Cal Football: Justin Wilcox Defense w/ Peter Sirmon and Tim DeRuyter (History and Film Study)

[@AK-ug1md]

3 questions With new pieces DL coming online and changes like Paster to ILB will . Is this the same as him playing the star position ? And if not who would be next in-line yo play? Since 2017 have the DBs played mostly zone ? If so which ? Will we continue to disguise (sugar) things up w/o tdr? Will we run more of a 3-3-5 stack or over /under ? You can answer me here and on the BearInsider thread I started

[@TheCoordinatorProject]

The Star position is functionally an OLB, so it sounds like they're moving Paster away from that role. My guess is that he'd be in the rotation at Deng's position. Drayden should continue to start most of the game at NB. There's been a rotating group behind him, including some bigger hybrid players/safety types, but I don't think anyone's established themselves there. Nobody gets much playing time there. Our DB's have mostly played Cover-3 and Quarter-Quarter-Half under this coaching staff. I think that there'll still be some action in the front with disguising rushers. I hope that we'll see the same with coverages, but I'm not sure. We don't really run a 3-3 stack. The weakside OLB is almost always on the line of scrimmage, so a lot of Over/Under (de facto 4-2), some Nickel Bear, and some Nickel 3-4 with the Star in the box as an OLB.

[@AK-ug1md]

@@TheCoordinatorProject thanks for letting me pick your brain. I feel the more I know about the game the more I can figure out what’s going on or what is happening on a certain play.

[@AK-ug1md]

@@TheCoordinatorProject am I wrong or did I see us run some 2-4-5 stuff over the past 3-4 seasons

[@TheCoordinatorProject]

@@AK-ug1md You definitely did. That's a common way for 3-4 teams to go Nickel, because it just means taking one DL. off the field, and then the LB positions are similar to their base assignments. In 2020 3-3 Over/Under fronts were more common, but that might've just been due to OLB depth.

[@americasgreatestfan]

@@TheCoordinatorProject I'm stoked to see Deng on the Strong Side Outside Linebacker and Cam Goode essentially a DE/Von Miller Hybrid Rush Linebacker....What will they do with Braxton Croteau will they move him down and play as a DE and have Brett Johnson play DT/DE? Will be interesting to see how they leverage the Speed/Athleticism of Those 4 Players ...How do you see them doing that?? And how awesome that we go 2 Deep in Safety....Wow!!!

[@gosharks18]

How about Brian Smith at WSU? The Cougs were interesting to watch in 2020.