Welcome everyone to the latest edition of the Louisiana Ragin Cajuns position preview for 2017! This week, we finally move over to the defensive side of the ball and start out in the trenches at the defensive line.
There’s a ton of depth when you look at the line for the Cajuns this season especially at the defensive end position. Without further ado, let’s get to the previews.
Departing Players:
The lone departing player for the Cajuns from last season was Karmichael Dunbar. The senior had at least one tackle in each game he played last season and forced two fumbles in 2016.
While Dunbar was a big factor for the Ragin Cajuns last season, there’s quite a bit of depth on the defensive line when you look up and down the roster.
Returning Players:
Normally I would break these up into two separate articles for the defensive tackles and defensive ends. Due to time constraints, I’ve made a decision to put the entire defensive line into one article.
Defensive Tackles:
Starting things off looking at the defensive tackles, there’s not a whole lot to go off of after almost a week and a half of fall camp due to players like Rodrick Stephens and LaDarrus Kidd still recovering from injuries. However, there are still plenty of bright spots at the position.
Taboris Lee has to be considered the leader of the defensive line. The 6’3” 295 pound defensive lineman not only has some power, but some speed as he had a pick six against Arkansas State late in the season.
The other three seniors in David Lemoto, Stephens and Kevon Perry will look to get more solidify their starting spots at the position, but they still need to get back on the field from injury during fall camp to prove it.
The front seven was a major strength last season and if most of the defensive tackles aren’t ready to go, it’ll be tough to improve off last season.
Defensive Ends:
Looking at the defensive ends, it’s a very strong group with Trev Miller and Joe Dillon leading the way on the depth chart. Miller came almost out of nowhere early on in the season to have a strong junior campaign. The same can be said for Dillon with a performance in 2016 that got him named to the USA Today Freshmen All-American team.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg with Jarvis Jeffries rounding out the trio of players with significant playing time in 2016. The sophomore racked up 23 tackles, two tackles for loss and one fumble recovery last season makes this one of the best positions for the Cajuns defensively.
The Other Guys:
Looking at the defensive tackles first, one player that has caught Mark Hudspeth’s attention is the blue collar Andarious Jones. I wrote about the senior in-depth last week (you can check it out here), and Hudspeth mentioned that he will have a role in mind for the Arkansas native.
Another player that has caught Hud’s attention is Zi’Yon Hill. The All-Acadiana Defensive MVP has made the most of his opportunity while some of the veterans are healing up and could be a big name for the Cajuns in the future.
Looking at the defensive ends, Bennie Higgins will be a player to keep an eye on. The Mississippi Delta transfer had 11 sacks in 2014 and will be some added depth for the Cajuns in 2017. All the other defensive ends that will likely see playing time have already been mentioned.
Overall Thoughts:
The defensive line in 2017 looks to be ready to pick up where last year’s group picked up. However, the older players will need to get back on the field as soon as possible to make sure that they can live up to the hype.
-Clint Domingue