With only one day of anything close to a full-contact scrimmage in the abbreviated spring practice, it was hard to judge a defensive line that is coming off a disappointing year, but I was able to glean a few things from the five workouts. Tulane was without starting joker Patrick Johnson and reserve end Juan Monjarres the whole time and was very thin at defensive tackle, limiting some of the things the coaches could do.
First, a look back at last year. when a group one publication rated the 10th best in the country in all of the FBS did not come close to performing at that level. Patrick Johnson, who said at AAC Media Days his goal was to break Mark Olivari's school single-season sack record (14), finished with four after making 10 1/2 a year earlier. Still, he played better than he was given credit for in the first half of the year, having a very active night at Memphis (six tackles and his play backed up those stats) when everyone else was invisible. He tailed off big time in the second half of the year and now we know why--he played through a torn labrum. This spring, he took mental reps every day and will be 100 percent even if the season starts on time, which is questionable.
De'Andre Williams had a heck of a year at defensive tackle, but Tulane will need more from Cameron Sample at end and Jeffery Johnson at nose tackle in 2019. Jeffery Johnson played well against Auburn, when the line looked like it would be terrific all year against the run, but he did not live up to his billing the rest of the way, partly due to an ankle injury. When he's not 100-percent healthy, he's slow. Sample, coming off a knee injury in 2018, was meh at times, and this is a guy with All-AAC ability and the work ethic to get it done. The other problem in 2019 was a lack of depth, with early season-ending injuries to Monjarres and Carlos Hatcher really hurting, Jamiran James never finding his groove, Davon Wright not making a significant impact and Alfred Thomas getting hurt, too. Malik Lawal had some good moments, but the Arizona State grad transfer was a little undersized and came in as a linebacker before being pressed into duty up front.
The result was a unit that did not get the sack total it amassed in 2018, with a precipitous drop to 21 from 41. Although defensive coordinator Jack Curtis pointed out they still got pressure but struggled to finish plays, that's what matters. It was not just opponents game planning for Tulane's pass rush. The rush simply was not there in the same way as in 2018.
I really like Sample, Patrick Johnson and De'Andre Williams as returning starters and expect all of them to have big years. I'm not as sold on Jeffery Johnson, but if he lives up to the potential others say he has, the line should be much better in 2020, particularly if the backups stay healthy.
Some other limited observations from spring ball, where the starting unit was Sample, Jeffrey Johnson, De'Andre Williams and Hatcher every day and the second-team group tended to be Armoni Dixon, Davon Wright, Eric HIcks and Alfred Thomas, with some variation:
1) Alfred Thomas and Davon Wright switched spots, with Thomas moving outside and Wright moving inside. I never asked Fritz about the decision, so I don't know if it was an experiment or a real change. Thomas has not done much in two years, so maybe they wanted to see what he could do at a different spot. Wright has had flashes the past two seasons but needs to be more consistent.
2) Hatcher being healthy should help. He was good enough to start three games as a true freshman, and although he did next to nothing last year even before getting hurt, he worked with the first unit in Patrick Johnson's absence for all five spring practices.
3) Adonis Friloux could be a godsend inside, where Tulane seriously lacks depth. Walk-on Noah Seiden worked with the second team at times in the spring, and he's a non-factor, but Fritz said on the late-period signing day that Friloux should be ready to play as a true freshman. Tulane needs for him to play well, with Wright, maybe Thomas, incoming freshman Brandon Brown and redshirt freshman Eric Hicks the other options.
4) Dixon, a redshirt freshman, looks good as a pass rusher. It was a limited sample, but playing second-team joker, he harassed the quarterbacks frequently. Among him, Hatcher and Monjarres, who was still rehabbing a knee injury in the spring and spent plenty of time on the exercise bike, Tulane will have more options in the second unit outside than inside, including Angelo Anderson, one of the highest-rated members of the touted signing class.
5) I did not notice as much from Darius Hodges, Torri Singletary (who lined up with the second unit at times) and freshman Noah Taliancich, whom I never saw practicing). They may be progressing well. I just didn't see it personally while my focus was elsewhere.
First, a look back at last year. when a group one publication rated the 10th best in the country in all of the FBS did not come close to performing at that level. Patrick Johnson, who said at AAC Media Days his goal was to break Mark Olivari's school single-season sack record (14), finished with four after making 10 1/2 a year earlier. Still, he played better than he was given credit for in the first half of the year, having a very active night at Memphis (six tackles and his play backed up those stats) when everyone else was invisible. He tailed off big time in the second half of the year and now we know why--he played through a torn labrum. This spring, he took mental reps every day and will be 100 percent even if the season starts on time, which is questionable.
De'Andre Williams had a heck of a year at defensive tackle, but Tulane will need more from Cameron Sample at end and Jeffery Johnson at nose tackle in 2019. Jeffery Johnson played well against Auburn, when the line looked like it would be terrific all year against the run, but he did not live up to his billing the rest of the way, partly due to an ankle injury. When he's not 100-percent healthy, he's slow. Sample, coming off a knee injury in 2018, was meh at times, and this is a guy with All-AAC ability and the work ethic to get it done. The other problem in 2019 was a lack of depth, with early season-ending injuries to Monjarres and Carlos Hatcher really hurting, Jamiran James never finding his groove, Davon Wright not making a significant impact and Alfred Thomas getting hurt, too. Malik Lawal had some good moments, but the Arizona State grad transfer was a little undersized and came in as a linebacker before being pressed into duty up front.
The result was a unit that did not get the sack total it amassed in 2018, with a precipitous drop to 21 from 41. Although defensive coordinator Jack Curtis pointed out they still got pressure but struggled to finish plays, that's what matters. It was not just opponents game planning for Tulane's pass rush. The rush simply was not there in the same way as in 2018.
I really like Sample, Patrick Johnson and De'Andre Williams as returning starters and expect all of them to have big years. I'm not as sold on Jeffery Johnson, but if he lives up to the potential others say he has, the line should be much better in 2020, particularly if the backups stay healthy.
Some other limited observations from spring ball, where the starting unit was Sample, Jeffrey Johnson, De'Andre Williams and Hatcher every day and the second-team group tended to be Armoni Dixon, Davon Wright, Eric HIcks and Alfred Thomas, with some variation:
1) Alfred Thomas and Davon Wright switched spots, with Thomas moving outside and Wright moving inside. I never asked Fritz about the decision, so I don't know if it was an experiment or a real change. Thomas has not done much in two years, so maybe they wanted to see what he could do at a different spot. Wright has had flashes the past two seasons but needs to be more consistent.
2) Hatcher being healthy should help. He was good enough to start three games as a true freshman, and although he did next to nothing last year even before getting hurt, he worked with the first unit in Patrick Johnson's absence for all five spring practices.
3) Adonis Friloux could be a godsend inside, where Tulane seriously lacks depth. Walk-on Noah Seiden worked with the second team at times in the spring, and he's a non-factor, but Fritz said on the late-period signing day that Friloux should be ready to play as a true freshman. Tulane needs for him to play well, with Wright, maybe Thomas, incoming freshman Brandon Brown and redshirt freshman Eric Hicks the other options.
4) Dixon, a redshirt freshman, looks good as a pass rusher. It was a limited sample, but playing second-team joker, he harassed the quarterbacks frequently. Among him, Hatcher and Monjarres, who was still rehabbing a knee injury in the spring and spent plenty of time on the exercise bike, Tulane will have more options in the second unit outside than inside, including Angelo Anderson, one of the highest-rated members of the touted signing class.
5) I did not notice as much from Darius Hodges, Torri Singletary (who lined up with the second unit at times) and freshman Noah Taliancich, whom I never saw practicing). They may be progressing well. I just didn't see it personally while my focus was elsewhere.