30 Players in 30 Days: #9 — Landis Durham

Position: Defensive End
Classification: Senior
Hometown: Plano, TX
Listed Height: 6-3
Listed Weight: 255

Notes from Olin's thoughts on Durham

• I think Landis Durham belongs in a group with Johnny Manziel and Mike Evans, based on guys that produced so much more than expected. In one way, Durham was an even greater surprise. He was already on the team for a couple of years, played a different position, and you thought he was a career backup. Maybe he can get 15 snaps a game. Instead, he goes out and shares the SEC lead in sacks. I think he’s proven to make big plays. If his sack total dwindles down to 6 or 7, that doesn’t mean he’s having an unproductive year because I’d imagine he’s going to draw more attention this year.

• He’s a player that can do so much for team morale. He’s a grinder. What I wonder is if the coaching staff would consider flipping him to the other side to go against the left tackle. You know that you have a guy that’s one of the best pass rushers in the conference.

• He’s going to draw more attention. He probably never got chipped all of last year. Yeah, he was going against the opposing team’s second-best tackle, because you put your best at left, but the fact of the matter is that he was always beating them. He’s just relentless and won’t give up on a play. He’s going to get chipped more than he’s ever been. Those tackles are going to get help when going against Landis Durham.

Notes from Dunning's breakdown on Landis

• He’s a great player on the field, good guy off. A lot of it comes from his preparation. He came in with the same level of focus every single day. To come out and tie the SEC lead for sacks, he waited for his time and then he showed up. He is a guy who did things right. In the UCLA game when he was kind of thrown out there, nobody expected him to be what he was, and that is a lot of credit to Landis.

• Me and Landis came in together. From day one you could see a guy who was focused, he’s always done the little things off the field correctly, and he’s pushed others to do things the right way. When you attack anything in life with that level of focus and that level of attentiveness it’s going to show. He might not be 6’5", but he’s putting up the numbers because of that focus. That level of focus off the field will show on the field.

• I think it says a lot about his patience and his faith. It’s tough to be behind some great players, but sticking around despite what it looks like at the current time says a lot about who you are as a person. He knew who he was a as a person, and he stuck around. The cards played out in his favor while he stuck around and waited. I think it says a lot about him.

• The last summer workout we would do some kind of competition. Coach Jackson had us pushing sleds in teams of two. Whichever team won got to be done for the day. Landis had a bunch of freshmen. Every time I looked over his team was giving him no push. They are in dead last, and then Landis gets it and pushes them back into the front. They fall behind again, and then Landis pushes them to the front. I just remember being amazed.

• You see him as a different guy now, walking around a lot more composed. This year you’re seeing a more mature Landis. He has the same level of preparation, but I think that level of confidence will take him to the next level.

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