Previewing the Tulsa Defense for 2015

8/3/2015 6:19:00 PM | Football

By: Don Tomkalski

A defense that gave up the most points and yards per game in school history "feels like they have something to prove," is the way Tulsa Head Coach Philip Montgomery explained it. Tulsa's defense returns 27 lettermen, including six returning starters and another seven players who have started at least one game in their careers.

The defensive front returns three starters form the 2015 season, plus welcomes back the return of 2013 starter Jesse Brubaker, who missed all but one game last year with an injury.

The linebacker corps returns starters Trent Martin on the inside and Football Writer's Association Freshman All-American Craig Suits on the outside. The Hurricane coaches made some other moves to help increase team speed at the linebacker position.

On the back-end, although still rather young, Tulsa returns eight lettermen with just two seniors and two players – safety Jeremy Brady and cornerback Brodrick Umblance – who made the switch from offense to defense, but in the spring showed prominent signs that the moves will pay big dividends for the Hurricane in the future.

In addition, six true freshmen will join the competition in the secondary for the Hurricane.

Here's a look at the position breakdown for the Hurricane Defense in 2015:

DEFENSIVE LINE
A total of 71 career starts in the likes of five players return to Tulsa's defensive front four.

Senior tackle Derrick Luetjen (6-3, 291) leads the way with 24 career starting assignments, while fellow tackles Jesse Brubaker (6-3, 285), Jerry Uwaezuoke (6-3, 295) and Earl Rollins (6-3, 275) have combined for 24 starts.

Luetjen's 24 starts have all come since the first game of the 2013 season, while he has collected 91 tackles and 11.5 stops for lost yardage during that time.

Brubaker missed all but one game last season due to injury, but started next to Luetjen in 10 contests as a true freshman in 2013. Brubaker recorded 20 tackles and 2.5 TFLs in his first season with the Hurricane. In 2014, Uwaezuoke started in Brubaker's spot and tallied 16 tackles and four stops for lost yardage, while Rollins started two of the 12 games as a true freshman.

Junior Hayden Carman (6-4, 275), a former walk-on, has seen valuable playing time at tackle, having played in 21 career games with 12 tackles.

Tulsa's interior will get some added support from Baylor transfer Suleiman Masumbuko (6-2, 295). The fifth-year senior, who is immediately eligible, played in 38 games for the Bears and was credited with 23 career tackles and 3.5 TFLs for -11 yards.

Junior walk-on Thomas Shamet (6-2, 267) and red-shirt freshman Michael Rios (6-3, 299) add depth to the tackle position.

"Interior-wise on the defensive front, Derrick Luetjen is solid as a rock. He has to be the guy that makes everything happen. Jerry really changed his body in the short time we've been here and has that starting experience," said Montgomery.

"With Brubaker being healthy that will definitely help us, as will the addition of Suleiman Masumbuko from Baylor," Montgomery added.

Derrick Alexander (6-2, 284), a fifth-year senior, headlines the defensive end position for the Hurricane. A second-team all-conference performer last year, Alexander has started 23 career games and has 93 stops and 27 TFLs in 38 career games played. Last season, Alexander totaled 42 tackles and 12 stops for -72 yards.

The other defensive end slot appears to be in the hands of sophomore Jeremy Smith (6-5, 250). Smith showed signs of greatness as a true freshman in 2014 when his first two career tackles were quarterback sacks totaling 21 yards. He finished the year with 10 tackles and three QB sacks for -24 yards.

"I think Derrick Alexander will be solid on our strong side and I'm hoping Jeremy Smith will have a breakout year. Athletically, he has a chance to be really special from what we're going to do defensively," said Montgomery. "We missed some guys in the spring with injuries, but we'll have to develop depth at the end position."

Red-shirt freshman Myles Mouton (6-3, 245) and returning sophomore lettermen Kolton Shindelar (6-6, 254) and Jake Hanks (6-2, 240) will battle for playing time behind Alexander. Shindelar and Hanks both have changed positions, as Shindelar moved over from tight end during spring drills and Hanks made the switch from linebacker to the end position last season.

Third-year player and returning letterwinner Frankie Davis (6-2, 240) will spell Smith, while Ronan Rogers (6-3, 219), a sophomore transfer from the University of Utah, and true freshman Trevis Gipson (6-5, 210) add depth.

LINEBACKER
Tulsa went into the spring looking to improve speed at the linebacker corps and appears to have done that with the shifting of a couple positions.

"One of our concerns coming into spring was the linebacker spot, but as we want through spring I think now that it has a chance to be a pretty dynamic spot for us. Linebacker as a whole has a chance to be one of the bright spots coming into the fall," said Montgomery.

Junior Trent Martin (6-2, 230) is solid in the middle at the MIKE spot, while the move of Petera Wilson (6-2, 225) from rush end to the MIKE linebacker in spring drills improved the overall athleticism and speed at the position. Martin had 64 tackles and four pass break-ups last year as the starter.

Juniors Matt Hickman (6-0, 227) and Connor Sherwood (6-3, 232), both with playing experience on special teams, add depth at MIKE.

Matt Linscott (6-1, 220), a back-up safety, made the move to STAR linebacker to increase team speed at that position, and came out of spring atop the depth chart. He had 13 tackles, one caused fumble and one recovery last year. Another junior safety-turned linebacker, Shawn Norman (5-11, 197), also moved to the STAR linebacker position and will compete with Micheal Thomas (6-0, 232) and true freshman Diamon Cannon (6-2, 210) for playing time.

On the weak-side, sophomore Craig Suits (6-0, 220) and senior Zik Asiegbu (6-0, 210) are the top two on the depth chart. Suits had an All-America season in 2014, as he was named a first-team All-American by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) after collecting 81 tackles, 7.5 stops for lost yards, four pass break-ups and two forced fumbles in 12 starts. Asiegbu had 11 tackles in eight games a year ago.

Sophomore C.J. Gooden (6-1, 227), who tallied 12 tackles last year, is in the mix to see playing time as well. Red-shirt freshman Tim Quickel (6-2, 215), senior Blake Abbott (5-11, 227) and Auburn transfer Khari Harding (6-1, 245) will add depth to the position. Harding transferred to Tulsa after playing in five games the last two seasons for the Tigers.

DEFENSIVE SECONDARY
Tulsa returns eight letterwinners to the defensive secondary, including five players with starting experience.

The strong safety position appears to be in capable hands to two players battling for the starting spot. Two-year starter Michael Mudoh (5-10, 205) received stiff competition in the spring from junior Jeremy Brady (5-10, 197). Mudoh has started 24 games and has totaled 271 tackles and 14 double-figure tackle games in his career, while Brady began his career in the secondary but spent the 2014 season on the offensive side of the ball before moving back to safety in the spring.

True freshman McKinley Whitfield (6-4, 194) brings great size and athletic ability to the strong safety slot.

Sophomore Jordan Mitchell (6-2, 180), who played cornerback last year and saw most of his playing time on special teams, is expected to play free safety this year. Red-shirt freshman Sam Gottsch (6-2, 190) and freshman J.R. Reed (6-1, 185), who came to school at mid-semester of the past year and participated in spring drills, will pressure Mitchell for playing time. True freshman Cristian Williams (6-0, 170), who had 90 tackles and three interceptions at Dallas Lincoln High School last year, will also try to get in the mix at free safety.

"As far as surprises of the spring, it was Jeremy Brady. He had a tremendous spring. Michael Mudoh has bought in to what we're doing and is very committed, so we feel good about the strong safety slot," said Montgomery. "At free safety, Jordan Mitchell has good length and coverage skills and will be a real asset for us in the years to come, and we were pleased with J.R. Reed's progress too.

Four players with starting experience at cornerback headline that position for the Hurricane. Senior Darrell Williams (5-10, 197) and sophomore Kerwin Thomas (5-10, 171) came out of the spring atop the depth chart at the corners.

Williams, who was coming off of a serious knee injury suffered in 2013 preseason camp, had two starts and totaled seven tackles a year ago. Thomas started five games last season and tallied 15 tackles, two pass break-ups and one interception.

"Kerwin and D-Will bring back experience at the corners, and both had tremendous springs. They were technically sound in what they were doing in the spring. When you're on the island like the corners are, things are going to happen, it's how you react to the next play. Those guys got back up and competed," said Montgomery.

Sophomore Brodrick Umblance (6-1, 184) made a good transition to cornerback from receiver during spring drills and will press Williams for playing time.

Johnell Celistan (6-2, 190), with two career starts, and Will Barrow (5-9, 172), with 11 starts in his career, will battle Thomas for playing time. Barrow started at safety as a true freshman in 2013 and was credited with 54 tackles and five pass break-ups, and last year spent most of his playing time at cornerback. Celistan compiled eight tackles and two pass break-ups last season.

"We put a big emphasis in our recruiting class in the secondary, so we think we'll have some guys that will be able to come in and compete for playing time," added Montgomery.

A trio of true freshmen –– David Richardson II (5-11, 170), Keidrien Wadley (6-1, 185) and Reginald Robinson II (6-1, 185) –– will be given an opportunity to compete for playing time at the corners.