Trifecta Box: Defensive Line

If I'm betting a trifecta box on UVA's defensive line this fall, here's how I'd structure the bet...

Zane Parr (#92) could emerge as a d-line star for the Hoos this season.

 
WIN:

• RDE) Cam Johnson, junior -- He easily has the most potential to post double-digit sacks of anyone on the roster.  At times last year, he struggled to put it all together, tending to arrive at the play a step late.  As his experience level grows, his ability to read and predict plays will improve.  I'm guessing that this year he steps up as a true impact player on the edge.
• DT) Nick Jenkins, junior -- I know he must be excited about moving from the 3-4 nose tackle spot to a 4-3 DT spot.  He should be more free to break into the backfield and make plays this season, instead of just absorbing blocks.  I think we'll see Jenkins arrive as a force in the middle of the defense this fall.
• DT) Matt Conrath, junior -- We loved this guy as a 3-4 end, but I'm honestly not sure how he'll fare as a 4-3 tackle.  I think he's a little on the tall side, and doesn't carry enough weight to be able to maintain leverage at 6-foot-7.  He's active and should generate an interior pass rush, but I worry that he'll struggle when teams decide to run right at him.
• LDE) Zane Parr, junior -- He really came from nowhere to impress a lot of people in spot time last year.  He's a lot like Conrath in that he's an active, aggressive player who has a nose for making plays.

PLACE:

• DE) Bill Schautz, sophomore -- Like Johnson, Schautz moved down from linebacker.  He brings a relentless motor to the pass rush, but needs to be stouter against the run at the edge.
• DT) John-Kevin Dolce, senior -- He's a captain, and I think he'll see plenty of time on the field this fall.  JKD is tiny (6-2, 250) for a DT, but uses leverage extremely well, and is like a little bowling ball in the interior pass rush.  He's a fixture in the nickel and dime defenses.
• DT) Will Hill, sophomore -- After moving over from end, he has struggled a bit to establish himself at tackle.  He has a world of natural ability, however, and the light should blink on pretty soon...
• DE) Jeremiah Mathis, redshirt freshman -- Another ex-OLB who can bring plus speed to the defensive end position, but who might struggle in the size/strength department.

SHOW:

• DE) Jake Snyder, redshirt freshman -- Unlike Johnson, Schautz, and Mathis, Snyder's natural position has always been defensive end in the 4-3.  As such, he might be able to leapfrog one or more of those players in the DE rotation this fall.
• DT) Justin Renfrow, redshirt freshman -- Reports from spring practice and training camp are that this kid is a BEAST.  The problem is that his game needs serious refinement.  He'll see action this fall, as the coaches try to cultivate his immense talent at a position that is perilously thin with good size/strength prospects.
• DT) Hunter Steward, sophomore -- He moved from o-line to d-line this offseason, and the coaches have been pleased with the results so far.  Like Conrath, I think he's a little top-heavy at 6-foot-7, but Steward is apparently a real battler.
• DE/DT) Chris Brathwaite, true freshman -- He's likely headed for a redshirt season as the coaches decide if he's an end or a tackle.  I'm really excited about this kid --- it's said that his nasty demeanor on the field is off the charts, and that he's a naturally gifted playmaker/disrupter on the d-line.

ALSO RAN:

• DE/DT) Brent Urban, redshirt freshman -- This massive Canadian was beelining toward a spot on the two-deep before a serious knee injury derailed his development.  He's likely out for the first half of the season, and will need to tiptoe back into action once he's healthy.  Look out for him in 2011, however.
• DE/DT) Stephen Lawe, true freshman -- He was a lightly-recruited "jumbo athlete" coming out of the 757.  The coaches like his potential on the d-line, as he has a natural feel for footwork and use of hands.  He could develop into a nice interior technician later in his career.
• LB/DE) Connor McCartin, sophomore -- He's a linebacker all the way, but the coaches are experimenting with getting his plus speed and nose for the football on the edge for passing downs.

ANTE POST: I'm bullish on Cam Johnson this season.  I think he arrives on the scene as a bonafide pass rush stud, and racks up double-digit sacks.  Eventually, he will start being double-teamed, which will free up Zane Parr to make some plays in opponents' backfields, as well.  On paper, I like the 2010 pass rush better than the one we saw in 2009 with Nate Collins, Matt Conrath, and JKD leading the pass rush --- I think we'll see MUCH more pressure coming up the middle this season.  Anyway, for a bold prediction, how about this: UVA breaks the 30 sack plateau this season (we had just 21 sacks in 2009).