Not sure how reputable this account is but fwiw…haven’t seen this elsewhere
David Gusta
- Thread starter YaketySax
- Start date
Michigan, Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Cal, Auburn, UCF, Rutgers and many others have reached out, according to 247.
Meh, if he visits Tennessee after visiting us, I'd look for Rocky Top to prevail. You just know they'll back up the Brinks truck and start offloading bags of cash to secure him, if he's someone they really want.
DT certainly is a position of need. I don't know what we have in Jaden Williams. But I believe in Hayes, Saunders, Gadson, Gilbert, Jerod Smith, and Edwards. Add Gusta to the room and we would be back in business.
We stand no chance. Our d line coach is awful. Why would these guys want to come here unless they can’t refuse the money?
False. Maybe he comes to UK, or maybe he doesn't. But if he chooses to visit, then we have a chance at the very least. Otherwise he wouldn't visit.
The science behind why people think they're right when they're actually wrong
A new study illustrates the saying, "you don't know what you don't know."
www.nbcnews.com
UK's coaches have added 21 hs signees and 14 incoming transfers so far. You can ask this same question about all 35 of these players, but they are coming to UK anyway. You might want to look at Kalen Edwards' and Jerod Smith's offer sheets. Unlike you, football players respect UK's defensive coaching staff. If Gusta decides he wants to play for UK, he would be following guys like Josh Allen, Quinton Bohanna, Marquan McCall, and Deone Walker who have gone from UK to the NFL. More often than not, Coach White has had UK's defenses in the top third of the SEC. You may have missed that.
We won't be outbidding TxAM or UT. If Gusta comes here, it won't be for money, it'll be for playing time.
Yeah I worded that wrong. They won’t come here because we will be outbid is what I meant.
Deone Walker lost millions this year..False. Maybe he comes to UK, or maybe he doesn't. But if he chooses to visit, then we have a chance at the very least. Otherwise he wouldn't visit.
The science behind why people think they're right when they're actually wrong
A new study illustrates the saying, "you don't know what you don't know."
UK's coaches have added 21 hs signees and 14 incoming transfers so far. You can ask this same question about all 35 of these players, but they are coming to UK anyway. You might want to look at Kalen Edwards' and Jerod Smith's offer sheets. Unlike you, football players respect UK's defensive coaching staff. If Gusta decides he wants to play for UK, he would be following guys like Josh Allen, Quinton Bohanna, Marquan McCall, and Deone Walker who have gone from UK to the NFL. More often than not, Coach White has had UK's defenses in the top third of the SEC. You may have missed that.
Yes, he also took plays off and was culture wise, the Barion Brown on defense. White has sent more defensive players to the NFL than probably any coordinator in UKs history and it's not close.
With that said, Gusta is a big pick up for us! Not expecting a whole lot next year still, though.
- DE position loses Ox and Rybka after holding down the top of the depth chart for the last 1-2 seasons.
- DT loses Walker. Saunders returning as backup.
- NT will presumably be Hayes after a medical RS and Gilbert
- Counting the two-deep, UK lost four players (Ox, Rybka, Walker, and Silver).
He says he plays DT at Wash St. (I don't know their scheme) here in this interview. I assume he's the Walker replacement (not that he is as good). UK has known Walker was leaving early all year and probably had feelers out all year to guys they liked.
2025 WAG
- DE Henry Young and TBD
- DT Gusta and Saunders
- NT Hayes and Gilbert
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Henry and Saunders are nothing but depth pieces. They have showed nothing in their time at UK.
A lot of that was his own doing. He needed to lose 15/20 lbs. part of it was prob the weight, and being constantly double, but he took too many plays off.
minus 50 lbs. They had almost the same numbers last except Deone played a lot better competition
Plus he has some really bad weight. Hes mostly just gut. Compare his body to silver. Silver barely has any gut despite weighing only 20 pounds less.
If deonne really got motivated he could be a monster.
I hate to call him lazy, but he was very lazy on the field at times. He is overweight doesn't seem internally motivated. These traits do not make for a great NFL player.
It’s one of the negatives to NIL. KSR had the article of how bad the WR culture was. As the OP said he was supposedly the BB of the D. They got what they wanted and were according to rumors out of control. Deone should have been the leader on D. He should have mentoring these young guys and setting the tone on D. To some extent he did b4 this year.
Definitely a concern. My feelings on it, when your team doesn't have much to play for, it will be even harder to keep guys engaged. This past year's team played up to their potential against UGA and Ole Miss and looked totally inept against USC, UL. Didn't look like the same team on defense.
This is an interesting summary. Back before I got sick last summer, I remember a discussion here about Deone Walker's NFL draft prospects. At the time, many posters were of the opinion that Walker would be taken #1 in the entire draft. I remember suggesting that Walker might be a late 1st rounder because he was not in tip top physical shape and that caused him to take some plays off. I was nearly crucified here for saying it. That was prior to the season, and it supports my supposition that many fans here are 100% reactionary. In any case, Walker had a disappointing 2024 season for multiple reasons and his draft stock dropped a little bit. That may actually work to his ultimate advantage if he gets drafted by a good team near the bottom of the round with a top NFL defensive staff.
Anyway, here is my take on our DL. Rybka, Ox, Silver, and Walker have been, for the most part, very good players for Coach White. Losing them all at once is a lot to overcome, but we will.
Coach White primarily uses a 3-3-5 alignment with a nickel now. In some situations, he morphs it back to the 3-4. In this defense, you need a solid NT that can occupy two OL blockers without losing control of the 0 gaps. That's a big key to success of this defense. Bully McCall was our last excellent NT. Silver was alright, but a bit of an underachiever who took some plays off. Josaih Hayes has been hurt a lot over the last 2 seasons. But when he is healthy, Hayes is a pretty good SEC NT. He is back in 2025. Backing up Hayes, I think, will probably be Tavion Gadson and Kendrick Gilbert. Austin Ramsey has been moved to NT from the OL. Ramsey is massive. We will see what he can do in the spring, but the move seems permanent. Kalen Edwards will probably cross-train at NT and DT although I suspect he is ultimately a DT. Gadson was hurt for almost all of 2024 but should be heathy for the spring. Gadson has much more upside than most fans realize. He has size, and his offer sheet was pretty good. He played against good competition in Savannah. Gilbert needs to add 20-30# of muscle this offseason. He has the frame for it, and he got some game experience in 2024. Dennious Jackson is another returning NT but IDK enough about him to comment. Overall, our NTs will be better and deeper than most people think, and I like Hayes to post an overachieving final season if he can stay healthy.
David Gusta is now in line to be our starting DT. Gusta is a solid, experienced player with skills and a motor. I don't actually see much of a dropoff there, as Gusta is a candidate to be drafted in the first two rounds. Khalil Saunders and Jerod Smith may cross-train at DT and DE. Kalen Edwards has a big future as an interior defender and has enough skills to play DT. Stoops recently picked up Jaden Williams out of the portal. IDK enough about Williams to predict his role, but he has size and experience. I don't think Williams was their first choice, but they wouldn't have spent NIL $$ on him if they didn't believe he could help.
I expect the starting DE job to be contested by Khalil Saunders, Jerod Smith, and Brian Robinson. Saunders has played the position in SEC games in the past, and has a great frame. Smith is probably more of a DT than a DE in the long run but that needs to work itself out in the spring. Robinson could be a future star in this defense, but would need a huge offseason to get the starting job. Coach Marrow is recruiting Mi'Quise Grace in the portal. If Marrow can sign Grace, and especially if Grace can enroll at UK this month, that could shake up the DE competition. Grace is quick and athletic, with a nice frame.
It is worth mentioning the Jack LB position here. Kameron Olds was recruited out of the portal to be the 2025 starter. Olds has a nice frame and a reputation for being an excellent pass rusher who may need to get tougher defending against the run. Steven Soles, Jacob Smith, and Cedric Works were recruited to play OLB. I suspect Smith may be a candidate to break out, now that he is healthy. The staff loves Soles but he is undersize for the Jack position and could move to Will. Sam Greene was signed out of the portal and it has been reported that he is a Jack, but I don't think he has enough length to play the position in this defensive scheme. Greene looks more like a Sam or a Will to me.
Obviously a lot of senior experience has been lost from the front seven. But considerable talent and depth are returning. Some of these positions have already been fortified through significant portal signings and that process may not be over. The defensive roster is full of freshmen and sophomores that could be difference makers once they seize their opportunities. So I take a wait and see approach. But I am optimistic because we have a very good defensive coaching staff.
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