Bagner aims to improve on his first season
BOCA RATON — While on his official Florida Atlantic recruiting visit, defensive end Ernest Bagner had a vision of two things: winning and racking up sacks.
The wins have come for Bagner and the Conference USA East-winning Owls (8-3, 7-0) but the lack of sacks — only 2½ in eight games primarily as a reserve — are why Bagner grades his first season in Boca Raton as “average.”
“I expect the highest from myself, so next year, I’m trying to come back and be an (A grade),” said Bagner, a junior who transferred to FAU from Riverside City College (Calif.).
Entering Saturday’s regular-season finale against Charlotte (1-10, 1-6), Bagner is tied for third on the team in sacks and has 13 total tackles.
Bagner and former East Mississippi star Tim Bonner were recruited by coach Lane Kiffin to fill the defensive end void left by current New Orleans Saints rookie Trey Hendrickson. Bonner has made an impact on special teams and Bagner has produced key plays on defense, but both have been vocal about their transitions from JUCO to Division I.
“It wasn’t as smooth as I expected it to be, but that’s my fault,” Bagner said. “Toughest part is probably learning the playbook. Playbook is definitely a lot more complex.”
Kiffin agreed with Bagner’s assessment that the defensive end has only been “average,” but added he saw such struggles coming because of the circumstances. “These guys, when you’re not a mid-year, there’s an adjustment phase — true freshman, junior college players, whatever it is,” Kiffin explained. “They’re coming in and it’s not just football ... They got class, they got everything going, (while) in spring, you just have class and you just have spring football.”
Only two first-year FAU players, freshman defensive back Quran Hafiz and redshirt sophomore quarterback De’Andre Johnson, practiced with the team in the spring. After enrolling in May, Bagner was one of several newcomers to practice on the first day of fall camp in July.
All eyes on alumni: Linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair said he and his teammates are excited about the recent play of ex-Owls in the NFL, a list that includes New Orleans’ Hendrickson and Dallas Cowboys running back Alfred Morris. Six former Owls are in the NFL, including Browns defensive tackle Trevon Coley, Buccaneers linebacker Adarius Glanton, and defensive backs Sharrod Neasman (Atlanta Falcons) and Cre’Von LeBlanc, who starred at Glades Central and now plays for the Chicago Bears.
“It’s crazy to think, because we had some really, really good players here in the past,” said Al-Shaair, who played alongside all but Glanton and Morris. “I just think it’s really cool that they have a lot of pride in saying they went to FAU.”
FAU’s all-time sacks leader and the 2016 Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year, Hendrickson was a third-round pick by the Saints in this spring’s NFL draft. Following an injury to teammate Alex Okafor, Hendrickson — who has two sacks and 11 tackles for the NFC South-leading Saints — is expected to get more playing time in coming weeks.
Morris has 144 yards on 28 carries for the Cowboys as their interim starter with Ezekiel Elliott serving a sixgame suspension. Coley and Glanton have more than 25 tackles apiece.