2010 Spartan Nation Football Profile: Eric Gordon LB #43

 Expectation: All Big Ten LB  Height:  6’  Weight: 233#  2010 Eligibility: Fifth year senior  EXP: 3 Letters  Status:Â

 

Expectation:Â All Big Ten LB

 

Height:  6’

 

Weight:Â 233#

 

2010 Eligibility: Fifth year senior 

 

EXP:Â 3 Letters

 

Status:Â Starting SAM LB

 

Strengths: It would be easier to list his weaknesses first. Gordon has a much smaller group of those. On and off the field since Eric Gordon arrived, MSU has been a better place. He immediately came in and played well.

 

He is a smooth mixture of speed and strength. He has great feet, incredible vision, and an ability to adjust on the fly when the situation calls for it. He is as dominant a pass rusher as he is in pass coverage and that allows the staff to use him in a multitude of ways that makes everyone around him better.

 

Let’s look at ONE play that shows how incredibly gifted he is. Against Montana State, in the second quarter with 4:32 to go. The Bobcats faced a third and seven. Gordon reads the QBs eyes while in pass coverage, he doesn’t over-commit either way, and he sees the pressure. He stayed disciplined, but the moment the QB began to lower the ball becoming a runner rather than a thrower, Gordon exploded, charged in, and got an assist on a sack.

 

That one play, during the first game of the year no less, showed the incredible talent that Gordon has. That one play was simply amazing. Gordon is a dominant football player.

 

Weakness: Gordon has no major weakness. What he does have is an occasional lapse in technique. To be very honest you are splitting hairs when you talk about his weaknesses, but here you go. In the Alamo Bowl the Red Raiders has a third and two at the fifty with 2:10 left in the second quarter. Gordon was given a rare blitz and the off running back engaged him, Gordon’s pad level was too high and the RB with the ball went right by him. That was a rare mistake. Not something you expect or see very often from the disciplined Gordon.

 

Final Analysis: I have said that when Gordon and Greg Jones leave after this season that Gordon’s loss will be more felt than Jones. That has raised some eyebrows, but here is why. They are both exceptional young men off the field and eye popping amazing talent on. Max Bullough has all of the tools to replace Jones, and although there will be a let down from Jones to Bullough at first, the let down from Gordon to whoever he replaces will be much more deep.

 

Gordon can rush (which he did early in his career) to pass defense. His ability in open space to cover RBs and TEs and even WRs allows Jones to get some amazing sacks. Gordon and Jones are special. I said PRIOR to last season that at the end of the year he would get a lot of attention. He has. In 2010 he will get a lot more.

 

Next up: J’Michael Deane T