SFA Spring Football Preview: Lumberjack Defensive Unit
3/22/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
The 2016 Stephen F. Austin spring football schedule gets underway on Wednesday, March 23rd. Beginning his third season at the helm, head coach Clint Conque and his squad is looking to #RaiseTheBar in 2016, building off a roster that returns 17 starters and 42 letterwinners.
SPRING FOOTBALL – DEFENSIVE PREVIEW
Overview
One area where great strides have been made in the past two seasons have been on the defensive side of the ball under the direction of defensive coordinator Matt Williamson. Inheriting a group that gave up nearly 50 points and over 500 yards per game when it arrived, SFA has started to establish its reputation as an aggressive defensive unit, allowing 432.6 yards and 32.9 points per game in 2015.
Youth was the name of the game for SFA last season as a number of players saw their first significant collegiate playing time. While that transition provided for some growing pains early, the experience began to pay off down the stretch as SFA won four of its last six games and set the tone for spring practices.
Defensive Ends
The outside ends on the Lumberjack defensive line enter spring practices as arguably the most experienced and deepest position for Conque, led by senior Kedrick Harrison. A two-year starter, Harrison has 36 games under his belt with 22 starts, registering 91 career tackles with 23 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks. A 2014 honorable mention All-SLC performer in 2014, Harrison will be looked upon to lead the Lumberjacks up front.
Fellow senior Jamal Allen is also poised for a strong final season after coming on strong in each of the past two years. Allen has registered 48 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks during the past two seasons, seeing action in 33 games during his Lumberjack career.
One of the key contributors heading into spring will be 2015 All-SLC second team selection John Franklin. The Greenville native had a breakout season in 2015, finishing with 32 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and six sacks, garnering national attention for his effort in the win at 21st-ranked Southeastern Louisiana.
It will also provide a great opportunity for two highly regarded redshirt freshmen – Jack Martin and Gary Sampson – both of which will have opportunities to solidify their positions in their first spring schedule.
Defensive Tackles
One of the biggest questions marks for the SFA defensive unit will be on the interior of the defensive line which will need to replace three veteran seniors from 2015. To help offset the loss, Conque and Williamson have moved junior Mitchel Zimmerle and senior Darrell Vanerson to the inside, giving the front four a number of experienced players.
Zimmerle is beginning his third season as a key contributor up front for the ‘Jacks, appearing in 24 games over the past two seasons with five starts. Zimmerle has settled into his role as a pass rusher, posting 40 tackles, eight tackles for loss and three sacks.
Vanerson also adds some depth and experience, appearing in nine games in his first season at SFA last fall and should factor heavily into the spring schedule.
The rest of the position includes a number of young but talented players, including sophomores Lamont Alexander, Bubu Alvarez, Demetrion Amie and Braxton Kelly who experienced their first taste of collegiate ball last fall, combining to record 29 tackles and 2.0 tackles for loss. Alexander saw the most playing time of the group, appearing in all 11 games with 16 tackles, and should factor heavily in to the ‘Jacks defensive scheme.
Redshirt freshman Paul Hill has a year of practices under his belt as well and is preparing for his first spring season as he is expected to play a significant role both in the spring and looking forward to the fall.
Linebackers
Another area that must look to replace a dominant senior is the SFA linebacking corps following the graduation of Justin Owens, the Lumberjacks’ leading tackler in 2015. But three experienced upperclassmen appeared poised to take over that role as each offer different strengths heading into spring practices.
Junior Chance Barney is entering his third year with the program, playing in 24 games with 48 tackles, including three tackles for loss. Barney has been a strong option off the bench during his first two years at SFA but will now be looked to to provide a strong consistent presence.
A pair of seniors will also be looked to as they begin their second seasons in the Lumberjack program. Price Miller was tied for second on the team in tackles in his first season as a Lumberjack, tallying 52 in his 11 games with four starts, and adds a physical, aggressive threat for SFA.
Fellow senior George Stone also had an impressive showing in his first season in Nacogdoches, playing in all 11 games with three starts, finishing with 26 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack. A late addition to the team last summer, this will be his first opportunity to participate in spring drills.
The remaining linebackers are a handful of redshirt freshman who will be given the prime opportunity to make a name for themselves this spring. Teddy Britton, Spencer Choka, Anthony Jacobs and Kyshaun Smith will be focal points this spring as the quartet will have a chance to finalize their spots in the rotation come the fall.
Cornerbacks
Arguably no position took more of the brunt for a struggling season than the SFA cornerbacks. Faced with the task of replacing veteran seniors, as well as suffering a handful of key injuries, it was the position that became a focal point this offseason as the ‘Jacks took big strides to shore up the corners.
Senior Tre Rosser played in all 11 games with five starts despite battling a nagging elbow injury, finishing the year with 16 tackles and an interception. Along with sophomore Tarrin Mitchell, who registered 27 tackles and a pair of interceptions, the duo came on strong over the second half of the season and began to settle into their roles as defensive stoppers.
In an attempt to add some needed depth, Conque transitioned Jimmie Houston over to cornerback from wide receiver before the TCU game as the now-sophomore was thrown into the fire to learn the position. With 10 games under his belt, and now a full spring schedule to gain that familiarity, the staff is eager to see the strides Houston makes defensively.
Knowing the position needed some immediate help, Conque added a pair of proven junior college transfers in the offseason in Aaron Foy and Trent Perriman. The two are both coming off strong JUCO careers, as Foy posted 38 tackles last season at Navarro College, earning second team all-conference honors. Perriman recorded 71 tackles and three interceptions during his junior college career as well as both add great speed and cover skills as well as in-game experience.
Safeties
A big question mark just a couple years ago, SFA’s defensive backfield has flipped the script and is now one of the strongest and most experienced positions across the field for the Lumberjacks.
The heart of that unit will be senior Patrick Martin, a veteran leader who has been a three-year starter at the strong safety position. A two-time All-SLC honorable mention selection, Martin enters his final season with 148 career tackles with 13 tackles for loss and three interceptions and continues to establish himself as one of the hardest hitters in the conference.
Fellow seniors Zach Starnes and Germod Williams quickly made a name for themselves in 2015, playing immediate roles and providing much needed experience to complement Martin. Starnes finished with 32 tackles while Williams added 27, as well as an interception, as the duo are expected to help solidify their roles as leaders during spring practices.
Juniors Ahmad Muhammad and Marlon Walls both saw increased playing time in 2015 and made the most of their opportunities. Muhammad begins his third season as a key component of the secondary, coming off a season in which he registered a career-best 42 tackles and a pair of tackles for loss.
Walls had a breakout season himself last fall, playing in all 11 games with four starts and registering 24 tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss and a pair of interceptions. One of the strongest players on the roster, Walls is also one of the smartest, earning national all-academic honors and utilizing those smarts on the field to make big plays at key moments.
Sophomores Lawrence Ghansah and Trevon Smith both had opportunities as true freshmen as both capitalized on the chance. Ghansah registered 14 tackles in 10 games while Smith added 26 stops with a pair of interceptions. With the two of them expected to get major snaps in spring practices, along with redshirt freshman Alize Ward, it should provide another chance to gain familiarity with the scheme as well as provide stern competition heading into the fall.
We will continue our countdown to the 2016 SFA spring football season throughout the week, taking a look at the Lumberjack spring roster and the key players looking to make a difference in 2016. Wednesday we will preview SFA’s special teams units and provide the final countdown until the first spring practice, getting underway at 4 p.m.
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