Gene Chizik to install a 4-3 defense for Tar Heels
Gene Chizik was finally officially announced as the new defensive coordinator for the North Carolina Tar Heels football team. I spent my bio juice on him a couple weeks ago when his hire was rumored but not yet approved. However one of the things I guessed at then has actually come to pass.
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According to reports from Lee Pace of Goheels.com, Chizik will be dumping the 4-2-5 defense scheme in favor of the more traditional 4-3.
Out With the Old
The 4-2-5 defense came over with Coach Fedora from his days at Southern Miss. In a weaker league where teams were trying to create offensive juggernauts at the expense of their defenses, it made more sense. It also fit in line with the recruiting options that you have from non-Power conference schools. There are more guys you can recruit who look like bandits and rams than actual linebackers and defensive linemen.
The Conference USA that Fedora knew did not include teams with power running games either. Look at the American Athletic Conference now. Cincy, ECU, and Houston all rely on offenses similar to Fedora’s and each place puts secondary importance on the run game. If you are less concerned about the run, then pass rush becomes more important than having space eaters.
Now look at the ACC Coastal Division. Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Virginia, and Miami all run systems that are centered on the run game. Duke also uses a multiple offense system that works best when they can run the ball. That is all bad news for an undersized defense. That is what the Tar Heels had last year.
Gene Chizik’s Task
Now Gene Chizik will have to install an appropriate defense to deal with this abundance of teams who like to run the ball. The difficulty will be adapting existing personnel. Some Freshmen may be given chances due to size, like early enrollee Jalen Dalton at DE or enrollee Andre Smith at LB. Most likely this year will be waged by guys trying to make new fits.
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Bandits will probably be converted to defensive ends. The current crop of ends are all about 250 lbs, which isn’t bad. However the ideal would be a bigger player. Which is why you should give a guy like Dalton time to grow.
Defensive tackle is a position that will need immediate addressing. Justin Thomason and Nazair Jones had their moments, but they are only around 275 lbs each. While you aren’t going to have a 320 lbs Cam Thomas all the time, the line needs to be closer to 290. Even bigger would be better.
Linebacker will gain a spot, and there was not great depth there before. There also isn’t an obvious safety to move to linebacker unless you include the two freshmen who were redshirted this year. I imagine one of them will make the move, because the competition at safety will be intense. Both Cayson Collins and Joe Jackson saw action last year. Collins did some good things as I remember, but if the season started tomorrow it would be Schoettmer, Collins, and Jackson in the three spots.
With any major defensive change with personnel that does not quite fit there are growing pains. It means that next season’s expectations should be tempered a bit. Of course the defense cou;dn’t possibly play any worse, could it?