Scout’s notebook: defensive review

Here are my initial reactions from the third week of the college football season, including thoughts about some of the nation’s top defensive prospects.

He’s at it again

APClemson's Ricky Sapp

Clemson hybrid DE/OLB Ricky Sapp had another stellar performance last weekend vs. Boston College. Sapp finished the game with four tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks, a quarterback hurry and a forced fumble and was simply a terror off the edge on the right side. He looks very comfortable when asked to stand up in a two-point stance and consistently exhibits the burst to quickly close on the football. You can’t teach Sapp’s explosion and/or athleticism off the edge, and the kid looks like one of the nation’s top senior 3-4-pass rushers.

Small-school hybrid on the rise

It isn’t often we get to talk Louisiana-Monroe football, but the play of defensive end Aaron Morgan certainly deserves mention. Morgan has recorded five sacks through the first three games to go along with his 15 tackles and has been a real difference maker for the Warhawks up front. I know what you’re thinking -- Morgan is just another small-school guy beating up on weaker competition early in the year. Not exactly. Morgan has done his damage vs. Texas, Texas Southern and Arizona State on a Louisiana-Monroe defense that only plays with three down linemen. It’s still early, but if Morgan can keep up this type of play, he could end up hearing his name called on draft day. Plus, he’s only a 20-year-old senior and still possesses a lot of upside to his game.

A golden performance

I’ll admit that I wasn’t overly impressed with the play of Cal defensive lineman Tyson Alualu last season and saw him more as a blue-collar guy who might be able to find his way into an NFL rotation. But after watching him this past week, he’s doing a much better job using his lateral suddenness and hands to initially shed blocks off the snap instead of trying to bull-rush his way into the backfield and disengage through contact. He showcases a motor that runs non-stop and was unblockable at times vs. Minnesota on Saturday, finishing the game with six tackles and two sacks. I’m starting to warm up to Alualu because he will not only give NFL teams a lot of versatility up front, he also has an ability to slip blocks and create plays behind the line of scrimmage.

A Bulldog is slipping

APGeorgia's Geno Atkins

One of my favorite defensive tackle prospects coming into the season was Georgia’s Geno Atkins, who I thought had the ability to make a living in opponents’ backfields all year. However, Atkins has yet to really make a consistent impact up front and has only one solo tackle to show for his efforts in the first three games of the year. With the return of DT Jeff Owens inside this season, I thought Atkins would be poised for a monster 2009, but that has yet to be the case. However, he’s a guy worth monitoring, and I still think he’s an ideal one-gap penetrating lineman for a Cover 2-type scheme. Nevertheless, he needs to start hitting his stride quickly on the Georgia defensive line.

Starting to live up to the hype

I noted in my North Carolina preview this summer how unimpressed I was with the play of DT Marvin Austin. Austin showcased impressive athletic ability on tape but didn’t display the type of technique or feel inside to be a real factor in any area. However, after watching him last weekend vs. East Carolina, it looks like the light is finally starting to go on and Austin’s play is starting to pick up. He did a much better job disengaging from blocks and using his hands and length to keep himself clean inside. He exhibited a much better feel when asked to find the football and did a great job stringing out run plays and getting his hands up to knock down passes. His stat line was solid (five tackles, a half tackle for loss and one pass break-up), but he displayed a definite improved in all areas of his game from last season. With his continued development, he now looks like a guy who could end up making an impact at the next level.

Golden Gopher still can’t cover

Traye Simmons, Minnesota’s “big-play” corner, really struggled with the speed of the California receiving corps, particularly WR Verran Tucker. Simmons still doesn’t exhibit the type of balance and/or body control to flip his hips and run with receivers down the field. He really struggled when I watched him on film last year, and he still has yet to improve his footwork out of his transition. He showcases good ball skills in coverage, but it’s going to be really tough for him to make plays on the football at the next level if he can’t keep pace with receivers down the field.

He’s bringing the thunder

Just look at the stat line put up by Marshall defensive end Albert McClellan vs. Bowling Green: 15 tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks, one quarterback hurry and a forced fumble. I don’t care who you’re playing against, that’s one heck of a day for any defensive lineman. McClellan is a quick, undersized edge rusher who does a great job playing with leverage and using his lack of size to his advantage when flattening out along the edge. He displays a great motor and possesses a real passion for the game. Despite being sick last week vs. Virginia Tech, he still forced three quarterback hurries, recorded four tackles and created consistent pressure off the edge. McClellan looks like an ideal nickel rusher to me at the next level and is one of the top NFL prospects in Conference USA this season.

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