[SamuelMcF]

We couldn't because we didn't have enough DL to put out there that could play well enough to do so. Instead, we ended up in nickel. Injuries contributed, but when you are trying to play Tucker Fisk on the DL, you have a problem.
So, my belief is that we have not recruited "well enough" to have an average defensive line. I think we both would agree we haven't had a DL that gave us confidence for a while. I am not arguing we don't have all the deficiencies you cite in player development etc. What I am arguing is that our recruiting was also deficient, and that class ranking by it's nature is not universally predictive of on-field performance for the reasons listed above.

Certainly there are many reasons, and both are true IMO.

Also, funny you mention Tucker Fisk as if that's a bad thing. Fisk took most of Ryan Johnson's snaps towards the end of last season and PFF graded him as our best DL, ahead of Thomas Booker. Imagine if he had started playing DL 2 seasons ago, as many were begging for him to. The need for another DL in the pipeline was glaringly obvious with the departures of Williams and Swann (I could go on an entire rant about "proactive" vs "reactive" recruiting, as you alluded to in your post), and we already had another solid one-dimensional blocking TE anyway at the time in Scooter Harrington. Little marginal value add on O, significant marginal value add on D since you need a DL rotation.

Another reason nobody has mentioned yet? Peter Hansen and his complete inability to coach ILBs (see: the six-man hockey shift "rotation" where Bobby Okereke and Jordan Perez saw the same amount of snaps). Good god.

ANOTHER reason nobody has mentioned yet? While I agree with BC's assertion that a cohort of 8ish adequate DBs across classes should be fine, we didn't have that either. How quickly folks forget the disaster at the safety position for what feels like forever. It was Justin Reid and a gaggle of converted corners, offensive players, and walk-ons. Kendall Williamson was a CB as a frosh. Malik Antoine was a CB for 2 years. Dallas Lloyd. Kodi Whitfield. Noah Williams. JJ Parson. "The best DB coach in college football" couldn't do half his job.

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DL has had insufficient numbers from the time Diron Took over until last year’s class.  He recruited only 2 in 2017 and 2018, 1 in 2019, and 2 again in 2020. Things could have worked out better if the DLs that did come panned out at an excellent rate. Instead, Pakola basically never played and Fox and Keneley proved too skinny to fill a 3-4 DE spot. To boot, RJ and DWP weren’t great players and never matched their recruiting profile. Plus the 2020 guys were lightly recruited. The result is ONE really good DL in a 4 year window.

Phillips and Keneley were the 2020 guys, both were not "lightly recruited," and IMO it's too early to tell on Phillips. (This year we'll see if he's got anything, because, well, he has no choice.) You're thinking of the 2021s Franklin and Buckey, where it's clearly WAY too early to tell. But that's nitpicking an otherwise overall valid point.

[SamuelMcF]

We couldn't because we didn't have enough DL to put out there that could play well enough to do so. Instead, we ended up in nickel. Injuries contributed, but when you are trying to play Tucker Fisk on the DL, you have a problem.
So, my belief is that we have not recruited "well enough" to have an average defensive line. I think we both would agree we haven't had a DL that gave us confidence for a while. I am not arguing we don't have all the deficiencies you cite in player development etc. What I am arguing is that our recruiting was also deficient, and that class ranking by it's nature is not universally predictive of on-field performance for the reasons listed above.

Certainly there are many reasons, and both are true IMO.

Also, funny you mention Tucker Fisk as if that's a bad thing. Fisk took most of Ryan Johnson's snaps towards the end of last season and PFF graded him as our best DL, ahead of Thomas Booker. Imagine if he had started playing DL 2 seasons ago, as many were begging for him to. The need for another DL in the pipeline was glaringly obvious with the departures of Williams and Swann (I could go on an entire rant about "proactive" vs "reactive" recruiting, as you alluded to in your post), and we already had another solid one-dimensional blocking TE anyway at the time in Scooter Harrington. Little marginal value add on O, significant marginal value add on D since you need a DL rotation.

Another reason nobody has mentioned yet? Peter Hansen and his complete inability to coach ILBs (see: the six-man hockey shift "rotation" where Bobby Okereke and Jordan Perez saw the same amount of snaps). Good god.

ANOTHER reason nobody has mentioned yet? While I agree with BC's assertion that a cohort of 8ish adequate DBs across classes should be fine, we didn't have that either. How quickly folks forget the disaster at the safety position for what feels like forever. It was Justin Reid and a gaggle of converted corners, offensive players, and walk-ons. Kendall Williamson was a CB as a frosh. Malik Antoine was a CB for 2 years. Dallas Lloyd. Kodi Whitfield. Noah Williams. JJ Parson. "The best DB coach in college football" couldn't do half his job.

---

DL has had insufficient numbers from the time Diron Took over until last year’s class.  He recruited only 2 in 2017 and 2018, 1 in 2019, and 2 again in 2020. Things could have worked out better if the DLs that did come panned out at an excellent rate. Instead, Pakola basically never played and Fox and Keneley proved too skinny to fill a 3-4 DE spot. To boot, RJ and DWP weren’t great players and never matched their recruiting profile. Plus the 2020 guys were lightly recruited. The result is ONE really good DL in a 4 year window.

Phillips and Keneley were the 2020 guys, both were not "lightly recruited," and IMO it's too early to tell on Phillips. (This year we'll see if he's got anything, because, well, he has no choice.) You're thinking of the 2021s Franklin and Buckey, where it's clearly WAY too early to tell. But that's nitpicking an otherwise overall valid point.