Fall camp is only 3 days away!!
Today we take a look at the linebackers and defensive line.
DC David Blackwell will coaches the LBs in 2021 after coaching the safeties/nickels in 2020.
Anthony Camp is back for year two to coach the defensive line.
We’ll start with the linebackers.
Trey Baldwin and Ezekiel Barnett are the two experienced/older guys in the LB room.
Baldwin is a 6th year senior that finished second on the team with 85 tackles in 2020. The Orange, TX native was a captain in 2020, will likely be a captain again in 2021.
Barnett is a former walk-on out of Benton, LA that has gotten better year after year. He’ll play an OLB/S/Nickel role in 2021. He always seems to find himself around the football. In his career, Barnett has 121 tackles, 10 TFL, 4 sacks, 3 INTs, 1 FF, 2 touchdowns.
Tyler Grubbs was the surprise on 2020 after signing with the Bulldogs in December of 2019. Grubbs is a football player, plain and simple. Thrust into action due to some Covid issues in the opener at USM in 2020, Grubbs piled up a career-high 16 tackles. In 2020, Grubbs led the team with 99 stops on his way to being names a FR All-American.
Kody Fulp is a transfer from McNeese that sat out the 2020 season due to NCAA transfer rules. Fulp was 2nd on McNeese’s team with 83 tackles in 2019.
Maki Carabin is a RS FR from San Antonio that was poised to start next to Trey Baldwin at ILB before getting injured right before the opener last season. Carabin ended up seeing action in 7 games as a reserve in 2020 and collected 25 tackles.
Baldwin and Grubbs will start at ILB with Fulp and Carabin backing those two up.
Behind Ezekiel Barnett at the OLB/S/Nickel role is likely to be Joren Dickey. I’ll be honest, I thought Dickey was going to be a special teams guy throughout his career, but Blackwell moved him outside and he really pushed Barnett in the spring. Dickey was 190ish when he got to Tech, but he's gotten himself up to 210-215.
Allen Walker, Khiry Morrison, Taz Marshall, and CJ Calhoun are the other 4 LBs on the roster.
Walker made two starts a season ago before Carabin return from injury. He collected 10 tackles in 7 games.
Morrison is working his way back from a hamstring issue he suffered this summer after recovering from an ACL.
Marshall will likely play on special teams, while Calhoun will be a TR FR in 2021.
This is the best group of LBs that Tech has had in quite some time. Baldwin and Grubbs are legit 1st Team All-CUSA guys in the middle.
Shifting to the defensive line, Milton Williams is off to the NFL after a phenomenal junior season in 2020.
However, Anthony Camp is really excited about the group he has to work with up front.
The group doesn’t have a “superstar”, but there is plenty of talent and loads of versatility.
Eric Kendzior, DJ Jackson, Keivie Rose, Tristan Allen, Willie Baker, Levi Bell, Deshon Hall, and Mykol Clark have all played a lot of football.
Jackson missed most of last year with an injury, Willie Baker missed all of last year with an injury/opt-out. Allen missed the spring with a shoulder issue, but he’s 100% for camp.
Levi Bell has shifted inside to a DT spot at 275-280 pounds. Bell walked on last season from Tyler JC.
Kendzior, Baker, Hall, and Clark need to provide some solid pass rush off the edge in 2021.
Rasheed Lyles was added as a transfer from Jackson State that can play inside or outside at 6’3, 270ish that will be a 20-25 snap guy at a minimum.
Malik Wells is a JC transfer from a few years back that is further down the depth chart. Same goes for Steven Shaw from the HS ranks a few years back, Shaw missed the spring with injury as well.
Talking with some folks close to the program, the young guys are filled with loads of promise and some will contribute this year.
Kershawn Fisher and Ben Bell are the two young guys to watch for Both played limited roles in 2020, but have a chance to help as pass rushers off the edge. Fisher LOVES contact and LOVES football, Bell is a tireless worker.
Shaq Spears, Joe Mason, and Dontrell Cobbs are three guys that were in the 2020 class that will likely continue developing behind the scenes. Spears played only two years of HS football, signed at 260 pounds but is already pushing 300 pounds only one year later. He could realistically end up a NT. Joe Mason has had a similar trajectory, signed as a 220 pound ILB, gets in a weight program and is now an easy 265-270.
J’Dan Burnett was signed in the 2021 class that is an undersized pass rusher that is probably a year or two away.
I know some of you don’t necessarily believe that this group added enough impact guys in the offseason, but there are 9-11 guys in there that can do certain things well that should allow for Camp/Blackwell to play them according to the strengths to get the most from their talents.
Today we take a look at the linebackers and defensive line.
DC David Blackwell will coaches the LBs in 2021 after coaching the safeties/nickels in 2020.
Anthony Camp is back for year two to coach the defensive line.
We’ll start with the linebackers.
Trey Baldwin and Ezekiel Barnett are the two experienced/older guys in the LB room.
Baldwin is a 6th year senior that finished second on the team with 85 tackles in 2020. The Orange, TX native was a captain in 2020, will likely be a captain again in 2021.
Barnett is a former walk-on out of Benton, LA that has gotten better year after year. He’ll play an OLB/S/Nickel role in 2021. He always seems to find himself around the football. In his career, Barnett has 121 tackles, 10 TFL, 4 sacks, 3 INTs, 1 FF, 2 touchdowns.
Tyler Grubbs was the surprise on 2020 after signing with the Bulldogs in December of 2019. Grubbs is a football player, plain and simple. Thrust into action due to some Covid issues in the opener at USM in 2020, Grubbs piled up a career-high 16 tackles. In 2020, Grubbs led the team with 99 stops on his way to being names a FR All-American.
Kody Fulp is a transfer from McNeese that sat out the 2020 season due to NCAA transfer rules. Fulp was 2nd on McNeese’s team with 83 tackles in 2019.
Maki Carabin is a RS FR from San Antonio that was poised to start next to Trey Baldwin at ILB before getting injured right before the opener last season. Carabin ended up seeing action in 7 games as a reserve in 2020 and collected 25 tackles.
Baldwin and Grubbs will start at ILB with Fulp and Carabin backing those two up.
Behind Ezekiel Barnett at the OLB/S/Nickel role is likely to be Joren Dickey. I’ll be honest, I thought Dickey was going to be a special teams guy throughout his career, but Blackwell moved him outside and he really pushed Barnett in the spring. Dickey was 190ish when he got to Tech, but he's gotten himself up to 210-215.
Allen Walker, Khiry Morrison, Taz Marshall, and CJ Calhoun are the other 4 LBs on the roster.
Walker made two starts a season ago before Carabin return from injury. He collected 10 tackles in 7 games.
Morrison is working his way back from a hamstring issue he suffered this summer after recovering from an ACL.
Marshall will likely play on special teams, while Calhoun will be a TR FR in 2021.
This is the best group of LBs that Tech has had in quite some time. Baldwin and Grubbs are legit 1st Team All-CUSA guys in the middle.
Shifting to the defensive line, Milton Williams is off to the NFL after a phenomenal junior season in 2020.
However, Anthony Camp is really excited about the group he has to work with up front.
The group doesn’t have a “superstar”, but there is plenty of talent and loads of versatility.
Eric Kendzior, DJ Jackson, Keivie Rose, Tristan Allen, Willie Baker, Levi Bell, Deshon Hall, and Mykol Clark have all played a lot of football.
Jackson missed most of last year with an injury, Willie Baker missed all of last year with an injury/opt-out. Allen missed the spring with a shoulder issue, but he’s 100% for camp.
Levi Bell has shifted inside to a DT spot at 275-280 pounds. Bell walked on last season from Tyler JC.
Kendzior, Baker, Hall, and Clark need to provide some solid pass rush off the edge in 2021.
Rasheed Lyles was added as a transfer from Jackson State that can play inside or outside at 6’3, 270ish that will be a 20-25 snap guy at a minimum.
Malik Wells is a JC transfer from a few years back that is further down the depth chart. Same goes for Steven Shaw from the HS ranks a few years back, Shaw missed the spring with injury as well.
Talking with some folks close to the program, the young guys are filled with loads of promise and some will contribute this year.
Kershawn Fisher and Ben Bell are the two young guys to watch for Both played limited roles in 2020, but have a chance to help as pass rushers off the edge. Fisher LOVES contact and LOVES football, Bell is a tireless worker.
Shaq Spears, Joe Mason, and Dontrell Cobbs are three guys that were in the 2020 class that will likely continue developing behind the scenes. Spears played only two years of HS football, signed at 260 pounds but is already pushing 300 pounds only one year later. He could realistically end up a NT. Joe Mason has had a similar trajectory, signed as a 220 pound ILB, gets in a weight program and is now an easy 265-270.
J’Dan Burnett was signed in the 2021 class that is an undersized pass rusher that is probably a year or two away.
I know some of you don’t necessarily believe that this group added enough impact guys in the offseason, but there are 9-11 guys in there that can do certain things well that should allow for Camp/Blackwell to play them according to the strengths to get the most from their talents.
