72% of the class has P5 offers

[SMU 86]

Coach Morris did say in the video that the 2017 class would probably be defense oriented somewhat like this one was.

[JasonB]

And cover yout ears gloom and doomers but it seems on the surface that the defense could possibly fare better than last season

Yeah that's just on the surface though, factor in the FBS learning curve and our schedule and the result will be another 40+ppg defense ranked in the 120s.

Or factor in the only players that graduated on defense that create a hole are Wood and the Mizzou CB. Forget about the incoming frosh and plug in the Scott brothers, Biggers, the JUCO, the Star LB that was redshirted, and the two secondary players who got injured and took a redshirt. We are already better. At minimum, Onu and Spears stepped into the two deep yesterday. So, yes, I think it is okay to assume we are going to be better defensively than we were last season.

[Rebel10]

I would not forget about the incoming freshmen. A good amount will probably play. The thing I like about Coach Morris is that a lot of the players he recruited in this class are ready to compete immediately.

[JasonB]

My point was that even if you exclude the incoming frosh, the defense is going to be better. Add those guys and you could see a decent jump.

[Stallion]

if we play 12-15 freshman/true freshman as Morris is suggesting there's no guarantee we will be much better on defense in 2016-and that's OK because we aren't playing for 2016. Going to have to outscore teams in 2016. But we would make big strides by 2017 on defense and our offense will be humming by 2017. Party begins

[sbsmith]

Or factor in the only players that graduated on defense that create a hole are Wood and the Mizzou CB. Forget about the incoming frosh and plug in the Scott brothers, Biggers, the JUCO, the Star LB that was redshirted, and the two secondary players who got injured and took a redshirt. We are already better. At minimum, Onu and Spears stepped into the two deep yesterday. So, yes, I think it is okay to assume we are going to be better defensively than we were last season.

That's still depending on a lot of unknowns, they might look good on the practice field but actual FBS games are another matter entirely. It's safe to assume that we'll be as bad or worse defensively than we were last season.

[Pony Boss]

Difference is that the freshmen ARE TALENTED, and the last batches June recruited aren't. So I don't necessarily think playing lots of Freshmen will result in a defense that is worse than last year.

[freqz]

And "just better than last year" is a pretty low bar to clear...

[JasonB]

Or factor in the only players that graduated on defense that create a hole are Wood and the Mizzou CB. Forget about the incoming frosh and plug in the Scott brothers, Biggers, the JUCO, the Star LB that was redshirted, and the two secondary players who got injured and took a redshirt. We are already better. At minimum, Onu and Spears stepped into the two deep yesterday. So, yes, I think it is okay to assume we are going to be better defensively than we were last season.

That's still depending on a lot of unknowns, they might look good on the practice field but actual FBS games are another matter entirely. It's safe to assume that we'll be as bad or worse defensively than we were last season.

? Lose Wood but get the Scotts, Biggers and a JUCO. Lose the Mizzour CB and pick up the two frosh who were good enough to play but got hurt I think at worst that is going to be a wash. Then you add the Star LB that took a redshirt and Onu and Spears alone and the odds would lean towards improvement, because there are more opportunities to fill positions with better players.

[vielsiehorsepower]

And "just better than last year" is a pretty low bar to clear...

That was the bar I used because most people think defense will at best be just as bad as last year. I think that defense will perform similarly to last year but around game 6 the "fog of war" will be thinned out a bit and they'll finish in the lower 100s overall.

[vielsiehorsepower]

And cover yout ears gloom and doomers but it seems on the surface that the defense could possibly fare better than last season

Yeah that's just on the surface though, factor in the FBS learning curve and our schedule and the result will be another 40+ppg defense ranked in the 120s.

Or factor in the only players that graduated on defense that create a hole are Wood and the Mizzou CB. Forget about the incoming frosh and plug in the Scott brothers, Biggers, the JUCO, the Star LB that was redshirted, and the two secondary players who got injured and took a redshirt. We are already better. At minimum, Onu and Spears stepped into the two deep yesterday. So, yes, I think it is okay to assume we are going to be better defensively than we were last season.

Pretty much this. I didn't say there aren't going to be a lot of growing pains, however. It's a long way up from worst defense in the ncaa two years running but morris and co. Have set an excellent foundation for the future.

[Stallion]

SMU wasn't the worst defense in the country last year-we did better than about 10 teams in Total Defense

[gostangs]

I just don't see how we are worse, when our team speed on D will for sure be higher. That alone will make it a better Defense. Not saying they are going to blow people away but I think they will be improved, even if younger, just due to team speed and more options on DL. I know our LB's have to be better.

[vielsiehorsepower]

SMU wasn't the worst defense in the country last year-we did better than about 10 teams in Total Defense

Correction- among the worst. And I think by mid seasonish the defense will be improved upon last year but it may not show much in the cumulative statistics. However, I'll admit I can be optimistic to a fault here and there. But I think there is good reason for objective optimism in this instance. But I am excited to see this group in Ann Arbor

[vielsiehorsepower]

I just don't see how we are worse, when our team speed on D will for sure be higher. That alone will make it a better Defense. Not saying they are going to blow people away but I think they will be improved, even if younger, just due to team speed and more options on DL. I know our LB's have to be better.

The two frosh that were in there last year were the new staffs players, right? Tons of quality depth coming in at lb with ward, carmouche, badejo, spears and Carlisle (if he hasn't been recruited as a safety or redshirting because his 247 profile says 6'2 178)