4. College Football News Preview 2020: Colorado Buffaloes Defense 3 Things To Know
– Tyson Summers has been a terrific defensive coordinator at several stops, and he was the head coach at Georgia Southern for a few seasons, and now he’ll be Karl Dorrell’s DC. Three of the top four tackers are gone, but eight of the top 11 are expected to return for a defense that finished 104th in the nation and struggled against anyone who could throw.
Step One – get into the backfield more.
The defensive line will generate a pass rush, but the D needs to come up with more tackles for loss. That shouldn’t be a problem with Terrance Lang and Mustafa Johnson two of the Pac-12’s stronger defensive ends. These two are big, experienced, and active.
Throw in a few good transfers – but not Antonio Alfano, a star get from Alabama who left the team early on – and the ends will be a plus around 6-6, 320-pound sophomore Jalen Sami on the inside.
– The line should be the biggest plus on the D, but the linebacking corps won’t be all that bad. 6-3, 230-pound senior Nate Landman is back on the inside after leading the team with 137 tackles, and senior Akil Jones is a solid hitter, too. Hybrid outside linebacker Carson Wells has the size and the upside, but he needs to become more of a pass rusher.
– Losing safety Mikial Onu hurts, but Derrion Rakestraw is back after making 43 tackles, and Mark Perry will be a leading tackler somewhere in the defensive backfield. The safeties are fine if everyone can stay healthy, and the corners should be a whole lot better – at least deeper – with the injury problems of last season forcing a slew of new part to see time early on. Now they all have to be better.