From an outside perspective, I found myself completely enthralled with Florida State’s defensive unit during the 2016 season, much to the chagrin, I’m sure, of its fan base. After all, this unit was much-maligned after sub-par performances against top-flight offensive competition to start the season.
However, it must be noted that the defense made exponential improvement, in overall play, and maintained its stake among the elite of physical units that were capable of getting after it against the run. And that’s glossing over the fact that FSU continued to unearth its ability to spread quarterbacks on the grass like fertilizer with a host of pass-rush extraordinaires.
I have complete faith in head coach Jimbo Fisher’s ability to get the most out of his uber-talented offense (although the offensive line may be a point of contention), and I believe the defense will continue to surge, especially with a healthy Derwin James.
I wholeheartedly believe we will find the Noles back in the College Football Playoff behind a mix of some seriously talented youth and veterans who will pull it all together. I’m also under the impression that the train won’t be stopping any time soon with the addition of some of the young guys being pulled in from this current recruiting cycle.
That assertion is only furthered with the addition of Brookwood linebacker Leonard Warner, a 4-star prospect from Snellville, Georgia. Warner will combine with the rugged Dontavious Jackson and the refined Adonis Thomas to form the perfect triumvirate for a scheme designed with an even-front alignment.
The 2014 Ohio State national championship defense, while playing, predominately, in base showed us how to combat no-huddle spreads by combining length, physicality and versatility between the trio of weakside linebacker Darron Lee (6-2, 225 pounds), middle backer Curtis Grant (6-3, 240) and strong-side linebacker Joshua Perry (6-4, 250).
Not having to substitute allowed OSU to play defense, offensively, while keeping its best tacklers on the field and being able to deploy length in various zone and man situations. That includes against sets with four and five wide receivers.
In the 6-4, 230-pound Warner, FSU has a player who could man all three roles. Much like defensive coordinator Charles Kelly’s scheme, which oscillates between even and odd-front principles, Warner has excelled while doing a bit of oscillating in both schemes, himself.
“Playing on the outside (behind a 4-man front), my reads are a bit more narrower, as I have less to focus on; I either have the C-gap or flat duty,” Warner once told me. “In a ’34’, I can either have A or B, depending on the reduction, or I may have to spill blockers or scrape outside.”
As a natural “Will”, Warner worked extremely hard to develop the coverage part of his game, which should provide the Noles with a defender who is capable of matching up with tight ends and H-backs when the coverage calls for it.
But he’s also a capable blitzer who understands timing and how to vary his rush speed. He’s just an overall student of the game, which is rarer than you would think at the high school level.
“Playing linebacker is hard, but it’s also fun because it adds a level of complexity to the game that you don’t get at some of the other positions,” he expressed.
Let’s further break down his skill set in the form of video analysis:
Murf Baldwin is a football journalist and scheme analyst for a number of major publications, including Rivals and Yahoo among others. Follow Murf on Twitter @MurfBaldwin.
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