Tag: Shaun Nua

Lincoln Riley gives honest answer on USC for 2024 Big Ten season

Lincoln Riley thinks all position groups matter, but he finally did lean toward one more than another.

Significant changes to the USC football program have brought in a slew of new faces for Lincoln Riley as the Trojans prepare for the Big Ten. The defensive coordinator and three additional defensive coaches have joined the team. The inside receivers coach has transitioned to the quarterbacks coach role. The running backs coach departed for the NFL, and a replacement has been brought on board. Additionally, the roster has experienced a loss of 50 players due to the draft, eligibility, or transfers.

During Lincoln Riley’s recent conference call a few days ago, Trojans Wire asked him a simple question. With all the changes going on in the program, the expectations are higher than ever. Which position group needs to take the proverbial “next step” to help the Trojans reach their team goals in 2024?

With all this change, Riley was quick to point out that it is quite a challenge to choose a specific group.

“Tim, I would say it’s hard to narrow it down to one. I mean it’s a new team and it’s every position group (that) has something new about it, and then on top of it we’re installing a brand new defense, so there’s major changes at every offensive position. Even though the system’s still the same, we have a new position coach in the offensive room.

“Everybody needs to climb.  Everybody needs o get better.  I know that’s probably not the answer you were hoping for me to say, but it’s really the truth, you know. I think if I were really to lean in on they’re all super important, but in terms of changes compared to what we were doing it’s hard not to really point out the defensive line. I mean you know where the changes defensively are probably more radical there than any other level of our defense,” explained Riley. “It’s not just learning.  It’s not necessarily a scheme thing. It’s the way we teach technique and fundamentals is much different that what we were doing before, and so it’s not just do I have the A gap or do I rush the edge, or do I drop. I mean there’s a whole lot to it and really just a new way of thinking.  So it’s been fun to see those guys develop by [Eric Henderson] and Shaun [Nua].

“I do like some of the young depth and young talent is really apparent there and our guys are getting better fast, but that’ll obviously be a really key group like it is every year.  Especially in the situation we are going into.”

USC is joining the Big Ten, which is known for is bruising power run game with dominant offensive lines. Every week there will be a commitment to pound the ball for four quarters and Riley knows his defensive line will take the brunt of that punishment. How well that line comes together under Henderson and Nua will go a long way to predicting USC’s success in 2024.

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USC flips blue-chip 2024 defensive line commit on eve of national signing day

USC beats out Utah for a defensive lineman who decommitted from Washington.

On Tuesday, Ratumana Bulabalavu took to social media to announce his commitment to play football at USC. Defensive line coaches Shaun Nua and Eric Henderson closed in on the Carlsbad, California, four-star lineman after he decommitted from the University of Washington on January 24.

USC defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn has made it no secret that he values versatile linemen who can allow the defense to have multiple fronts without the need to substitute. Bulabalavu is big and athletic. He’s currently listed at 6-4 and 260 pounds, but he has the frame to add significant weight and become an even bigger force.

The multi-sport standout at Army and Navy Academy also starred in rugby and on the track team, where he competed in the discus, shot put, triple jump, and the 110-meter hurdles.  His size, strength and athleticism will allow him to play multiple positions on the line when he has a year or two in a collegiate strength and conditioning program.

In an interview with 247Sports, Bulabalavu shared his thoughts behind his decision:

“I like the scheme fit as well,” he said. “They see me as a combo, outside/inside player. They want a dynamic defensive line that is both athletic but also very heavy up front to compete in the Big Ten, so I’ll move around from tackle to edge.”

Explaining his choice for the Trojans over the Utah Utes, Bulabalavu highlighted the coaching staff’s potential. He added, “I’m completely bought in to being a part of the first class they develop and cultivate into an NFL talent.”

Bulabalavu becomes the sixth player added to the Trojans’ defensive line in the offseason, one more example of Lincoln Riley’s pledge to prioritize the defense. USC currently has the No. 17 recruiting class in the country, and Jadyn Walker is expected to flip his commitment from Michigan State to USC on national signing day.

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USC D-line coach Shaun Nua is the main reason Deyvid Palepale picked Trojans

Shaun Nua was and is centrally responsible for bringing Deyvid Palepale to #USC.

The successful recruitment of Deyvid Palepale by USC tells so many interesting and notable stories. One is that specific assistant coaches with specific histories at specific schools can make a defining difference in recruitments. The Palepale recruitment likely would not have been pulled off by USC if defensive line coach Shaun Nua wasn’t on staff. By all appearances, Nua is the man who made this happen for the Trojans.

One has to remember that Michigan was viewed as the leader in this recruitment at an earlier point in time. USC was able to overtake the Wolverines while also fending off Penn State to land this recruitment.

Where did Shaun Nua coach before going to USC to join Lincoln Riley’s staff? Michigan, where he helped Aidan Hutchinson become a top NFL draft pick and a Heisman Trophy runner-up. Nua, in Ann Arbor, coached Michigan’s defensive line so expertly that the Wolverines were able to punch Ohio State in the mouth, win the Big Ten, and make the College Football Playoff, a transformative series of events in head coach Jim Harbaugh’s career.

It is very hard to look at that body of work and that recent piece of coaching history, and then say that Nua was a peripheral, minor figure in Palepale’s recruitment. That just doesn’t square with the larger reality of the situation. Nua was the essential figure, the prime mover, in this recruitment.

Not convinced? Watch and listen to what Palepale himself had to say:

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Shaun Nua could be the main reason USC’s defense improves in 2023

The man who made Aidan Hutchinson a Heisman runner-up at Michigan could unlock Bear Alexander’s potential. #USC

All eyes at USC football are on Alex Grinch, the defensive coordinator who certainly needs to prove he can get the job done in 2023. However, Grinch isn’t the only man coaching defense for the Trojans. There are position coaches who can — and must — help him out. There’s no better example of this than Shaun Nua, the defensive line coach whose previous work at Michigan needs to be studied.

Wolverines Wire wrote the following late in the 2020 pandemic season, which was obviously a disorganized mess for a lot of teams and coaching staffs:

“Under defensive coordinator Don Brown, Michigan has had a nasty front seven, led by the defensive line. It puts massive pressure on the opposing quarterback, forcing turnovers and also stuffing the rushing attack. This year, the group is but a shell of its former self, despite being touted as the strongest part of this team as the season got started. Now it looks like one of the weakest parts.

“Injuries have hurt the group as defensive end Aidan Hutchinson is out for the season with a leg injury. The other starting end on the opposite side, Kwity Paye, missed a few games with an injury but returned against Penn State on Saturday. While those injuries have stung, if this defensive line has massive depth and strongpoints at multiple spots, those injuries shouldn’t hold them back.

“Defensive line coach Shaun Nua has guys that can play inside or outside, like defensive tackle Carlo Kemp and some veteran presence with Donovan Jeter and Julius Welschof. Nua has the players to make this unit strong even with Hutchinson out for the year.”

From the disorder of the pandemic in 2020, Nua and Michigan were able to thrive in 2021, leading the Wolverines to the Big Ten championship and the College Football Playoff. Hutchinson became the 2021 Heisman runner-up.

Nua can make Bear Alexander into a top defensive lineman. He doesn’t have to be as good as Aidan Hutchinson. Merely being in the same neighborhood or zip code would be good enough to lift the Bear … and USC … to greater heights.

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The optimistic view of Bear Alexander and what he will do for USC football

Is Bear Alexander guaranteed to be a star at #USC? No … but there’s a strong case to make for why he’ll be special.

USC fans should definitely be excited about Bear Alexander and what the Georgia transfer can do for the Trojans. Georgia had big plans for him this season, so it’s not as though the Bulldogs were happy to let him go, thinking they had the rest of their defensive roster filled out. No, it’s not like that. Our partners at UGA Wire will tell you that.

USC is getting a player with a lot of upside, but that obviously invites the question: Will that upside translate into realized potential? Will these positive possibilities be fulfilled, or will they be squandered?

The optimistic view for USC and Bear Alexander rests on one core pillar: Shaun Nua.

USC’s defensive line coach knows how to develop elite talent. He turned Aidan Hutchinson into the 2021 Heisman Trophy runner-up at Michigan, behind Bryce Young of Alabama. When Nua gets a chance to work with a top-flight prospect, he has shown he can deliver the goods.

It’s not just Alex Grinch who is coaching the Bear; it’s Shaun Nua. That might be the detail here which unlocks Bear Alexander’s potential.

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Report: Michigan to lose defensive assistant to USC

Really???

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After winning the Big Ten and making it to the College Football Playoff, many hoped that Michigan football would be able to keep the proverbial band together for another run this next year. Of course, players will come and go, but it seemed likely that the Wolverines could get to next season without any coaching attrition — assuming Jim Harbaugh stays, of course.

However, perhaps one of the more unlikely candidates to leave appears to be on their way out.

In 2021, Jim Harbaugh overhauled the defensive staff in particular, but there was one coach that he retained in defensive line coach Shaun Nua. So, save for defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, it seemed that it would be unlikely that Nua would be one to depart for a lateral job. However, this year we’ve seen all kinds of coaches moving laterally, so it makes sense that assistants might, as well.

On Wednesday, Yahoo Sports’ Pete Thamel reports that Nua is leaving Michigan to join Lincoln Riley at USC.

Nua came to Ann Arbor in 2019 to replace Greg Mattison, the longtime coach who departed Michigan for rival Ohio State. It will be interesting to see who the Wolverines hire to replace him, given that the maize and blue have had a lot of consistency at the position, as it’s been the overall best at getting players into the NFL over the last decade.

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What Shaun Nua said about Michigan’s defensive line before Michigan State

If the defensive line does it’s job, Michigan has a great chance of winning the game.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Much of the success, or lack thereof, this coming Saturday will depend on each team’s line play.

Though it isn’t necessarily about one team out-rushing the other — in the six games of the Jim Harbaugh era, only three times has the team with more rushing yards actually won — getting to the quarterback and at least containing big plays will be paramount, and that starts up front.

Michigan will have a battle on its hands on the defensive line as it’s the first line of defense against the nation’s leading rusher in Kenneth Walker III. Likewise, it’ll be incumbent on the line to get quarterback Payton Thorne off his spot, in order to stall the passing attack.

On Wednesday, Wolverines defensive line coach Shaun Nua met with the media to discuss the challenge of the impending matchup against the Spartans. Here is everything he had to say.

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What Shaun Nua said about the Michigan football D-line before Wisconsin

Michigan will need its defensive line to play lights out on Saturday!

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — While this year’s edition of the Michigan football vs. Wisconsin game is focused more on how the Wolverines’ run game will fare against the No. 1 run defense in the country, the annual battle between the Badgers and the maize and blue tends to center on the UW run game.

This year, Michigan will see a heavy dose of Chez Mellusi, the Clemson transfer, and it will be up to the defensive line to be the first line of defense. Additionally, Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz has been a turnover machine, so if the Wolverines can get pressure, that can continue, despite Michigan only having two turnovers through four games.

On Wednesday, Michigan defensive line coach Shaun Nua met with the media to discuss the state of the Wolverines defensive line. Here is everything he had to say about his unit and the Badgers.

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Which young player could be a surprise in Michigan’s defensive rotation?

If you checked out our defensive depth chart projection, this should come as no surprise.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The past several years, since Jim Harbaugh took over the team in the 2015 season, fans have gotten used to seeing a strong rotation up front, particularly on the defensive line.

The line will look different these days, with the defensive ends potentially moving back in the formation, now known as outside linebackers. With a 3-4 base, that means that we’ll now see three defensive tackles up front compared to having two tackles and two edge rushers as we have in recent years.

So what will the rotation look like? Will the Wolverines consistently cycle players in and out like we used to see Don Brown do? It all depends on how good the depth is once games are played, defensive line coach Shaun Nua says.

“I think we could play all of them but whatever the standard is for us necessary to win the game, that’s what the rotation is gonna be based off of,” Nua said. “If the ones is the only group living up to the standard that is necessary – that’s who’s gonna be playing. If the twos go out there and stink it up, the ones are gonna be out there the whole time. The goal is to always have a good rotation and at the same time keeping the standard that’s necessary for us to win.”

We have a pretty good beat on who the starters likely are at defensive tackle, but is there any new name to look out for this year? Last year, we saw Julius Welschof and Jess Speight get a lot of time, but Nua says there’s a new name to be aware of.

“Look out for Kris Jenkins,” Nua said. “I think Kris Jenkins has a great opportunity to reveal his talent. We’re all excited to see how that goes. Kris Jenkins is one of the young guys, players that’s doing a good job coming along.”

Jenkins is entering his second year and he’s the son of Ypsilanti native former second-round pick out of Maryland, Kris Jenkins, who played ten seasons in the NFL and was a four-time pro-bowler.

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Other players

Nua touched on — and we really mean touched on — a few other non-starters in his Wednesday afternoon session with the media.

Asked what we’ll see from the aforementioned Welschof, Nua said:

“We’ll find out Saturday, really. But they’re all – no, no – they’re all eager to put out what their talents have and their skillset. And Saturday will be a great day to reveal that.”

Additionally, the Wolverines added some bulk in the middle in Oregon State transfer Jordan Whittley. Though Nua didn’t say much, he said that the job he’s done conditioning-wise has put him in a position to see the field. But it’s anybody’s guess as to when that might be.

“He’s done a great job changing his body. You’ll see Saturday. Or the next Saturday. Whenever you see Whittley!”

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RECAP: Shaun Nua discusses Michigan football’s defensive front

We got Shaun Nua’s media availability down to well under five minutes. Watch the highlights here!

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Sept. 1, 2021:

• Shaun Nua

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In accordance with Michigan football policy, the media isn’t allowed to upload more than 5 minutes of footage from any press conference. But we found our way around that. Giving you the best of every press conference, we cut out the questions to give you the straight answers, with the most interesting parts of each media availability taking center stage. WolverinesWire presents our new series: RECAP in five minutes or less.

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Topics include:

• Expectations of the new defensive front
• What he’s seen Mazi Smith
• What Donovan Jeter needs to do to match the hype on game days
• Thoughts on new defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald

And MORE!