Photo by: Manny Flores
Position Group Breakdowns: Defensive Line
3/30/2020 1:00:00 PM | Football
DENTON – With new (yet familiar) defensive coordinator Clint Bowen on board ahead of 2020, undoubtedly things will look different on that side of the ball. The next position group we take a microscope to in our position group breakdowns is the defensive line.
"The defensive line is a group that has some pieces to work with and I look forward to watching them develop," Bowen said. "Coach [Eric] Mathies is a veteran coach that has proven he can develop defensive linemen. He relates and connects to his players and gets them to play.
"My philosophy is to first, feature the packages within the defense that fits the players. Second, make it simple so you can emphasize and master fundamentals like block destruction, tackling and playing the ball. Third, emphasize the big three – takeaways, red zone and third down."
Outgoing:
Three defensive linemen who saw playing time the past few years are on their way out following graduation. LaDarius Hamilton is the most notable, who leaves Denton with 121 career tackles, 17.0 sacks (tied for sixth in program history), 28.5 tackles for loss, an interception, a forced fumble and fumble recovery in 51 career appearances. Hamilton had a career-high 8.5 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss in 12 appearances last season on his way to earning an NFL Scouting Combine invite, where he performed very well.
In addition to Hamilton's graduation, a pair of players who made a few spot starts for the Mean Green, Darrian McMillan and Tuulau Sa'afi, combined to make 13 combined tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss and a sack over their two years with the program.
New Faces:
There are several new faces along the defensive line for the 2020 season, including the position coach, Eric Mathies. Mathies most recently served in the same role during the 2017 and 2018 season at Florida Atlantic. Of the four newcomers on the student-athlete side, only Davontae McCrae had already arrived in Denton. The other three will be joining in either the summer or fall.
"I'm so excited to get started with this group of defensive linemen," Mathies said. "When you come in as a new coach, one of the first things you want to know is how hard a group works and this offseason, I have seen [these guys] work their tails off. I think this group has a chance to develop into a rock solid group."
#2 Davontae McCrae – redshirt sophomore – Miami, Florida (East Mississippi CC)
McCrae arrived in Denton in January as an early enrollee following his transfer from East Mississippi CC. The Miami native was a three-star prospect according to 247Sports, Rivals and ESPN and posted 11 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2.5 tackles for loss and forced two fumbles during his first season at EMCC. Out of high school, McCrae signed with and redshirted his first season at NC State before transferring to EMCC. He helped lead Northwestern High School (Miami) to a state title and 13-2 record in 2017, the program's first state championship in a decade.
McCrae, who measures at 6'4" and 250 pounds, will have an opportunity to have an important role at defensive end for the Mean Green in 2020.
"I'm a very energetic and emotional guy on the field, but it's all for a good reason. I am trying to bring swag and winning to this program, no doubt. My first impression of [Coach Bowen and Coach Mathies] is they seem to have a great mental knowledge of the games and I look forward to them coaching me for three great seasons [here in Denton]."
Ta'Shoyn Johnson – freshman (arriving in the fall) – Killeen, Texas (Killeen HS)
Johnson measures at 6'1" and 288 pounds and was rated a three-star prospect by 247Sports and ESPN. He earned first team All-District 12-6A honors as a senior last year at Killeen High School. The interior defensive lineman was a two-time letter winner at Killeen and accounted for 66 tackles in those two seasons. As a senior in four appearances, Johnson accrued 22 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss with a sack, nine quarterback hurries and a forced fumble. During his junior season, he had 44 total tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks and 36 quarterback hurries in eight appearances.
Jonathan Pickett – freshman (arriving in the fall) – Las Vegas, Nevada (Desert Pines HS)
Pickett measures at 6'3" and 260 pounds and was rated a three-star prospect by 247Sports and Rivals and was the sixth-ranked prospect in the state of Nevada in the 2020 class. He finished his senior season with 46 total tackles, 13.0 sacks and 11 quarterback hurries off the edge on his way to first team All-State honors (MaxPreps) and first team All-Northeast League.
Kortlin Rausaw – freshman (arriving in the fall) – Wylie, Texas (Wylie HS)
Rausaw, a 6'3" 259 pound defensive end, was rated a three-star prospect by 247Sports, Rivals and ESPN. He was a two-time first team all-district selection and three-time letter winner at Wylie High School, accounting for 112 total tackles over the course of three seasons. As a senior, Rausaw made 53 total stops, 5.0 tackles for loss with 4.0 sacks, six quarterback hurries, a pair of forced fumble and four fumble recoveries. A multi-sport athlete, Rausaw also lettered in basketball and track and field while in high school.
Returners:
#97 Dion Novil – senior – Abilene, Texas (Wylie HS)
Novil is coming off the most productive season of his career on his way to all-conference honorable mention honors. He finished with 61 total tackles, 13.0 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks at nose tackle in 2019 for the Mean Green. Throughout his career in Denton, Novil has appeared in 29 games, posting 98 tackles, 20.0 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks. He was a major factor on the interior and over the course of his career has shown a lot of versatility, having played on the edge as well, earlier in his career. Heading into his senior season, Novil is certainly a focal point on the defensive side of the ball, as the unit adapts to Bowen's style and philosophy.
"I'm excited to work with coach Mathies. You can tell he's one of those guys who want to put you in the best position to make you successful on the field. One of the first things he told us was that he's going to treat us like professionals and coach us like it too. I think that's going to elevate all of our games in the long run."
#93 Caleb Colvin – redshirt senior – Owasso, Oklahoma (Owasso HS)
Colvin started three of his 11 appearances last season at defensive end. He finished with eight tackles and a tackle for loss, despite fighting through a nagging injury for the majority of the season. Colvin's role could potentially be expanded heading into his final season in Denton.
#91 Dayton LeBlanc – redshirt sophomore – Breaux Bridge, Louisiana (Frederick Douglass HS)
LeBlanc made quite an impact in his first full season for the Mean Green, earning all-freshman team honors in Conference USA. He finished with 30 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack, while playing on the interior of the defensive line. The son of former Mean Green defensive line coach Derrick LeBlanc (now at Arkansas). LeBlanc has the flexibility to play on the interior as well as the edge and will likely see his snap count continue to rise along with his production.
"The most exciting part of this group is getting to watch guys like [Kenneth] Dotson and [Jimmy] Walker come into themselves and grow. It's also amazing to see what Dion [Novil] has in store for his senior season.
"My first impression of the new members of the defensive staff has to be their knowledge of the situation we are in as players. They understand it will take time to get comfortable and set up in the defense. They also have a great passion to win. At the end of the day, that is what is most important for this team."
#54 Asher Frow – senior – Fullerton, California (Fullerton College)
Frow made 11 appearances in 2019 for the Mean Green at defensive end and finished his first season in Denton with nine tackles and two sacks. He provided great depth along the defensive line last season and enters his senior campaign as a quality component of the unit.
#99 Kenneth Dotson – redshirt freshman – Houston, Texas (Lamar HS)
Dotson redshirted in 2019, his first season on campus after appearing in the final three games of the year. Originally rated a three-star prospect by 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals, Dotson measures at 6'3" and 257 and has a high ceiling as an edge rusher. While at Lamar High School in Houston, Dotson recorded 53 total tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and a fumble recovery over his final two seasons. A multi-sport athlete, Dotson also competed in track and field, specializing in the 110-meter hurdles, 300-meter hurdles, triple jump and the 4x200 relay in high school.
#44 Jimmy Walker – redshirt freshman – Houston, Texas (Lutheran North HS)
Like Dotson, Walker redshirted his first season in Denton in 2019 and appeared in the final two games of the season. Walker was rated a three-star recruit by 247Sports and was named to VYPE's All-Houston area private school team in 2017 as a junior.
#96 Bryse Burris – redshirt junior – Irving, Texas (Texas A&M Commerce)
Burris sat out in 2019, his first season in Denton following his transfer from Texas A&M Commerce. Measuring at 6'3" and 232 pounds, Burris is looking to make his collegiate debut in 2020.
#92 Jake Jones – redshirt sophomore – Willis, Texas (Willis HS)
Jones did not appear in 2019 after redshirting in 2018. Measuring at 6'4" and 244 pounds, Jones is also looking to make his collegiate debut during the 2020 campaign.
"The defensive line is a group that has some pieces to work with and I look forward to watching them develop," Bowen said. "Coach [Eric] Mathies is a veteran coach that has proven he can develop defensive linemen. He relates and connects to his players and gets them to play.
"My philosophy is to first, feature the packages within the defense that fits the players. Second, make it simple so you can emphasize and master fundamentals like block destruction, tackling and playing the ball. Third, emphasize the big three – takeaways, red zone and third down."
Outgoing:
Three defensive linemen who saw playing time the past few years are on their way out following graduation. LaDarius Hamilton is the most notable, who leaves Denton with 121 career tackles, 17.0 sacks (tied for sixth in program history), 28.5 tackles for loss, an interception, a forced fumble and fumble recovery in 51 career appearances. Hamilton had a career-high 8.5 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss in 12 appearances last season on his way to earning an NFL Scouting Combine invite, where he performed very well.
In addition to Hamilton's graduation, a pair of players who made a few spot starts for the Mean Green, Darrian McMillan and Tuulau Sa'afi, combined to make 13 combined tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss and a sack over their two years with the program.
New Faces:
There are several new faces along the defensive line for the 2020 season, including the position coach, Eric Mathies. Mathies most recently served in the same role during the 2017 and 2018 season at Florida Atlantic. Of the four newcomers on the student-athlete side, only Davontae McCrae had already arrived in Denton. The other three will be joining in either the summer or fall.
"I'm so excited to get started with this group of defensive linemen," Mathies said. "When you come in as a new coach, one of the first things you want to know is how hard a group works and this offseason, I have seen [these guys] work their tails off. I think this group has a chance to develop into a rock solid group."
#2 Davontae McCrae – redshirt sophomore – Miami, Florida (East Mississippi CC)
McCrae arrived in Denton in January as an early enrollee following his transfer from East Mississippi CC. The Miami native was a three-star prospect according to 247Sports, Rivals and ESPN and posted 11 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2.5 tackles for loss and forced two fumbles during his first season at EMCC. Out of high school, McCrae signed with and redshirted his first season at NC State before transferring to EMCC. He helped lead Northwestern High School (Miami) to a state title and 13-2 record in 2017, the program's first state championship in a decade.
McCrae, who measures at 6'4" and 250 pounds, will have an opportunity to have an important role at defensive end for the Mean Green in 2020.
"I'm a very energetic and emotional guy on the field, but it's all for a good reason. I am trying to bring swag and winning to this program, no doubt. My first impression of [Coach Bowen and Coach Mathies] is they seem to have a great mental knowledge of the games and I look forward to them coaching me for three great seasons [here in Denton]."
Ta'Shoyn Johnson – freshman (arriving in the fall) – Killeen, Texas (Killeen HS)
Johnson measures at 6'1" and 288 pounds and was rated a three-star prospect by 247Sports and ESPN. He earned first team All-District 12-6A honors as a senior last year at Killeen High School. The interior defensive lineman was a two-time letter winner at Killeen and accounted for 66 tackles in those two seasons. As a senior in four appearances, Johnson accrued 22 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss with a sack, nine quarterback hurries and a forced fumble. During his junior season, he had 44 total tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks and 36 quarterback hurries in eight appearances.
Jonathan Pickett – freshman (arriving in the fall) – Las Vegas, Nevada (Desert Pines HS)
Pickett measures at 6'3" and 260 pounds and was rated a three-star prospect by 247Sports and Rivals and was the sixth-ranked prospect in the state of Nevada in the 2020 class. He finished his senior season with 46 total tackles, 13.0 sacks and 11 quarterback hurries off the edge on his way to first team All-State honors (MaxPreps) and first team All-Northeast League.
Kortlin Rausaw – freshman (arriving in the fall) – Wylie, Texas (Wylie HS)
Rausaw, a 6'3" 259 pound defensive end, was rated a three-star prospect by 247Sports, Rivals and ESPN. He was a two-time first team all-district selection and three-time letter winner at Wylie High School, accounting for 112 total tackles over the course of three seasons. As a senior, Rausaw made 53 total stops, 5.0 tackles for loss with 4.0 sacks, six quarterback hurries, a pair of forced fumble and four fumble recoveries. A multi-sport athlete, Rausaw also lettered in basketball and track and field while in high school.
Returners:
#97 Dion Novil – senior – Abilene, Texas (Wylie HS)
Novil is coming off the most productive season of his career on his way to all-conference honorable mention honors. He finished with 61 total tackles, 13.0 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks at nose tackle in 2019 for the Mean Green. Throughout his career in Denton, Novil has appeared in 29 games, posting 98 tackles, 20.0 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks. He was a major factor on the interior and over the course of his career has shown a lot of versatility, having played on the edge as well, earlier in his career. Heading into his senior season, Novil is certainly a focal point on the defensive side of the ball, as the unit adapts to Bowen's style and philosophy.
"I'm excited to work with coach Mathies. You can tell he's one of those guys who want to put you in the best position to make you successful on the field. One of the first things he told us was that he's going to treat us like professionals and coach us like it too. I think that's going to elevate all of our games in the long run."
#93 Caleb Colvin – redshirt senior – Owasso, Oklahoma (Owasso HS)
Colvin started three of his 11 appearances last season at defensive end. He finished with eight tackles and a tackle for loss, despite fighting through a nagging injury for the majority of the season. Colvin's role could potentially be expanded heading into his final season in Denton.
#91 Dayton LeBlanc – redshirt sophomore – Breaux Bridge, Louisiana (Frederick Douglass HS)
LeBlanc made quite an impact in his first full season for the Mean Green, earning all-freshman team honors in Conference USA. He finished with 30 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack, while playing on the interior of the defensive line. The son of former Mean Green defensive line coach Derrick LeBlanc (now at Arkansas). LeBlanc has the flexibility to play on the interior as well as the edge and will likely see his snap count continue to rise along with his production.
"The most exciting part of this group is getting to watch guys like [Kenneth] Dotson and [Jimmy] Walker come into themselves and grow. It's also amazing to see what Dion [Novil] has in store for his senior season.
"My first impression of the new members of the defensive staff has to be their knowledge of the situation we are in as players. They understand it will take time to get comfortable and set up in the defense. They also have a great passion to win. At the end of the day, that is what is most important for this team."
#54 Asher Frow – senior – Fullerton, California (Fullerton College)
Frow made 11 appearances in 2019 for the Mean Green at defensive end and finished his first season in Denton with nine tackles and two sacks. He provided great depth along the defensive line last season and enters his senior campaign as a quality component of the unit.
#99 Kenneth Dotson – redshirt freshman – Houston, Texas (Lamar HS)
Dotson redshirted in 2019, his first season on campus after appearing in the final three games of the year. Originally rated a three-star prospect by 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals, Dotson measures at 6'3" and 257 and has a high ceiling as an edge rusher. While at Lamar High School in Houston, Dotson recorded 53 total tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and a fumble recovery over his final two seasons. A multi-sport athlete, Dotson also competed in track and field, specializing in the 110-meter hurdles, 300-meter hurdles, triple jump and the 4x200 relay in high school.
#44 Jimmy Walker – redshirt freshman – Houston, Texas (Lutheran North HS)
Like Dotson, Walker redshirted his first season in Denton in 2019 and appeared in the final two games of the season. Walker was rated a three-star recruit by 247Sports and was named to VYPE's All-Houston area private school team in 2017 as a junior.
#96 Bryse Burris – redshirt junior – Irving, Texas (Texas A&M Commerce)
Burris sat out in 2019, his first season in Denton following his transfer from Texas A&M Commerce. Measuring at 6'3" and 232 pounds, Burris is looking to make his collegiate debut in 2020.
#92 Jake Jones – redshirt sophomore – Willis, Texas (Willis HS)
Jones did not appear in 2019 after redshirting in 2018. Measuring at 6'4" and 244 pounds, Jones is also looking to make his collegiate debut during the 2020 campaign.
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