White: Groh Talks Defense at ACC Media Day

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By Jeff White
jeffwhite@virginia.edu

• Notes from ACC Football Kickoff

GREENSBORO, N.C. – As the linebackers go, so will go UVa’s defense this season.

That may be overstating things, but not by much, assuming injuries don’t take too big a toll on the other positions.

When the Cavaliers’ new defensive coordinator – who doubles as the head coach – looks over his options, he sees athleticism and talent on the line, where Matt Conrath, Nick Jenkins and Nate Collins are back, and in the secondary, where the two-deep includes Chris Cook, Ras-I Dowling, Chase Minnifield, Rodney McLeod and Corey Mosley.

In Al Groh’s 3-4 defense, however, linebacker always has been the marquee position. There have been exceptions – see future NFL ends Chris Canty and Chris Long – but Virginia typically showcases its second line of defense, beginning in 2001 with Angelo Crowell and running through Kai Parham, Darryl Blackstock, Ahmad Brooks and Clint Sintim.

“They’re the playmakers,” Groh said of linebackers in the 3-4.

Unfortunately for a team coming off a 5-7 season, none of the aforementioned ‘backers is on the 2009 roster. The team’s top three tacklers last season were Jon Copper, Antonio Appleby and Sintim – all linebackers, and all gone.

The likely starters at linebacker this season include three fifth-year seniors – Denzel Burrell, Aaron Clark and Darren Childs – who among them have 14 career starts. Starting next to Childs, at the other inside spot, may be redshirt freshman Steve Greer. Other candidates for playing time at linebacker include redshirt freshman Billy Schautz and juniors Jared Detrick and Darnell Carter, none of whom has played much, if at all, from scrimmage.

“We’re hoping that with the inexperience at the linebacker positions, at least the tradeoff is that they’ll be playing behind three guys who have significant snaps,” Groh said this afternoon at the ACC Football Kickoff, referring to ends Collins and Conrath and nose tackle Jenkins.

Bob Trott is not inexperienced, and for that Groh is grateful. In 2006, ’07 and ’08, the Wahoos’ linebackers coach, at least officially, was Bob Diaco. In reality, though, Groh oversaw that position, as he’d done in the NFL for the Giants, the Browns and the Jets.

Diaco left after last season for the University of Cincinnati, and Trott’s hiring as linebackers coach has allowed Groh to step back and concentrate on other areas of the team.

Trott, 55, has been defensive coordinator at Arkansas, Clemson, Duke, Baylor and Louisiana-Monroe. He spent the past four seasons working with the Cleveland Browns’ linebackers in Romeo Crennel’s 3-4 scheme.

“Bobby’s been a great addition for us,” Groh said. “He’s very well steeped in all the intricacies of the system.”

Also new to the defense are line coach Chad Wilt and secondary coach Anthony Poindexter. Wilt, a former UVa graduate assistant, spent the past three seasons on Danny Rocco’s staff at Liberty University. Poindexter, of course, was an All-America safety for the ‘Hoos. He coached Virginia’s running backs from 2004 to ’08.

“The cohesiveness with the defensive staff in the spring was as strong as it’s been in quite some time,” Groh said.

The most talented member of the linebacking corps is 6-4, 255-pound Cameron Johnson, who played in six games as a true freshman in 2008 before an injury ended his season prematurely.

“He’s got the skills to become the next real producer at that position,” Groh said.

Johnson may win a starting job at outside linebacker before the season ends, but when training camp opens next month, look for Burrell and Clark to be running with the first team. Clark edged Burrell for a starting job last year, only to suffer a season-ending knee injury in the opener against Southern California. Burrell started the final 11 games at that spot.

This year, Groh said, he’ll begin with Clark and Burrell on opposite sides.

“One, they’ve earned that right, not just by being veteran players, but by the way they’ve gone about their work here all spring and all summer,” Groh said. “They’ve earned that opportunity, and plus they know the system better than anybody.

“They’ve really tried to step into whatever leadership void might have been left by some very strong leaders last year.”

Inside, Childs was pressed into service late last season after Appleby got hurt. Childs totaled 20 tackles in the three games in which he played extensively.

In Burrell, Clark and Childs, Groh said, UVa has “three guys who’ve certainly been in a lot of meetings, a lot of drills. They should have a foundation. There’s not a lot of snaps in there, which is the No. 1 criteria for being experienced, but they are three fifth-year seniors, so they’re not new kids off the block.”

As for the group as a whole, Groh said he’s “pleased with where we are. We gotta be better there than what we are today, but it was a productive spring for a lot of those guys.”