Want to keep up with all the latest FAU football and recruiting news? Texas special assistant to the head coach Gary Patterson stepping down from role. The result was a hurried throw from Daniels, an incompletion on fourth down, and a victory for USC. Before arriving at Utah State in 2013, Orlando traditionally ran a four-down front. Get full team. Through spring and summer, the physical, hard-nosed brand of defense Todd Orlando promised to bring to USC remained strictly theoretical. Todd Orlando looks to bring more physicality to USC's defense this year. It comes as no surprise that in a league that is at the forefront of the evolution of the Spread would feature unique defenses within the league to counter the offensive onslaught. Todd Orlando has plenty of experience arriving at a new school and installing his defensive scheme for the first time. Once at Texas, though, Orlando was inheriting a defense with great athletes but disparate pieces that hadn't been put together into a cohesive unit. The timing between Daniels and his receivers was off all game. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. Or what type of player they would be getting because of the scheme we ran. So in addition to having a blitz package, Orlando teaches his rover how to disguise insert blitzes through the A and B gaps. Herman isnt shy about issuing compliments to his defensive lieutenant. 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. Orlando said that shift occured because of practice habits and strong relationships between the defensive staff and its players. As expected, USC hired Todd Orlando as its defensive coordinator on Friday. The Trojans were also missing Brandon Pili, an experienced senior who would have definitely been in the rotation, on Saturday. But beyond those six players, USC has question marks. Because nobody will throw the ball on you, theyll just run it. We just had to learn to embrace it, and now we look forward to it.. If the guard decides to climb for the Mike (illustrated), the 4i can easily get penetration and maybe even block or negate the pull (I have a clip of this later vs TCUs 11p single-back Power). 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. However, that was so long ago and feels like a lifetime. He has a system that allows his talented players to play freely, said Baylor head coachMatt Rhule. Email. Orlando lost both of his starting inside linebackers after the 2018 season and both were productive in his scheme. Orlando has previously doubled as linebackers coach, a position that USC split last season between Johnny Nansen, who coached inside linebackers, and Joe DeForest, who coached outside linebackers. I said I understood why we were running what we ran.. that headline is click bate..but Ill learn how to word things differently so my words cant be mixed up. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Want to keep up with all the latest FAU football and recruiting news? Its going to be exciting.. One of the key subplots to USC's season opener against Arizona State is the performance of the Trojans' defense, more specifically the secondary. Today will be the day, Orlando said Wednesday morning. But the play he makes at the end of the game, those are the two to three plays the really special players make. 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. Todd Orlando - Wikipedia Most recently, Orlando coached at USC for the 2020 and 2021 seasons. 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. Find out which 3 #USC players go to the Bears in an NBC Sports Chicago mock draft. 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. While the scheme is expected to adjust, the possibility of changes to USCs defensive staff is still up in the air. As the season progresses, look for true freshman Raesjon Davis to sneak his way into the starting lineup. 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. Last. Orlando said hes already adjusted his scheme, which relies on mixed fronts and aggressive blitzing, to fit USCs personnel. 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. Saban has finally embraced the change as well, throwing the ball more than he ever has before with Tua Tagovailoa. USC names Todd Orlando its new defensive coordinator Ryan Kartje is the USC beat writer at the Los Angeles Times. He did some things out there that were pretty special.. Even the NFL saw many of its teams embrace a more open style of play. He joined The Times after six years with the Southern California News Group. To me, thats recruiting. Then the injuries and attrition reduced depth at linebacker while inexperienced players tried to fill in, resulting in Orlando moving his best natural pass rusher, B-backer Joseph Ossai, to multiple positions around the field that kept him from attacking downhill. In 2021 most defensive coaches will tell you their defensive schemes are "multiple,'' which is true to a degree. Texas finished 7-5 and Orlando was fired as part of a staff overhaul. Gone were the inside linebackers who were so effective as blitzers. 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. Youre in this area and theres some really good high school players in this area, the top guys. 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. Get your first month for $1. The odd front (three defenders) gave Orlando flexibility. This positionless style of play allows hybrid players, primarily at linebacker and defensive back, to play a larger role. This is where the separation begins.. I think hes in line to have a terrific year and have one of those elite years, head coach Clay Helton said of Taylor-Stuart. USC's new defensive coordinator didn't waste time schooling Trojans on But that moratorium on full-contact practice was lifted Wednesday, finally offering Orlando a long-awaited glimpse of what his USC defense is made of. We kind of talked about this going into it. The Longhorns are taking away a weapon (the QB), while also preventing running backs from getting behind them for big gains. looks seen in many Power Spread offenses. He wants his defenders to fly to the football. In both cases, Orlando said, those defenses simply needed a kickstart., I think thats what [Ive done], the places Ive been coming into, is just to try to free these guys up, Orlando said. The Trojans didnt do it for every third-and-7 and longer, but in most of those obvious pass situations, Orlando employed a 1-4-6 look. 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. Todd Orlando's USC defense: What we learned after 60 minutes What is the current state of play for one of the elite QB prospects on the board? Its not likely to last forever. 3 Kansas in 75-59 win. Practice your tail off and youre going to be playing on Saturdays. Since L.T. The pairing, if things break right, could bring Texas back to where it expects to be annually. He also spent two years covering preps for the Orange County Register and Torrance Daily Breeze. At Texas, Orlando oversaw a defense that improved from 80th to 24th in points allowed. Tackling has been an issue, (as has) lots of defensive miscommunication. That style of play didnt transfer to the NFL and the NFL didnt understand what type of player this guy was. Preparing for his first season as defensive coordinator at No. Orlando's new USC defense set to debut after pandemic delays Spread offenses search for the B gap because that is where the conflicted player usually is for a defense. 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. He is an experienced and successful defensive coordinator who has made an impact everywhere he has coached.. But full contact could always force further change. I just feel 3-4 didnt let us showcase our abilities the way we wanted to. The Longhorns base out of a 3-4 that utilizes the Tite Front (404) and a stand-up hybrid DE to the weak side, or away from the passing strength (this is Mint in Saban-speak). One of the key subplots to USCs season opener against Arizona State is the performance of the Trojans defense, more specifically the secondary. Lets start with the base defense. There has been a critical error on this website. Orlando's favorite scheme against the run in his multiple 3-4. Learn more about troubleshooting WordPress. Except Hermans questions were constantly put on pause so that he, still serving as Ohio States offensive coordinator, could run out of the room to take care of some crisis or another as the Buckeyes prepared for the 2014 College Football Playoff final against Oregon. Even further, turn on a Cowboys or Seahawks game and you are likely to see multiple ways to run the Zone or Arc Read. One of the areas in which Orlando has excelled as a teacher is in the art of disguising pressures and dictating to opponents with stop calls. 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. Orlandos scheme isnt complicated at least by memorization standards. Until you go against live, at the end of the day youre not going to trick everybody in terms of your scheme, Orlando said. The Iowa St. Cyclones rose from #103 in 2016 to a respectable #32in BCfToys efficiency rankings in 2017. If youre thinking in football, youre playing slow.. 3 overall pick),Baker Mayfield(No. 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. When Tom Herman hired Todd Orlando to be his defensive coordinator at the University of Houston, Herman was looking for a coach who could teach the kind of defense that always gave him fits. Most defensive coaches can recognize the usefulness of the front, but one thing is clear, Spread offenses will try and figure it out. In the NFL, the increasing use of 11 pers. Todd Orlando remembers feeling bad for Tom Herman. One need only look at Texas Oct. 21 matchup with Oklahoma State for an example. Toughness is for naught if the player and coach relationship isnt strong enough to offset those consistent practice blows. The Trojans results against Arizona State were mixed. Though Iowa State and their base Broken Stack that features a three-safety Dime Robber scheme has become the most popular scheme within the league, in truth, it is Todd Orlando at Texas that has made his mark around the country behind his use of a positionless defense and defending the wide-open schemes found in the league. 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. The Trojans defense held the Spartans to only seven points on the game, and things seemed to be going well in Southern California. 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? Echols was the extra linebacker who came onto the field in those scenarios. 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. Los Angeles. The use of small ball to counteract the space created by Spread offenses is understandable. The Big 12 is not new to the concept of smaller faster players playing on the defensive side of the ball. 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. Feb 18, 2023 . 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. It didnt matter much. Cornerback is a different situation. 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. Its three starters (Marlon Tuipulotu, Tremblay and Figueroa) and two backups (Tuli Tuipulotu and Stanley Taufoou) were the only ones who saw action. Its a pretty substantial change in terms of what theyre doing on defense. Gone were the experienced players in the secondary who could force the quarterback to hold the ball for an extra second or two. In that game, the Longhorns consistently confused a seasoned and well-coached offensive line, garnering two sacks and seven tackles for loss (TFLs). He brings a passion, energy, toughness and discipline to his coaching, Helton said, and those characteristics were evident in our discussions. What I think were all starting to learn defensively theres some four-down stuff thats really good but the number of people you can get off the ball based on how the offense is attacking can be advantageous to you.. As spread offenses became a prevalent force in the college game, Orlando knew he needed to adapt. Scrimmages will be over. He was more of Well keep things simple, well do the same stuff. Thanks to some help from the Cyclones and Mountaineers, the Longhorns trashed the Jayhawks to land the No. Orlando has proven in previous stops that hes capable of a quick reboot; though, never quite under the current circumstances he now faces. Safeties coach Craig Naivar, whos been working with Orlando since 2015, described the defense with that exact word a few weeks ago. 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. It's pretty common for coordinators to double up as position coaches for the most important position on their unit. 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. USC's Todd Orlando encouraged by progress in defensive scheme - Los One it has practiced against every day for months. Orlandos defensive turnaround in Austin stems back to that interview in Columbus. LOS ANGELES (AP) Todd Orlando has plenty of experience arriving at a new school and installing his defensive scheme for the first time. We have the same mentality, Orlando said. Will Alabama transfer Ishmael Sopsher be healthy enough to do so? 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. Arizona State just out-executed the Trojans defense in the run game. Antonio Morales covers USC football for The Athletic. Orlando's new USC defense set to debut after pandemic delays Theyre the best in the country. So its difficult to judge just how good the defense truly is at this point. The deepest position on the USC defense is safety. Is USC defense ready to take a leap in Year 2 under Todd Orlando? perspective, he's found Orlando to be a gem of an assistant for a variety of reasons. AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, (select parishes), MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY, CA-ONT only.Eligibility restrictions apply. 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. A good run defense has been a calling card of. 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. Their rotation would be a bit deeper, too. I let you guys down. Johnson said Orlando repeated these words for two days straight. The Cowboys averaged more yards passing than any team in the country. The notion that the Big 12 doesnt play defense is false. 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). I feel the 4-3 will help those guys to show their talents and more people will come out of Texas.. Herman starts most practices with a variation of the circle drill (essentially a one-on-one meeting in a small space that Herman calls out one by one) to ramp up the energy. Boca Raton will not be the first time Orlando coaches in South Florida. We are excited to have Todd join our Trojan football program, USC coach Clay Helton said in a release. Weve got to be mindful of the stuff were doing or asking him to do. Todd Orlando, defensive coordinator, Houston. 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. Defensive Coordinator & Linebackers. With Drake Jackson now listed as a linebacker and primarily playing in a standup role, USCs base is essentially a 3-3-5. Thats where our emphasis is going to be this week.. 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. That much was clear on Saturday, and its why losing a player like Tufele, who possesses all three traits, hurt so much. Odds & lines subject to change. 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. Herman said Orlando would be the first assistant in his foxhole. 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. Since Texas Longhorns head coach Tom Herman dismissed defensive coordinator Todd Orlando two and a half months ago and even before, to some extent it's become clear just how much. It also means Orlandos weekly priority of taking away what he calls "game wreckers" is even more imperative. Todd Orlando sees USC defense as work in progress Herman wanted a coordinator capable of calling a multiple defense, and Orlando fit that bill. And that might just be the way it is moving forward. 3 Kansas on Saturday to close the regular season. Orlando's rover is typically one of the team leaders in sacks as a result of this strategy. 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. It could afford to, considering Arizona State wasnt making it pay through the air. 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. Hes got that mindset. It wont get any easier, either, with the trojans facing Notre Dame right after their bye and still have games against UCLA and Arizona State on the schedule. Contact drills were reduced to virtual cues. Is USC defense ready to take a leap in Year 2 under Todd Orlando? He trains the defense to quickly show one look before audibling to another with merely a glance to the sideline just before the snap. 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. DeForest left last month to coach at North Carolina State. 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. If you practice soft, youre going to play soft, Orlando said. Nearly every defensive coordinator will say theyre multiple in the various looks theyll give an offense. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, defensive coordinator tasked with toughening up a unit, Hes taken the next step: How Boogie Ellis found his game as USCs point guard, Boogie Ellis scores career high as USCs late rally falls short against high-powered Arizona, Roundtable: Our March Madness projections for UCLA, USC and others, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; We are coming, sheriff says, Newsom, IRS give Californians until October to file tax returns, Californias snowpack is approaching an all-time record, with more on the way, USC has a lot of work to do to find right combination on offensive line, Trojans adjusting to logistics of training camp during a pandemic, Look up: The 32 most spectacular ceilings in Los Angeles, Winter storms ease drought conditions in California, report shows, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, David Lindley, guitarist best known for work with Jackson Browne, dies at 78, Best coffee city in the world? A little has to do with the pace of the game 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. That will change Saturday, as USC takes on San Jose State in the 2021 season opener. In the concluding 2019 Pressure Tape review, MQ will breakdown three Longhorn pressures against the now-famous LSU offenses (one of the best in history). Phone. Orlando used it during his media availability on Wednesday, too. 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. Orlandos players have a different term for that distinction. New USC defensive coordinator Todd Orlando, shown during his tenure at Texas, didnt let the COVID-19 shutdown stop him from familiarizing the Trojans to his defense. And as Saturday showed, thats a group with a long way to go. Orlando has 15 years of experience as a collegiate defensive coordinator in total, with previous stops at Florida International and Connecticut. A fourth linebacker released off the line can more easily pursue the football on outside runs and defend quick passes on the edge. USC coach Clay Helton says hes noticed benefits from the Trojans unprecedented start to an unusual, pandemic-shortened season. When you get players who can make throws and can run, you have to be mindful, Orlando told reporters on Wednesday morning. (Liberty vs Arkansas 22), Dec. 22 Blitz of the Month Georgias Pod Alignment, Blitzing from the Odd Stack vs a Pro Style offense (Ole Miss vs Kentucky 22). Preparing for his first season as defensive coordinator at No. Before heading to Utah State and learning the art of disguised zone blitzes and modern 3-4 defense from the Kyle Whittingham coaching tree in the early 2010s, Orlando was a traditional 4-3 coach. Orlando now resides in Los Angeles with the USC Trojans and it will be interesting to see how the PAC 12 chooses to attack the Orlando system. Orlando said USC utilized 70 to 75 percent of its defensive package against the Sun Devils. Click here to buy a copy today or visit your local newsstand! There has been a critical error on this website. On the back end, Orlando typically employs a quarters coverage that allows his defensive backs to break aggressively to the football while preventing big plays. But for now Orlando is sticking around in Austin to work with Herman. Todd Orlando's defense has been getting exposed all year long The Trojans run defense would be better with defensive lineman Jay Tufele, who opted out of the season a few months ago and entered the NFL Draft. 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.. USC depth chart: Breaking down the Trojan defensive line roster When we sat down and started to talk it was just so similar, Orlando told 247Sports. Against the more run-heavy approaches from USC, Oklahoma and Kansas State, Orlando utilized his traditional blend of nickel defense, moving quarters coverages and zone blitzes. But returning veterans on the roster like safety Isaiah Pola-Mao and defensive end Nick Figueroa have made a point of helping the young players come along and be ready to contribute in 2021. Those four-man fronts are great at plugging gaps and helping a team defend the run, but they also mean one less defender on the second level to stop the pass and run to the football. The diagram below illustrates the fronts usefulness versus a popular Spread play, the Power Read. No. If you dont, its going to be limited. Herman just needed to know if the pair would mesh personally. I just feel like now that burden is on me, being the veteran.. A Michigan native and University of Michigan graduate, Kartje previously wrote for Fox Sports Wisconsin and the Bloomington (Ind.) It left a big void in our defensive line, experiencewise, Pili said. 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. Orlando has also recently had stops at Texas (2017-2019), Houston(2015-2016), and Utah State (2013-2014). Sometimes when youre a good player, youre just worried about yourself and making your plays, Orlando said.