George Uko, Junior, Defensive Tackle, USC
Overview:
In switching from a base 4-3 defense to a 3-4 alignment, other than sliding all-world defensive end Morgan Breslin to linebacker, USC will also be shifting tackle George Uko to end. As a defensive end in this scheme, Uko will not be doing much differently than he had been in past seasons. However, he will not be covered up on the end of the line. This may affect his responsibilities on certain plays but it should not affect his production. In fact, ends usually produce more "numbers" than inside tackles are able to. This is good news for Uko and USC as the big man was able to notch pretty good numbers from inside as it was. Usually DTs rely on occupying offensive blockers so the backers behind them can make plays. This will still be the case on occasion but Uko should be able to rush with more freedom this season.
Final Projection:
It will be interesting to see how NFL teams treat George Uko if he decides to declare for the draft after his junior season. Will they consider him a defensive tackle who can stuff the run, occupy blockers and occasionally get to the quarterback? Or will teams want him more as a strict defensive end? This obviously depends on which team ends up taking him and what defense they play. But it will depend even more on the type of junior year Uko has at the new spot. A good one could mean he flies up into the early rounds.
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