A TEST FOR TIGERS
A largely revamped team will host Missouri State Saturday at the Liberty Bowl.
The University of Memphis football team lost eight defensive starters from a season ago, and as the season opener nears, that fact remains a prevailing theme.
When the Tigers host Missouri State at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium on Saturday, they will field a largely revamped defense, with new players contributing and players who have previously contributed stepping into larger roles.
With those eight departed defensive starters in mind, here are eight new (or somewhat new) faces who will be expected to fill a significant role in 2015.
LB Genard Avery, So.: Avery has only one career start, but he is among the best pass-rushers on the team. He finished with five sacks and six tackles for a loss last year and is considered a force on special teams.
Though he was not listed on the team’s most recent depth chart, Avery is expected to play a significant role. The coaching staff believes he has a high ceiling.
“Genard is an explosive athlete,” coach Justin Fuente said. “We’ve been pleased with his work ethic and his progress. Still trying to fine-tune some of the things that he’s got to do in our scheme to play linebacker on every down, but we like the way he’s coming along.”
NT Jared Gentry, Fr.: Gentry has made a striking first impression both in practice and the weight room this preseason, forcing his way into the backup nose tackle role on the team’s most recent depth chart.
The Opelika, Alabama, native is listed at 325 pounds but arrived at Memphis this summer substantially heavier than that. A strong workout regimen, and guidance from director of athletic performance Rohrk Cutchlow, helped him slim down and become a more effective player on the field.
“I don’t know if, in a short period of time, I’ve been as proud of a guy as I am of Jared Gentry and the strides he’s made since he got here on June 1,” Fuente said. “In terms of his overall physical conditioning and buying into eating right and slimming down and giving himself an opportunity to play — he’s really done a fantastic job.”
CB Chauncey Lanier, R-Jr.: Perhaps no player has made a larger jump on the depth chart than Lanier. The Davie, Florida, native has played in 20 games over the past two seasons but focused primarily on special teams. He has only recorded one defensive tackle in his career.
Despite his relative lack of experience, Lanier will enter the season as one of the team’s two starting cornerbacks. Though he has been suspended for the first half of Saturday’s game because of his role in the postgame brawl at the Miami Beach Bowl, he is expected to play a significant role from that point forward.
“Chauncey got his confi-
dence,” senior safety Reggis Ball said. “That’s all he needed. He’s a totally different player now. We love him. I love playing with him.”
CB Arthur Maulet, Jr.: Maulet, a junior-college transfer, likely will start in Lanier’s place Saturday and possibly earn a larger role in the defense as the season progresses.
Listed at 5 feet 11 and 190 pounds, Maulet has natural ability but is still in the process of mastering the Tigers’ defensive scheme, Fuente said in his weekly conference call Monday. The coaching staff is optimistic, however, that he will develop into a source of turnovers and big plays.
“He works his behind off,” defensive coordinator Galen Scott said last week. “He’s a hard worker. And he’s talented. He’s really
talented. He’s athletic, can jump, can cover. That’s what you want. That’s what impresses me.”
NT Donald Pennington,
R-Jr.: Pennington should be relatively a familiar face to Tigers fans after receiving regular playing time at nose tackle last season behind Terry Redden, who is now in the NFL with the Carolina Panthers.
The 295-pound nose tackle, who has 2.5 tackles for a loss during his collegiate career but no sacks, has said he would like to improve as a pass-rusher in 2015. He is among a group of players that will try to replace Redden’s production this year.
“Donald was steady [last season],” defensive line coach Ricky Hunley said last month. “And Donald can anchor. Donald can be really physical with his hands.”
LB Noah Robinson, So.: Robinson is a rangy inside linebacker who played regularly last year, recording 25 tackles, but now will be thrust into a starting role.
The Worcester, Massachusetts, native spent a year at a preparatory school in Atlanta before joining the Tigers last year. He recorded multiple tackles in seven games, and the Tigers hope he can provide an even greater impact in 2015.
“Well, first of all, he’s consistent,” Fuente said. “Every day he’s out here. He’s beat up or bruised up. This is a high priority. And he gives everything he’s got when he’s out there. He’s a highly intelligent player.”
SS DaShaughn Terry, R-So.: Terry is best-known for his game-ending interception at the Miami Beach Bowl, but he has quietly emerged as one of the leaders of the defense behind the scenes.
A native of Blue Springs, Missouri, Terry quickly seized the starting safety role opposite Ball during
the offseason. The Tigers hope that his memorable interception last season will be the first of many.
“It’s just his knowledge of the game,” Ball said. “You can tell he studied more in the offseason, studied film more. That’s what I would say [stands out] — his football IQ.”
LB Shareef White, So.: White has been mentioned by multiple coaches on multiple occasions as a candidate to break out in 2015.
In addition to his natural size and speed, White has impressed coaches and teammates alike with his instincts and ability to diagnose plays. He played alongside Avery at Grenada (Mississippi) High School and should share the field with him plenty again this season.
“He’s very smart,” Avery said of his high school teammate. “He takes after Charles Harris. A lot. He’s learned more and more every day.”