Todd Orlando has plenty of experience arriving at a new school and installing his defensive scheme for the first time. A simplified picture combined with an athletic QB who could improvise if things got hairy made the spread offense absolutely deadly. Junior Chris Steele was an unquestioned returning starter, whereas it was an open competition for the second job, with Isaac Taylor-Stuart seeming like the leader entering game week. 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. The Longhorns used lightning package variation the remainder of the season, allowing only 21 points per game the rest of the way. Hybrid players allow an almost endless amount of ways to blitz and pressure an offense without losing coverage ability (youre dropping a speedy LB/DB instead of a rigid D-lineman). The Spread offense has touched every corner of college football. Saban has finally embraced the change as well, throwing the ball more than he ever has before with Tua Tagovailoa. I would have loved to be in a 4-3, Roach told Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth-Star Telegram. Thats where adaptability comes into play. The beauty within Orlandos use of interchangeable players allows him to stay within packages, but get different pre-snap looks. And Charles Omenihu won the Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year award in 2018 with 9.5 sacks playing in the same scheme that ultimately limited Orlandos last defense in Austin. After the second day of pads (last spring) we were like, Golly, we havent do this much hitting in a minute. Its just that mental toughness they instill in us. LOS ANGELES USC has its new defensive coordinator, Todd Orlando. But Barry and USC opted not to continue their discussions, and Orlando became the leading candidate.
'He's a guru': How Todd Orlando transformed the Texas defense - 247Sports 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). 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. Its really, really crazy to see., Asked to summarize Orlandos system, Texas senior cornerbackKris Boydsaid succinctly: Just run to the ball and hit.. A Pasadena native, he currently lives in the South Bay. LOS ANGELES (AP) Todd Orlando has plenty of experience arriving at a new school and installing his defensive scheme for the first time. The point behind that question is not that hard to grasp: Is a complex scheme necessary to give USC a winning edge, or should a simplified scheme be used in Week 1, to not load players with too many assignments, reads, or details? Drake Jackson, who spent last season as more of a strict defensive end, shed 25 pounds and shifted into a hybrid linebacker role. He would have. The defense has numbers and is plus-one on the pulling guard. - Grier hurt himself early in the contest against Texas, but Locks 52.9 completion rate in the Texas Bowl was one of his worst of the year. Though Todd Orlandos (DC, USC) time at Texas came to a screeching halt after the 2019 regular season, one thing is clear, the man can create pressure. Its really hard to screw up a run play. He served as the defensive coordinator at the University of Texas at Austin from 2017 to 2019 and the University of Southern California (USC) from 2020 to 2021. If that sounds like thinking, its because it is. Last year, Orlando helped the Longhorns shed more than 10 points per game allowed on defense despite working with 10 of the 11 starters from2016's porous unit. His role evolves into something else over these next few weeks.
USC Mailbag: How much will new faces change the outlook for the Trojans As I wrote in early 2019 after Texas defeated Georgia, Orlandos defense uses hybrid players and different alignments to put pressure on offenses. They also began to move Hager into different alignments that made the most of his ability to drop into coverage or work around the edge in conjunction with his ability and willingness to crash into tackles from an inside alignment.
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CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Want to keep up with all the latest FAU football and recruiting news? Their rotation would be a bit deeper, too. FAU's defense . Cornerback is a different situation. Hands-on coaching was limited to distanced learning. Its the reason one of the worst defenses in program history in 2016 transformed into one of the best with the same players in college football's most potent offensive conference. The goal of Orlandos defense is twofold: 1. Chase Williams has turned into a leader at the position while delivering physical blows when he attacks the ball. We see how he got his start c. Coach Todd Orlando of the USC Trojans during USC football practice at the University of Southern California on Wednesday, March 11, 2020. As of Thursday morning, it has apparently filled out the rest of its coaching staffit has apparently filled out the rest of its Orlando was fired by head coach Tom Herman on Dec. 1 and Naivar the co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach for the Longhorns who has worked with Herman across four different stops (Sam. This offseason, there were more than a few reports potentially linking Orlando to head coach jobs. It took defenses a while to catch up, but Orlando is at the cutting edge with his defensive packages that can disrupt the process and even the playing field. Owl fans had seen this defensive scheme recently when defensive coordinator Glenn Spencer coached FAU in 2019 as part of the 11-3 Conference USA and Boca Bowl championship season. Be sure to follow us on Twitter at: @Owls247, @MarinelliShane, and @TheKevinFielder. After leaving FIU, Orlando went north to coach Utah State, where their defense ranked 7th and 12th in scoring defense during the 2013 and 2014 seasons, respectively. I love TO hes one of the smartest defensive minds I ever played for.. Orlando said he's already adjusted his scheme, which relies on mixed fronts and aggressive blitzing, to fit USC's personnel. Here is where USCs struggles against the run and its short rotation, particularly on the defensive line, tie together. Orlando will get his first chance to determine the impact of the tradeoff when the Trojans begin their truncated season . 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. So in addition to having a blitz package, Orlando teaches his rover how to disguise insert blitzes through the A and B gaps. The former is built on repetitive contact. Orlando said hes already adjusted his scheme, which relies on mixed fronts and aggressive blitzing, to fit USCs personnel.
Is Todd Orlando's Big Picture Coming Into Focus? The deepest position on the USC defense is safety. Yet, because of the way the Longhorns fly to the ball, it doesnt much matter that the numbers are pushed back. There were times when we said the same thing together at the same moment. We understood the reason why we were running what we were running, Roach said. MQ takes a look at Texas 3rd Down pressure package versus Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. Every week is a challenge. Thats in large part due to the variance of the offensive minds. 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. The familiarity with the opponent will be gone. Orlando said that shift occured because of practice habits and strong relationships between the defensive staff and its players. 3 Kansas on Saturday to close the regular season. Behind them, USC has transfers like Xavion Alford and Chris Thompson, not to mention a slew of freshmen. During his time as defensive coordinator at Texas, his defense forced 65 turnovers and ranked in the top 10 nationally for .
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. Herman calls Orlando the best defensive coordinator in the country. USCs defense got two hits on Daniels and forced three incompletions on those three plays. A good run defense has been a calling card of Orlandos units at his previous stops. But instead of sending four rushers, USC sent six (Figueroa, the four linebackers and Hufanga) on the final three plays, which forced Daniels, who rushed for 111 yards, to beat the Trojans with his arm. Safeties coach Craig Naivar, whos been working with Orlando since 2015, described the defense with that exact word a few weeks ago. Thats what practice is about. Johnson and Wheeler added another 17 run stuffs combined as the linebacker position went from being a major deficit to a team strength. 3 overall pick),Baker Mayfield(No. Toughness is for naught if the player and coach relationship isnt strong enough to offset those consistent practice blows. Then, facing the ultra-explosive Oklahoma State offense, he made a big change to his defensive structure that probably revolutionized his own philosophy and perhaps changed prevailing best practices across the college game from here on out. Orlandos defensive turnaround in Austin stems back to that interview in Columbus.
No scheme change, but Texas D likely to be bigger in Alamo Bowl - Horns247 Some of the stuff I was about to say, he was already thinking. Most defensive coaches can recognize the usefulness of the front, but one thing is clear, Spread offenses will try and figure it out. Once the guard pulls (the 4is key), he can chase and climb to the mesh. For instance, before the snap he might show a field overload to induce an audible from the offense only to drop those players back and bring the overload from the boundary: These styles of blitzes can really mess up an offense's protections, option reads, passing progressions or blocking schemes, but they have their own vulnerabilities, in particular the man coverage the defense tends to play behind them. The time is now! Orlando served as Hermans DC for two years in Houston, coaching a pair of top 30 defenses. Thats important to me. You have pass rushers out there, TaQuon Graham, Marqez Bimage, Joe Ossai guys that can get after the quarterback. So no matter the look, USCs run defense needs to get better. (Top photo: Jose Marin / MarinMedia Pool for USC Athletics). Texas special assistant to the head coach Gary Patterson stepping down from role. Among current players, defensive end TaQuon Graham was something close to ecstatic about the potential for rushing the quarterback in Ashs defense following the Alamo Bowl win over Utah. The defensive line lost more bodies in the offseason when Jacob Lichtenstein opted out of the season, and it was announced that Trevor Trouts season (and possibly his career) would be over with a back injury. 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. This season has not gone according to plan for anybody, especially the defense, and major changes will be headed USCs way. In that game, the Longhorns consistently confused a seasoned and well-coached offensive line, garnering two sacks and seven tackles for loss (TFLs). 9 Texas hosts No. I just feel like now that burden is on me, being the veteran.. Two things generally forced USC to shift out of its base defense. The Trojans results against Arizona State were mixed. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. It's a testament to what a normal offseason has done for second-year coordinator Todd Orlando and his ability to install the defense and instill the mentality he wants from his players.. You have to look at the film and say, This guy can wreck a game, Orlando said. Every time USC football scrimmaged, there was one side of the ball that dominated much of the live periods: the defense. Hell then put on a video with several examples. 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. For example, to counteract the speed of the Ravens Lamar Jackson, the San Diego Chargers went uber-small and put up to SEVEN DBs on the field at a time. This might be the most talented position group on the USC roster, but there are still some concerns. Two Former NBA Players Receive Prison Sentences For Fraud Scheme. Aggressive, physical, unfearing. Take a look at those QBs 2017 season, youd see their matchup with Texas as a low-end outlier amid exceptional overall campaigns. With his ability to teach fundamentals to raw athletes, train and equip defenders to attack offenses with disguise and pressure and adapt his tactics around the strengths of his roster, Orlando is proving to be a cutting-edge coordinator. Antonio Morales covers USC football for The Athletic. Theyve been physical in the run game but they all kind of complement each other.. . The 404 alignment does several things for the box: 1) the offensive line cant climb because of the 4is, and 2) it frees up at least one of the inside linebackers (if not both). Contact drills were reduced to virtual cues. By Coachlamons @nukeit1981 Dec. But for now Orlando is sticking around in Austin to work with Herman. He also spent two years covering preps for the Orange County Register and Torrance Daily Breeze. The timing between Daniels and his receivers was off all game. The Longhorns sessions reflect that. Previously, he spent three years at the Clarion Ledger in Mississippi, where he covered Ole Miss for two seasons and Jackson State for another. His defensive coordinator would be Todd Orlando., hiring him from Florida International. The Iowa St. Cyclones rose from #103 in 2016 to a respectable #32in BCfToys efficiency rankings in 2017. 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. One of the key subplots to USC's season opener against Arizona State is the performance of the Trojans' defense, more specifically the secondary. I do think that is the gambit this season with the defense: You have to risk the fact that while there may be some miscommunications, and maybe its getting a little too complicated, also that complication is what could give this defense a leg up from past defenses USC has fielded. To me, thats recruiting. We just had to learn to embrace it, and now we look forward to it.. Hes got that mindset. There has been a critical error on this website. Written by Ian Boyd (@Ian_A_Boyd)for Athlon Sports. Orlando is now a handsomely paid football coach, in his third year as the Texas defensive coordinator having progressed up the career coaching ladder, from Penn to UConn to FIU to Utah State to. Mason Rudolph, a third-round pick of the Steelers, failed to clear the 300-yard mark only twice in 2017. 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. In order to acclimate, the Longhorns flipped a script that usually prioritized stopping the run first 95 percent of the time. 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). The result was a hurried throw from Daniels, an incompletion on fourth down, and a victory for USC. Orlandos players have a different term for that distinction. 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. 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 the offense doesn't even know where the overload is coming from or who's dropping into coverage unless they can figure it out after the snap, they're more likely to have their own weak spots exposed than they are to hammer a favorable matchup with a pinpoint pass or run. Preparing for his first season as defensive coordinator at No. 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. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. I dont know how theyre going to play it, but thats going to be worth watching against a quarterback (Jayden Daniels) who is a veteran.. 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 names Todd Orlando its new defensive coordinator The real issues went beneath the surface. They handled the defending Mountain West champion San Jose State Spartans with ease. - Darnold completed 57.1 percent of his passes against Texas (third worst of the year) and threw a season-high two picks. Then Utah States defensive coordinator, Orlando flew to Columbus, Ohio to interview with Herman for Houstons defensive coordinator job in January of 2015. He knows the tendencies of the receivers, the quarterbacks, the linemen, what they have to offer. So what did game No.
Todd Orlando's USC defense: What we learned after 60 minutes LOS ANGELES USCs season-opening 28-27 win over Arizona State offered a glimpse of what first-year defensive coordinator Todd Orlandos defense will look like. The defense made the final stand to seal the victory, but it also gave up some big plays and surrendered 258 rushing yards to the Sun Devils. At the same time, it causes a lot of controversy for the guys on offense.. Find out which 3 #USC players go to the Bears in an NBC Sports Chicago mock draft. How USCs Boogie Ellis took a big leap forward as a senior, USC wastes Boogie Ellis career night in loss to Arizona, Pac-12 Tournament: USC women upset by Oregon State, Predictions for Pac-12 media rights, network partners and expansion, USC mens basketball can cement status vs. Arizona, Long Beach State squanders late lead, loses to UCDavis in double-OT, UCIrvine holds off UCRiverside to remain tied atop Big West, Long Beach State, UCIrvine women extend Big West title chase, Long Beach State routs Cal State Bakersfield in home finale, Disneyland quietly removes controversial lyric from new parade soundtrack, Fannie Mae halts financing for 6,102 condos in Laguna Woods, Tax filing deadline moves to mid-October for most Californians, 2 arrested in Anaheim on suspicion of possessing $463,000 in stolen merchandise, Baram and Tioumentsev win World Junior title hours after their coach, Todd Sand, suffers heart attack, Lake Forest woman filed restraining order against daughter 8 years before being killed in their home, Taco Mesita opens flagship location in Old Town Tustin, California weighs $360,000 in reparations to eligible Black residents, OC Restaurant Week kicks off Sunday, March 5, Final bones of 50-year-old Laguna Hills mall are coming down, As Adderall shortage continues, DEA plans to limit some telemedicine prescriptions, House where JonBenet Ramsey was found dead listed for sale for almost $7M, Columbia University permanently drops SAT, ACT admissions requirement, The Waterbed Doctor: California retailer lays claim to retro bed with nearly 40 years of service, sales, Felonious Florida podcast: Missing teenage girl leads to several cases of child sex trafficking, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. 1 teach us about the units new direction? Nearly every defensive coordinator will say theyre multiple in the various looks theyll give an offense. Orlando has a long coaching career with multiple stops across the country. It could afford to, considering Arizona State wasnt making it pay through the air. I wrote about Orlandos prowess as a DC in my article discussing how teams attack the Tite Front, the Longhorns base defense, but it is his use of multiple personnel packages within a game that truly shows his knack as a DC. https://trojanswire.usatoday.com/2020/11/06/todd-orlando-vs-arizona-state-a-central-pregame-question-for-usc/. The biggest breakthrough of the spread offense was in creating a clearer pre-snap picture for the offense and the QB in particular so that he had a narrower menu of options and threats to scan through after the snap. Visit our online store to order your copyto get more in-depth analysis on the 2018 season. Theres a little bit of schematics into it. And that might just be the way it is moving forward. The name of the game for Orlando is attacking opponents where they are always weakest -- in their ability to handle pressure and confusion with little reaction time. Jackson played with his hand in the ground a bit, just not as frequently as he did last season. Schemes aside, Orlandos defense is built on one thing above all his players flying to the ball. 3. That establishment between Orlando and his team started in earnest following the Longhorns worst defensive effort of the season, a 51-41 loss to Maryland in Week 1. In this years (2018) THSCA Football Lecture, Georgia Head Coach Kirby Smart attributed his use of the Tite Front and how he played the secondary behind it to his meeting with Texas own, Todd Orlando. Texas goal is to play fast on defense, forcing opposing QB to play slow. It makes a QB think, said Texas senior defensive endCharles Omenihu. Coach Orlando is a real guy, Johnson said. Its OKto fail, man. Orlandos scheme isnt complicated at least by memorization standards. The Chargers based out of it for a whole game! I think its a smart move. Texas would not allow more than 29 points the rest of the season in regulation. Hes at his best when hes trying to get into the backfield, and thats what he was mainly asked to do on Saturday. One of his favorite ways to do this is with his overload blitzes off the edges.
Todd Orlando Leaving Texas Tech After Less Than 2 Weeks And then Jamars just played that his whole life. But mostly, Halls role was to stay in the middle of the field to aggressively close on the many quick-hitting passes the Cowboys employed and discourage the posts that defined the offense. Schematically, Orlando excels because hes aggressive and prepared. Imagine if this actually happens. In an effort to get more speed and versatility on the field, Orlando moved Jefferson to mac linebacker, inserted Johnson, a sprinter, at rover and replaced senior B-backer Naashon Hughes with a sixth defensive back. That will change Saturday, as USC takes on San Jose State in the 2021 season opener. 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. In this particular instance shown above, the Jack backer walls the play by climbing to the RB. Redshirt freshman Max Williams was the extra defensive back on the field in these packages. 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. 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. 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. Texas removed what would often be a disadvantaged linebacker in pass coverage and added a dime safety as a robber in the middle of the defense.