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Quiet on the Defensive Front: DT Recruiting

Who can stuff the middle?

This year is going to be very quiet on the defensive tackle front for recruiting. Last year it was a major focus, and our recruiting numbers are already set. For the most part, the defensive tackles in Bud Foster’s system are supposed to penetrate some and get A-gap (That’s the gap in the offensive line between the center and the guards) pressure on the quarterback, but they’re also supposed to stuff the run and hold the interior for our ends to wreak havoc in the backfield. It’s why they live in an odd quasi-field between big guys, and guys that are too small getting shoved around or bowled over by the few power running games left in college football- BC and Pitt come to mind, with Andre Williams and James Conner in recent history.