Football Position Preview: Outside Linebackers
8/24/2022 4:00:00 PM | Football
Q&A with OLB Coach Conor Dubin
Tell us what you've seen from your group that you have liked so far.
Football is important to them, and that's obvious. That's an important trait. They have a versatile set of skills, and it allows us to mix things up on defense. We are one position group, but we want to force Coach Cassity and Coach Patterson to find a way to put these guys on the field. I'm excited to go into battle with these guys and see how they lean on each other. We got here in January, and it feels like we've been here for much longer without playing a real football game, so we are chomping at the bit to get out there.
What is the biggest strength of the OLBs right now?
Tory has played in WAC games, and he helps steady the boat a bit for a defense when things are uneasy, so his experience is certainly a strength. Outside of that, our athleticism and versatility are going to be huge for us. You need a wide skill set at the position, and we have guys that can cover, tackle, and blitz.
Let's talk about your returners. What have you seen so far from that group?
Tory [Hargrove] is one of the more experienced guys on our defense, so we are looking for leadership out of him. He's embraced that, and he sets the tone for the rest of the room and the defense. He's always calm, cool, and collected. He has a unique blend of physicality and athleticism, and we believe he can be an explosive playmaker for us. Jailen [Dixon] was here last year as a running back, and we had tried to get him as a linebacker at Texas Tech. We are familiar with him, and he flipped over this spring. For him, it's about learning stimulus response, and he is learning and embracing the idea of playing with his hands and getting off blocks. We have challenged him to be a three or four-team special teams guy, but we think his future is bright.
What about the newcomers?
Izaiah [Kelley] is a transfer from SMU, and he is a long, rangy athlete that can also help on blitz packages. He's comfortable in space. You don't find a lot of guys with his length that can run and strike the way he can, so we need him to be a presence. He falls under the linebacker umbrella, but he is going to provide us a lot of versatility. There's going to be a day when the bulb goes off, and when that happens, he's going to be tough to keep off the field. Tristan [Wainscott] is a true freshman and played quarterback in high school. He provides a unique perspective and vision, and he is getting acclimated to the college game. He is learning and getting better every day.
What is something you are telling your guys every day?
We want to embody the mantra of the program, so character, discipline and toughness are big for us. There will be lots of days where that carries us and helps us make a big play.
What can fans expect to see from this group on the field this fall?
Our system sets up well to showcase the variety of skills our room possesses. Whether it is in coverage or coming off the edge and trying to create TFLs, we are comfortable with what we have. We will be physical and fast, and there will be a good mix of everything.
What will be considered a success for this group as ACU enters its second season in the WAC?
KP has challenged every individual in this program to raise the bar a little bit for themselves every single day. We want to make sure we come together to build tight bonds that can't be broken. That's what great teams do. We want to see our guys play themselves into elevated roles.
Football is important to them, and that's obvious. That's an important trait. They have a versatile set of skills, and it allows us to mix things up on defense. We are one position group, but we want to force Coach Cassity and Coach Patterson to find a way to put these guys on the field. I'm excited to go into battle with these guys and see how they lean on each other. We got here in January, and it feels like we've been here for much longer without playing a real football game, so we are chomping at the bit to get out there.
What is the biggest strength of the OLBs right now?
Tory has played in WAC games, and he helps steady the boat a bit for a defense when things are uneasy, so his experience is certainly a strength. Outside of that, our athleticism and versatility are going to be huge for us. You need a wide skill set at the position, and we have guys that can cover, tackle, and blitz.
Let's talk about your returners. What have you seen so far from that group?
Tory [Hargrove] is one of the more experienced guys on our defense, so we are looking for leadership out of him. He's embraced that, and he sets the tone for the rest of the room and the defense. He's always calm, cool, and collected. He has a unique blend of physicality and athleticism, and we believe he can be an explosive playmaker for us. Jailen [Dixon] was here last year as a running back, and we had tried to get him as a linebacker at Texas Tech. We are familiar with him, and he flipped over this spring. For him, it's about learning stimulus response, and he is learning and embracing the idea of playing with his hands and getting off blocks. We have challenged him to be a three or four-team special teams guy, but we think his future is bright.
What about the newcomers?
Izaiah [Kelley] is a transfer from SMU, and he is a long, rangy athlete that can also help on blitz packages. He's comfortable in space. You don't find a lot of guys with his length that can run and strike the way he can, so we need him to be a presence. He falls under the linebacker umbrella, but he is going to provide us a lot of versatility. There's going to be a day when the bulb goes off, and when that happens, he's going to be tough to keep off the field. Tristan [Wainscott] is a true freshman and played quarterback in high school. He provides a unique perspective and vision, and he is getting acclimated to the college game. He is learning and getting better every day.
What is something you are telling your guys every day?
We want to embody the mantra of the program, so character, discipline and toughness are big for us. There will be lots of days where that carries us and helps us make a big play.
What can fans expect to see from this group on the field this fall?
Our system sets up well to showcase the variety of skills our room possesses. Whether it is in coverage or coming off the edge and trying to create TFLs, we are comfortable with what we have. We will be physical and fast, and there will be a good mix of everything.
What will be considered a success for this group as ACU enters its second season in the WAC?
KP has challenged every individual in this program to raise the bar a little bit for themselves every single day. We want to make sure we come together to build tight bonds that can't be broken. That's what great teams do. We want to see our guys play themselves into elevated roles.
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