As we enter the dog days of summer, AY takes a look at each position group and asks five important questions. We continue the series with the defensive line.
1. Are the starters already set?
If they're not, the coaching staff has a very good idea of what the starting lineup will look like. Veterans Albert Regis and DJ Hicks will start in the middle; Cashius Howell will be one of the starting ends. The other will likely be a newcomer, either Dayon Hayes (Colorado) or T.J. Searcy (Florida). Both will likely play a lot.
2. Will they go with four very big linemen again this year?
No, that idea appears to have gone in the scrap heap after last season -- of course, it's easier to make a change when you lose Nic Scourton and Shemar Stewart to the NFL. They're going with lighter, faster ends this season. Kendall Jackson is the biggest end at 270 pounds; the rest are between 250 and 260. That's 25 to 30 pounds lighter than what Stewart and Scourton played at last season.
3. Who will be the backups?
Rylan Kennedy could back up Howell, but he may also be used at the JACK position (more on that in a minute). Solomon Williams, who looked good in limited playing time last year, could also be in the mix, as well as former 5-star and Georgia transfer Sam M'Pemba. On the other side, whoever doesn't start between Hayes and Searcy will be the backup. In the middle, Tyler Onyedim is the only sure thing backing up Regis and Hicks. They'll have to come up with a fourth player somewhere.
4. Ok, then who resides in "somewhere"?
As it stands now, redshirt freshman Dealyn Evans, redshirt sophomore Jaden Scarlett and freshmen Landon Rink, DJ Sanders and Chase Sims. At 6-foot-5 , 310 pounds and with a year in the strength and conditioning program, Evans seems like the most likely to come out of the pack as the fourth player in the defensive tackle two-deep.
5. And who's got the JACK?
If you're not a fan of AC/DC, you probably missed the reference. But with Howell now a fixture on the line, the Aggies need a standup pass rusher who can come off the edge but also has the ability to cover. Kennedy obviously is in the mix, because he backed up Howell last year. M'Pemba was brought in to be a pass rusher, so he may be as well. But true freshman Marco Jones, who had six sacks in the spring game, needs to play somewhere, and he's got the size and athleticism to fit in here very nicely.
