With the Red team shutting out the White team 47-0 in the 2016 Kay Yow Spring Game, here are some takeaways at each defensive position.
Defensive Line
This unit could go toe-to-toe with the running backs as the most talented position group on the team. While both teams combined for only four sacks, they did a good job pressuring the opposing quarterbacks. The Red team forced 13 incompletions and three interceptions. Additionally, it constantly blew up the backfield, holding opposing rushers to -42 yards, with the longest rush being eight yards on one of Frasier’s two carries against the unit (the other was a four-yard loss).
The D-line returns all but one starter, with junior stud and All-ACC snub B.J. Hill poised to have a breakout season at defensive tackle. Additionally, the unit has a formidable rotation, with senior Monty Nelson and junior Kentavius Street each recording a sack, and junior Justin Jones and sophomore Eurndraus Bryant set to be part of that rotation as well.
At defensive end, junior Bradley Chubb is also poised for a breakout year after ending the 2015 season on a high note. On the other side, redshirt freshman Emmanuel Olenga led the Red team with six tackles, two tackles for a loss and one pass breakup. He will likely split time with sophomore Darian Roseboro, who showed promise in limited snaps as a freshman and had two tackles, one TFL and one pass breakup in the Spring Game.
Linebackers
This is another group that is young but full of potential. Junior Airius Moore, who led the team in tackles while starting games at both linebacker spots last season, tallied two tackles, one TFL, one interception and one pass breakup. At this point, who starts next to him could be a mixed bag.
Redshirt junior Jerod Fernandez started most of last season at middle linebacker, as well as the Spring Game, but split time at the position near the end of the year. Sophomore Riley Nicholson, who started four of the last five games, played well at the end of last season and led the White team with seven tackles, a forced fumble and a pass breakup, and added two tackles for the Red team in the Spring Game. Nicholson’s strong play could prompt the coaching staff to rotate the linebackers like they did at the end of last year.
A dark horse candidate here for playing time is redshirt junior Ford Howell. In snaps for both the Red and White team, he tallied six tackles, one TFL and one pass breakup. Like Nicholson, he has a nose for the ball and has a shot at getting in the linebacking rotation next season.
Secondary
In addition to its struggles throughout last season, this unit lost long-time starters Juston Burris and Hakim Jones to graduation, causing more worry for this position group. Senior Jack Tocho and junior Mike Stevens, who split time opposite Burris last year but struggled, started for the Red team and played well. Stevens had three tackles and Tocho had two, while the White team had just 40 passing yards. However, senior Johnathan Alston, who saw time at wide receiver the past two years, could push for playing time after switching to corner in spring workouts; although it could take time for him to learn the position.
At nickel, senior Dravious Wright had a strong performance at the Spring Game, recording one tackle, one interception, one fumble recovery and one pass breakup. He will likely retain his starting job, with redshirt senior Niles Clark, who had two tackles, one TFL and a forced fumble in the Spring Game, coming off the bench on passing downs.
At safety, redshirt junior Josh Jones will likely start at one spot, as he did for the majority of last season. Junior Shawn Boone looks as if he is currently the frontrunner for the other safety spot, seeing most of the first-team snaps in the Spring Game, tallying one tackle and one interception.
“It’s good to see the defensive kids play the ball in the air the way they did,” head coach Dave Doeren said. “We dropped a lot of [interceptions] last year, so seeing them make those plays was positive.”
Kicking
Could there be a battle for the kicking job? Returning starter and sophomore Kyle Bambard missed the Spring Game due to injury, but struggled his freshman season. Bambard made only 7 of 14 field goals with a long of 37 last season; although he did end on a high note, making four of his last five attempts. Senior Connor Haskins, a UNC-Pembroke transfer, kicked in his place Saturday and made all five extra point attempts, as well as a 42-yard field goal. This could be another interesting spot to watch come fall.
