MF deserves a ton of credit for the transformation and depth of the defense

We have a lot of freshmen and sophomores pushing hard for playing time, especially on defense. Seeing players such as Adon Shuler stepping into the role of starting safety opposite of Watts, and playing at such a high level already, along with the young linebackers and other parts of the front seven, is very heartening. Heck, when even a former walk-on is cracking the 2-deep and performing well (Talich), it says something about the coaching.

If anything, the play of these young defensive backs make me almost forget that we once had a "super safety" prospect committed in that 2023 class by the name of Peyton Bowen.

The older guys they're replacing / displacing weren't bad players, either.

This definitely bodes well for the future, since those "kids" are going to be polished veterans next year, having gone through their baptisms by fire and coming out stronger.