Added depth gives boost to defensive line
BOCA RATON The scenario played out the same for Florida Atlantic defensive lineman Will Davis after every spring practice.
So exhausted from workouts, he would fight dozing off during classes. Like the rest of the linemen, he was tired because the lack of depth led to twice the reps. There were few breaks at practice.
“It was tiring,” Davis said. “I was just trying to stay awake in class.”
The practices are less tiresome now that the unit is back to full strength. With health no longer a concern and the addition of several newcomers in the fall, the unit can focus on improving.
“Going into the summer, we just studied the playbook and knew what we were expected to do,” Davis said. “Coming into fall camp, we knew that we were more comfortable. With the bodies coming [in the fall], it was just more competition.”
The fall arrivals of Ernest Bagner and Tim Bonner, both junior-college transfers, have helped bolster a group that coach Lane Kiffin once considered a question mark during the spring. Recent additions Kain Daub and Jeremiah Taleni, who transferred from Florida State and Pittsburgh, give the Owls even more depth at the position.
“It was a very big concern of ours, maybe the biggest on the team in the spring,” Kiffin said. “Additions have helped that, but also guys have come back from injuries and guys are getting better. I think we’ve done a good job at that spot with guys. Competition makes people better.”
No longer does the staff have to create makeshift lineups as they did during the spring. The unit was thinned with Ray Ellis and Hunter Snyder kept out because of injuries. Both are continuing to work their way back and hope to be part of the rotation once the season starts.
“We went through a lot of reps,” said junior lineman Steven Leggett, who is expected to start the season opener at Navy. “Those reps were good because it was a new defense. Once we got those reps down and the technique down, at the start of fall camp all we had to do was refurbish it and bring it over to now.
Added Davis: “Mentally, it helped me. You have to be mentally tough, especially in the trenches. It just helped us get faster and get more in shape.”
Leggett and Davis will likely be joined in the starting lineup by seniors Haiden Nagel, and Nick Internicola. The presence of so much depth has helped all avoid complacency.
“We’re competing with each other,” Davis said. “We’re cheering each other on. When you’re out there, you’re giving 110 percent because you know that you’ve got somebody behind you trying to do the same thing that you’re trying to do.”
Still, they have done their best to make the competition friendly as possible. Despite so many newcomers, the unit is already closeknit.
“It doesn’t matter how many you guys got, when you make it fun for yourself practice seems to be easier,” Leggett said. “With the weather out here and all the coaches yelling at us, you’ve just got to have fun. Some guys come in and they don’t fit well. But these guys came in and fit very well with the group.”
srichardson@sun-sentinel .com, Twitter @shandelrich