But structurally, in our opinion, its still so sound.. Orlando served as Hermans DC for two years in Houston, coaching a pair of top 30 defenses. Youre going to be based on how hard you run to the football, how you get off blocks and how you tackle.. As defensive coordinator at Houston in 2015 and 2016, he oversaw a defense that finished 20th and 13th in the nation in yards allowed. 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. Johnson and Wheeler added another 17 run stuffs combined as the linebacker position went from being a major deficit to a team strength. The Cyclones and Longhorns most notably did it while using a 3-safety Dime package for parts of the season. Through it all, Orlandos stayed on Hermans staff. To me, thats recruiting. It rotated just one inside linebacker (Kanai Mauga) in, and that was only for a handful of plays. Nothing went right for Texas and the principles Orlando instilled all offseason seemed to evaporate. In the NFL, the increasing use of 11 pers. One of those games came in a 13-10 victory over Texas. 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. FAU's defense ranked 50th in the country in 2019.In 2021 FAU's defense had its up and downs, ranking 99th against the pass, 75th against the run, and 86th overall, but was in the top 50 in scoring defense. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG) 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. A Michigan native and University of Michigan graduate, Kartje previously wrote for Fox Sports Wisconsin and the Bloomington (Ind.) On several occasions, the Trojans walked a safety up into the box, mainly Talanoa Hufanga, in order to have seven players near the line of scrimmage for run support. Hermans old college buddy,Dave Aranda, recommended Orlando highly Orlando took over as DC at Utah State when Aranda, now at LSU, went to Wisconsin. 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. However, that was so long ago and feels like a lifetime. In an interview posted on the schools Twitter account, Orlando promised that his USC defenses would be aggressive and attack people., I really believe that in todays game, creating negative yardage plays, attacking the quarterback, turnovers, all those things go into creating explosive plays on defense, Orlando said. In Orlandos scheme, the Mike is the plugger and will go away from the Nose. 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. Find out which 3 #USC players go to the Bears in an NBC Sports Chicago mock draft. Orlando's favorite scheme against the run in his multiple 3-4. It's a blitz defense that uses eight defensive backs, two. At the three traditional LB spots, converted safety Raymond Scott has grabbed control of the outside backer spot while Kanai and Ralen Goforth return inside. Now they brought in a new staff, giving those guys the opportunity to rush the passer and show what they have.. 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. The Longhorns tried a few different alignments in the secondary, ultimately reverting back to their standard starting group while inserting tweener senior Jason Hall, a 6'2", 220-pounder with physicality and some coverage ability, into the dime role and then expanding that role beyond the robber alignment based off his particular skill set. Defenses in the Leauge were getting scored on at a historic rate. Orlando has also recently had stops at Texas (2017-2019), Houston(2015-2016), and Utah State (2013-2014). We just had to learn to embrace it, and now we look forward to it.. One was down and distance. Texas didnt do much to stop the onslaught late in the game (no one did), but there are some definite takeaways. Behind them, USC has transfers like Xavion Alford and Chris Thompson, not to mention a slew of freshmen. It left a big void in our defensive line, experiencewise, Pili said. It could afford to, considering Arizona State wasnt making it pay through the air. The numbers back up that decision, as Texas tied for 66th nationally with 27 sacks in 2019, down five from 2018. This offseason, there were more than a few reports potentially linking Orlando to head coach jobs. And sometimes they went with a 3-4 look with its normal defensive line (Figueroa, Marlon Tuipulotu and Caleb Tremblay) and Jackson and Hunter Echols as outside linebackers. Orlando's 3-4/quarters defense had to be tweaked and altered to fit the 2017 Texas football roster and the demands of playing against Big 12 offenses, but in the process Orlando simply proved what makes him one of the top defensive coaches in the country: In particular, his effective teaching, aggressive philosophy and high capacity for adaptation. But it can look that way. Will Alabama transfer Ishmael Sopsher be healthy enough to do so? We need everyone to execute at the utmost level to make things work. We all saw how that worked. Los Angeles Times USC beat writer Ryan Kartje offered this extended answer: Its important to remind everyone listening that I havent actually seen Todd Orlandos defense other than one practice during the spring Weve seen it all over the country that these offenses are running roughshod over defenses. Spread offenses search for the B gap because that is where the conflicted player usually is for a defense. With Drake Jackson now listed as a linebacker and primarily playing in a standup role, USCs base is essentially a 3-3-5. The Longhorns sessions reflect that. 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. https://trojanswire.usatoday.com/2020/11/06/todd-orlando-vs-arizona-state-a-central-pregame-question-for-usc/. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; We are coming, sheriff says, 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. Are Dejon Benton and Kobe Pepe ready to play? The trickle-up effect is in full swing. Most offensive schemes in the Big 12 didn't have many built-in answers for a versatile safety floating in the middle of the field and thwarting their route combos or coming unblocked against the run game. Contact drills were reduced to virtual cues. The coaches threw the entire . Orlando usually sent four rushers when he used this package early in the game, and Sun Devils quarterback Jayden Daniels took advantage of the pressure on the first drive by ripping off a 38-yard run. The beauty within Orlandos use of interchangeable players allows him to stay within packages, but get different pre-snap looks. 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. He spent the 2011 and 2012 seasons under Mario Cristobal and FIU, where he won a share of the Sun Belt title and a bowl game victory. 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. In this particular instance shown above, the Jack backer walls the play by climbing to the RB. But Barry and USC opted not to continue their discussions, and Orlando became the leading candidate. Orlando said he's already adjusted his scheme, which relies on mixed fronts and aggressive blitzing, to fit USC's personnel. In that game, the Longhorns consistently confused a seasoned and well-coached offensive line, garnering two sacks and seven tackles for loss (TFLs). Texas junior defensive endMalcolm Roachsaid an Orlando film session is everything youd want it to be. That means a detail-oriented outlook focused to the point where Orlando will call out a player for a 12-inch step instead of a 6-inch one. Email. Its not likely to last forever. A look at how Texas defenders fit in Todd Orlando's scheme The Longhorns have plenty of returning talent for the prospective defensive coordinator to utilize. He's previously covered his alma mater SMU and the WNBA for the Dallas Morning News and high school sports for the Long Beach Press-Telegram. Orlando, despite his concessions against the pass, said the beauty of the lighting package is Texas numbers up front still cover up against the run. Yet, because of the way the Longhorns fly to the ball, it doesnt much matter that the numbers are pushed back. Herman clearly agrees. 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. Orlando has 15 years of experience as a collegiate defensive coordinator in total, with previous stops at Florida International and Connecticut. And as Saturday showed, thats a group with a long way to go. His $1.7 million annual salary is the highest in Texas history for an assistant, and only two assistants nationally earned more in 2017, according to USA Today. Defensive Coordinator & Linebackers. 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. However, Orlando was stubborn in keeping his defensive ends playing heads up on opposing offensive tackles instead of giving them early-down opportunities from the five technique like James Lynch enjoyed at Baylor. He was more of Well keep things simple, well do the same stuff. Texas blows lead against Cal State Fullerton in 6-5 loss. 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. Aggressive, physical, unfearing. In watching ITS throughout this fall camp and knowing that he has a sense of urgency to really capture that position as well as be elite at it has been really nice to see.. The Iowa St. Cyclones rose from #103 in 2016 to a respectable #32in BCfToys efficiency rankings in 2017. USC coach Clay Helton says hes noticed benefits from the Trojans unprecedented start to an unusual, pandemic-shortened season. Orlandos scheme isnt complicated at least by memorization standards. Eventual Florida defensive end signee Princely Umanmielen cited the three-man front as one of the reasons why he decommitted from Texas back in October. 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. You know, he was a linebacker previously, and hes really strong, so being able to move in this system is really a high priority, defensive line coach Vic Sooto said. There has been a critical error on this website. The Chargers based out of it for a whole game! The loss of Jay Tufele, who opted out to focus on the NFL draft, has already thrust senior defensive tackle Brandon Pili into the starting lineup. Or what type of player they would be getting because of the scheme we ran. 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). On Arizona States final possession, Orlando went back to the 1-4-6 look for the entire drive. I feel the 4-3 will help those guys to show their talents and more people will come out of Texas.. (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). Orlando, 50, previously was a defensive coordinator at Texas Houston, Utah State . The modern spread offense is defined largely by quick-hitting pass plays, run/pass options and finally play-action shots that often feature six- or seven-man protections. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. Just the traditional tailback running game, if youre not doing good you have no chance of playing elite defense. The play is ultimately killed. Drake Jackson, who spent last season as more of a strict defensive. Until you go against live, at the end of the day youre not going to trick everybody in terms of your scheme, Orlando said. Texas finished 7-5 and Orlando was fired as part of a staff overhaul. Through spring and summer, the physical, hard-nosed brand of defense Todd Orlando promised to bring to USC remained strictly theoretical. Orlando utilizes a number of disguised blitzes and coverages out of his 3-4 front, which can cause havoc for an offense trying to sort through things quickly. That's what Orlando labels coachings million dollar question. 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. Are they going to be too complicated in the first game and have to scale things back, or are they going to keep it simple and then gradually add layers of intricacy? Texas and Georgia, in particular, had great success all year running similar schemes from a base Tite Front. 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. The football bona fides were clear. The only two Pac-12 schools behind them are Cal and winless Arizona. The familiarity with the opponent will be gone. But full contact could always force further change. 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.. Preparing for his first season as defensive coordinator at No. Orlando told his team, Its my fault. Herman calls Orlando the best defensive coordinator in the country. The diagram below illustrates the fronts usefulness versus a popular Spread play, the Power Read. Overall, the rotation was much shorter than what was utilized last year. I let you guys down. Johnson said Orlando repeated these words for two days straight. Theres a little bit of schematics into it. He spent just two weeks as an assistant in Lubbock, before Helton and USC came calling. 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. The pairing, if things break right, could bring Texas back to where it expects to be annually. Youre in this area and theres some really good high school players in this area, the top guys. As of Thursday morning, it has apparently filled out the rest of its coaching staffit has apparently filled out the rest of its 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. Todd Orlando, defensive coordinator, Houston. 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. A little has to do with the pace of the game too. The Big 12 is not new to the concept of smaller faster players playing on the defensive side of the ball. This season has not gone according to plan for anybody, especially the defense, and major changes will be headed USCs way. 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. 9 Texas hosts No. That will change Saturday, as USC takes on San Jose State in the 2021 season opener. 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. The way you practice is the amount of plays youre going to get. Thinking about becoming a VIP subscriber to Owls247? Nearly every defensive coordinator will say theyre multiple in the various looks theyll give an offense. Hes got that mindset. He beats the tackle clean, forces the throw fast and its an incomplete. From this ultra-quick 3-2-6 package, the Longhorns then unleashed a small part of Orlando's third-down package with such tremendous force that they started calling it every play against Oklahoma State and then expanded it over the rest of the season into a new base defense. As expected, USC hired Todd Orlando as its defensive coordinator on Friday. It took a toll on our bodies, Locke said. 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. 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. The following offseason after Houstons Peach Bowl victory over FSU, Orlandos alma mater, Wisconsin, offered him its defensive coordinator role when Aranda left for LSU. Safeties Talanoa Hufanga and Isaiah Pola-Mao are expected to take on more active roles in directing the defense. From a core principle perspective thats not too far off. He is the defensive coordinator at the University of South Florida . Even further, turn on a Cowboys or Seahawks game and you are likely to see multiple ways to run the Zone or Arc Read. Theyre not only making plays, but theyre trying to help other guys. If you practice soft, youre going to play soft, Orlando said. But so far, its all been against an offense the USC defense knows very, very well. That much was clear on Saturday, and its why losing a player like Tufele, who possesses all three traits, hurt so much. Jefferson went on to lead the team with 110 tackles, including 20 run stuffs, while anchoring the interior of the Texas defense in a 3-2-6 dime package that Orlando unveiled to the bewilderment of Texas' spread-oriented Big 12 opponents. If you allow that to happen and know its going to happen, thats a crime in my opinion. Longhorns defensive coordinator Todd Orlando debuted his "cowboy" package in a 45-14 win over Louisiana Tech last Saturday. Were going to have to work the heck out of this. It wasnt all about the front either, the use of Match 3 (Rip/Liz) and the rebirth/redesign of the (Dime) Tampa 2, was a big contributor to how teams attacked the Longhorns, Cyclones, and Bulldogs. He knows everything thats going to happen. Snow, at his fifth FBS post as defensive coordinator, has evolved his scheme to become more multiple and detailed. 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. Two Former NBA Players Receive Prison Sentences For Fraud Scheme. You have to look at the film and say, This guy can wreck a game, Orlando said. 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. Todd Orlando, who has 16 years of experience as a collegiate defensive coordinator, was named USC's defensive coordinator in January of 2020. It has been quick to the ball, aggressive in its pass rush situations, effective at creating interceptions and disruptive in clogging the line of scrimmage on run plays. There has been a critical error on this website. The Panthers defensive ranked 11th in scoring defense that season. But when the Trojans needed Jackson the most, they turned him loose and let him do what he does best at the end of the game: rush the passer. Todd Orlando has plenty of experience arriving at a new school and installing his defensive scheme for the first time. 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. Thats what practice is about. At Texas, Orlando oversaw a defense that improved from 80th to 24th in points allowed. Most defensive coaches can recognize the usefulness of the front, but one thing is clear, Spread offenses will try and figure it out. But we understood why we were running it. Two things generally forced USC to shift out of its base defense. Try a week on us. In 2021 most defensive coaches will tell you their defensive schemes are "multiple,'' which is true to a degree. Its a combination that spurred a defensive transformation at Texas. Aside from one spring practice, the intricacies of his scheme were installed only over Zoom. Thats where adaptability comes into play. Even the NFL saw many of its teams embrace a more open style of play. Orlando said hes already adjusted his scheme, which relies on mixed fronts and aggressive blitzing, to fit USCs personnel. Chase Williams has turned into a leader at the position while delivering physical blows when he attacks the ball. 9 Texas 75-59 win No. And that might just be the way it is moving forward. 20 Southern California, however, has been different because of the coronavirus pandemic. USCs defense got two hits on Daniels and forced three incompletions on those three plays. Orlando will get his first chance to determine the impact of the tradeoff when the Trojans begin their truncated season . Orlando has proven in previous stops that hes capable of a quick reboot; though, never quite under the current circumstances he now faces. We continue to progress in the pass, Orlando said of the group. 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.. Gone was Omenihu, who proved himself capable of producing in Orlandos scheme. 2 seed in the Big 12 Tournament. Orlando said that shift occured because of practice habits and strong relationships between the defensive staff and its players. Orlando first will bring up a picture to show the correct placement for a player. 3 Kansas on Saturday to close the regular season. Odd-front defenses with nickel and dime packages on the back end are en vogue across college football. He wants his defenders to fly to the football. MQ takes a look at Texas 3rd Down pressure package versus Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. Even former Big 12 Head Coach Kliff Kingsbury got a head coaching job with the Cardinals on nothing more than his offensive acumen. Its a pretty substantial change in terms of what theyre doing on defense. You would think its hard to learn, but he made it so simple.. As spread offenses became a prevalent force in the college game, Orlando knew he needed to adapt. Herald-Times. Todd Orlando seems very confident that the extra time they were afforded to work on film, to work on installing that scheme, really did help them. The Times first reported his hiring Monday. Learn more about troubleshooting WordPress. 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). Before that, his inaugural Utah State defense ranked seventh in points allowed. A clearer picture of USCs new defense should crystallize in the coming days, with contact no longer limited. (Roger Steinman / AP) Ryan Kartje (LA Times) -- Through spring and summer, the physical, hard-nosed brand of defense Todd Orlando promised to bring to USC remained strictly . In fact, Gary Johnson and Anthony Wheeler combined for 10.5 sacks, nearly a third of the teams total. The two DEs (4is) in the B gaps close off the lifeline for every Spread team, the conflict gaps. We have the same mentality, Orlando said. Coach Todd Orlando of the USC Trojans during USC football practice at the University of Southern California on Wednesday, March 11, 2020. The result was a hurried throw from Daniels, an incompletion on fourth down, and a victory for USC. Before joining Tom Hermans staff at Texas, Orlando was viewed as a rising defensive mind in college football. If youre thinking in football, youre playing slow.. Twitter: @tcpfootballIn this video, we learn about the origins of USC Football's Defensive Coordinator Todd Orlando's defense. This allows the B backer to be a free player and essentially go get the football! The Longhorns base with a true Nickel as well, and align him opposite the Jack, primarily with the passing strength. The real issues went beneath the surface. Herman wanted a coordinator capable of calling a multiple defense, and Orlando fit that bill. 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. Is USC defense ready to take a leap in Year 2 under Todd Orlando? LOS ANGELES USC has its new defensive coordinator, Todd Orlando. Thats important to me. Visit our online store to order your copy.