2005 North Texas football preview

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2005 North Texas football preview

After proving its worth last season, the Mean Green is calling on the linebacking unit to lead its defense

Rian Johnson

Staff Writer

September 01, 2005

At the start of last season, the Mean Green linebackers were the most questionable position on its defense. On the eve of its 2005-06 campaign, NT is relying on that same unit to lead this year’s defense.

“The linebackers are trying to take on more leadership than they have in the past,” NT defensive coordinator Kenny Evans said. “Some of the young guys now look up to them, and part of their job as a linebacker is to provide leadership and help them get where they need to be and know what they are supposed to do.”

The linebacking unit will be anchored by middle linebacker Derek Mendoza, who led the team in tackles in four of his ten starts. The true freshman finished fourth on the team with 53 tackles, filling a void left by Tennessee Titan, Cody Spencer. Flanking Mendoza at the outside linebacker slots will be Maurice Holman and Phillip Graves.

Holman capped last season with both a career and game-high of 10 tackles against Southern Mississippi in the Wyndham New Orleans Bowl. Graves finished the season with 50 tackles and two interceptions, despite starting only one game against Louisiana-Lafayette.

Brandon Monroe and North Eastern Oklahoma A&M transfer Travis Thompson will add depth at a position Evans is delighted in.

“We feel we have five linebackers that are ready to play,” Evans said.

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The linebackers provide stability in a defense that is forced to overcome the loss of eight of its 11 starters from last season, four of whom garnered all-conference honors.

“They have big shoes to fill and they understand that,” senior linebacker Phillip Graves said. “So they are working to be at the kind of level that our defensive line and secondary were at last year.”

Senior cornerback T.J. Covington is the only starter returning outside of the linebacker position. The preseason all-conference selection is taking it upon himself to ensure the secondary rises to the challenge.

“I feel like I have to step up and help the other players come along by helping them out with the playbook,” Covington said. “And if there is anything they don’t understand, try to help them with it.”

The secondary will benefit from the transfer of Ja’Mel Branch from wide receiver to cornerback. NT recruited Branch at cornerback, but upon his arrival moved him to the offensive side of the ball. Covington said the transition from wideout to cornerback will only help Branch compete at the position.

“He has played receiver so he knows what to look for in the receiver,” Covington said. “He could be a real good impact to our defense.”

Joining Branch and Covington in the secondary will most likely be safeties Roderick Cotton and Coffeyville Community College transfer, Aaron Weathers. Cotton saw action as a backup cornerback and on special teams last season, Weathers started at safety at Coffeyville, recording 50 tackles on the season.

The defensive line may be the most difficult task the Mean Green defense faces this year.

“We lost our entire defensive front, but we do have guys that will play in those positions that have played before, so we are not entirely inexperienced there,” Dickey said.

Seven players have emerged to challenge for the four starting spots on defensive line, but Evans says that the look of the defensive front will change sporadically.

“In the defensive line there will be three or four people rotating quite a bit,” Evans said.

Eli Hutchinson, Blake Burrows, Jeremiah Chapman and Willie Ransom have all emerged as potential starters at the two defensive end positions. Hutchinson, Burruss, and Chapman all saw action in most of NT’s games last season. Ransom is a junior college transfer that led his team’s defense to the top of the conference, recording a team-best nine sacks.

The battle for the inside defensive line positions is just as intense with Montey Stevenson, Sky Pruitt, Chris Miller and Robert Harmon all battling for nose guard and defensive tackles.

Just like at defensive end, expect to see rotation at the position as the season moves on.

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The battle for the inside defensive line positions is just as intense with Montey Stevenson, Sky Pruitt, Chris Miller and Robert Harmon all battling for nose guard and defensive tackles.

Robert Harmon? Has he been moved from TE? He would seem a little undersized to be playing an interior line position.