This is the fifth in a series of previews, which will cover nine Ohio position groups ahead of the 2018 season. The Bobcats start the season Sept. 1 at Peden Stadium against Howard. For more, check The Post in the coming weeks.
Aug. 20: Quarterbacks | Aug. 21: Running backs | Aug. 22: Receivers | Aug. 26: Tight ends | Aug. 27: Offensive line | Aug. 28: Defensive line | Aug. 29: Linebackers | Aug. 30: Defensive backs | Aug. 31: Specialists
Today’s Position: Defensive Line
Projected Starter: DE Amos Ogun-Semore (redshirt freshman), DT Kent Berger (redshirt senior), NT Andrew Payne (redshirt senior), DE Will Evans (redshirt sophomore).
Key backups: DE Sam McKnight (redshirt junior), NT Brian Arp (redshirt junior), DE Cole Baker (junior).
Newcomers: Antrez Baker (freshman), Bryce Dugan (freshman), Kylen McCracken (freshman), Bryce Stai (freshman), Juan Watkins (freshman), Cole Baker (transfer from East Mississippi Community College).
Breakdown: When you finish first in the Mid-American Conference in anything defensively, it’s generally regarded as a positive.
Ohio’s 4-3 defense held opponents to just 110.5 yards per game on the ground in 2017, leading the MAC and good for 10th in the nation. Only six teams managed to break the 100-yard mark against the Bobcats’ run defense, which was one of the main reasons for the program’s success last season. It was a collective effort from the Ohio’s front seven, but the work started with the guys along the defensive line.
Except, it sours now when the Bobcats have to deal with the loss of all four starters on the line that made that happen.
"We always say the defense starts up front, so I guess if you're going to make a choice you'd liked to say you have four all-conference guys coming back up front,” defensive coordinator Jimmy Burrow said at Ohio’s media day in early August. “It is what it is and at least in the back-end we're really working on improving our pass defense.”
In 2018, Ohio is trying to stay positive about the the difficulty it faces. It returns six players who saw playing time last season and at times were more effective than some starters. Still, it’s hard to reciprocate the feeling of a start; it’s something that a player truly can’t feel until he does it for the first time.
Starting at defensive end and leading the pass rush will be Amos Ogun-Semore and Will Evans.
Evans saw time in every game last season and finished with 15 tackles, 1.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss. Ogun-Semore is entering just his first season of play after redshirting last year. He’s someone who defensive line coach Pete Germano is excited about. Ogun-Semore finished high school with 66 total tackles and 12 sacks, which made him the regional sack leader.
The closest thing to veteran experience on this line will come at defensive tackle with Kent Berger. A redshirt senior and captain, he’s played in 25 games over his time in Athens. He has 32 tackles, four sacks and a forced fumble. He was a boost for the line at times last season, the best example would be his two quarterback hits against Toledo. Putting pressure on Logan Woodside was one of they keys in the Bobcats’ signature win in 2017.
Playing his first full season ever last season, Andrew Payne will only improve in his redshirt senior season. Over 13 career games, Payne has 20 tackles, three sacks, 4.5 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery. The nose tackles is possibly the player that could make the most impact in coach Frank Solich’s defense. It’s there where the top rushing defense in the MAC is established.
“It'll take some time to get them into a gear where they feel comfortable and fly around the football field,” Solich said at media day. “The defensive line, we lost two guys that were really important to us, so we're going to have to fill that void, but we have some guys returning too who are proven football players.”
Best-case scenario: The defensive line takes a couple games to get into the swing of things, but by the start of the conference schedule, they’re back to barely allowing more than 100 yards a game. With a good youth movement, Evans leads a pass rush that can be dominant when it needs to be. With a stellar offensive attack, the defense holds up their end.
Worst-case scenario: The necessary pass rush to compete in the MAC just isn’t there as Evans and Ogun-Semore struggle. Berger and Payne do the best they can, but when teams don’t have to worry about the pass rush, they take all the time they need inside the pocket.
