I'm sure the believing in him probably goes back many years, before he was a 5*. His family probably always believed in him, long before any of us knew who he was.
He thought Mack, Kyler, et al, were coming. He also though Strong was as good a DC as anyone else. If he truly believed in Chavis, he could have gone to LSU.
I know he is positioned as a MLB, but if you watch, I think he actually lines up as a MLB about 50% of the time. He lines up on the outside, often.
Strong brought in a ton of Defensive talent that year:
5* : OLB Malik
4* : OLB Anthony Wheeler
4* : CB Holton Hill <- Does he want out?
4* : CB Kris Boyd <- He wanted out.
4* : S DeShon Elliott
4* : OLB Cameron Townsend
4* : CB Davante Davis
3* : ILB Cecil Cherry - USF
3* : WDE Omenihu
3* : DT Du'Vonta Lampkin - OU
And then everything fell apart.
Not only is he in a Defense that is terrible... the Horns are so buried that they are not getting exposure on TV, they are not getting headlines and they are losing.
And it isn't going to get better.
In the SEC, the run oriented offenses put forth the LB front and center. Plug holes. Make tackes.
In the BXII, it is about coverage. LB'ers drop back to cover TEs, RBs and routes across the middle.
Offense Yds/Game
#2 Tech: 679 Total, 547.7 Pass (81%)
#4 TCU: 576 Total, 380.0 Pass (66%)
#8 Baylol: 549 Total, 303.3 Pass (55%)
#33 OU: 479 Total, 300.3 Pass (63%)
#41 Okie Lite: 467 Total, 340.0 Pass (73%)
So... run all over the field chasing WRs defending plays that won't prepare you for the NFL.