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Basically ... There was a bit of an improvement last year, but not enough to make all that much of an overall difference to the outcome. There's enough experience to ask for a dramatic turnaround in production, so this season will finally see if the talent is there and the coaching was a problem, or if this simply isn't a good group of defensive players. With enough depth at every position to rely on, injuries can't be an excuse.
Star of the defense: Senior LB Robert Rodriguez
Player that has to step up and become a star: Junior DE Brandon Johnson
Unsung star on the rise: Sophomore FS Joe Fleskoski
Best pro prospect: Rodriguez
Top three all-star candidates: 1) Rodriguez, 2) Fleskoski, 3) DT Chris Mineo
Strength of the defense: Linebacker
Weakness of the defense: Size on the front seven
Defensive Line
Projected Starters
- Defensive end Reggie Miles, Jr., Soph. - Miles was productive in his limited action last year. Now he's going to have to prove he can be strong against the run mostly seeing playing time because of his speed.
- Defensive tackle Justin Hanel, Soph. - Hanel is a rising young player battling with senior Aaron Osborn for the starting left tackle job. He made 32 tackles with three quarterback hurries.
- Defensive tackle Chris Mineo, Jr. - Mineo was out all spring recovering from an injury, but he's expected to be back this summer after making 70 tackles last season starting again on the right side.
- Defensive end Brandon Johnson, Jr. - Johnson will be the team's best pass rusher after making ten tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks last year despite only playing in nine games. He's a linebacker playing end and has issues against bigger tackles.
Projected Backups
- DT Ibok Ibok, Jr. - A minimally productive and undersized starter, the 250-pound Ibok will be asked to be a top situational player at tackle even though he's more suited for the end. He's excellent at getting to the quarterback.
- DT Zach West, Soph. - West will lose his spot as the starting right tackle average Mineo is 100%, but he'll still see plenty of time as one of the team's few big bodies on the inside.
The Skinny: There's a stunning amount of depth, but little to no beef and no killer pass rusher. There are enough options for defensive line coach Ikaika Malloe to play around and find the right combination with a little bit of time.
Player to keep an eye on: Zach West ... Defensive Line Rating: 4
Linebackers
Projected Starters
- Goodwin Akinduro, Sr. - A safety playing linebacker, Akinduro is a sure tackler with decent speed. At only 215 pounds, he has serious problems when locked up with linemen. He needs to get in space as much as possible.
- Robert Rodriguez, Sr. - Rodriguez rebounded from a sub par 2002 to lead the WAC in tackles with 135. He's a machine in the middle always in on every play and the size to hold firm at the point of attack. It won't be a shock if he leads the league in stops for the third time in four years.
- Thomas Howard, Jr. - Howard is a top tackler and excellent in space with enough range to make 118 tackles and 11 tackles for loss. He's not fast, but he's quick enough to clean up anything Rodriguez doesn't.
Projected Backups
- Mike Perez, Jr. - Perez will move from his strong safety spot to linebacker to take advantage of his playmaking abilities. He's great in pass coverage and will be in on even more plays than he was before now that he's closer to the line.
- J.D. Hearn, Jr. - Hearn turned into a valuable reserve and a decent starter finishing with 60 tackles. He's quick enough to handle the job on the weak side and physical enough to handle the middle or strong.
- Troy Collavo, Soph. - A rising talent, he'll have to battle for playing time in the middle behind Rodriguez. He made 19 tackles last season.
The Skinny: There's depth, experience and a whole lot of statistics returning to this group, but they're not big and not nearly as talented as numbers would indicate. Rodriguez is a defensive star, but he needs more help against the run for the defense to improve.
Player to keep an eye on: Troy Collavo ... Linebacker Rating: 4
Secondary
Projected Starters
- Cornerback Adrian Ward, Sr. - The former safety became the team's best pass defender last year picking off three passes and breaking up six. He has a bit more size than cornermate Jahmal Fenner, and he's a better tackler.
- Free safety Joe Fleskoski, Soph. - Fleskoski became a star from the word go finishing third on the team in tackles with 88. He's average in pass coverage, but he make up for it with what he does against the run.
- Strong safety Marshall Sanford, Soph. - Sanford is a good-sized, productive safety making 54 tackles. He'll be a 100-stop player now that he has the strong safety job full-time with Mike Perez moving to linebacker.
- Cornerback Jahmal Fenner, Sr. - He's not all that big, but his technique has improved to the point where he can be a dangerous player to throw at. With 25 starts, there's nothing he hasn't seen. The only concern is over his tackling. At only 5-8 and 183 pounds, he's not a huge hitter.
Projected Backups
- CB Nate Draughon, Soph - Only a covercorner and not much of a tackler, it'll be up to Draughon to start to produce as a backup behind Fenner on the right side.
- CB Cedric Click, Jr. - Click has enough experience to step in when necessary, but he's more suited for a reserve role behind Ward.
The Skinny: The secondary was better than it was in 2002, but it still had major problems allowing 24 touchdowns and 257.5 yards per game. There's experience to burn with enough players to rotate and keep fresh, and now the production has to be there.
Player to keep an eye on: Joe Fleskoski ... Secondary Rating: 3.5
Specialists
Projected Starters
- Placekicker Keith Robinson, Sr. - Robinson was a bit of a disappointment last year only hitting 7 of 14 field goals, but he has enough of a leg to be asked to hit the bigger kicks. As a senior, the hope is for him to be more consistent and emerge as one of the WAC's better kickers..
- Punter Bryce Benekos, Sr. - Benekos is one of the nation's best punters finishing 13th in the country averaging 44.1 yards per kick. He could stand to have a few less touchbacks after putting 11 in the end zone last year, but that's nitpicking.
The Skinny: If the field goal kicking can be a bit more consistent, UTEP will have the best special teams in the WAC. Howard Jackson is a tremendous kickoff returner while Jahmal Fenner is a weapon at returning punts. Benekos will battle for All-America honors..
Special Teams Rating: 8
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