I felt he improved both the defense and the recruiting for it, but seemed hit the talent ceiling anyway. He's the best Johnson has had. His defenses hit hard, seemed solid fundamentally, and were very rarely embarrassed. Ultimately it's not about him, it's about quality players. Wommack looked pretty smart once he had Ole Miss's roster. Groh wasn't exactly a dummy.
Johnson needs to find someone like Tenuta. Yeah, yeah, I know--by that I mean someone who brings in an unorthodox approach the way Johnson does on the other side of the ball. Not necessarily blitz-heavy, but just something that negates the athletic differences. It's either that or figure out a way to recruit much better on that side. Coastal division isn't getting any easier.