Devon Ross

[97cats]

what do the coaches and fans expect from Ross this yr? he has all the talent and ability to be an impact player, and i am curious to know how he is developing. at the very least, i hope he contributes on special teams and in nickle and dime situations.

is he a yr away, or is he ready now?

[HiCat]

Without the benefit of seeing him practice, based on his profile when he came to Arizona my guess is that the coaches will find a way to get him on the field. With 4.4 speed he's quick and probably knows the system pretty well this year.

Some strengths noted for DRoss:
Backpedal Quickness, closing speed, instincts ...qualities that should get him playing time. (only speculation though):)

[UofAlum05]

I don't think there is too many teams out there with a nickel corner that has the talent of Ross.

[godpapa]

Everytime that I watch Ross he reminds me of Chuck Levy. What I mean by that is he is the most exciting player on the field and if he gets the ball in his hands look out. Needless to say I have been very impressed by Mr. Ross

[ZonaCats8]

Obviously he has the skills and ability to make an impact, but with Cason and Fontenot, will he get enough opportunities to make a significant impact?

[Reydituto]

I'd think so, because he'll likely be the 1st CB off the bench when opposing offenses go 3-5 wide, as Pac-10 offenses (and every team in or OOC slate) often do.

[HiCat]

Nickel Defense maybe?
http://www.firstbasesports.com/images/football_nickeldef.gif

[UofAlum05]

I think we will see plenty of him. He will be a perfect fit next year when both of our starting corners graduate.

[charcoal01]

hicat, i may be wrong, but isnt that a diagram of a 3-3-5, not so much a nickel d?

as far as ross goes, sky's the limit with that kid. also, when you look towards the future of the wildcats secondary, you may be seeing ross and golden on the field at the same time, so you've gotta expect the coaches to give ross the chance to get some on field experience.

furthermore, look no further than the oregon game last year, where ross replaced cason in the 4th quarter. there was very little drop off, at times you'd think #6 was actually still #5.

[HiCat]

]hicat, i may be wrong, but isnt that a diagram of a 3-3-5, not so much a nickel d?[/B]

as far as ross goes, sky's the limit with that kid. also, when you look towards the future of the wildcats secondary, you may be seeing ross and golden on the field at the same time, so you've gotta expect the coaches to give ross the chance to get some on field experience.

furthermore, look no further than the oregon game last year, where ross replaced cason in the 4th quarter. there was very little drop off, at times you'd think #6 was actually still #5.

C01,
Not sure but here's the link where I got it from.. Maybe some of the coaches or defensive specialist can clarify for us..:)

http://www.firstbasesports.com/football_excerpts.html

[charcoal01]

i guess if you're running a 3-4 (which i wasnt thinking about) it could be a nickel. nickel you usually bring a lb off the field, so if a team was running a 3-4, that would be a nickel.

anyways, ross WILL see solid time this year, guarantee it.

[Reydituto]

UA's Nickel package is more of a 4-2-5, sometimes the 5th DB is a rover S/OLB hybrid like Hollingsworth (or Cam Nelson this year), and sometimes a 3rd CB like Ross.

[MRUofA]

UA's Nickel package is more of a 4-2-5, sometimes the 5th DB is a rover S/OLB hybrid like Hollingsworth (or Cam Nelson this year), and sometimes a 3rd CB like Ross.

Yep, a nickel is a variant of a 4-3 defense, i.e. 4 down lineman (2 DEs & 2 DTs) and 3 LBs although you remove one of the three LBs and add another DB, be it a S/LB hybrid type ala Marcus Hollingsworth/Roy Williams or another CB in more clear-cut passing downs.

If Devin Ross were to play into Arizona's nickel package this year, it'll be as the third CB option. If Arizona was looking for a 5th DB that could best aid in run support they'd probably turn to Cam Nelson as he is better suited to do this than Ross, due to his relative size and laser fast pursuit to the ball.

[Reydituto]

It must be football season, because there you is MRUofA! Welcome back!