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Basically ... The defense allowed 432 yards and 31.5 points per game last year, but the potential is there for a far better season as all the young freshmen of last year as experienced sophomores. The secondary isn't filled with star talent, but there's enough experience to hope for a big season. The line should be better with more size and DE John Syptak possibly turning into an All-WAC caliber player.
Star of the defense: Senior Rover Terry Holley
Player that has to step up and become a star: Junior LB Adam Herrin
Unsung star on the rise: Sophomore FS Andray Downs
Best pro prospect: Holley
Top three all-star candidates: 1) Holley, 2) DE John Syptak, 3) Bandit Chad Price
Strength of the defense: Secondary
Weakness of the defense: Linebacker
Defensive Line
Projected Starters
- Defensive end Rob Daniel, Jr. - Daniel is the one new starter to the defensive line, but he's experienced making 33 tackles last year. He's a good athlete who should fit in fine into the starting mix.
- Defensive tackle Jeremy Calahan, Sr. - Calahan is the anchor of the line. He bulked up from 270 to 295 pounds over the last year and should be more of a run stopper on the inside. He wasn't too bad last year making 49 tackles on the nose.
- Defensive tackle William Wood, Soph. - One of the keys to the defense, the 290-pound Wood had a good freshman year making 31 tackles, and now he's expected to grow into a strong player on the inside. As he improves, so will the run defense.
- Defensive end John Syptak, Jr. - Syptak got bigger, but he hasn't lost a step as the team's best pass rushing threat and strongest all-around lineman. He became a star after getting the full-time starting role making 81 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and four sacks.
Top Backups
- DE Courtney Gordon, Soph. - Gordon is another young player on the line with good potential. At 255 pounds he adds more size to the end than John Syptak, and has a little bit of experience making 16 tackles and a sack last season..
- DT George Chukwu, RFr. - At 305 pounds, Chukwu adds a big body to the mix playing behind Jeremy Calahan at the nose.
The Skinny: This might not be a bad line as Rice has more bulk than usual. The tackles should be stronger this season as William Wood and Jeremy Calahan have a year of starting experience, and John Syptak should be one of the WAC's best ends.
Player to keep an eye on: William Wood ... Defensive Line Rating: 4.5
Linebackers
Projected Starters
- Omeke Alikor, Soph. - Alikor is a speedy player on the strongside who saw a little bit of action as a freshman both on special teams and behind Jeff Vanover making 18 tackles.
- Adam Herrin, Jr. - Herrin has been a good player for the Owls and now he steps into the starting role on the weakside. He's one of the team's bigger linebackers and 225 pounds and is a good tackler making 69 stops and four tackles for loss last year. He also came up with two interceptions..
Top Backups
- Jeremy Harper, Soph. - A very quick and very active reserve, Harper made seven tackles and a sack in a limited role last year. He'll push for time on the weakside behind Adam Harris.
- Lance Luedeker, Soph. - The 220-pounder should grow into more of a playmaker. He saw plenty of action as a freshman making 22 tackles, and will now backup Omeke Alikor.
The Skinny: This is a young group of linebackers, but it has experience after several players took their lumps last year as freshmen. They got so much playing time that the loss of 158 combined tackles of Jeff Vanover and Brandon Boyd won't hurt too much.
Player to keep an eye on: Omeke Alikor ... Linebacker Rating: 3.5
Secondary
Projected Starters
- Cornerback Dustin Haynes, Jr. - Haynes took over one of the corner jobs last year and did a decent job making 24 tackles and breaking up four passes. Now he has to be more of a playmaker using his experience to go along with his speed and quickness.
- Free safety Andray Downs, Soph. - Downs is a former corner who quickly took to the free safety position. He's a good all-around defensive back with fantastic speed running a 10.14 100-meter dash and a 21.4 in the 200. He made 62 tackles last year and forced two fumbles.
- Bandit Chad Price, Soph. - Price is a decent hitter with good range. He fought through his freshman problems to make 83 tackles and breakup a team leading five passes. He's also great at getting into the backfield making five tackles for loss and a sack.
- Rover Terry Holley, Sr. - The star of the secondary, the 6-2, 210-pound Holley provides size and big-hitting and playmaking ability. He led the team with 92 stops last year and was all over the field making three sacks, two interceptions and recovering two fumbles. He also blocked two kicks.
- Cornerback Lance Byrd, Soph. - Byrd is the only new starter in the secondary, but he has experience making 30 tackles, and interception and breaking up three passes as a freshman.
Top Backups
- Rover Clifford Sparks, Sr. - Sparks is a key special teams player and a reliable backup behind Terry Holley. He made 18 tackles last year.
- Bandit Michael Merrick, Jr. - Projected to be a starter last year with his good size and tremendous speed, Merrick became a reserve and will end up playing behind Chad Price this year. He made 27 tackles and will play a far bigger role this season.
- Cornerback Raymorris Barnes, Sr. - Consider him a third starting corner. He's not all that big, but he's experienced, tremendously quick and is a strong tackling corner making 50 tackles last year.
The Skinny: This is an experienced secondary that should be better at getting through a WAC season with all the great passing teams. They gave up 224.8 yards per game last year and 20 touchdowns, but that was still good for third in the WAC. Expect this to be one of the league's better secondaries.
Player to keep an eye on: Andray Downs ... Secondary Rating: 6.5
Special Teams
- Placekicker Brennan Landry, Jr. - Landry didn't get too much work with only nine field goal attempts, but he was solid hitting six of them. He showed a better deep leg hitting two shots from beyond 40 yards.
- Punter Jared Skruggs, RFr. - Skruggs is one of the best punters in the nation with an unbelievable freshman season averaging 45.9 yards per kick. For a team that relies so heavily on field position, he's a great weapon to have.
The Skinny: Brennan Landry is a decent kicker, but he's not going to be pushing for all-conference honors anytime soon. Jared Skruggs will be in the hunt for the Ray Guy Award. The return game could use a boost after averaging a paltry 17.1 yards on kickoff returns and seven yards on punt returns, while the coverage teams need help after allowing a whopping 15.5 yards per punt return and 22.1 yards on kickoffs.
Special Teams Rating: 5
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