Linebacker Depth

The RVD news is very, very disappointing. We're going to miss him this year.

Losing Mark Schuman really stings, as he was a guy that could play both tackle and guard positions. At least he'll be back by the end of September. Wyatt Teller makes me feel better about OL depth - - I don't think he redshirts this year.

And of course, JCC with two sprained ankles probably won't be back for several weeks. Can Jerome Wright and Chris Mangus replace him for Alabama?

Also of note - with Jerome Wright moving to RB, that pretty much guarantees that our top two fullbacks will be Fuller Hoepner and Sam Rogers. Me likey. I'm looking forward to watching Sam Rogers literally beat up a linebacker.

Back to the linebacker position. Who is going to replace RVD against 2-tight end and I-formations? It will not be Kyle Fuller, as he'll be drafted as a CB or safety next year and our coaches will not want to hurt his draft stock. We'll obviously see a lot of Kendall Fuller in the nickle position on passing downs and vs spread teams, but who will play the whip spot against power running teams like Alabama? Another way of looking at this question is this: who is physically capable of consistently tackling TJ Yeldon and quick enough to cover TEs on play action?

Josh Trimble: 6'0, 216 lbs. Walk-on. Special teams gunner type. Can make tackles in space. But can he shed blocks, drop back in coverage, and attack the backfield?

Derrick Dinardo: 6'0, 216 lbs. Walk-on. Havn't seen him much....

Deon Clarke / Devin Van Dyke: Scholarship backer and mike LB types. Both made plays in the spring and are plenty athletic. Are they mentally sharp enough to play the whip position?

I would personally like to see more of a jumbo set and slide Deon Clarke or DVD over to the whip position. I believe they would be the best option in run support. I'm very confident in DVD being able to slice through blocks and hit. However, I'm not sure he can drop into coverage and run with elite TEs. What do you all think?