Redirection is the name of the game when it’s time for Dan Brooks to hit the road for defensive tackles.

“I want guys to be able to run and guys to be able to change direction,” he said. “Defensive football, they’ve got to be able to come off the line and change direction, to go get the ball. Hips and being able to change direction are one of the biggest deals in the world.

“They have to be able to bend, because of pad level, so those are little things you look for, but I think one of the first things you look for is that hip flexibility and being able to change direction.”

Naturally, a Clemson defensive tackle needs to be big, but not too big.

“Obviously, I’m not going to go recruit a guy that’s 6-3, 210 to play defensive tackle. It’s not going to happen,” he said. “The same thing, I don’t really want one that’s 400 pounds, unless he’s just a freak…but that’s not the biggest deal. I would say the biggest things are hip flexibility and able to change direction and bend.”

Those are just a few things that helped make Grady Jarrett the force along the interior of the Tigers’ defensive line.

At Clemson, Jarrett played nose guard. Now, with the Falcons, he plays defensive tackle (3-technique). According to Brooks, the distinguishing factors between a nose and 3-technique depend on the system.

“Warren Sapp, he wasn’t that tall, he played 3-technique in the NFL for a long time, but it’s kind of what you want in the scheme,” Brooks said. “When you get a guy like coach (Venables) coming in, he’s been in that scheme for a long time, so he has a feel for it. Now that you’ve been with him for so long, you kind of have that feel for it. The guy at the position of nose, we all saw what Grady brought with the great quickness and leverage and that kind of deal. That was really good for us.”

He added, “There can be some little differences, but your scheme and what you want to be able to do with them. I try to get guys to learn both, because you’d like for the next best guy to go in the game for somebody that’s hurt.

“I don’t want to have 1, 2 and 3 at nose (and) 1 and 2 get hurt and I’ve got the third-team nose with the second-team tackle sitting over here on the bench. I don’t want that to happen. I want the next best guy in the game. So, even though we have a nose and a tackle position, the more they know about that, then I can get the best guys on the field. We’re not so locked in that they can’t do that. DeShawn Williams played both. Grady was mainly a nose. Josh (Watson) played some of both.”

Most of the 2015 signees will play the 3-technique.

“You recruit a guy like Christian (Wilkins) and you think he can be that 3-technique guy. Albert (Huggins) is the same way. I think Albert worked at 3 some in the spring, as well as worked with coach (Marion) Hobby some. Sterling Johnson, he’s a taller guy. Sometimes, that’s harder for them. Sterling is a true 6-5, 6-6, it’s harder for him at nose,” Brooks said.

D.J. Reader and Scott Pagano will play the nose this fall. Dane Rogers could work there, too. Carlos Watkins is a 3-technique.