Against Pitt, Dadi Nicolas tied with Jack Tyler for a team high 7 tackles, and he led the Hokies outright with 3 sacks. Nicolas lined up in his traditional defensive end position, and at Whip. The latter was the latest twist by Bud Foster to his dominant defense filled with versatile playmakers. After the game Frank Beamer said of Nicolas, "He's a talented guy and we're moving him around there, getting him to pass rush from different positions, and he showed up there." Beamer continued, "He's a force back there, and got a real talent for rushing the quarterback." Indeed.
I rewatched the game on Sunday focussing only on Dadi, and by my count he played 16 snaps at Whip when subbed in for Josh Trimble, and 11 at end when spelling J.R. Collins.
On Saturday Dadi made plenty of highlight plays to "Ooh" and "Aah" over, like this one for instance.
Dadi bursts off the line like a jungle cat. His dip-and-rip is smooth, perfectly timed, and gets him underneath the tackle's block. His two cherry pickers for arms help him get a sack.
Or here's another sack. (Dadi had to be pleased there because on the previous play he got put on his butt. Good football players dust themselves off.)
Those were fun. However, the 3 plays I really want to point out are ones in which Dadi didn't make a sack, or even a tackle.
Those are plays I miss when I watch a game live. Coaches often speak in cliches, but when they say something like, "give 100% each play", that's what they mean. Few people watching on TV, or in the stadium, see the guy hustling from the other side of the field, then flying in at the end of the play.
Here's a quote from team captain Jack Tyler on Dadi's breakout game.
"When he started, you couldn't get him lined up, you couldn't get him to do anything, because he's only been playing for so long," said linebacker Jack Tyler, whose duty it was to get him lined up properly Saturday. "And now he's kind of found his niche. You can see that he's a heck of a player."
I'm not sure what Dadi's niche is. He's an aggressive pass rusher. In a blink of an eye he closes down the line and back doors the run. Bud Foster trusts him to play Whip, one of the most demanding positions of his defense. Scot Loeffer has created packages for him on offense. Maybe I'm overcomplicating this, perhaps his speciality is more generic. Simply put, he's a hard working football player that makes plays. He's perfectly qualified to play for the Lunch Pail Defense.
Comments
Wow that hussle & those wheels
When RVD was hurt, some of us even wondered what it would look like if he played Whip. He's a monster
With all due respect, Joe. I like how Mason and French post the YouTube links that I can pause and try and dissect. The .gif are great for looping, but it's hard to key on the player you're focusing on.
I'm not sure BillDozer has had a chance to split up the film yet
psh did that before the highlight vid.
let's not nitpick a guy that is providing a the best Hokie website FOR FREE. Enjoy what you get because it's not the norm around college football world.
And if you really can't see which one is Dadi you've got bigger issues than it being a gif.
Dadi's easy to spot here.
He's the one what that hell is riding behind him.
And yes, I do want to see Dadi catch a Hail Mary bomb from Logan before this season ends!
#HUSSLEFLOW
I understand his responsibility at Whip against Pitt was to sack the QB or tackle the RB, and very little if any pass-coverage. If he could be taught good pass-cover skills, he'd be a real monster at the position!
But, hey, I love watching the guy play no matter where he lines up!
When I first digested the notion of him at whip, I thought the same thing, that Bud gave him 0 pass responsibility. However, after rewatching the game he dropped into coverage 3 times.
Haven't watched the game again, but it looked like Dadi's job was made as simple as possible. Either line up over the tight end and go get the guy with ball, or, wait to see if the tight end blocks and then go get the guy with the ball. When he did drop back, I think he was just playing straight man on the guy right in front of him. My guess is this is a one time deal against a team that runs a ton of 2 man routes, and if the tight end was a receiving threat you wouldn't have seen it. It looked very unfosterlike to see the whip chasing the tight end in motion across the field. Love the idea though, love the execution and not giving Dadi too much to think about. Foster has to love having the depth and weapons to tinker like this (and like Ky. Fuller against GT)
Simply put, he's a hard working football player that makes plays. He's perfectly qualified to play for the Lunch Pail Defense.
That says it all right there. Amen brother.
I believe that the previously mentioned spawn called Ndadi has come to life!
*tips hat and gives turkey leg*
Kinda of took out JR collins on that one there.
Loved the pure physical prowess Dadi displayed yesterday, but I think some of the sacks that he just missed were because he came in a little out of control. If he could have contained himself just a little, I think he would have had three or four more sacks. A few times he ran right by the QB.
I think you hit the nail on the head as far as his demeanor was for this game. He was completely out of control. When he was on the field he was flying around and on the sideline he was doing his best to pump up anyone that was around him. I hope that energy stays the hole year and becomes infectious because I know it was getting me fired up.
Wow, watching that speed is ridiculous. In the first one, I'm pretty sure he teleported, because there is no way a human being can make up that much ground.
So, what's the future for Dadi and Foster's D? Will he only play back-up DE or will his role expand? I have no idea, but I will say this. When VT plays mobile QBs, they should use Dadi as a QB spy. With his speed, I can just imagine Boyd trying to break away only to get leveled by Dadi at the line of scrimmage.
Oh, snap. That hadn't even crossed my mind, but my goodness, that could be extremely effective, if (and let's face it, he's Bud Foster) Bud could scheme that in without giving Clemson any/too many good matchups outside.
I've noticed that Tech has given up solid yardage to mobile quarterbacks this season and I think that it's our biggest weakness. Putting Dadi in as a spy is quite possibly the best x's and o's idea I've seen on this site. (Sorry French and 3rdand31!)
I seriously doubt Foster would use Dadi as a spy on anything other then an end of game prevent defense situation. Foster would much rather use a LB who can drop back and be a factor in a middle of the field zone and then rally to the QB.
If he brought Dadi on a blitz, with the regular starting four, that should help reduce the rushing lanes for a mobile QB though. That is far more likely to happen (rushing five, with dadi as a rusher) then to leave Dadi in the middle of the field as a spy
I agree, but he is the most athletic player and the only player that would be able to get to the point of attack before Boyd (or similar) gets huge gains. As great as Edwards and Tyler are, neither of them have the closing speed to catch that athletic QB. So, I see two scenarios in which Bud could use Dadi as a spy. A Dime-like package (which I would call the Dadi package) where Dadi replaces Edwards as the LB and spy in passing plays, such as 3rd and long in which Edwards would have been the spy anyways. The second would be Dadi in for Collins at DE, bring an overloaded blitz on the opposite side of Dadi. Boyd (or other athletic QB) would see this, and take off. Dadi, instead of rushing, slides back to the middle of the field to spy Boyd, and follow him to the tackle.
Do I think Bud will use either of these ideas? Probably not. He's much smarter than me and would figure out better ways to use Dadi. But with a skill-set ad good as Dadi, you have to find a way to get him on the field more. And it's not a secret that Edwards and Tyler are not fast enough for the more athletic QBs.
In all reality, VT won't face too many running QBs, only UMD and Duke. And, in my opinion, only CJ Brown of UMD is the type of athletic QB that will give Foster's Defense fits. So, we'll see how Foster handles those games. Perhaps, if VT wins out, it will face aTm in the Orange Bowl. If this were to happen, then I say you must use Dadi as a spy. Manziel is just too good of an improvisor not to have a spy on 80% of plays.
You can't coach talent. When you combine that with knowledge of the defense and technique...we're gonna have a heck of a pass rush.
Also my friend kept staring at me when I kept chanting "WHO'S YOUR DADDY?" after each play he made. Now he gets it.
I kinda like him at OLB/whip. It's been a while since we had three big LBs.
Damn, that receiver in the last gif just barely escaped being sent to the hospital
Can anybody post the vid of him getting a helmet sticker on College Football Final?
I don't know how to imbed videos, but it should be about here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=RPpiFpyLgrY#t=...
*for some reason the link isn't going to the right time for me. Its at about 44:50
haha... they didn't even have a picture of him for the mugshot on the banner. I bet they do next time though.
He's annoying and all, but you've got to give Mark May the slightest amount of credit for giving Dadi a helmet sticker vs his alma mater. He has some humility in there somewhere.
Or the producers told May to cram it and give Dadi the sticker.
I like yours better. Turkey leg.
He's found his niche. It's that his foot belongs squarely up the opposing QB's behind.
I am thinking that WHEN he makes it to the next level he could very possibly be a 3-4 stand up guy in the mold of what Dallas did with Ware!
Dadi for Running Back.
I don't know if anyone remembers his recruiting video, but it was basically this. He just ran around the field at a ridiculous speed. Raw didn't describe it. The thought was maybe, maybe, by his senior year he could add enough bulk to be on the field and show enough discipline that he didn't hurt as much as he helped.
The fact this his sheer physicality translated directly to college football is shocking. When you put him in context of athletic ability for his position at VT, he's in the conversation with guys like Vick, Wilson, Moore, XAdibi and Andre Davis.
Yes, I do remember his HS film,... thinking this guys gets after every play like its the last time he'll ever play. His effort is just ridiculous, then combined with athleticism+ Gentry+ Bud= awesome.
"Dadi Nicolas... he'll get after ya" -Frank
Probably the most accurate usage of this Beamer colloquialism.
And the most literal.
Wow Dadi is fast!
Can Dadi return punts or run the football too? Lol
We really need to get Ndadi to sign here. Then we can say we have "the Dadi N'Dadi Double Trouble D'line".
I'd prefer they be called the "Duo of Destruction" to go along with our Fab 5.
If this was Blue Mountain State, I'd swear Dadi injected himself with shark hormones before this game!
Can't count how many times I shouted "DADI" watching the Pitt game. The kid is lights out.\