Alabama Football: Grading New Defensive Line Coach Chris Rumph

Chris Rumph joined Nick Saban's coaching staff as the defensive line coach after performing the same duties at Clemson for five years.  

He was the primary mentor for defensive end Da'Quan Bowers, who likely would have been the first overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft had he not been injured.  He instead went 51st overall.  

Under Rumph's tutelage, Bowers finished up his career at Clemson with 16 sacks and 25 tackles for loss.  

Though young, Chris Rumph had a long enough list of accomplishments to get Nick Saban to hire him, replacing Bo Davis who departed for Texas.  Rumph had some very big shoes to fill, and Bo Davis had been with Nick Saban for a while.  

So how has Chris Rumph performed?  Let's get the numbers out of the way first.  We'll compare Davis's 2009 championship line to Rumph's 2011 line.  

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2009 defense:

2.83 yards per rush (sixth nationally, first SEC)

79.36 rushing yards per game (second nationally, first SEC)

Five rushing touchdowns (first nationally, first SEC)

31 sacks (29th nationally, third SEC)

96 tackles for loss (13th nationally, first SEC)

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2011 defense, Eight games:

1.67 yards per rush (first nationally, first SEC)

44.88 rushing yards per game (first nationally, first SEC)

Two rushing touchdowns (first nationally, first SEC)

17 sacks (33rd nationally, second SEC)

61 tackles for loss (Tied for third with LSU nationally, tied first SEC)

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Though only eight games into the season, the 2011 rush defense seems to be far and away better than that of 2009.  If the current squad gets a full 14 games this year, they will be certain to garner more than 31 sacks and 96 tackles for loss.  

The 2009 defensive line was comprised of four main stars: Lorenzo Washington, Brandon Deaderick, Terrence Cody and Marcell Dareus.  

Deaderick, Cody and Dareus all play in the NFL today, at New England, Baltimore and Buffalo, respectively.  Washington almost made the 2010 Dallas Cowboys' training camp, but was released after chronic hamstring injuries.  

The 2009 defensive line was, essentially, an NFL-caliber line.  

Damion Square, Nick Gentry, Josh Chapman and Jesse Williams are the four main cogs in the defensive line machine this year.  These four are, arguably, playing better than the 2009 squad.  

Are they less talented?  I would not dare make that argument, but one could argue "unproven" with the season barely half over.  Chris Rumph has done a stellar job with them.  

One main difference from the 2011 and 2009 squads is the fact that '09's sack leader was Marcell Dareus on the defensive line, and '11 has linebacker Courtney Upshaw leading.  Upshaw, however, is certain to be spending a lot of time with Rumph, as he lines up as a fourth lineman often enough.  

Overall, Chris Rumph and the 2011 defensive line have been doing what the 2009 championship squad did—only better.  

Chris Rumph gets a solid A+ coaching what might be one of the best defensive lines in history.