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Butler Community College defensive end Josh Davies-Balogun was one of the two latest commits the past week for Texas Tech and head coach Matt Wells. The staff addressed two needs with their latest pickups in Davies-Balogun and then safety Cam White.
Brandon broke down White's film earlier this week so now it's time to take a look at what the Butler C.C. lineman brings to the roster.
Sack City
Here it's easy to see what Davies-Balogun excels at and it's his speed off the edge. The much bigger offensive tackle cannot slow him down and he gets around and underneath his guy despite that height disadvantage.
The finish on this play is impressive as well. He'll be filling a big need in a speed pass rusher with experience to Keith Patterson's defense and Paul Randolph's defensive line. A guy like Eli Howard on the roster will make the transition a lot smoother as well.
Hurry, You Don't Have Much Time
Again, Davies-Balogun's speed is noticeable and we start to develop the fact that he has a high-motor. The amount of ground he makes up too shines in this play. What he'll need is the closing speed when playing against BIg 12 quarterbacks but expect him to make a young passer pay when he doesn't throw the ball away in a hurry.
This is a guy that can make a play, even if it's not a sack, count on third down through his presence. Expect Davies-Balogun to have more than a few QB hurries.
Cleanup on Aisle... Sack
Although he didn't initially get to the opposing QB himself, Davies-Balogun comes in to clean up the play for the guaranteed positive for the defense.
We see a flash of awareness playing here as he continues to stick with the development of the action and that high motor on display once again, too. Going back to his speed, Randolph can work on Davies-Balogun's technique to get him aligned better and positioned well to aid in his rush.
However, strength and conditioning coach Dave Scholz is going to have fun building on Davies-Balogun's 6-4 frame by adding muscle while maintaining a consistent speed.
It's a Bird, It's a Plane... It's... the Ball
When you can't get to the QB then you improvise.
A batted-pass says a lot about a player's drive to impact a play. Davies-Balogun didn't beat his guy off of the snap and the quick release gave the defense a small window of opportunity for success. Davies-Balogun still knew he could make the play though by simply putting his hands up.
A little more hangtime on that ball and it's a turnover for the defense as well. A simple move like that provides more opportunities for success.
Run Stuffer
Davies-Balogun showed us he's a speed rusher and loves terrorizing opposing QBs. He showed he has what it takes to take down a running back, too, though.
His full highlight film isn't packed with run-stuffing plays but it gives the staff something to work and improve on with Davies-Balogun.
At first glance, it's expected Davies-Balogun to be a pure pass rusher as a Red Raider but expect them to work on his run-stopping ability to make him more of a well-rounded defensive lineman option in the rotation.
