? Am I reading too much into it?

[Ian]

No, I Wesley is so good. The thing that was funny to me is that a roguebo has put on like £15 since Wesley arrived at campus and I think that there's three. I think that roguebow is really getting pushed.

[Host]

Yeah. And he should. He has a lot of natural ability. He just needs the size.

[Ian]

He'll be fine. They are in awesome shape to for the post Simmons era.

[Host]

Yeah, absolutely. All right, let's move on to interior D line pairings. So let's talk broad picture pack. Just kind of what. What does that even. What does it mean? Does that pairing mean. I know there's a lot of different ways they can do it, but what are the jobs of. The defensive tackle knows all that.

[Pack]

Yeah. So when you're in four down, they're gonna interchange all the time. Like you're gonna see the nose at three technique a lot and then you'll see the tackle at two I a lot and you'll see them, you know, bump in and out just based off of formation and some other game plan stuff. And really it's just so that way. You know, if you've always got one guy being a two eye another being a three, well, if you're setting it to the tight end or setting it to the back, once the back flips or the tight end goes across pre snap, you know to have to set your two eye to bump them over, that means the three technique literally has to walk backwards and up to get to the other side to get to the other three techniques. So you'll see really there's not a whole lot of distinction when we're talking about the nose and the tackle. They're both interior players, so you're going to see them both play two I they're both going to play three technique. The only difference is the two eyes going to be a react attack player. So he's going to feet, hands, hips. So he's trying to match the footwork of the guard. He's gonna, he's gonna key the guard. If the guard goes away, he's gonna stretch with him. He's going to try to really make that tackle, make the, make the center work. If he sees the guard work to him, he's going to try to really close up that space in the A gap, pretty much just eat the space. And then the three techniques can allow it to be a little bit more aggressive. Get upfield, be vertical, cut the playoff. Really you're thinking about if a three technique gets vertical that B gap to the back, it's not really there anymore. And what you've effectively done is you've cut out the C gap as well. So that's, that's the big one with those two interior players. And then in four down, the defensive tackle is going to be the four eye to the side of the jack. So it's, he's going to be a bit heavier. Just that way the jack's a little bit more protected and he can play off the ball a little bit because really the jack's not a C gap player. He's a D gap player when we're talking about with a tight end there. So you need something that will help you prevent the ball getting to that C gap really quick. So that way the linebacker can be a bit more patient and really flow and fit off the back. So for him, he's got to be really, really good at handling those double teams. He's got to be a really physical guy. And then on pass he's not going to be asked to do a whole lot when we're talking about Mitt because he's going to go from a 4i to out to contain in the C gap. And you're very rarely going to get any pass rush from that.

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[Host]

Cool. Let's look at some of the pairings here and you can give me your thoughts. The first one projected starting is Hero Canoe. Yeah. Okay, makes sense. And then we have Alex January or Gifford. Griffard looked awesome in the spring game, but Eric notes I'll have a little bit more clarity on the position in the last section, but January and Gifford are basically 1A and 1B. And then Watson in that second rotation is playing with more power at the point of attack. He had issues with getting doubled back five yards last season. Didn't have to play strength. So to hear that is great. So you're gonna see Hero and Murad as one in first and second string and then some pairing of whoever is not first string between January and Gifford will play in that second string. But I feel comfortable with this lineup. Ian.

[Ian]

Yeah, they're. Watson is going to get to play much more aggressively in these pairings that are drawn up here. And for anyone that remembers coming out of Syracuse, he played like five technique in four eye and some three, and he was like an upfield kind of player. And then he came to Texas and they're like, okay, here's the two eye and you're going to gap and a half this guard. And it was like he was okay, but they totally took what made him special at Syracuse and they're like, that's great. Now let's see if you can do something totally different. And this, these pairings would allow him to be much closer to Syracuse Watson. So I. I'd be very curious to see if that reveals a different player.

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[Host]

And then some quick thoughts that Myron Charles is coming along. Justice Terry is hard to slot because he was hurt, but also positionally flexible. He's kind of in that tweener range. And then Josiah Sharma also will be ready for some snaps. So even down to the third string here, you can see there's a lot of interesting players. So we have unique depth at this spot too. It's almost a shame Tier D line rarely kind of gets mentioned. So many interesting spots on the defense and the offense, but what Kenny Baker's done there, the recruiting efforts have done there, that's just a really, really solid room with intriguing thoughts down even to the third string. Are you ready to go to linebacker first? Let's talk Sam here. And Sam is the linebacker that's on the field if you're not in nickel. And he has a unique role, I guess, to the modern game because there's so many nickels now that people have kind of lost what a Sam is. But can you explain the Sams broadly but also specifically in. In must chance world?

[Pack]

Yeah. So the Sam is the base version of the nickel. So he's going to go to the passing strength. He's going to go opposite the Jack. I didn't mention that with the Jack, but that is one of the features of. Of it is, you'll see the jack is almost always aligned away from the star. And I do that because that's how Mint works. You want the jack and star opposite. So do the same thing in four down. Just to keep everything same as. And keep the teaching the same, keep the formational stuff the same. So the same as the nickel. He's gonna be on the passing strength side and he's pretty much going to do all the same stuff. Now when they're in base, you'll see them play a lot of three down and when they play three down, it's unlike Mint in the sense of they don't play with four eyes in terms of their base formation. Their base formation will be heavy fives, so it'll be the the end and then the tackle are going to be head up on the two tackles and then they'll play heavy, which means, you know, they're going to read the blocks and they're going to see if it's zone. Then they'll work to the B gap late based off of the flow of the back. If they see that it's gap scheme, they're going to stay in that C gap and they'll step outside. So it's a true two technique or it's a true two gap technique. And so for the sam, it's the same thing with the nickel. You're going to be a late force fitter when they're in what they call guts for mod. Otherwise you're really going to be playing. You're going to be playing outside of two. When you're in Ripley's, you're going to be playing with your match rules. And a lot of the time when they're really.

[Host]

What does outside of two mean for the layman?

[Pack]

Yeah. So you're going to line outside of two. When we're talking about Ripley's, you really want to be about five to seven yards behind number two. So you want five to seven yards of space.

[Host]

And then outside of number two means the. The second receiver inside right.

[Pack]

Yes.

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[Pack]

And you're gonna just scooch back in the seam. Take it. If it's vertical, right, it's zone first. And then if you get a vertical or an out route, it turns into man coverage for the star and in this case the sam. But that's really it. It's the same thing as the nickel. You're gonna see them blitz a lot more when they're in base because they've got a lot of those. A lot of their packages will bring the sam's. That way they don't have to have a linebacker playing in coverage and they can ask a safety who's going to be a little bit more prone to that and a little bit more adjusted for that.

[Host]

Okay. So the SAM will have being some blitz packages he'll have to cover sometimes, and of course he'll have to stop the run. But he's a bigger body. He's more of a linebacker. That's why the nickel is not out there. So we get Brad Spence, who's a really interesting player that I think everyone all off season is like, how is he really going to be utilized? But you also have the freshman Kosiak Paula, who also is getting a lot of praise. Futures bright there Future Sam, as you can see, is ranked number two in anything specific about Sam that catches your eye or ready to move on.

[Ian]

I would be hesitant about how relevant this will be this season except the week two opponent has like three tight ends that came in the transfer portal, Ohio State. So there's a chance that it's like extremely relevant in week two and then maybe not again for the rest of the year. So I don't, I don't know about Spence and coverage. I don't know what he would look like in. In these coverage scenarios that Pack is laying out and it's not like the guys behind him are likely to be any better. So I'm very curious about the extent to which they use this position versus a big nickel. And I don't. I really don't know. We'll. We'll find out, but we'll find like

[Host]

they're gonna install it for. Just to get another pass rusher on the field. And Brad Spence, because that's really where he shines.

[Ian]

No, I don't. I don't think so.

[Host]

I don't even know if he's in nickel rat exact. But I've. That's Spence's skill set is what I'm trying to point out is he's more of a forward pass rusher than like drop back guy or coverage guy.

[Ian]

Yeah, he'll be in the pass rush packages, which I believe we'll get to at the end. Yep, he'll be very prominent in those.

[Host]

All right, next up we got the middle linebacker. The mic, which is not.

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[Host]

I think we've had to make a decision just to go with Mike Will on some of these and not so we don't confuse the hell out of the audience. But Pat, give us the. The name and the must champ system for the. The middle linebacker and then what their kind of key role is or are they flexible with the Will?

[Pack]

Yeah. So the mic is the Mac spelled M A C. The original. The original, like meaning behind it was because it was a Mack truck. And when you look at what that body type was in the early 2000 and tens, it was like you were trying to be a Mack truck. You were trying to run through everyone and anything since then, it's kind of evolved, especially when they're in mint. And the thing with them, in terms of what they're going to be asked to do in the run fit is you're almost never going to see them play like a Mack truck and run through a gap. You're going to see them be a lot more patient because you want to create some overlap to the defense. And when I say overlap, I mean if you think about if you have an open B gap to the side of a backer and that backer plugs in that B gap and the ball winds back all the way to the other side, that linebacker has zero chance of making any play. Right. Whereas if you're in that, if you've got that open B gap and you take two steps to it, you get your feet in the gap and then you wait for the back to make a move and he works the other side. Now, I can overlap based off the back, the back and I can then become a new hat to the front side where the back is. So that's one of the big things is you'll notice is they will not plug gaps the way that team like A M might. They'll be a lot more patient. And that's because they're trying to create overlap. They're trying to make sure you don't give up explosives. Because you can give up two yards two times and get a team into third and six, whereas you may get a TFL and get a team in a second and 13, but then two plays later you gave up a 30 yard run because you have nobody on that second level, you'll take that a lot more. So that's the big one. In terms of coverage though, it's really. They're not going to be asked to do a whole lot because the only time that they're ever gonna have to take three in coverage is when they're in. When the other team is in a tray set. So they're in nub. So it's three by one and the one is the tight end. That's the only time that the Mac would ever have to carry three vertically and they would need to be in a specific coverage for it. Outside of that, you'll occasionally see them when they're in cover three. Have to. When they're in, when the other team's in three by one, they will have to take three up and back with what's known as a three up is three technique. But the thing that helps them there is just like you would in Seahawk or just like you wouldn't cut, you're allowed to play in the inside trail. So you're allowed to be on that low hip.

[Keenan Thompson]

Yeah.

[Pack]

Not asked to be incredibly tight to it. You want to be, but it's not the end of the world if you're not as long as you're in that inside trail. And that's really the big ones in coverage. Otherwise, it's a lot of. It's a lot of relating to the running back. So having him in coverage and then the other one, that's pretty big one is just zone coverage. So you're dropping to a 45 to the hook curl and then you'll blitz a lot. And those are really the key things for them, outside of when they're in mint, where they're going to be an A to C fitter, where they're stacking a two gap player, and then they're either going to fit A or C, depending on where the back goes.

[Host]

So are you worried? So our fear was with Juice Cryer, who's gotten great reviews. The initial fear is that he didn't have great foot speed. And so we're like, oh, no, if he gets stuck in coverage, then we're going to be in trouble. Is that less of a concern to you, though, knowing the scheme, that he won't be asked to do that as often, or are you just worried about a fast back, a fast number three that does have the foot speed and it will be a problem.

[Pack]

Yeah, I think it'll be a problem in spots like the big one that you really think about. And it's part of the reason why a lot of people don't like cover three is if you remember the 2020 National Championship where tough Borland is on Devonte Smith and he runs the over route and it's a. And it's a foot race and he lo. And Borland loses it by a lot. That's like the fears. If a team has speed at three, and when I say speed at three, most of the time when we're talking about three by one, the Y is the one who's the three. Yeah. So if a team were to put the slot or the Z there or the X there.

[Keenan Thompson]

Right.

[Pack]

That's where you get into a little bit of fear, especially if it's a three open set where they're not attached or they're not in the core, you may see some concerns there in terms of when they're in cover three or cover six, which is weak rotation. Cover three, that's the one where you're a little bit fearful. But like, outside of that, with the fast back or the fast three, you know, a lot of Times in any coverage that they're in. If the back is really fast, they're going to have a fast three and they'll just push the coverage over and it'll turn into zone. That's how it works when they're in cover seven. When they're in zone match quarters. When they're in a zone match, cover three, which is the ripless stuff. So a lot of the times you're protected from that fast motion. Now, cover one is the one situation where that can be problematic because if you are to the side of the back and he is fast, there is no push mechanic. You're not putting. You would never put the nickel on the running back when the running back is fast because then that means the linebacker now has to take the number two receiver and he has to do it from inside out. And you don't want to do that because you don't have good. You don't have good leverage to play anything from there. So that's, that's the one case you know, is with COVID one and those fast backs. But that's such a small, like, contextual situation that you're maybe not as worried as you would be if you were a team that played something like the Aranda stuff where there is no fast three.

[Host]

Okay, so we see. That was good intel. So we see backing up at Mike is Ty Anthony Smith, but he's also backing up Biles as well. So you can see our depth here is unique. And then third is Spence. He kind of gets slotted in, which makes sense because if we're not in that base, look where Spence is at that same spot.

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You.

[Host]

You still want to find ways to integrate him. So I thought maybe he'd be the number two Mike. But right here we're projecting third so you could see Spence at either linebacker spot or even Ty Anthony Smith as we get these young guys to grow up who are all in very unique roles. But right now we're kind of making it work with some talented guys. But it's. The depth's not crazy. Let's talk Will Ian Rasheen. Biles is there. So what do you think are the major factors here? He's at 222.

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You're.

[Host]

You're a Biles non believer. So that's why I threw it to you. I just wanted to see.

[Ian]

I mean, that the BIOS now. I'm not a BIOS now believer.

[Host]

No, you're. Yeah. You're a heretic. Unbelievable.

[Ian]

In the great one, Miles is the only surefire really good linebacker on the team. Yeah, and they are going to play him in the position that fits him best. They don't want to waste him at Mike when he could be doing great things at will or money. So he's going to play Will. They're going to blitz him on early downs. They're gonna try to get Tyler Atkinson up to speed in that. But in the meantime it's going to be the Bile show. I bet he's not. I bet he's on the field an awful lot. Like they can spell him with Dianthony Smith and Ty Anthony Smith is a better fit here than at Mike correctly. I bet they'd like to get to a place where Rocky Cummings can play more at Mike as the season goes on because he's more of a natural there. They also have spins in parentheses. It might care. So like maybe he could play here some. I don't know what exactly that means.

[Host]

Means we don't have a lot of depth so we're trying to figure out multiple for everybody.

[Ian]

But yeah, Biles is the the key to this group and they're gonna orient themselves on him being as impactful as possible.

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[Host]

Let's look at star the nickel position, the fifth db. Right now we have Grayson Littleton, Xavier fils me who moved down from safety and then Wardell Mack. Eric's notes quickly. Xavier Phil to me has impressed at nickel since the move. Will Muschamp is said to see like what he sees there and then Matt can play star or corner. We talked about what the Sam does. What you said was similar to the nickel. It's A skinnier, faster version of that I don't think we need to necessarily go through. Was there anything about the Sam that the nickel does differently besides the body type?

[Pack]

Yeah, you're going to see him more in coverage than the Sam. You know, I mentioned that they'll blitz the same a lot to get him out of coverage. They won't do that as much with the nickel. They'll have some pressures with him. But you by and large they'll be in coverage a lot. They'll have to play more man, especially when we're Talking about COVID 7 outside of when they're playing mod, which they'll do a lot in mint. But when they're in four down and playing cover seven, you will see him in coverage a lot, whether that's playing Bracket or playing Stubby or playing Seahawk. We did videos on all those. But really the gist of those is that is really man coverage for the Star. He's gonna have to play it as man. So you do need a little bit more of a coverage oriented player for the nickel or for the Star. And you'll see them anytime they're in four down and they're not playing mod, which Georgia hasn't played mod out of four down and quite a lot in quite a while. And I anticipate Texas won't play a lot of four down mod. So a lot of the times when they're in four down you're actually going to see the nickel aligned outside of two and he'll be able to fit the run a little bit later. And they'll do some things to help the nickel and help the Star get in the fit a little bit later than maybe you would if you weren't playing, you know, some form of split safety or you weren't trying to gum the front up.

[Host]

Ian, any Nickel thoughts?

[Ian]

No. We had some question about whether Littleton was like continuing to be awesome and build on last year it had been kind of quiet and then in this depth chart he's first string corner and base and then moves inside in his first string star and nickel. So it seems like they are not dissatisfied with what they've seen.

[Host]

It could almost be that thing where you overlook like we do with interior D line because it's like it's so solid it's not interesting to give intel about. And then we take that as well. Why aren't they talking about little antennas? Like because he's the starter and he's good.

[Ian]

Yeah. Like Canoe could have a first team all SEC season. Yeah, indeed. It's possible Canoe could be the best player on the defense this year. Probably not, but it's like within the realm of possibility. And we don't talk about him that way at all.

[Host]

And we only ever talk about Colin in relation to if he's going to drop back or rush. But we don't talk about having Colin Simmons because. Because it's kind of a given. We're already, we've already become fat on our talent, which is a good situation to be in. All right, let's talk some safety here. Field safety strong and boundary free. Is that correct in the system? Okay, cool. So field safety will be the strongest safety. Boundary safety will be called the free safety. So field safety playing in more space, the starter is Jelani McDonald right now. We're not shocked there. And then behind him is going to be Kobe Black. Makes sense. That's a former corner. And then you have Jonah Williams, who is the, the magical player that everyone is super curious to see if we are able to maximize between the two sports and all these injuries. First things first. What is a field safety or a strong safety need to be able to do effectively?

[Pack]

Yeah, so when they're in middle field closed, it's not a whole lot. The big one is they're going to be the ones that are playing with that cheat technique. So that's the three kicksteps towards the middle of the field. You're reading the end man on the line of scrimmage. If you get a low hat, you're transitioning your eyes to the backfield and you're watching the mesh. If you see that it's given, then you know it's a run and you can fit basically as a cutback player where you're just trying to make sure that if the ball were to ever wind back, you're there. You're just a fit where needed player. If you're, if you see that the quarterback has pulled it well, then you're trying to see is it an rpo, Right? If it's an RPO and it's a glance to your side, well, you can drive on that a little bit faster because when you're playing cover three, you're rolling away. So there's going to be space in the, in the area that you roll away from so you can be there to hold in that glance window or if there's a slant, you know, be able to wreck a little bit quicker. And then when you know that it's not an RPO and you get a hi hat read from the offensive line it's just a smooth pedal into the back into the secondary, and you're just playing off the quarterback's eyes. You're going to angle pedal based off of where his first look is. You're going to drive on the second and then you'll end up speed turning or baseball turning if the quarterback hasn't thrown it by the time he looks to his third read.

[Host]

Sorry. I was gonna say. So it's. I know that there's nuance here, but generally for the fan is that the safety that's going to be the high

[Pack]

safety, when they're in middle field close and it's a two by two set. Yes. When it's a three by one one, they'll will be the one that's down, especially if they're playing man coverage.

[Host]

Gotcha. All right. And then any thoughts there, Ian, for how those players fit to that skill set?

[Ian]

Yeah. I asked Eric about this when this came out and I was like, hey, are we sure it's Jelani at strong and not free? Because in the spring it was mostly Williams at strong and. And Jelani at free and then back and correct me, but the field safety in two by two, middle of field closed and in quarters is more likely to get into the box than the field safety. So usually it's like the Ranger athlete at field safety.

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Right.

[Ian]

And then like your tougher enforcer guy that you want to get involved in the run game faster at. At boundary. So I thought they're gonna play Jelani at free so that he's around the box more. And they apparently played with it both ways. And right now they think this is best.

[Host]

Okay.

[Ian]

Because they've switched it around a little bit back and forth, which makes me a little bit nervous about. I was thinking that Williams at strong safety in the spring meant that he was like the Raptor.

[Host]

The Raptor.

[Ian]

The Raptor's back.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Ian]

And if they felt like Jelani needs to play there instead, that makes me wonder if that hasn't quite materialized consistently

[Host]

the way that his speed's not all the way there.

[Ian]

Yep. Or maybe not his speed, but like his hips or something like that.

[Pack]

Sorry. The one thing I'll add about that is, you know, you do want your boundary safety or really the free safety, you do want them to be good in coverage because like we were talking about with two by two, when you're in middle field closed, they're either playing Ripley or they're playing cover one. So you are going to need to play in coverage on the wire, whoever the boundary Number two is. So it could be one of those where you know, it may feel like Derek's really good in coverage and when that's the case, you know, you do want your, you need more. So you do need your boundary side safety to be really getting coverage because he's going to be asked to do that a lot.

[Ian]

But, but two years ago when Georgia won the SEC title, they had, I can't remember if it was Starks or Bolden, but they had their star safety at strong and then they had the like 60 year white dude as the free safety.

[Pack]

Yeah, Dan Jackson.

[Ian]

Dan Jackson, who is, he was good but he was more of a like physical enforcer than a. You didn't want to see him like turning his hips and running with people.

[Host]

So.

[Ian]

Yeah.

[Host]

But also it could just be that they're both athletic still. It doesn't mean that one of them stands Jackson either, you know, so it's like it could be that one's just slightly more suited, are a little bit more athletic. Cross training helps too.

[Ian]

I don't know if this is about mitigating weaknesses or maximizing strengths. I would have thought that if it were about maximizing strengths that McDonald would be at boundary, but I don't know that for sure. And so that's my.

[Host]

I don't know because Jelani was, I mean it was high school but. But Johnny was like. There was talks that Johnny could be a corner when he came in.

[Ian]

Yeah, but his the name of his game. Like Simmons was saying yesterday, he has

[Host]

a heat seeking missile when you watch him like run into the box.

[Ian]

So yeah, he comes down and he wrecks. Bleep.

[Host]

Yeah. And he does. If you saw them all 22, if he got the gap right, he would like fire into the B gap and hit the back three yards in the backfield. So he does.

[Ian]

Maybe they like, maybe they think that the, the way that works out best though is to have Jelani as a cheat. Strong safety in the middle and then any two by two at all, he's running the alley with bad intentions and that maybe they think that that's the best. I don't know.

[Host]

We'll see. I feel safety is definitely a position of intrigue. His linebacker and safety I'm keeping an eye on. All right, and then Jordan Johnson rebel behind Derrick Williams right now. So we will see how safety goes. Let's continue on forward, gentlemen. Now we have cornerback pairings and right now we have in nickel. Bo Masco and Cade Phillips are going to be paired together. That's not a Shock to anyone. Then the next round would be Warren Roberson with Samari Matthews. That's great to hear. We've heard awesome things about Somari, of course, John Meredith just reclassified. Stark says something interesting in the presser because they asked about his timeline and I assumed he was going to be like, you know, we don't know if it's year two, but he's like, I don't know if it'll be week one, four or eight. And I'm like, that's still a very fast timeline for John Meredith, too. I was expecting him to push it off to next season because they literally weren't expecting him this season, but could see him get in the mix as well. I think we feel really excited about the possibility and potential of this room. We've seen awesome things from Cade Roberson, saw great things from Bo when he's Rutgers, but we don't know. No, but I think everyone's excited about this room. What's the kind of the key things for cornerback pack or is there a difference in what the cornerbacks need to be able to do depending on their side of the field?

[Pack]

Yeah, it depends on how they play them right in terms of corners, you can, you can play them left, right, you can play them boundary into the field. You can, you can do. You can do it based off a matchup where you'll have sometimes going to be to the boundary, sometimes they'll be to the field, sometimes they'll be on the right, sometimes they'll be on the left dependent on who is where. So a lot of it depends on, you know, what's the structure that they're trying to use. If they're playing boundary and field with the safeties, they're probably doing boundary and field with the corners. And I would imagine Cade's the field corner and then Bo is playing into the boundary with the field. You know, you see them bail a lot early when they're in Ripley's because there's a lot more space. You have to cover a lot more space for the ball to be thrown to the boundary. They get to play a little bit more press, especially when they're in any form of three deep simulated pressure. You'll see them play really man coverage into the boundary and then they'll play the Ripley softer stuff to the field. So that's, that's the big one is you'll see. You won't see nearly as much press into the field. And when they play press, you're not going to see that like bump and run, you know, hard press where they're playing, they're not moving their feet back and they're really trying to get a two hand jam. And if we're talking about inches like disrupted timing, hard press is more like we're trying to destroy the timing. You'll see a lot less of that to the field. You'll see a lot more of that to the boundary. Just because if you get beat, impressed to the field, that is a lot of space to give up into the boundary. There's less space for a receiver to operate.

[Host]

There's also too because like the number one to the field, it's like that's a gener if they don't break inside, that's generally a harder throw for the quarter quarterback too, so. But you do, you do anticipate Moscow being the better man corner then.

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Okay.

[Host]

And any thoughts before we go into the other packages?

[Ian]

I want to hear Pack talk about where he thinks Meredith will end up on the depth chart by the end of this year. Because Pack is kind of our. Our Meredith whisperer. Whisperer. Yeah.

[Pack]

Yeah. I think he ends up playing to the field. I don't know that I think he's gonna play much this year because it is a really different system he's gonna learn. And I do think there is some stuff that has to get cleaned up. I really like right now. If you talk about him, he's really, really good as a cloud corner where he can sink under one and just read the quarterback in cover three. A lot of what you have to do is you have to be really sound in terms of your upper body footwork. You got to do a really good job of keeping your chest over your toes and keeping. If we talk about the field side or if you're going to my left, if that's the side that someone's running to, you've got to keep the other shoulder down so you can break down on the ball. Stuff like that, you know, he's got to work on and you know that can take some time. So I don't know that I think he's gonna play much this year outside of maybe, you know, if they're up 63 against someone that's like, probably I'd put him. Please, please, Lord, probably in that like cornerback three spot fighting with Hayward Howard. But then I think, you know, you give him an entire year and a half to learn the entire playbook. I do think he's gonna be. I do think by his sophomore year he'll be a starter and he'll probably be the field corner.

[Host]

Yeah. The only thing that I agree with you. That's why I surprised Stark's timeline. He acted like he was being non committal. And it was still way sooner than I thought. But the reality is too. Meredith's not a cheap player to get. He was in. So it's also. There's that part, you know, where it's just like. I mean, we're paying him to be. To be here. So there might be some times where he wiggles into the lineup due to other factors, I guess.

[Ian]

Who starts opposite him in 2027?

[Pack]

Cade.

[Ian]

So smoke Matthews and Warren Roberson are still on the bench?

[Pack]

Yeah, I think they both play a lot. I think this is one of Those where in 27, similar to last year with like Georgia or like Notre Dame or lsu, I think you'll see three corners and you'll see them rotate pretty often. Where LSU played Delane Woodland and Pickett a lot. Notre Dame played Gray, golden more. All those guys a lot. And then Georgia played Everett Robinson and I'm forgetting his name, number 15 a lot. So I think you'll see, you know, I see. I think you'll see them rotate.

[Ian]

Okay. They have a lot of talent, but then the problem becomes that we have a lot.

[Host]

We have too much talent.

[Ian]

Yeah, too much.

[Host]

And these guys are expensive and they.

[Ian]

And they.

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Sure.

[Ian]

So they transfer somewhere and when they have to play them.

[Host]

Yeah, because the problem is we have so much talent, all these guys could immediately start and get good money pretty much at most schools. So the strength is the talent and the weakness is the talent. All right, so let's talk about some of the things we. We talked base defense through the lens of like what a Sam is.

[Ian]

I teased all this earlier, the discrepancies.

[Host]

Yeah. So what are the major differences? Just point them out quick.

[Pack]

Ian.

[Host]

What's different from base versus the.

[Ian]

The nickel, which you see mostly here in this iteration? They. Well, they have Jafar and Xena in base. In a nickel, they have January as the 2i with no nose. I mean, he'll probably play some 0 too, but yeah, it goes. It goes from being Canoe and Jafrard to Canoe in January. Jackson replaces Xena and Littleton slides inside and replaces Brad Spence, who goes to the bench. That's it.

[Host]

Does that. Does that tell you anything? Pack or. Makes sense.

[Pack]

Yeah, it makes sense. When I was talking about when they're in base, their base front is that zero and the two heavy fives. That's what Shafrard really is great at, you know, He's a little heavy to be a really good two eye right now. Just because you do, you do need to be able to mirror a 320 pound garden when you're 50 pounds heavier than them. That's not always the easiest thing to do. But when you're zero, your center has to snap the ball before their feet ever move. So it gives you a little bit more time to really react and mirror your feet.

[Ian]

So it looked surprisingly good in the spring.

[Host]

Yeah, Griffard looked nice. It's still 375 though. There's some physics involved.

[Pack]

Yeah. And you know, there's going to be some really good centers in the SEC too. So that's, that'll also play a factor there. And they're not really a whole lot of surprises when we're talking about the front. You know, Simmons is going to probably play the jack or be aligned to the boundary. Canoe is going to play one of the heavy fives. And when they're in the actual mint version, when they're in base, he'll play a four. I really. The thing with bass is you see them play a lot more under fronts than they will when they're in nickel. And they'll do that because it allows them to walk the Sam down into what's known as a backer nine. So they're presenting a five man front that's. That's really the big one. And I think you'll see Spence do that a lot where really you end up in a penny front that's not really a penny front. And you get Simmons and Spence both on the line and having them be able to set the edge is probably a pretty good idea. And then in the secondary, it's not a whole lot of surprises. They don't play a ton of COVID one when they're in base and they really play a little bit more of softer coverage, whether that's country cover three or mod. And that's where Littleton and Moscow are going to play a little bit more off coverage. Not nearly as much press, so not a whole lot of super big insights into what they're doing when they're in base.

[Host]

Well, the average fan, that's a lot of insight, but not, not to pack or Ian. But that is interesting. Let's go to the pass rush focus. And so if you. I just want fans to know, if you hear nickel rabbits, we're thinking pass rush centric. Is that correct? Pack?

[Pack]

Yeah. Anytime you hear nickel rabbits, dime rabbits, dollar rabbits, that's the pass rush package.

[Host]

Okay. So we know it as what in NASCAR formally. What were some. Do we have any other words for it? On previous coaches

[Ian]

they've had all sorts of stuff. The best was the 38 special which was the dollar package they had for a minute with Orlando that they played against LSU before they got all the safeties on the team injured.

[Host]

So here is where the coaches are telling you these things. They think these guys are fast forward movers and can get to quarterbacks. So we have Colin Simmons. That's not surprising. Hero Canoe, not surprising. Now they have Xena and Lance here, so that's a good sign. Rashin Biles, who we think is going to be a massive blitzer for us. Ty Anthony Smith, Grayson, Littleton, Jelani, Derek Bo and Cade. So when it's third and eight you can see the nickel rabbits come out to play. I guess. Any thoughts here?

[Ian]

I bet you pack will tell you. I think dime rabbits is more likely and I think maybe Canoe it comes out and is replaced by Spence. It'd be my guess.

[Pack]

Yeah, I think you're gonna see a lot more. Well, you see a lot of both. You know they. A lot of it's based off of. When you're thinking about third down, you're thinking about a lot of things. You're thinking about, you know, what are their route concepts they're going to use. How do we attack their protections? What are we. What does their quarterback do in terms of is he a scrambler? Do we need to focus a little bit more on how do we attack their protections or can we be more coverage oriented mush champs a little bit more like Saban in the sense of they play a lot more dime rabbits. So that's a four hundred sixteen dollar rabbits is a three, two six. So I would imagine it's Ty Anthony Smith who comes out. Whether that's for Warren Roberson or Kobe Black or whoever it is. I think you'll see a little bit more dime rabbits. And then up front, I don't think I'd be surprised at all if Justice Terry replaces either Xena or Hero and plays as a two I or a three. And then I would probably also think Spence gets in there a little bit too.

[Ian]

Yep, he did. In the spring. In the spring they played it. Xena or Jackson would go to three and Spence would play opposites. Wesley on the edge. They also might get Wesley involved in that too. Yeah, I'm sure they will. Maybe just sub.

[Pack]

Yeah, I would. I would want to put Simmons and Wesley together.

[Host]

Cool.

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[Host]

We went through the whole defense and we got some insight and we hope you guys understand the team better and how we can activate these players and show off their strengths and hide some of their weaknesses. Everyone head over to Inside Texas. Join for $1, then half off your first year. Click that link down below and everyone have you a wonderful Saturday. See you.

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[Keenan Thompson]

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[AutoTrader Announcer]

Able to finish in person without starting the process over.

[Keenan Thompson]

Really? Your info stays with you every step of the way.

[AutoTrader Announcer]

Cool. Enjoy.

[Keenan Thompson]

It's Keenan Thompson. Buy your car online on Autotrader. Really?

[Firestone Auto Care Announcer]

Yeah.

[Reese's Commercial Voice]

Maxing is so maxing right now, bro. Get ready for spicy chicken maxing because Carl's Jr. Is saving you big with a 599 maxed out double stack.

[Shell Sweepstakes Announcer]

Double stack.

[Reese's Commercial Voice]

Double stack spicy chicken sandwich. Seriously. Just $5.99 double stack spicy chicken. This is unreal value in the brophe, bro. The new spicy chicken Max Wallet friendly Max Tasty only at Carl's junior Home. Available for a limited time at participating restaurants. Tax unincluded, not valid for use within a combo or a combination with any other offered discount.

[AutoTrader Announcer]

Granger knows when you're a procurement manager for an office park, you're not managing one building, you're managing all of them. And to stay ahead, you need to see through walls and around corners. Lights about to fail, filters ready to clog H Vac on its last leg. If you wait until something breaks, you're already behind. Count on Grainger for quality products, easy reordering and 24. 7 support. Call 1-800-GRAINGER click grainger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done.