2018 FB Preview: Defensive Line
8/21/2018 6:31:00 PM | Football
Season Tickets Available For 2018
The 2018 Sam Houston State Bearkat football season is nearly upon us, with Coach K.C. Keeler's group set to open up the year on September 8 vs Prairie View at Bowers Stadium.
This is the third of an eight-part preview, position by position of this year's squad, leading up to the 2018 season opener.
DEFENSIVE LINE NOTABLES
Key Returners: Erick Fowler, Derick Roberson, Bryson Wallace, Spencer Williams, Chris Stewart, Sekou Clark, Brandon Jackson Jr., Osi Odume, Moses Johnson
Key Newcomers: Brailyn Franklin, Scean Mustin, Randell Turner, LJ Salazar, Ty Vaimaona, Xavier Lofton, Roscoe Jones
HUNTSVILLE – For the 2018 Sam Houston State Bearkats, no position has been revamped more than the defensive line. And according to head coach K.C. Keeler, it is by design.
From Justin Roberts taking over coaching duties on the defensive line to seven key newcomers, Sam Houston's front four will have a different look in 2018, including lining up for the first time in four years without all-American P.J. Hall.
Hall finished out his Bearkat career in 2017 as the all-time leader in tackles for loss at the FCS level and parlayed his career into a selection by the Oakland Raiders in the NFL Draft in April. But despite his departure, the Kats still return nine linemen from a year ago and with a strong influx of newcomers Keeler feels like this group can be the physical group that he needs them to be.
“P.J. was different than anyone I've ever coached and maybe anyone I'll ever coach again,” Keeler said. “But I think we added some pieces to the puzzle that could make us be even better as a whole. We lost some major impact guys, but I like the direction of where we are trying to go.”
The move of Roberts to coaching the defensive line is one that Keeler feels will make a difference, but moreso will be the addition of three junior college linemen – Scean Mustin, Xavier Lofton and Ty Vaimaona – who Keeler thinks will make an immediate impact on the interior of the line. Each hail from the California junior college circuit with both Mustin and Lofton checking in at over 300 pounds, while Vaimaona is a native of New Zealand and was an all-conference defensive end in 2017 at Golden West College.
“All three of them are big, athletic bodies that we think can make us more physical when we are playing teams who want to run the ball right at you,” Keeler said. “We brought in some older, more physical kids and we have some younger guys we are excited about as well.”
In addition to the newcomers, the Kats will look to returners such as Brandon Jackson Jr., Spencer Williams, Bryson Wallace and Sekou Clark to make an impact on the interior line while redshirt freshmen Moses Johnson and Osi Odume could also find their way into the rotation a year into their tenures.
They will each be needed, especially early in the season as the Kats expect to be without preseason all-American Chris Stewart for the first 3-5 games due to a lower back injury.
“Chris will be evaluated weekly, and it is going to be a bit of a hindrance, but it will force other guys to step up and play,” Keeler said. “Brandon Jackson had a great spring and he's a physical kind of kid who can really help us inside on run defense.”
On the end, Erick Fowler joined the Kats at the beginning of fall camp in 2017 as a linebacker from Texas, but eventually found himself seeing time at defensive end by the conclusion of the season. This year he will start there coming off a stellar off-season, and gives the Kats the kind of athletic force at that spot which most teams would love to have. Additionally, Derick Roberson returns for his senior season and at 6-4, 250 pounds brings immense talent to the line as well.
Keeler's crew also added a possible dynamic player in Penn State transfer Brailyn Franklin who recently joined the team after redshirting during the 2017 season for the Nittany Lions. Originally from Texas, Franklin spent his first two prep seasons at Bowie High School in Arlington before finishing out his high school days in Virginia where he turned into one of the state's top defensive prospects.
Also now in the fold are freshmen Randell Turner, LJ Salazar and Roscoe Jones. Both Turner and Jones signed on with the Kats in the spring signing period while Salazar joined the team prior to fall camp after originally signing with Army on national signing day.
