I'm going to try another look at our 2014 roster and see if I can soothe my nerves a little. My assumptions will be: no Nix, Tuitt, Vanderdoes, Schwenke, Stockton, Shembo. If that isn't correct, you will correct me. I'm also assuming that Utupo has a season of eligibility left --- maybe not true. I'm also assuming that Hounshell has a season left, and if we pray enough will be able to play.
So, what do Kelly, Diaco et al have to work with?
A). They have three capable "bigs" in Day, Springmann, and Hayes to date.
B). They have four "traditional" strong DEs in Rochell, Hounshell, Trumbetti, and Matuska [who may well surprise --- a "mean" player who was first team Ohio cannot be a chump].
C). They have four non-traditional lighter or speed DE candidates should they want to utilize them in Utupo, IWilliams, Okwara, and Rabasa.
D). They have the enigmatic Jarron Jones, who might have to play some NT whether he wants to or not, and a probably very hungry walk-on [Dickerson] with a year with Longo who WANTS to play.
Those players constitute thirteen working pieces possibly applicable to the DLine puzzle.
Additionally: We have DLine offers out to many players, all of whom have many "stars" next to their names. Imagining three of these players signing on NSD is not much of a fiction. That would give Diaco 16 possible pieces.
Additionally, though I think this much less likely, but Kelly DOES insist that he's recruiting "POWER" not OLine vs DLine: If somebody like Jamarco Jones wanted to come on board AND the other OLine superman whose name I forget, that makes "six" unless someone {Mustipher?} moves to DLine. Or would another more senior OLine {Montelus?} be movable?
None of those pieces are named "Tuitt" or "Nix", but they weren't going to be anyway. Maybe with the firepower listed above, Diaco just might field a team. ... three deep.