Valdez, Barlow live on edge
Boston College defensive ends Marcus Valdez and Brandon Barlow are accomplished edge-rushers in pursuit of a higher standard.
The Atlantic Coast Conference is populated by some of the most athletic dualthreat quarterbacks in college football. Developing the techniques and disciplines necessary to contain quarterbacks like Louisville’s Malik Cunningham has been a focus for BC coach Jeff Hafley in the opening weeks of spring football.
The spring season concludes with the annual Jay McGillis Memorial maroon and gold game at Alumni Stadium on April 24.
“We need to rush the passer better on the edge, in the middle and we need to blitz better,” said Hafley. “We need to affect the quarterbacks more and we are going to do so. We need to do it schematically, fundamentally and with those two players.
“They are working on so many different things right now and they have to figure out what they can master in the off-season. They have studied themselves on tape from last year and are building from there. But we are going to need those guys off the edge if we are going to take a step up on defense.”
The benchmarks that Valdez and Barlow are inspired to emulate were established over three seasons (20162018) by three relentless QB trackers, all of whom went on to the NFL.
In 2016, junior defensive end Harold Landry (Titans) was the dominant edgerusher in college football. Landry led the nation and set the program single-season record with 16.5 sacks and seven forced fumbles while earning a place on the AP’s All America second team. Landry was complemented on the opposite flank by Zach Allen (Cardinals), who registered 5.0 sacks and 10.0 tackles for a loss.
The Landry & Allen partnership got off to a great start in 2017 but ended prematurely. Landry missed the final four games of the season with an ankle injury. Landry had 38 tackles, 8.5 tackles for a loss and five sacks prior to his setback.
Allen picked up the slack down the stretch and finished with 93 tackles, 14.5 tackles for a loss and five sacks in 12 starts. Allen was paired with Wyatt Ray (Titans) in 2018 and they combined for 18 sacks and 26.5 tackles for a loss.
“We are a different set of players and a different system, but we can definitely reach their level of excellence and even raise that standard,” said Valdez, who backed up Allen and Ray as a freshman.
“Last year was a great learning year and we obviously had some good performances and not so good performances.”
Valdez and Barlow are both graduate students and hybrid defensive ends, a position that was reimagined around the turn of the century to compete against new age quarterbacks. Valdez is a 6-foot, 259-pounder, from Perth Amboy, N.J., while Barlow is a 6-foot-4, 250-pounder, from Cohoes, N.Y.
Valdez, Barlow and junior Shitta Sillah have the perimeter covered. Valdez finished the 11-game 2020 season with 36 tackles, 4.5 tackles for a loss and two sacks. Barlow had 34 tackles with 4.0 tackles for a loss and 1.5 sacks. Sillah had 22 tackles and 2.5 sacks.
But Hafley, defensive coordinator Tem Lukabu, defensive line coach Vince Oghobaase and linebackers coach Sean Duggan face the huge task of rebuilding the Eagles’ front seven.
BC’s defensive intensity was fueled by its three departed linebackers, Max Richardson in the middle and Isaiah McDuffie and John Lamot on the flanks.
McDuffie and Richardson have declared for the NFL Draft and participated in BC’s Pro Day. They combined for 206 tackles, 14.5 tackles for a loss and 6.5 sacks. Chibueze Onwuka is the only returning interior defensive lineman with game experience.
“We play complementary defense and the pass rush and coverage have to work together,” said Barlow. “Valdez and I definitely try to push ourselves every time to maintain pressure on the quarterback.
“We try to make sure we keep him in the pocket and make him feel he’s trying to throw inside a phone booth. Last year I changed up my rush attack and we worked power step technique to shorten the end for the rush.
“We tried alternating between speed and power steps and hitting the counter rush when we need to help the tackles. That really opened up the pass rushing game for us.”
The Eagles return most of their operators in the secondary, which experienced an upgrade in the offseason with the addition of Florida State transfer Jaiden LarsWoodbey. BC had nine interceptions last season, three by strong safety Jahmin Muse.
“As a D-Line we are trying to earn the respect of the linebackers and the secondary so they know when they are in coverage, we are not going to leave them out to dry,” said Valdez. “They work to get our respect when they do their job in coverage.
“We can get where coverage sacks and pressure interceptions feed into each other.”