The Rundown Take
New DBs Coach, New DL Coach — So Why Is Blake Baker Still Calling the Shots?
Devin and E Gray open the new year with a coaching-staff overhaul to break down: T-Rob is in as the new defensive backs coach, Jess Simpson is back to coach the defensive line, and DeMarcus Van Dyke gets promoted to corners coach. Larry Frank Jr. joins for the 8:30 hour to call it a home-run staff — with one glaring exception.
Key Takeaways
- T-Rob's hire as DBs coach is the headline — Larry Frank calls it a recruiting and coaching home run, pairing him with DVD as a coach-in-training at cornerback.
- Jess Simpson returns to coach the defensive line, reuniting with returners Nesta and Jonathan Ford plus transfer addition Deandre Johnson from Tennessee.
- The panel's frustration: Blake Baker keeps his defensive coordinator title even as Manny Diaz reportedly takes over play-calling duties himself.
- Transfer receiver Charleston Rambo, in from Oklahoma, is called an "immediate upgrade," projected to pair with Mike Harley and push out underperforming returners.
- Larry Frank Jr. pins the defense's collapse on scheme and buyout math, not talent — the roster, he argues, is better than a defense ranked 51st in scoring showed.
The Blake Baker Problem
Devin can't get past it: if Manny Diaz fired offensive coordinator Dan Enos after one bad year, why is Blake Baker still standing after a defense that finished 51st in scoring and slid from 23rd to 67th in total defense? Larry Frank pushes theory over conspiracy — no buyout is worth protecting a coordinator this long, and if the defense actually improves under the new position coaches, Manny could feel he owes Baker a new contract he hasn't earned.
Building Around D'Eriq King's Recovery
With D'Eriq King rehabbing from his Cheez-It Bowl injury, the room wants every spring and summer rep handed to TVD and Jake Garcia to find out who's really ready to be "that guy." Larry Frank credits the offensive line's continuity — the same group entering its third year together — as reason for optimism heading into the September 4 opener against Alabama in Atlanta.
The DBU Blueprint
Larry Frank points to something he noticed watching the national championship game: Alabama's starting secondary that night was loaded with South Florida products, including a recruit Miami once lost in that same class. His takeaway — the talent is sitting in Miami's backyard every year, and the only thing standing between the Canes and keeping it home is having a position coach with the same pull T-Rob has shown at his last two stops.
Position Battles Up and Down the Roster
Beyond the secondary, the panel flags a full offseason of open competition: an unsettled right guard spot between Isaiah Walker and Jaylen Rivers, a safety room where Larry Frank leans toward Kamren Kinchens over a returning Bubba Bolden for a starting job, and a cornerback battle where he'd start Te'Cory Couch over Al Blades Jr. today — even while betting Blades ends up the better player once T-Rob gets his hands on him.