The 2011 NFL draft is right around the corner and SB Nation’s Hail To The Orange has the run down on DT Corey Liuget, who is expected to be a first round pick. Check out Hail To The Orange for more on Illinois football.
2011 NFL Draft: DT Corey Liuget, Illinois
Defensive Tackle | 6’0” 300 lbs Jr.
Corey is a great fit as a three technique in the league, and has been by far the most dominating force on the Illini defensive line for three years now. Liugets best attribute is his explosiveness, which he has used time and again to simply blow by offensive tackles and break into the backfield. The quintessential “SEC type defensive tackle” that Ron Zook has long been pursuing in recruiting, Liuget was a terror for opposing QB’s, getting sacks QB rushes, hits and generally disrupting the opposing offense on every snap.
Liuget has been a consistent player throughout his three years at Illinois, and has survived plenty of turnover on the defensive line. While other highly regarded linemen such as D'Angelo McCray, Reggie Ellis, and Josh Brent have all had their problems on and off the field, Liuget has been an anchor around which much of the Illinois defense has been built.
As far as the NFL is concerned, Liuget has progressed steadily over the past three seasons and will likely take to the NFL game very well, and strikes me as a very similar player to Tommie Harris, before major knee injuries. Liuget is made for the three technique in the cover two scheme, and if he ends up in a place like Indianapolis or Chicago, he should be very successful.
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