Full Speed Ahead For Linebackers
August 12, 2018 | Football
GREENVILLE, N.C. – One of the bright spots for the ECU defense a year ago was the linebacker play of Cannon Gibbs, Bruce Bivens and Aaron Ramseur.
Add Ray Tillman, who played the first two games before his season was cut short by injury, back into the mix and combine that with an improved defensive line and a more aggressive scheme under defensive coordinator David Blackwell and there is a lot of potential for the linebacking corps this season.
Gibbs, a junior college transfer, played in all 12 contests last year with six starts and had 50 tackles (21 solo) and one interception. An injury and subsequent rehabilitation forced him to miss spring ball, but he's fully healthy now and ready to go. Ramseur played in 12 games and had six starts as a redshirt freshman and finished fourth on the team with 57 stops (29 solo) and a pair of interceptions. Bivens experienced action in 11 games as a true freshman and totaled 10 tackles (five solo), but was selected by the coaching staff as the most improved defensive player after spring practice.
"There's a lot of competition," said Blackwell, who also serves as linebackers coach. "We have guys that have played a lot of football. Ray Tillman, Cannon Gibbs, Bruce Bivens played a little bit last year and Aaron Ramseur played a good bit last year. We have a lot of competition for positions. Bruce and Aaron are very talented, dynamic guys. Cannon and Ray are both very talented, athletic guys who also have great experience."
Ramseur, who likely will be the starter at the "will" position, took advantage of every opportunity that came his way as a rookie. He tallied 11 stops and a 31-yard interception return against Temple before adding a 12-hit effort versus BYU and notching his second interception against Tulane. He is a preseason All-American Athletic Conference pick by Phil Steele's College Football Preview Magazine and should vie for postseason honors as well.
He has responded well to the leadership of Blackwell.
"I'm so excited because I know I'm still young and I still have a lot of room to grow," Ramseur said. "I've learned a lot from last year coming into this year, and I'm just ready to see how it plays out."
Bivens is the early projected starter at the "mike" linebacker spot. Successful blending his speed and quickness with a high intensity, he also has thrived under Blackwell. In the Purple-Gold Game during the spring, he had five tackles, two of those for lost yardage.
"The speed of the team is tremendous, definitely compared to last year," Bivens said. "We're no longer looking back to the last two seasons. We're changing this thing around.
"Fans should expect to see a more aggressive defense. We have one of the top defensive coordinators in the country. He's great. His biggest philosophy is that open players have to make plays and we've got to run to the ball. Our defensive line is standing out a lot. They're eating up front and doing a great job."
The pressure that Kendall Futrell, Chance Purvis, Nate Harvey and Michael Swift can apply from the ends along with the push up the middle from Alex Turner, Jalen Price, Raequan Purvis and Shaun James will benefit the entire defense.
"They penetrate up front and everything else washes up to me," Bivens said. "Kendall Futrell, he's a force, along with Chance Purvis, Alex Turner, everybody else on the defensive line. We have a great defensive line, and that makes our job as linebackers 10 times easier."
Tillman will compete at the "will" position, and Gibbs, a senior, will do the same at the "mike" spot. Gibbs' flexibility also enables him to move over to the "will."
"This is a really strong group, and I think as we come out of it we'll have four guys that we could end up looking at as starters, so I'm very excited about the depth we have there," Blackwell said. "I think moving forward we have a chance to have a really good group. I think the biggest thing is, they have to understand where to send the ball and where their help is, and that they don't have to make every play."
It's part of a marked overall improvement on the defense.
"We're going to give our front seven the ability to be really aggressive in the run game and have the opportunity to put the pressure on the offense," Blackwell said. "We have to respond when they throw the ball with good underneath coverage and things like that. Our defense really allows those guys to use their athleticism."
•The Pirates returned to the Cliff Moore Practice Facility late Sunday afternoon in shells (shorts, shoulder pads and helmets) after conducting walk-throughs and lift sessions during the morning.
Head coach Scottie Montgomery confirmed that sophomore Keyshawn Canady has been relocated back to the defensive unit on a full-time basis and will compete in the secondary (after spending the entire spring at the running back position).
Montgomery also echoed his post-scrimmage thoughts after viewing the action on tape Saturday night and Sunday morning. "Collectively, our effort was at the highest level for any scrimmage we've had," he said. "We were prepared and that was evident by how I saw us compete on the field." Offensively, Montgomery specifically cited the play of quarterback Kingsley Ifedi, saying he "clearly had a major jump."
- Joe Corley
Add Ray Tillman, who played the first two games before his season was cut short by injury, back into the mix and combine that with an improved defensive line and a more aggressive scheme under defensive coordinator David Blackwell and there is a lot of potential for the linebacking corps this season.
Gibbs, a junior college transfer, played in all 12 contests last year with six starts and had 50 tackles (21 solo) and one interception. An injury and subsequent rehabilitation forced him to miss spring ball, but he's fully healthy now and ready to go. Ramseur played in 12 games and had six starts as a redshirt freshman and finished fourth on the team with 57 stops (29 solo) and a pair of interceptions. Bivens experienced action in 11 games as a true freshman and totaled 10 tackles (five solo), but was selected by the coaching staff as the most improved defensive player after spring practice.
"There's a lot of competition," said Blackwell, who also serves as linebackers coach. "We have guys that have played a lot of football. Ray Tillman, Cannon Gibbs, Bruce Bivens played a little bit last year and Aaron Ramseur played a good bit last year. We have a lot of competition for positions. Bruce and Aaron are very talented, dynamic guys. Cannon and Ray are both very talented, athletic guys who also have great experience."
Ramseur, who likely will be the starter at the "will" position, took advantage of every opportunity that came his way as a rookie. He tallied 11 stops and a 31-yard interception return against Temple before adding a 12-hit effort versus BYU and notching his second interception against Tulane. He is a preseason All-American Athletic Conference pick by Phil Steele's College Football Preview Magazine and should vie for postseason honors as well.
He has responded well to the leadership of Blackwell.
"I'm so excited because I know I'm still young and I still have a lot of room to grow," Ramseur said. "I've learned a lot from last year coming into this year, and I'm just ready to see how it plays out."
Bivens is the early projected starter at the "mike" linebacker spot. Successful blending his speed and quickness with a high intensity, he also has thrived under Blackwell. In the Purple-Gold Game during the spring, he had five tackles, two of those for lost yardage.
"The speed of the team is tremendous, definitely compared to last year," Bivens said. "We're no longer looking back to the last two seasons. We're changing this thing around.
"Fans should expect to see a more aggressive defense. We have one of the top defensive coordinators in the country. He's great. His biggest philosophy is that open players have to make plays and we've got to run to the ball. Our defensive line is standing out a lot. They're eating up front and doing a great job."
The pressure that Kendall Futrell, Chance Purvis, Nate Harvey and Michael Swift can apply from the ends along with the push up the middle from Alex Turner, Jalen Price, Raequan Purvis and Shaun James will benefit the entire defense.
"They penetrate up front and everything else washes up to me," Bivens said. "Kendall Futrell, he's a force, along with Chance Purvis, Alex Turner, everybody else on the defensive line. We have a great defensive line, and that makes our job as linebackers 10 times easier."
Tillman will compete at the "will" position, and Gibbs, a senior, will do the same at the "mike" spot. Gibbs' flexibility also enables him to move over to the "will."
"This is a really strong group, and I think as we come out of it we'll have four guys that we could end up looking at as starters, so I'm very excited about the depth we have there," Blackwell said. "I think moving forward we have a chance to have a really good group. I think the biggest thing is, they have to understand where to send the ball and where their help is, and that they don't have to make every play."
It's part of a marked overall improvement on the defense.
"We're going to give our front seven the ability to be really aggressive in the run game and have the opportunity to put the pressure on the offense," Blackwell said. "We have to respond when they throw the ball with good underneath coverage and things like that. Our defense really allows those guys to use their athleticism."
•The Pirates returned to the Cliff Moore Practice Facility late Sunday afternoon in shells (shorts, shoulder pads and helmets) after conducting walk-throughs and lift sessions during the morning.
Head coach Scottie Montgomery confirmed that sophomore Keyshawn Canady has been relocated back to the defensive unit on a full-time basis and will compete in the secondary (after spending the entire spring at the running back position).
Montgomery also echoed his post-scrimmage thoughts after viewing the action on tape Saturday night and Sunday morning. "Collectively, our effort was at the highest level for any scrimmage we've had," he said. "We were prepared and that was evident by how I saw us compete on the field." Offensively, Montgomery specifically cited the play of quarterback Kingsley Ifedi, saying he "clearly had a major jump."
- Joe Corley
Players Mentioned
Linebacker
/ Football
Defensive Back
/ Football
Defensive End
/ Football
Linebacker
/ Football
Defensive End
/ Football
Quarterback
/ Football
Defensive Tackle
/ Football
Defensive Tackle
/ Football
Defensive End
/ Football
Defensive Tackle
/ Football
Linebacker
/ Football
Defensive Line
/ Football
Linebacker
/ Football
Defensive Tackle
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