With Gary Anderson and Dave Aranda's exit to Wisconsin in 2012, the door opened for then Offensive Coordinator Matt Wells to ascend to the Head Coaching position. Continue reading Attacking the Tite Front. Through spring and summer, the physical, hard-nosed brand of defense Todd Orlando promised to bring to USC remained strictly theoretical. Its a pretty substantial change in terms of what theyre doing on defense. If you dont, its going to be limited. Orlando's favorite scheme against the run in his multiple 3-4. Until you go against live, at the end of the day youre not going to trick everybody in terms of your scheme, Orlando said. Coach Todd Orlando of the USC Trojans during USC football practice at the University of Southern California on Wednesday, March 11, 2020. 3. Weve got to be mindful of the stuff were doing or asking him to do. Youre in this area and theres some really good high school players in this area, the top guys. I let you guys down. Johnson said Orlando repeated these words for two days straight. While the scheme is expected to adjust, the possibility of changes to USCs defensive staff is still up in the air. The familiarity with the opponent will be gone. One need only look at Texas Oct. 21 matchup with Oklahoma State for an example. If you go out there and you dont know what youre doing after meeting with someone for seven months, that pretty much explains how much you care, Orlando said. The 2015 and '16 Texas defenses had been defined by what could be called "youthful" linebacker play from former five-star recruit Malik Jefferson and former four-star Anthony Wheeler. By Coachlamons @nukeit1981 Dec. The Spread offense has touched every corner of college football. Ryan Kartje is the USC beat writer at the Los Angeles Times. Todd Orlandoremembers feeling bad forTom Herman. Stanley, he has natural mobility. (Top photo: Jose Marin / MarinMedia Pool for USC Athletics). Its very unique, added Texas senior safetyP.J. His $1.7 million annual salary is the highest in Texas history for an assistant, and only two assistants nationally earned more in 2017, according to USA Today. The numbers back up that decision, as Texas tied for 66th nationally with 27 sacks in 2019, down five from 2018. Roach believes that the changes will produce better results on the field and better position future defensive lines to make the jump to the next level. In McVays offense, the use of quick motions, multiple formations, and what seems to be an Air Raid-ish passing game has given NFL defenses fits all year. The Trojans defense held the Spartans to only seven points on the game, and things seemed to be going well in Southern California. He has a system that allows his talented players to play freely, said Baylor head coachMatt Rhule. Players retained more than he expected, and coaches got to know players better than they would have otherwise. USC names Todd Orlando its new defensive coordinator Todd Orlando sees USC defense as work in progress USC defense showed positive signs in opening win over ASU Coach Todd Orlando of the USC Trojans during USC football practice at the. Two things generally forced USC to shift out of its base defense. Behind them, USC has transfers like Xavion Alford and Chris Thompson, not to mention a slew of freshmen. The Longhorns tried a few different alignments in the secondary, ultimately reverting back to their standard starting group while inserting tweener senior Jason Hall, a 6'2", 220-pounder with physicality and some coverage ability, into the dime role and then expanding that role beyond the robber alignment based off his particular skill set. Visit our online store to order your copyto get more in-depth analysis on the 2018 season. Twitter: @tcpfootballIn this video, we learn about the origins of USC Football's Defensive Coordinator Todd Orlando's defense. If the guard stays on the 4i (double team), both the Mike and Will are left free to flow with the play and what DC doesnt want is ILBs free-flowing to the ball? Johnson and Wheeler added another 17 run stuffs combined as the linebacker position went from being a major deficit to a team strength. Its three starters (Marlon Tuipulotu, Tremblay and Figueroa) and two backups (Tuli Tuipulotu and Stanley Taufoou) were the only ones who saw action. The offseason plan was to mold Jefferson into the next star rover for Orlando, but circumstances over the course of the season resulted in Jefferson moving to the "mac" position to make room for fellow speedster and junior college transfer Gary Johnson. But Orlando paid Herman, a former QB coach, an even higher compliment than that. Try a week on us. Lincoln RileyandKliff Kingsburycome from the Air Raid tree, but their systems look quite different in the same way Kansas States pro-style, option-heavy scheme varies from Oklahoma States spread. USC defense has different feel in camp after full offseason Due to the pandemic, USC was unable to implement new defensive coordinator Todd Orlando's scheme in person before the 2020 season, so players were learning on the fly as they prepared for the delayed season. He was more of Well keep things simple, well do the same stuff. Its really hard to screw up a run play. There are a lot of questions about how the Trojans offensive line will perform, but having Brett Neilon at center and Alijah Vera-Tucker at left tackle should help. LOS ANGELES Under normal circumstances, first-year USC defensive coordinator Todd Orlando would have just finished the in-person evaluation portion of the recruiting calendar. Theres no favoritism. The modern spread offense is defined largely by quick-hitting pass plays, run/pass options and finally play-action shots that often feature six- or seven-man protections. And that might just be the way it is moving forward. Todd Orlando - MatchQuarters // #ArtofX At the same time, it causes a lot of controversy for the guys on offense.. Even the NFL saw many of its teams embrace a more open style of play. What is the current state of play for one of the elite QB prospects on the board? Examine Texas schedule last season, and youll see a murders row of quarterbacks:Sam Darnold(No. Some of the stuff he was about to say, I was already thinking. A clearer picture of USCs new defense should crystallize in the coming days, with contact no longer limited. USC's new defensive coordinator didn't waste time schooling Trojans on new scheme New USC defensive coordinator Todd Orlando didn't let the COVID-19 shutdown stop him from familiarizing the Trojans to his defense. I would have loved to be in a 4-3, Roach told Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth-Star Telegram. Arizona State just out-executed the Trojans defense in the run game. The time is now! Texas Football: Todd Orlando Is a Cutting-Edge Defensive Coordinator Learn more about troubleshooting WordPress. But those arent the only areas that were to be evaluated starting Wednesday. This offseason, there were more than a few reports potentially linking Orlando to head coach jobs. Greg Johnson is the veteran returner at nickel back. The two DEs (4is) in the B gaps close off the lifeline for every Spread team, the conflict gaps. One question I am asking to college football experts is this: Should Todd Orlando emphasize complexity of scheme or simplicity of scheme against Jayden Daniels and the Sun Devils on Saturday? If you allow that to happen and know its going to happen, thats a crime in my opinion. Then Utah States defensive coordinator, Orlando flew to Columbus, Ohio to interview with Herman for Houstons defensive coordinator job in January of 2015. Adam Grosbard covers USC athletics for the Orange County Register and Southern California News Group. His defenses would mix in three-down looks, but that was only about 20 percent of the time. After the opening weekend for USC, things looked good for the Trojans. The Longhorns seemed to never really find a home base on defense. The deepest position on the USC defense is safety. You get those guys in the program, they make us all look great. But we understood why we were running it. Thanks to some help from the Cyclones and Mountaineers, the Longhorns trashed the Jayhawks to land the No. The notion that the Big 12 doesnt play defense is false. Todd Orlando has plenty of experience arriving at a new school and installing his defensive scheme for the first time. Bringing the Heat - by Cody Alexander - MatchQuarters - Substack But Barry and USC opted not to continue their discussions, and Orlando became the leading candidate. You hear about soggy eggs and burnt toast, but its the pad popping thats the real story of these daily efforts. Theyre helping us as a coaching staff and that stuff, you cant put a price on those things.. This "lightning" package was built off a "robber coverage" and an alignment that looked like this: Basically, the Longhorns traded a man up front for the ability to play Cover 2 to either side of the formation with a "robber" in the middle who could read the play and then serve either as inside help against the dreaded double-post combinations that Oklahoma State liked to run or as an extra man coming just a touch late in the run game. Herman calls Orlando the best defensive coordinator in the country. The defense has numbers and is plus-one on the pulling guard. You look toward the tail end of the game, our intent was to bring enough guys we could go at least six (defenders) for six (blockers) on them and force them to throw the football.. Herman brought Orlando along with him to Texas, where a brilliant Year 1 netted the Longhorns defensive coordinator a raise to $1.7 million per year through the 2021 season. He spent just two weeks as an assistant in Lubbock, before Helton and USC came calling. Todd Orlando sees USC defense as work in progress He brings a passion, energy, toughness and discipline to his coaching, Helton said, and those characteristics were evident in our discussions. Having a base, four-man pass-rush is less valuable for attacking any of those schemes, so Orlando determined that it was a worthy trade to give up a pass rusher up front in exchange for more coverage and blitz flexibility and disguise potential while also gaining a "free hitter" in the form of the robber. Herman's offense is a spread system focused on running the ball downhill, primarily with inside zone runs, and he found 3-4 defenses that played quarters coverage like Orlando's to be the toughest schemes to deal with while at Ohio State. Texas junior defensive endMalcolm Roachsaid an Orlando film session is everything youd want it to be. That means a detail-oriented outlook focused to the point where Orlando will call out a player for a 12-inch step instead of a 6-inch one. The Trojans considered other candidates before settling on Orlando, even getting as far as discussing the parameters of a potential contract with Rams linebackers coach Joe Barry. Theyre the best in the country. Orlando said the Big 12 is unparalleled nationally when it comes to offensive playcalling. If you practice soft, youre going to play soft, Orlando said. Today will be the day, Orlando said Wednesday morning. I feel the 4-3 will help those guys to show their talents and more people will come out of Texas.. When you get players who can make throws and can run, you have to be mindful, Orlando told reporters on Wednesday morning. If that sounds like thinking, its because it is. Safeties Talanoa Hufanga and Isaiah Pola-Mao are expected to take on more active roles in directing the defense. Nothing went right for Texas and the principles Orlando instilled all offseason seemed to evaporate. Redshirt freshman Max Williams was the extra defensive back on the field in these packages. However, Orlando was stubborn in keeping his defensive ends playing heads up on opposing offensive tackles instead of giving them early-down opportunities from the five technique like James Lynch enjoyed at Baylor. Todd Orlando (born March 24, 1971) is an American football coach. Drake Jackson, who spent last season as more of a strict defensive end, shed 25 pounds and shifted into a hybrid linebacker role. The Tite Front was all the rage during the 2017 season. Aside from one spring practice, the intricacies of his scheme were installed only over Zoom. Some offense will come out and run the triple-option, which is really different and as a defense really strains us, Orlando said. Todd Orlando was announced as USC's defensive coordinator Friday, ending a lengthy search for Clancy Pendergast 's replacement that had dragged into its fourth week. It was during his time at Utah that he learned to assemble the 3-4 pressure package that made him an attractive hire for Herman and then a successful coach at Houston. The trickle-up effect is in full swing. So what did game No. After the Sun Devils started to have success on the ground midway through the second quarter, USC started employing a 4-3 front at times. In fact, they often had little to no idea how to defend the run in Texas' exotic defenses, and the Longhorns were regularly trashed by teams with multiple run games that could cause confusion. With Drake Jackson now listed as a linebacker and primarily playing in a standup role, USCs base is essentially a 3-3-5. Before arriving at Utah State in 2013, Orlando traditionally ran a four-down front. He also spent two years covering preps for the Orange County Register and Torrance Daily Breeze. Figueroa served as the single down lineman and was joined on the line of scrimmage by Jackson, Echols and one USCs more traditional linebackers, either Ralen Goforth or Palaie Gaoteote. Drake Jackson, who spent last season as more of a strict defensive. in the 80s, most NFL defenses also carry a hybrid DE, regardless if basing out of a three or four-down defense. FAU's defense . College football was temporarily revolutionized when hurry-up spread teams began to perfect the art of sending signals from the sideline to the field, allowing coordinators to make audibles and adjustments on behalf of their players. It didnt matter much. From a core principle perspective thats not too far off. The rover is the tip of the spear for the Orlando defensive scheme, and he uses that position as a solution to the main problem for the 3-4 defense in the modern era: How to create a multi-pronged pass rush from a nickel package. Odd-front defenses with nickel and dime packages on the back end are en vogue across college football. A Michigan native and University of Michigan graduate, Kartje previously wrote for Fox Sports Wisconsin and the Bloomington (Ind.) The result was a defense that failed to take advantage of the pass-rushing talent of players like Graham, Ossai, and Roach because once the scheme that Orlando spent the offseason developing was no longer effective, its extremely difficult to make those changes once the season begins. Thats not to say those seven months were for naught. One key element I talked about in my latest book, Hybrids: The Making of a Modern Defense, is the use of a more positionless defensive gameplan going forward into the future. USCs defense got two hits on Daniels and forced three incompletions on those three plays. If you take what he says at face value there, maybe they shouldnt be too worried about the additional wrinkles making things confusing or leading to miscommunications. He wants his defenders to fly to the football. And now former defensive end Malcolm Roach, as he prepares for the NFL Combine, reflected on how much he would have liked to play in Ashs scheme and how much he thinks it will benefit the 2020 Longhorns. You have pass rushers out there, TaQuon Graham, Marqez Bimage, Joe Ossai guys that can get after the quarterback. After Utah State, Orlando made his way to Houston for the 2015 and 2016 seasons, where the Cougars were top 30 in scoring defense and sacks both seasons he was there. Eventual Florida defensive end signee Princely Umanmielen cited the three-man front as one of the reasons why he decommitted from Texas back in October. From Georgia in the SEC to the Longhorns and Cyclones in the Big 12, the new-age Double Eagle took flight as one of the top ways to contain high powered Spread offenses. Herald-Times. He said on the first day of practice that it was clear these guys knew more than they would have coming into a fall camp in a normal year, which is quite a statement when you consider they didnt have a spring. The Horns look to close out the inaugural season at the Moody Center with a 17-1 record. Most defensive coaches can recognize the usefulness of the front, but one thing is clear, Spread offenses will try and figure it out. Will Alabama transfer Ishmael Sopsher be healthy enough to do so? This positionless style of play allows hybrid players, primarily at linebacker and defensive back, to play a larger role. A simplified picture combined with an athletic QB who could improvise if things got hairy made the spread offense absolutely deadly. Thats where our emphasis is going to be this week.. It could afford to, considering Arizona State wasnt making it pay through the air. Most people know what to expect from USCs offense from game to game. Imagine if this actually happens. Texas didnt do much to stop the onslaught late in the game (no one did), but there are some definite takeaways. 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In turn, this could mean the end of the road for Orlando in Southern California regardless of who takes the job as head coach of the Trojans. It is not going to be participation awards. Georgia and Texas used the front and similar coverage schemes as a base, with both finding themselves in BCfToys.coms top 10 in Defensive Efficiency (adjusted for the strength of opponent offenses faced UGA was #5 and Texas #6). Up front, the Longhorns moved third-down specialist Breckyn Hager into one of the 4i-technique DE positions, where his scrappy playing style allowed him to battle bigger offensive linemen despite his smaller stature (6'2" 240). Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. Ryan Kartje is the USC beat writer at the Los Angeles Times. The Cowboys averaged more yards passing than any team in the country. Theres a reason why he was let go. Weve changed that.. Two Former NBA Players Receive Prison Sentences For Fraud Scheme. Drake Jackson will man the hybrid outside backer position again this season. A good run defense has been a calling card of Orlandos units at his previous stops. Find out which 3 #USC players go to the Bears in an NBC Sports Chicago mock draft. Overall, the rotation was much shorter than what was utilized last year. Contact drills were reduced to virtual cues. In watching ITS throughout this fall camp and knowing that he has a sense of urgency to really capture that position as well as be elite at it has been really nice to see.. He trains the defense to quickly show one look before audibling to another with merely a glance to the sideline just before the snap. The initial conversations went well. Herman said Orlando would be the first assistant in his foxhole. Innovation comes from desperation, and in the offensive gauntlet that is the Big 12, it has created an evolutionary playground for defensive (and offensive) football. 2. Are they going to be too complicated in the first game and have to scale things back, or are they going to keep it simple and then gradually add layers of intricacy? 16.2ASU19.6Washington21.8Oregon23.0Utah23.2OSU23.8Colorado24.8WSU26.5UCLA27.0Stanford27.3USC27.6Cal31.6Arizona, SportsPac12 (@SportsPac12) October 10, 2021. However, that was so long ago and feels like a lifetime. USC defense has different feel in camp after full offseason Orlando lost both of his starting inside linebackers after the 2018 season and both were productive in his scheme. Herman brought Orlando along with him to Texas, where a brilliant Year 1 netted the Longhorns defensive coordinator a raise to $1.7 million per year through the 2021 season. Todd Orlando's USC defense: What we learned after 60 minutes He wants to stop the run and make a defense one-dimensional. But structurally, in our opinion, its still so sound.. FAU brings back a solid core talented defenders in their front seven and have also added numerous former blue-chip transfers to solidify their front seven. 2 seed in the Big 12 Tournament. Los Angeles. Gambling problem? https://trojanswire.usatoday.com/2020/11/06/todd-orlando-vs-arizona-state-a-central-pregame-question-for-usc/. If you bring four and they have six back in there to block, its not good numbers for you especially if youre covering the heck out of everybody. That's what Orlando labels coachings million dollar question. The arrangement wasnt ideal for anyone involved, least of all the new defensive coordinator tasked with toughening up a unit that, for seven months, was barred from standing next to each other, let alone colliding. Former Texas DE Malcolm Roach criticizes Todd Orlandos scheme, Quick thoughts from No. To me, hes a special player, Orlando said. perspective, he's found Orlando to be a gem of an assistant for a variety of reasons. 3 Kansas. Hes got that mindset. Aggressive DCs like Orlando weren't having that for long, and his response is to teach his players to show a blitz to trigger the sideline glance and check from the offense before bringing another call entirely. Orlando first will bring up a picture to show the correct placement for a player. Over the course of 2017, Orlando gained a full mastery of his own roster and unleashed it in a variety of fashions against a loaded slate of Big 12 opponents. You would think its hard to learn, but he made it so simple.. As I wrote in early 2019 after Texas defeated Georgia, Orlando's defense uses hybrid players and different alignments to put pressure on offenses. Theyre not only making plays, but theyre trying to help other guys. LOS ANGELES USC has its new defensive coordinator, Todd Orlando. Tackling has been an issue, (as has) lots of defensive miscommunication. Orlando usually sent four rushers when he used this package early in the game, and Sun Devils quarterback Jayden Daniels took advantage of the pressure on the first drive by ripping off a 38-yard run. Since L.T. Be sure to follow us on Twitter at: The time is now! Orlando's rover is typically one of the team leaders in sacks as a result of this strategy. Todd Orlando Tries To Remake USC's Defense - Trojan Daily Blog A Michigan native and University of Michigan graduate, Kartje previously wrote for Fox Sports Wisconsin and the Bloomington (Ind.) Its a combination that spurred a defensive transformation at Texas. Is USC defense ready to take a leap in Year 2, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window). USC needs more size, speed and athleticism at every level of its defense. In order to acclimate, the Longhorns flipped a script that usually prioritized stopping the run first 95 percent of the time. Longhorns defensive coordinator Todd Orlando debuted his "cowboy" package in a 45-14 win over Louisiana Tech last Saturday. Apr 5, 2021. Former Texas DE Malcolm Roach criticizes Todd Orlando's scheme Orlando turned down that job, too. The "mac" or middle linebacker helps call the defense and serves as the "first responder" for the defense against the run, looking to plug gaps and spill blocks to the outside linebackers (or nickel and dime defenders as the case may be) and his partner the "rover" linebacker. Continue reading Simulated Pressures From a Positionless Defense (2019 Sugar Bowl). Since Texas Longhorns head coach Tom Herman dismissed defensive coordinator Todd Orlando two and a half months ago and even before, to some extent its become clear just how much defensive line recruits and players disliked the front used by Orlando in his 3-3-5 defense. Stilleto Boy wins the Santa Anita Handicap for trainer Ed Moger Jr. Sierra Canyon girls basketball team is two wins away from perfect season, Practical Move gives trainer Tim Yakteen a win in the San Felipe Stakes, Sam Farmers crystal ball: NFL mock draft 2023 version 1.0, UCLAs freshmen living up to the hype, carry Bruins into Pac-12 title game. There's no better way to demonstrate that than to look at howTexas defended the run. Defensive coach Todd Orlando of the Texas Longhorns reacts during play against the TCU Horned Frogs in the second . He was also inheriting a schedule that included Sam Darnold and USC, Jesse Ertz and Kansas State, Baker Mayfield and Oklahoma, Mason Rudolph and Oklahoma State, Kenny Hill and TCU, Will Grier and West Virginia and ultimately Drew Lock and Missouri -- essentially, some of the cream of the crop in terms of modern spread offense and spread quarterbacking. But for now Orlando is sticking around in Austin to work with Herman. It has been quick to the ball, aggressive in its pass rush situations, effective at creating interceptions and disruptive in clogging the line of scrimmage on run plays. Pili underwent surgery last week on some broken fingers, which forced him to miss the game. Like Iowa State, Texas has a three-safety Dime package that they utilize against pass-heavy offenses (think Kingburys Tech) or in obvious pass downs where Orlando wants to drop eight and flood the zones. And sometimes they went with a 3-4 look with its normal defensive line (Figueroa, Marlon Tuipulotu and Caleb Tremblay) and Jackson and Hunter Echols as outside linebackers.