Originally Posted by : Overview
Speaks finished strong in his final year in Oxford, sacking the quarterback six times in the team's final six games from the defensive end position. He started all 12 games for the Rebels in 2017, posting 67 tackles, eight for loss which included seven sacks to garner second-team All-SEC by league media. The Jackson, Mississippi native and four-star recruit was a defensive tackle initially, redshirting in 2014 and then starting two of 13 games played the following year (32 tackles, 5.5 for loss, one sack, two pass breakups). Speaks played in every game again as a sophomore, starting seven, making 28 tackles, 1.5 for loss, and a sack.
Originally Posted by : Strengths
Big man with good speed and plus athletic ability
Has experience at a variety of spots along defensive line
Has size and length to play in odd or even front
Punches with good hand placement, arm extension and rolled hips when allowed to two-gap
Has attitude and edge
Flashes potential to become more proficient with hands as a weapon
Able to play ahead of move blocks and disrupt into backside gaps
Plays with plus awareness
Responds well to flow of the play
Offers a little more pass rush than expected as power end
Pairs hands and feet to help free him as interior rusher along the edge
Arm-over move has some potential
Weaknesses
Had just one season of big production
Inconsistent at leveraging gap
Plays top-heavy with high pad level
Allows blockers under his pads when attacking gaps
Hip-tightness leads to narrowing of his base
Struggles to hold ground against down blocks and can be rolled out of the gap
Has straight line speed, but lateral agility and foot quickness are average in tight quarters
Goes over the edge with emotions
Chippy hitter willing to lead with helmet when play is ending
Ejected for targeting against Kentucky and ejected against Mississippi State for two unsportsmanlike penalties
Reid says Brett Veach "wore him out" watching tape on Speaks. Watched all of his snaps from last season, says he never saw him on the ground. Compares him to Tamba Hali with size and metrics.
Originally Posted by Mecca:
He's still taking his front foot and picking it up and putting it back down in the same spot...how can a coaching staff not realize this?
he's been in more than Kpass, huh? Can't Kpass play on the right? Why are they doing this, just seeing what he has (in the first game?) - i mean when Ford isn't out there. [Reply]
Sort of encouraging they trust him enough to be on the field in week 1 when it wasn't a blow out though right? Kpass saw 13 snaps on D in the first 8 games last year, Speaks saw 18 snaps in week 1. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Chargem:
Sort of encouraging they trust him enough to be on the field in week 1 when it wasn't a blow out though right? Kpass saw 13 snaps on D in the first 8 games last year, Speaks saw 18 snaps in week 1.
I'd rather Kpass be in mostly - but I get the agenda with the young rook. We shall see how or if he develops. [Reply]
I don't believe Dorian O'Daniel played? Wasn't he our answer as a tweener ILB/S who could help cover the middle? Our ILB got abused against the pass. [Reply]
Originally Posted by OKchiefs:
I don't believe Dorian O'Daniel played? Wasn't he our answer as a tweener ILB/S who could help cover the middle? Our ILB got abused against the pass.
I agree he needed to be out there vs Terrance Smith, no clue why he wasn't - maybe they don't feel he's quite ready - I don't recall if it was Pitt or last PS game that DoD had a pretty brutal hit on STs. [Reply]
