You look at Virginia senior defensive tackle Brent Urban and you see a guy who is 6-feet-7 and 295 pounds, with good quickness and athleticism and a large wingspan, and you think you're looking at a guy who can contend for All-ACC honors.
But then you look at his production and you shake your head because the numbers (35 career tackles, five tackles for loss, two sacks) has not lived up to the potential.
Maybe this is the season it all comes together.
New Virginia defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta is known for his aggressive units, and Urban can't wait to get on the field this fall.
"I think the defense definitely complements me as far as all the attacking," Urban told the Charlottesville (Va.) Daily Progress. "I'm not the heaviest guy playing d-tackle, so that speed stuff works to my strength. It's definitely a good marriage."
Urban had a big spring, capped by a 3.5-sack performance in the spring game, and he relishes playing in a defense that wants him to get into the backfield rather than muck up things at the line, which he was asked to do under previous coordinator Jim Reid.
"He gets off the ball, plays with his hands very well and he can rush the passer," Tenuta, who has nicknamed his tackle "The Urbanator," told reporters this week.
Tenuta also said that if Urban remains healthy and keeps progressing, "he'll play on Sundays."
That would be just fine with Urban, a Canadian native who was taken in the second round of the CFL draft earlier this year.
"I definitely think about it," Urban told the Daily Progress about playing in the NFL. "It's obviously one of my goals and something I work toward, whether I'm in the weight room or on the field.
"Yeah, I definitely think about it."
Follow Mike Huguenin on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
