National Columnist Mike Farrell is here with the 3-Point Stance ranking the Big Ten top tier TEs for next season, potential defensive breakout players in the PAC 12 and the coaching debate — Sonny Dykes, TCU vs. Dave Aranda, Baylor
Top Big Ten Tight Ends
— We move on to the top-tier tight ends in the Power Five with the Big Ten, where some talent needs to be replaced.
1. Brevyn Spann-Ford, Minnesota
— He’s the most productive returning TE in the Big Ten, and with his size, he should catch more than 50 balls next season.
2. Cade Stover, Ohio State
— Stover showed signs of breaking out last season, and even with that WR group, he should get plenty of targets.
3. Luke Lachey, Iowa
— The best great Iowa tight end? He could very well be that guy, as he will get the targets Sam LaPorta got. But it’s still an awful offense, so we shall see.
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4. Corey Dyches, Maryland
— He’s more of a big WR, but they use him well. He’s small for a tight end but athletic.
5. Arik Gilbert, Nebraska
— Ok, I know, I know. Betting on Gilbert to show what he did at LSU years ago seems silly, but he’s just so damned talented.
Breakout Pac-12 Defenders
— We move on to the Pac-12 for some more potential defensive breakout stars.
Bralen Trice, Washington
Despite being a first-team All Pac-12 performer in 2022, Trice still probably wasn’t given his proper due. While Michael Penix revitalized the offense, Trice and Jeremiah Martin held down a defensive front that was greatly improved in Kalen DeBoer’s first season. Now, Trice is the main focal point of that defense and, specifically, the pass rush, something he is uniquely fitted for. He ranked as the top pass rusher in the entire Pac-12 per PFF in 2022.
Karene Reid, Utah
The Utes have put out some really good linebackers in recent years, and Reid seems to be in line to be the next great one. He finished his first full season as a starter in 2022 with 72 tackles, 9.5 TFLs, and 5 sacks. He’ll be the leader of a Utah defense that should once again be among the best in the conference.
Kitan Oladapo, Oregon State
A do-it-all defensive back, Oladapo is among the most versatile players in the entire conference. While he nominally plays safety, he lined up equally in the box, in the slot, and as a more traditional free safety, and excelled at all of them. PFF ranked him as the only player in the conference to finish with a grade higher than 70 in all four of their major metrics (run defense, tackling, pass rush, and coverage).
The Coach Debate: Sonny Dykes vs. Dave Aranda
— And finally, the coaching debates continue with Sonny Dykes, TCU vs. Dave Aranda, Baylor.
The case for Dykes:
It’s hard to find a coach (outside of Kirby Smart) who is riding higher after last season than Dykes, and rightfully so. No one (especially me) expected anything close to the amount of success that the Horned Frogs had in his first season in Fort Worth. His offense was a perfect fit for the talent they had, and he caught lightning in a bottle with Max Duggan. Yes, the championship game against Georgia was ugly, but no one expected them to win that. 2022 was a resounding success, and he did an outstanding job parlaying their on-field success to an uptick in recruiting as well as a very good portal haul. He even managed to lure Kendal Briles from an SEC job to be the next OC. That’s pretty darn impressive.
That case against Dykes:
Despite his success last season, it hasn’t always been sunshine and roses for Dykes. His tenure at SMU, while solid, did not portend this level of success, as he never finished higher than 3rd in the AAC during his four seasons at the helm. He had a losing record at Cal before that and has never had much of a defense at any of his stops. Dykes also shouldn’t get credit for a lot of the talent on hand from last year’s squad, as they were almost entirely recruited by Gary Patterson, the man who was truly responsible for the Horned Frog renaissance of the last quarter century.
The case for Aranda:
Unequivocally one of the great defensive minds of the past decade, Aranda is universally respected for his defensive acumen and no-nonsense approach. After a season of completely reconfiguring the roster during the COVID season, Aranda managed to pull off a Big XII title-winning season in 2021 that was in many ways as equally shocking as the season that TCU had last year. Last year’s team struggled down the stretch with injuries, but they are primed to bounce back in 2023.
The case against Aranda:
The flip side of the coin of the 2021 season is that you could argue that it was a flash in the pan. The regression of the team in 2022 was a combination of a big loss of talent on both sides of the ball (most notably the secondary that had three players drafted) and an inability to replace them. Aranda has never been the strongest recruiter, as his personality isn’t one that necessarily lends itself to today’s landscape on the trail.
The verdict:
At this time last year, I would have bet every penny I owned that Baylor not only would have finished ahead of TCU last season but that Dykes would be shown to be the wrong hire for the Horned Frogs. It’s a good thing I’m not much of a gambler.
My gut tells me that 2022 is not indicative of the future success of TCU and that Aranda is the safer bet. But the game of football has changed enough to where, especially in the Big XII, a great offense will almost always trump a great defense. So between that and Dykes’ better recruiting chops, he’s the choice right now, as much as it pains me to see as someone who is admittedly a fan of Aranda.
