Jim Panagos inherits a defensive line for the Rutgers football team that allowed over 200 yards rushing on average per game in 2019.
The assistant coach hasn’t been able to be with the team since the early stages of winter workouts, but he has heard good things from strength coach Jay Butler during voluntary workouts, which started up almost a month ago at this point.
“It's voluntary so I'm not allowed to be out there, but coach Butler's been saying great things about them,” Panagos said during a video call on Thursday. “They know the expectations. They know what I'm expecting and I've heard great feedback from coach Butler and his staff. Like I said, it's all voluntary, we're not with them right now. They're in the weight room getting after it like they're supposed to do and I look forward to getting back within the field when, when we can.”
SIGN UP FOR PREMIUM NOW AND GET 30 DAYS FREE — CLICK HERE FOR MORE!!
This upcoming season, the Scarlet Knights will have reinforcements on the defensive line from the likes of transfers Michael Dwumfour, Ireland Burke, Malik Barrow, and Mayan Ahanotu to go along with returners such as Mike Tverdov, Julius Turner, Jaohne Duggan, and other young players. In general, there won’t be a lack of depth in 2020 which should be a positive.
“As you know, I like to play a lot of players,” Panagos is. “My job is to put them in position to make plays and it's their job to make plays. As long as they're practicing a high level and doing what I want them to do, I will play as many guys that earned that opportunity to play. So to me, eight, nine, 10, 11, 12, it's not really a number, but it's just these are the guys that help us win and we're going to play him. I think when you play defensive lineman, a lot of d-linemen, it creates two things, one it creates buy-in and they have a role, and number two, it creates competition and competition is the most important thing in life. You have to compete. Those are the reasons why I like to play a lot of defensive linemen if it's merited. Sometimes it's not because they're not doing what they're supposed to do on the football field but if all goes to plan, we're gonna play a lot of defensive linemen.”
Dwumfour is expected to earn a starting spot right away inside. At Michigan, he played in 33 career games making 36 total tackles with four sacks, 7.5 tackles-for-loss, and an interception. The Scotch Plains, N.J. native is quick off the ball and is able to get low and corral ball carriers for short gains and has the ability to get push and get to the quarterback, which Panagos says is vital from the interior.
“I think it's really important. They can protect the edges,” Panagos said. “When you have a dominant 3-technique that causes problems and that causes mismatches and that determine where the center slide goes. So if you're doing that, then other guys have matchup problems and we come to the other side. To me, when you have the dominant 3-technique, it opens up the whole defense. It's great to have Michael here.”
Recruiting good defensive linemen and developing them is hard. Usually, only the blue bloods of college football grab the greats. But Panagos is known for getting the most out of his guys and developing them and it has a lot to do about effort.
In 2012, tackle Scott Vallone had a career-high 52 tackles and made the All-Big East First Team. Then in 2014, Panagos helped another tackle, Darius Hamilton, who led the defense with 11.5 TFLs with a career-high six sacks. Kemoko Turay, an eventual second round NFL Draft pick, had 7.5 sacks as a redshirt freshman.
“First of all, God doesn't make many of them. And number two, it's a mentality. It's really hard to rush the passer. It's really hard to do these things and it's a series of efforts,” Panagos said. “The great players that I have coached play with seven series of effort in seven seconds. The average play is seven seconds. Dominant defensive linemen have to play with seven efforts in seven seconds. That's hard to do. You got to teach that. Besides the quarterback, I believe it is the most important position. If you can rush the passer with four guys, then you have a chance to do some special things.”
Tverdov is another player at end for Rutgers that can see an uptick in production on the field and in order for Panagos to be a good coach to the rising redshirt junior, it starts with building that relationship to get the most out of him.
“I think with all the players it's a challenge. It's easy to tell players what they do well. But to say this is what you need to do to take your game to the next level, that's the whole key,” Panagos said. “I think coaching is an individual relationship. When I first started coaching you would everyone the same, but now it's different. Everyone learns differently, everyone motivates differently. If I have 15 d-linemen, I coach them the same but yet I coach them differently. That makes sense. It's all about building relationships and finding out what's their button and how to coach and how to talk to them. Then they fall in line. That's the key now in 2020 football, building the individualization relationship of each individual player. That to me is the number one thing I'm trying to accomplish.”
And speaking of effort, all the time you hear that defensive lineman that played under Panagos play extremely hard. The Brooklyn, N.Y. native expects no less back at Rutgers for his second stint.
“I expect them to be the reflection of their coach,” Panagos said. “So the way I coach is the way they're gonna play. And that's going to be the expectation. I'm never gonna drop that standard on them, and they know that so I can't wait to get on the field with them.”
Follow Chris Nalwasky on Twitter @ChrisWasky.
