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Nick Saban has not been hesitant to bring in JUCO defensive linemen. Terrence Cody, Jesse Williams, and Jarran Reed were three such players that turned out pretty okay. Most recently, Jamar King (2016) and Isaiah Buggs (2017) have joined the squad. While King was a non-factor in his first year, he wasn’t expected to make a huge contribution right away.
The same cannot be said for Buggs. He’s drawn rave reviews since he arrived on campus; and, with two openings on the defensive line, hopes are high that he’ll lock one of those spots down.
I want to apologize for the shortness of this one. It was hard to find plays that would make good gifs, with Buggs easily seen. There were a few other plays that he impacted, particularly against runs; but they didn’t offer great shots of him. So, I’ll have another breakdown of a defensive lineman - Raekwon Davis - coming soon.
2nd and 6: Buggs is lined up in the A gap (between the center and guard) on the left side of the defensive line. Bozeman snaps it and takes a step to the play side. Buggs does a great job of getting low and launches himself into Bozeman, driving him to the side. He forces RB Brian Robinson to stop and try to cut back inside, but he comes off the block and wraps his arm around Robinson. Some other defenders join in, but this was primarily Buggs.
2nd and 4: Buggs is lined up on the inside shoulder of the right guard. He crosses over to his right and collides with Bozeman. Buggs drives him back a couple yards, but Bozeman quickly shuts him down. Buggs is locked up and doesn’t try any other moves after the bull rush.
1st and 10: Buggs is again on the left side, this time at the 3 technique spot (on the outside shoulder of the guard). He collides with Lester Cotton and gets his left hand in Cotton’s chest. He almost busts out the grab and yank move we saw from Jonathan Allen and Ryan Anderson the past couple years, but Buggs doesn’t quite pull it off. He does enough to get inside of Cotton, but he doesn’t get completely free. Still, it’s nice to see him try something other than just a bull rush; and he does get an angle on the quarterback.