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THE TULSA DEFENSE
8/6/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 6, 2010
Tulsa, Oklahoma - On defense, Tulsa loses six starters, but has increased its speed and athleticism throughout the defensive unit.
"From a personnel standpoint we're getting to where we want to be in recruiting defensive linemen. We have an experienced bunch coming back on the front line, and we've added three really quality guys through the junior college ranks," said Graham.
Ends Cory Dorris and Odrick Ray are the two defensive line starters from last year and will anchor that front wall for the Hurricane. "Our front should be the anchor of our defense. It's the most experienced with two returning starters up front. It's a very talented group," added Graham.
The linebacker corps has just seven total players, but it is perhaps the most athletic that it's been in the past few seasons.
"We're thin on experience at linebacker, but we have some really good talent and athleticism. Tanner Antle and Curnelius Arnick can be two of the best linebackers in Conference USA. They're athletic and explosive playmakers. Those two guys are keys to our success defensively," said Graham.
Perhaps the biggest challenge on the Tulsa defense will be meshing a youthful group in the secondary.
"In the back-end of the defense we have the biggest challenge. We have a lot of young guys in the secondary, but we're athletic, have good speed," said Graham
DEFENSIVE LINE
Tulsa returns six letterwinners to the defensive front, including starters at both end positions.
A freshman all-conference selection last year, Cory Dorris (6-4, 275) turned in a solid red-shirt freshman season for the Hurricane in 2009. Dorris was sixth on the team with 54 tackles last season while adding 5.5 stops for -22 yards.
Dorris is backed up by junior college transfers Tyrunn Walker (6-3, 265) and Durrell Finch (6-5, 232). The duo will be expected to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks this year. Walker was a first-team all-NJCAA defensive end in his sophomore season at Jones County (Miss.) Junior College with 47 tackles and five sacks. Finch compiled 55 tackles, 25 stops for lost yardage and 12 sacks a year ago at Chabot (Calif.) JC.
The other returning defensive end starter is senior Odrick Ray (6-3, 275) as he was credited with 21 tackles and 4.5 stops for -16 yards in 2009.
Sophomore Daeshon Bufford (6-3, 272), who saw limited playing time last year as a true freshman and tallied four tackles in eight games, will back-up Ray at the other end slot, while redshirt freshman Maurice White (6-6, 265) brings a big frame and great promise as he will add depth.
Sophomore Jared St. John (6-2, 230) and red-shirt freshman Alex Pace (6-3, 254) adds depth to the defensive end position as well.
Junior college transfer Darrell Zellars (6-2, 280) came out of spring drills as the starting nose guard. Zellars totaled 67 tackles and 26 stops for lost yardage last season at Hutchinson Junior College. Sophomore Derrick Jackson (6-2, 282) saw valuable playing time last year and is a powerful player in the middle of the defensive front.
Junior Rashad Robinson (6-1, 252), who has been moved from defensive end to linebacker in his career, will move again, this time to the nose guard position in preseason camp.
LINEBACKERS
The linebacker corps may not possess many bodies with a total of just seven players at the three positions, but those players are talented and athletic. Other than the two starting outside linebackers, it's a very young and inexperienced group.
Three lettermen return to the linebacking position and are led by senior outside linebacker Tanner Antle (6-4, 228). The two-year starter comes into his senior season with 179 career tackles after tallying a career-best 78 stops a year ago.
Another valuable member of last year's linebacker corps as a key reserve is junior Curnelius Arnick (6-1, 230), who will hold down the other outside spot for the Hurricane. Arnick registered 53 tackles last season.
Antle and Arnick, both with good size, athleticism and speed, are versatile enough to play all three of the linebacker positions for the Hurricane.
Two newcomers, Mitchell Osborne (6-2, 220) and Donnell Hawkins (6-1, 210), were playing their high school senior seasons a year ago and will be thrown into the fray of college football this year.
Both Osborne and Hawkins turned in brilliant prep careers. Osborne has 206 career tackles, while Hawkins was credited with 258 career stops. Hawkins came to Tulsa at mid-semester and participated in spring drills.
In the middle, two more freshmen, gray-shirt Shawn Jackson (6-0, 230) and red-shirt Cody Wilson (6-0, 225), along with junior Alan Dock (5-10, 206) will handle the linebacker duties.
Jackson had a productive spring season after totaling 522 career tackles at Tulsa's McLain High School, while Wilson sat out last year after enrolling at mid-semester of 2009 following a two-year prep career at Tulsa's Lincoln Christian High School, where he had 168 stops as a senior.
Dock provides versatility at linebacker and will be valuable in different defensive situations and on special teams for the Hurricane.
DEFENSIVE SECONDARY
The secondary presents perhaps the biggest challenge on the defense this year in that it's a young group, but one that is extremely talented.
The old guy of the group and leader is starting bandit Charles Davis (5-9, 180). The senior is back for his fifth year after receiving a medical hardship last season when he suffered a knee injury against Oklahoma in the third game. A two-year starter, Davis has tallied 171 career tackles and had 16 in just over two games a year ago.
Davis makes the move from free safety to bandit. Three true freshmen will back up Davis in the likes of Luke Snider (5-10, 170), from Tulsa's Union High School, Brion James (6-3, 200), from Louisiana, and Marco Nelson (6-0, 192), from nearby Glenpool High School
Snider was a part of two Class 6A state titles and compiled 187 tackles over his final two seasons, while James had 100 tackles and four interceptions as a senior. Nelson was a star on offense and as a kick returner last year, while still seeing playing time in the secondary.
Dexter McCoil (6-4, 190) was thrown into the fire at free safety as a true freshman last year when Davis went down with his injury. McCoil started the final seven games and ended the season as Tulsa's third-leading tackler with 85 stops and second in pass break-ups with six.
McCoil will be backed up at free safety by sophomore Bryan Burnham (6-2, 200), a squad member last year, and true freshman James Roberson (6-2, 183). Roberson totaled 67 tackles and three interceptions on Tulsa Union High School's state championship team a year ago.
Red-shirt freshman walk-on Marcus Pate (5-11, 173) adds depth to the position.
At SPUR, two letterwinners return to the lineup as returning starter DeAundre Brown (5-11, 210) and Trent Wilkins (5-11, 200) are back for their third seasons in the program. Brown played as a true freshman in 2008, while Wilkins red-shirted that season.
Brown was Tulsa's leading tackler with 102 stops, while Wilkins had nine stops and one interception in 12 games.
Wilkins possesses good football savvy and provides leadership in the secondary. Sophomore Brian Moore (6-0, 200), who could also see some playing time at linebacker, brings a great ability to blitz off the perimeter from the SPUR position.
True freshman DeWitt Jennings (5-10, 193) was an all-state defensive back at nearby Bixby High School as he registered 86 tackles and three interceptions as a senior on defense, while rushing for over 1,300 yards on offense.
The Hurricane lost its' two starting cornerbacks from a year ago as Kenny D. Sims and John Destin graduated, but junior John Flanders (5-10, 175) brings starting experience to the lineup.
Flanders had 24 tackles last year and 61 in his two seasons. He will be backed up by junior Chris Ford (6-2, 192), who made the move in the spring from receiver, as well as sophomore Cody Lambert (6-0, 186) and senior Laquentin Black (5-10, 175).
Ford and Lambert have not played at the cornerback position in a collegiate game, while Black played in all 12 games as a junior college transfer last season and tallied 12 tackles.
At the other corner slot, Justin Skillens (5-9, 180) moves over from receiver, the position he played as a true freshman in 2009. Skillens was a three-year high school starter in the secondary as he tallied 89 tackles and seven interceptions in his final two seasons.
Newcomer Lowell Rose (6-0, 186), a transfer from UCLA, and junior college transfer Milton Howell (6-0, 175) will battle with Skillens for the starting spot in fall camp.
Rose did not see action at UCLA, but started for two seasons at strong safety for his Culver City (Calif.) High School team. Howell came to Tulsa in January and was able to participate late in spring drills after starring at quarterback for his Navarro Junior College team.
Red-shirt freshman Tony Peoples (5-11, 180) and junior Reid Singleton (5-10, 179) will also battle for playing time at the cornerback positions.
SATURDAY: SPECIAL TEAMS PREVIEW
