Ali Gaye Make A Play

I think Perk and Ojulari are just getting to the QB faster than he is.

Since the first 3 games of 2020 he has 9.5 TFL's and 4 sacks in 16 games. I think he's a good player, but he's not that high impact stats guy he looked like early on his first season here.

He doesn’t have that quick twitch you need to be an effective pass rusher…

The problem is bigger is not always better. He’s big to the point where he’s easy to get a hand on. Believe it or not, our d’line plays better without mason and ali. Still could use Mason, but go back and watch the film and see how our line is able to plug the run better by being smaller

I agree I'd like to see more of Saivion Jones out there. Super athletic and great tackler.

He's probably the most overrated player on the team over the last 3 seasons. He had a tremendous game vs Mississippi St. in 2020...then has done very little of note since. I don't think it is unreasonable to suggest Savion Jones should be playing more. In significantly less snaps than Gaye Jones has more tackles, sacks and TFLs. This, despite the fact it would seem Gaye would be in a great spot to make plays with opposing offenses having to focus their attention on Ojulari. Gaye isn't listed as having a single QB hurry to date.

I think what you have in Gaye is what you see with a lot of foreign born players. They have all the physical and athletics gifts you could ever dream of, but they aren't great "football players" because they didn't grow up in a culture knowing and understanding the game. Gaye didn't come to the US until he was 12. He really didn't start playing the game until high school. Think about all of us who have grown up watching, playing, understanding football since we were very young (4-5 years old). Then think about a kid from a foreign country, who has to learn an entirely new language and culture, let alone how to play an entirely foreign game. He's well behind most US born players in that respect.

The higher you move up in the level of play, the more equal the other players you are up against are in terms of raw athleticism. So to be successful against guys who are equally as athletic you have to understand how to beat them. That's tough to do at the college level when you are still somewhat "new" to the game.

On game replays, I’ve focused on Gaye. When it comes to pass rush, he doesn’t use his hands good at all. He allows OTs to get their hands on him too easily. He has no hand technique. And then OTs got him. He has improved in run support, containing the edge, but until he starts to use his hands better, he will not be a high impact pass rusher. I too would like to see Jones get more reps and always on 3rd & long pass plays. Jones has a higher ceiling.

Gaye has done better setting the edge this year, he just doesn't have the elite ability to get to the QB like some of his teammates. He's strong and a very hard worker and I'm glad he's on the team, but he just doesn't have the Ojulari/Perk next level pass rushing ability.\

He lacks the hips to readjust and run through a ball carrier. In his defense, he is big and doesn’t get washed away ever by a block. He almost always holds up his gap and forces a ball carrier to go wide allowing for dbs to make plays. He’s an anchor defensive end. He’s not going to be a dynamic tackler but he is doing a good job of winning his gap way more times than not