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After showing the look a handful of times during training camp and in their season opener against UCF, UConn Huskies defensive coordinator Billy Crocker made the change from their 3-3-5 defense to a four-down linemen look official with the release of this week’s depth chart.
Obviously, this doesn’t mean the Huskies will go four-down for the entire season, but it does show that Crocker and head coach Randy Edsall are doing what they can to maximize the talent they have. While there are good amount of underclassmen on defense, there are still plenty of players on defense recruited by Bob Diaco to play in the 4-3. As Edsall and Crocker bring in more of their own players, the 3-3-5 will likely return and hopefully be more successful.
The change to four down linemen also highlights the strides the young defensive line has made since the start of camp. This unit, especially freshman Travis Jones, had flashes of effectiveness against UCF and should continue to improve as they gain more experience.