Kansas DE Dorance Armstrong the ultimate test for Baylor O-Line
Traditionally, teams with the best weapon under center are the top contenders in the Big 12. So, whoever can knock down that quarterback certainly has an edge.
Kansas has an edge. Yes, the perennial punchline of the Big 12 has an edge rushing the edge (excuse the pun)- that’s junior defensive end Dorance Armstrong.
In an interview with ESPN, coach David Beaty compared Armstrong to first-overall pick Myles Garrett who Beaty once compared to another former top selection, Jadeveon Clowney. Simply put, Armstrong is a freak. Because he sits in the Little Apple, he may not be getting the attention he deserves around the country.
“Dorance is a stud. The fact that he didn’t make All-American last year was shocking to me,” Beaty said. “He got robbed. [He] is unbelievable.”
But folks around the Big 12 should be well-aware of Armstrong, after all, only three Big 12 quarterbacks escaped his grasp (totaling 11.5 sacks in conference play). What some people may not realize, Armstrong chased down the likes of Baker Mayfield and Pat Mahomes on a partially torn ACL. If he can pull off a double-digit sack season with a bum knee, untold riches are ahead of him and his Jayhawks.
For someone to play on a bum knee as ferociously as Armstrong did, it takes more than freak status to succeed- just look at Shawn Oakman’s rapid rise and fall.
Being football smart is just as important. Jayhawks defensive coordinator David Bowen said Armstrong has that in spades.
“He’s not an ego guy, he’s not a this-is-about-me guy,” Bowen said comparing him to Kansas’ last first-round pick Aqib Talib in 2010. “He truly has embraced trying to master his trade. He has a very level head on his shoulders.”
Of course, that level-headed mentality and his physical prowess have only amounted to a couple wins for Kansas the past two seasons with Armstrong. But the takedown of Texas in overtime near the end of 2016 is a sign of potential.
Armstrong had three multi-sack games last year including the 24-21 win over the Longhorns, acting as the chief enforcer wrapping up surefooted quarterback Shane Buechele twice in the first half to keep the Jayhawks competitive. He also had a fumble recovery that led to Kansas’ first lead of the game entering halftime, adding a few tackles for loss to prevent more damage from D’Onta Foreman.
The same can’t be said of Kansas in a 49-7 rout by Baylor even if Armstrong looked like the top performer with a sack and tackle for loss the rest of the team sadly couldn’t touch. Armstrong’s sack came once Baylor’s starters were pulled, wrapping up Zach Smith for his single sack of the day.
But considering the lack of depth Baylor has at offensive line this year, that otherwise lackluster performance could of concern should Mo Porter or Patrick Lawrence go down this season. Kansas’ left tackle Hakeem Adeniji certainly knows how difficult it is to contain Armstrong, practicing against him every day.
“A lot of defensive ends have speed, but the way he’s able to transition it into different moves without losing speed or power really just sets him apart,” Adeniji said. “Most guys, they’ll hit you with one move. He’ll hit you with a move and he has a counter. There’s no set way that you can block him.”
Baylor and Kansas meet up the first week of November, right around the time injuries start piling up the most. So with just a handful of linemen on scholarship, Baylor will have its hands tied with Armstrong working the edge.
Although, there is an important addition to the equation this year for Baylor: Matt Rhule has made tight ends stylish again.
While converted tight ends Ish Wainright and Quan Jones will be used primarily as receivers, there’s also more blocking-inclined tight ends Sam Tecklenburg and Jordan Fuerbacher that can help secure the edge.
If Armstrong really is Garrett or Clowney as advertised, no matter Kansas’ record heading into Baylor’s matchup, it should be an eventful afternoon in the trenches and provide a good comparison for K.J. Smith.
Kansas has an edge. Yes, the perennial punchline of the Big 12 has an edge rushing the edge (excuse the pun)- that’s junior defensive end Dorance Armstrong.
In an interview with ESPN, coach David Beaty compared Armstrong to first-overall pick Myles Garrett who Beaty once compared to another former top selection, Jadeveon Clowney. Simply put, Armstrong is a freak. Because he sits in the Little Apple, he may not be getting the attention he deserves around the country.
“Dorance is a stud. The fact that he didn’t make All-American last year was shocking to me,” Beaty said. “He got robbed. [He] is unbelievable.”
But folks around the Big 12 should be well-aware of Armstrong, after all, only three Big 12 quarterbacks escaped his grasp (totaling 11.5 sacks in conference play). What some people may not realize, Armstrong chased down the likes of Baker Mayfield and Pat Mahomes on a partially torn ACL. If he can pull off a double-digit sack season with a bum knee, untold riches are ahead of him and his Jayhawks.
For someone to play on a bum knee as ferociously as Armstrong did, it takes more than freak status to succeed- just look at Shawn Oakman’s rapid rise and fall.
Being football smart is just as important. Jayhawks defensive coordinator David Bowen said Armstrong has that in spades.
“He’s not an ego guy, he’s not a this-is-about-me guy,” Bowen said comparing him to Kansas’ last first-round pick Aqib Talib in 2010. “He truly has embraced trying to master his trade. He has a very level head on his shoulders.”
Of course, that level-headed mentality and his physical prowess have only amounted to a couple wins for Kansas the past two seasons with Armstrong. But the takedown of Texas in overtime near the end of 2016 is a sign of potential.
Armstrong had three multi-sack games last year including the 24-21 win over the Longhorns, acting as the chief enforcer wrapping up surefooted quarterback Shane Buechele twice in the first half to keep the Jayhawks competitive. He also had a fumble recovery that led to Kansas’ first lead of the game entering halftime, adding a few tackles for loss to prevent more damage from D’Onta Foreman.
The same can’t be said of Kansas in a 49-7 rout by Baylor even if Armstrong looked like the top performer with a sack and tackle for loss the rest of the team sadly couldn’t touch. Armstrong’s sack came once Baylor’s starters were pulled, wrapping up Zach Smith for his single sack of the day.
But considering the lack of depth Baylor has at offensive line this year, that otherwise lackluster performance could of concern should Mo Porter or Patrick Lawrence go down this season. Kansas’ left tackle Hakeem Adeniji certainly knows how difficult it is to contain Armstrong, practicing against him every day.
“A lot of defensive ends have speed, but the way he’s able to transition it into different moves without losing speed or power really just sets him apart,” Adeniji said. “Most guys, they’ll hit you with one move. He’ll hit you with a move and he has a counter. There’s no set way that you can block him.”
Baylor and Kansas meet up the first week of November, right around the time injuries start piling up the most. So with just a handful of linemen on scholarship, Baylor will have its hands tied with Armstrong working the edge.
Although, there is an important addition to the equation this year for Baylor: Matt Rhule has made tight ends stylish again.
While converted tight ends Ish Wainright and Quan Jones will be used primarily as receivers, there’s also more blocking-inclined tight ends Sam Tecklenburg and Jordan Fuerbacher that can help secure the edge.
If Armstrong really is Garrett or Clowney as advertised, no matter Kansas’ record heading into Baylor’s matchup, it should be an eventful afternoon in the trenches and provide a good comparison for K.J. Smith.
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