Job One: Rebuild Wrecking Crew
Sumlin looking for better defense this year, starting with a trio of talented linebackers
COLLEGE STATION — Texas A&M defensive coordinator John Chavis’ booming voice could be heard over the sound of a passing train Friday night at the Coolidge practice fields.
“Get downhill!” Chavis yelled at his linebackers during the Aggies’ first practice of camp.
After a couple of players didn’t “get downhill” enough for Chavis’ liking during a pad-popping drill, the entire group dropped down for push-ups.
A few moments later, a happier Chavis offered: “There you go, that’s what we’re looking for.”
What the Aggies are looking for past camp is improved play from their linebackers — an uphill battle based on recent results — with the season opener less than a month away, on Sept. 3 at UCLA.
About 20 years ago, A&M dubbed itself “Linebacker U of the South,” based on the bonejarring success of standouts like Quentin Coryatt, Marcus Buckley, John Roper and Dat Nguyen roaming around Kyle Field.
The lack of decent play at linebacker has led to the lack of the nickname “Wrecking Crew” for A&M’s defense the aforementioned men helped uphold, but A&M coach Kevin Sumlin is hopeful that is changing, thanks to the presence of three current players: junior Otaro Alaka,
sophomore Tyrel Dodson and freshman Anthony Hines.
Alaka has fought through injuries his first couple of years at A&M, and Dodson came off the bench in all 13 of the 8-5 Aggies’ games last season. His five tackles in A&M’s season-opening overtime victory against UCLA at Kyle Field were a seasonhigh.
Overall A&M struggled mightily against the run, even allowing an LSU single-game rushing record of 285 yards to Derrius Guice in a 54-39 loss to the Tigers in the regular-season finale. The Aggies allowed 192 rushing yards per game last season, 80th nationally as part of a No. 90 finish in total defense. Those are just a couple of reasons Sumlin received so many questions this offseason about linebacker play.
“Otaro Alaka, it’s time for him to be the guy who was so highly recruited,” Sumlin said. “He’s struggled with some injuries … some shoulder stuff … both those guys (Alaka and Dodson) are about 250 pounds right now, believe it or not, and they look great.”
Hines ‘as advertised’
Hines, one of the top recruits in A&M’s class this year, checks in at 6-3, 220 pounds and is expected to fill out a bit over his freshman season.
“The young guy is as advertised,” Sumlin said of Hines, a Parade and Under Armour All-American. “He had 90-something (scholarship) offers, so somebody knew something. Anthony had a great spring and got a little nicked up at the end, but he’s ready to go.”
Alaka and Dodson have not been available to the media as of yet this summer, and Sumlin does not allow freshmen to talk with the media during their first season of play.
The Aggies’ starting defensive ends from last season, Myles Garrett and Daeshon Hall, are off to the NFL (Garrett was the No. 1 overall selection), so Sumlin has said he expects Chavis to employ more multiple fronts and disguises. Meaning that also impacts how many linebackers will be on the field at once.
“We’ll get guys on the field we think we can win with,” Sumlin said.
Fans are especially excited about Dodson, a Tennesseean who this summer was spotted squatting 675 pounds on a video posted by a fellow player from the A&M weight room.
“I had to call the strength coach (Mark Hocke) and say, ‘No, don’t do that, that’s too much … we don’t want him to get hurt before the season,’” a smiling Sumlin said, adding, “There will be no more videos coming out of the weight room.”
Seeking redemption
As for the progress of Dodson, he’ll be expected to carry more of a load than 675 pounds this season — he’ll be expected to help carry a defense bent on redemption.
“He had trouble carrying that (250 pounds) last year,” Sumlin said, “but he’s in better shape now.”