Fight Card: Outside Linebackers

The Main Event...

Denzel Burrell (Sr.) -- Aaron Clark emerged from 2008's preseason training camp as the starter opposite Clint Sintim, but it was Burrell who stepped in and did a very solid job after Clark was lost for the season in the USC game. Burrell is a heady, tough player, but he's not really a special talent in any way. He's also not much of a pass rusher, which is a bummer for an OLB in the 3-4 -- this is the glamour pass-rush spot on the UVA defense (see also: Clint Sintim and his 27 career sacks at UVA). Burrell is what he is, a good player and a solid starter who won't make many mistakes but also won't make many game-changing plays.

Aaron Clark (Sr.) -- Clark is back from his knee injury, and by all accounts he's ready to pick up where he left off, after registering five tackles in the first half against the Trojans. Clark is a bigger guy (6-5, 250) and more of a threat off the edge than Burrell, but he's still not an elite caliber pass rusher... which really worries me. We need at least one of our starting OLBs to be a sack artist, and while Clark has decent potential in that arena, he's far from a sure thing. That being said, this is a player who has worked his butt off through four hard years (and now a devastating knee injury) for his chance to start. It's hard not to pull for the guy.

Cam Johnson (So.) -- For those of us, myself included, who long for a Sintim-esque explosive pass rusher in the lineup, meet Cam Johnson. He's easily our most athletically gifted outside linebacker, and he got his feet wet last year. He's a little on the small side, but hopefully Mr. Hourigan has helped him add some strength to his frame. Cam Johnson is our most dynamic option at outside linebacker, and he might end up being the "make-or-break" player of the entire defense. If he can play at a high level and consistently wreak havoc in opponents' backfields, the D will be a much better unit.


The Undercard...

Jared Detrick (Jr.) -- So far in his career, Detrick has been a special teams standout but hasn't really seen much action on defense. This year, his speed and tackling ability should be assets off the bench and in the regular rotation. Don't look for him to sacrifice his role on special teams, however.

Aaron Taliaferro (So.) -- He is pretty much a complete unknown, after spending two years in the program after being highly recruited in the 2007 class. He was a great pass rusher in high school (61 sacks!), so I hope he's ready to get after the QB for us on Saturdays.


And the Winner is... Aaron Clark and Cam Johnson

I just think the OLB rotation will be strongest if we have Burrell coming off the bench to spell the two starters. The Johnson/Clark combo gives us the best pass rushing ability, and a higher overall ceiling for production. Al Groh can be stubborn, but he knows his linebackers and he knows what it takes for his 3-4 defense to be most effective. I feel confident that he sees how easily the defense could be short-circuited by starting Clark and Burrell and not producing enough pressure off of the edge. Don't get me wrong -- I assume our only returning starter at linebacker will start the season opener, but I just think Burrell will eventually find his way back to the second team, and the D will be better off with him playing a wave role.


Wahooze-Style Fearless Prediction...

Cam Johnson will emerge as a star this season. It's a cliche, but the best way to identify breakthrough players is to look for situations where talent meets opportunity. Cam Johnson stepping into a starting OLB spot is a perfect example of that. I'll stop short from predicting double-digit sacks like Sintim provided in '08, but I could easily see Cam pitching in 7 or 8 sacks, lots of pressure in the backfield, and a load of tackles-for-loss. There's a reason Al Groh allowed this kid to wear Lawrence Taylor and Darryl Blackstock's #56 jersey.


Position Grade: B-

There is talent and depth at the OLB position, but not an overabundance of either. For example, if Johnson gets hurt or fails to live up to his advance billing, we could be in trouble from a pass rush perspective. But if this unit can stay healthy and live up to its potential, I think the position group will prove to be effective.


Coming soon...
The inside linebackers!