After breaking down the offense yesterday, we take a look at the defensive depth chart in part two of this series.
As always there are still four weeks of training camp and players will still get shuffled around, so this isn't the official final depth chart, though it is based on things we’ve heard in media interviews and have gathered through different sources.
DE: Eli Howard | Nelson Mbanasor | Philip Blidi
NT: Jaylon Hutchings | Nick McCann
DT: Tony Bradford Jr. | Devin Drew OR Gilbert Ibeneme
RAIDER: Brandon Bouyer-Randle | Kosi Eldridge
MIKE: Riko Jeffers | Tyrique Matthews OR Bryce Robinson
WILL: Krishon Merriweather | Jacob Morgenstern
SPUR: Zech McPhearson | Adam Beck
CB: Adrian Frye
S: DaMarcus Fields | Thomas Leggett | Dadrion Taylor
S: Eric Monroe | Cam White
CB: Ja’Marcus Ingram | Alex Hogan OR Cameron Watts OR Nate Floyd
Thoughts: The defensive lineman are talented, but the group as a whole isn’t very deep. At defensive end you have returning senior and team captain Eli Howard, who is getting recognition as an All-Big 12 caliber player. Behind Howard are junior Nelson Mbanasor and true freshman Philip Blidi. Mbanasor has played a lot of football but has yet to break out in the way many expected him too. Blidi has high potential as both a run defense and pass rusher and a guy who can play anywhere on the line. LB Moore is listed as a defensive end but expect him to redshirt and gain the proper weight.
At nose tackle you have largely the same rotation you had in 2019 with Jaylon Hutchings and Nick McCann. Hutchings showed promise in his redshirt freshman season and will be relied upon for a bigger role in 2020. McCann is a senior and provides veteran depth behind him. The only other 300+ pound defensive lineman on the roster is Alexander Poole, a walk on from Trinity University.
Defensive tackle might be your best and deepest position on the line. Tony Bradford Jr was very good as a redshirt freshman, expect his role to increase this year. Behind Bradford Jr. are junior college signee Devin Drew, and redshirt freshman Gilbert Ibeneme. Drew was a highly coveted 3-star recruit who was his conferences’ player of the year and Ibeneme was a former 4-star coming off injury.
The linebackers look to be a strength again despite the loss of 1st round pick Jordyn Brooks. Brandon Bouyer-Randle comes over from Michigan State and is the favorite to start at the Raider position early on. He’s a plus pass rusher and should help in getting after the quarterback. Riko Jeffers is back for his senior year and he will look to make the same type of leap Brooks did in 2019. KrishonMerriweather was a junior college signee who led the country in tackles last year. Look for these three upperclassmen to start.
Providing depth at linebacker are Duke transfer Jacob Morgenstern, junior Kosi Eldridge, sophomore Tyrique Matthews and redshirt freshman Bryce Robinson. Scholarship players not listed on the depth chart are Patrick Curley, Xavier Benson (leave of absence), Michael Nelson and true freshman Derrick Lewis II.
The starting secondary could all be considered new in some way, as almost everyone is playing a new position.Zech McPhearson moves to Spur from corner, Adrian Frye moves back to corner from safety, DaMarcus Fields looks to have found a home at safety, Eric Monroe transfers in from LSU and Ja’Marcus Ingram has a leg up at corner after playing mostly safety in 2019.
If there’s a group equipped to handle these changes it’d be this one though, all five are upperclassmen with four of them seniors. This secondary has played a lot of college football to say the least.
Providing depth in the secondary are Adam Beck at Spur, senior Thomas Leggett at safety, junior college addition Cam White at safety and sophomore Dadrion Taylor at safety.
Competing at corner are guys like Alex Hogan, junior college signee Cameron Watts and true freshman Nate Floyd.
Other secondary players who could find their way in the mix include Xavier Martin who is now playing safety after stints at quarterback and receiver, Colgate transfer Kyan Brumfield and a host of true freshman such as Kobee Minor, Ryan Frank and Jonathan Davis.
As always there are still four weeks of training camp and players will still get shuffled around, so this isn't the official final depth chart, though it is based on things we’ve heard in media interviews and have gathered through different sources.
DE: Eli Howard | Nelson Mbanasor | Philip Blidi
NT: Jaylon Hutchings | Nick McCann
DT: Tony Bradford Jr. | Devin Drew OR Gilbert Ibeneme
RAIDER: Brandon Bouyer-Randle | Kosi Eldridge
MIKE: Riko Jeffers | Tyrique Matthews OR Bryce Robinson
WILL: Krishon Merriweather | Jacob Morgenstern
SPUR: Zech McPhearson | Adam Beck
CB: Adrian Frye
S: DaMarcus Fields | Thomas Leggett | Dadrion Taylor
S: Eric Monroe | Cam White
CB: Ja’Marcus Ingram | Alex Hogan OR Cameron Watts OR Nate Floyd
Thoughts: The defensive lineman are talented, but the group as a whole isn’t very deep. At defensive end you have returning senior and team captain Eli Howard, who is getting recognition as an All-Big 12 caliber player. Behind Howard are junior Nelson Mbanasor and true freshman Philip Blidi. Mbanasor has played a lot of football but has yet to break out in the way many expected him too. Blidi has high potential as both a run defense and pass rusher and a guy who can play anywhere on the line. LB Moore is listed as a defensive end but expect him to redshirt and gain the proper weight.
At nose tackle you have largely the same rotation you had in 2019 with Jaylon Hutchings and Nick McCann. Hutchings showed promise in his redshirt freshman season and will be relied upon for a bigger role in 2020. McCann is a senior and provides veteran depth behind him. The only other 300+ pound defensive lineman on the roster is Alexander Poole, a walk on from Trinity University.
Defensive tackle might be your best and deepest position on the line. Tony Bradford Jr was very good as a redshirt freshman, expect his role to increase this year. Behind Bradford Jr. are junior college signee Devin Drew, and redshirt freshman Gilbert Ibeneme. Drew was a highly coveted 3-star recruit who was his conferences’ player of the year and Ibeneme was a former 4-star coming off injury.
The linebackers look to be a strength again despite the loss of 1st round pick Jordyn Brooks. Brandon Bouyer-Randle comes over from Michigan State and is the favorite to start at the Raider position early on. He’s a plus pass rusher and should help in getting after the quarterback. Riko Jeffers is back for his senior year and he will look to make the same type of leap Brooks did in 2019. KrishonMerriweather was a junior college signee who led the country in tackles last year. Look for these three upperclassmen to start.
Providing depth at linebacker are Duke transfer Jacob Morgenstern, junior Kosi Eldridge, sophomore Tyrique Matthews and redshirt freshman Bryce Robinson. Scholarship players not listed on the depth chart are Patrick Curley, Xavier Benson (leave of absence), Michael Nelson and true freshman Derrick Lewis II.
The starting secondary could all be considered new in some way, as almost everyone is playing a new position.Zech McPhearson moves to Spur from corner, Adrian Frye moves back to corner from safety, DaMarcus Fields looks to have found a home at safety, Eric Monroe transfers in from LSU and Ja’Marcus Ingram has a leg up at corner after playing mostly safety in 2019.
If there’s a group equipped to handle these changes it’d be this one though, all five are upperclassmen with four of them seniors. This secondary has played a lot of college football to say the least.
Providing depth in the secondary are Adam Beck at Spur, senior Thomas Leggett at safety, junior college addition Cam White at safety and sophomore Dadrion Taylor at safety.
Competing at corner are guys like Alex Hogan, junior college signee Cameron Watts and true freshman Nate Floyd.
Other secondary players who could find their way in the mix include Xavier Martin who is now playing safety after stints at quarterback and receiver, Colgate transfer Kyan Brumfield and a host of true freshman such as Kobee Minor, Ryan Frank and Jonathan Davis.
