Houston Cougars 2023 position preview: Defensive Line
By: Jimmy Schofield
DL coach Brian Early. Photo courtesy uhcougars.com
If the 2023 Houston Cougars want to improve on last season’s 8-5 record, the defense, under fifth year coordinator Doug Belk must improve. The Coogs, led by fifth year head coach Dana Holgorsen, will be entering a conference (the Big 12) that’s known for its passing attacks and highly efficient offenses in general. The difference in talent Holgorsen’s charges will see each Saturday will be vast after spending the previous 27 in the “wilderness” after the breakup of the Southwestern Conference in 1995. UH football was a member of the American Athletic Conference the previous ten seasons, Conference USA for the previous 17 before that.
Last season, injuries to all three levels of the defense, but the D-line in particular, played a major role in the regression of the defense as a whole. A ton of younger guys were forced to play, many of whom showed a lack of technique. Only 18 teams, out of 131 FBS members, allowed opponents to score more as the Coogs allowed 32.2 points-per-game (tied for 112th) last season. This after allowing just 20.4 PPG (19th) in 2021. The 2020 season can be forgiven for just about every team due to the Covid pandemic that allowed for just 8 games during that helter Skelter season, but the D did allow 32 PPG (80th). Belk’s first defense, in 2019, allowed 34 PPG (113thh) after a regime change from Major Applewhite to Holgorsen. After a few games the program shifted philosophies, redshirting numerous student-athletes on both sides of the ball to give them an extra year on the backend of their careers. Little did we know that the transfer portal would be a thing just a few seasons later, allowing many of those redshirts to easily move elsewhere to play, but that was covered last week with our ‘Roster Reset’ article.
Getting back to this year’s defense, the front-7 must improve after allowing 143 YPG on the ground (56th), 4.14 yards-per-rush (69th) and 18 touchdowns (tied for 54th). In 2021, the defense allowed just 108.2 YPG rushing to rank TENTH in the nation with a paltry 3.4 YPR (15th) allowed. This after surrendering 167.5 YPG (66th nationally) in 2020 and 4.3 YPR (67th). Those numbers were an improvement from the 179 YPG (85th) and 5.2 YPR (117th) allowed rushing during the staff’s inaugural 2019 season. The pass defense also regressed last season, allowing 278.6 YPG (122nd) through the air after allowing just 194 YPG (19th) during the 2021 season. The secondary allowed 231 YPG (62nd) in 2020. In 2019, Belk’s unit allowed 288.4 YPG (124th) from opposing quarterbacks.
The defensive front was still able to generate a lot of pressure however as they amassed 94 tackles-for-loss last season to rank 11th nationally. In 2021, the unit had 98 TFL (12th). The sacks though were down, from 30 (tied for 47th) from 43 in 2021 (SIXTH). For the 2020 season they had 59 TFL (49th) and 24 sacks (39th), which were produced in just eight games. This in contrast to the 68 TFL (92nd) and 22 sacks (90th) amassed in 2019.
In total, the defense allowed more than 100 YPG more in total defense from the previous season, 421.6 last year (105th), compared to just 302.2 YPG (ranking SIXTH nationally in 2021). They allowed 398.5 YPG of total defense (55th) in 2020 and 467.4 YPG in 2019. The D also allowed 5.91 yards-per-play (102nd) last season after just 4.93 YPP (14th) in 2021, 5.8 YPP (74th) in 2020 and 6.8 YPP (127th) in 2019. Those stats were also an improvement over 2018 in which the Cougars finished near the bottom nationally in nearly every major defensive statistic among the 129 FBS football programs in Major Applewhite’s final seaon. They finished 115th in rushing defense (221.1 ypg) and 127th in total defense (496.8 ypg) that season. They also were 90th in yards allowed per play (5.95) just four seasons ago to demonstrate the defense’s steady improvement.
Sack Avenue
The two major members of “Save Ave” are now in the NFL in defensive ends Derek Parish and De’Anthony Jones. Key interior D-Linemen Atlias Bell, Latrell Bankston, Jamykal Neal also depart after exhausting their eligibility. That’s a ton of production to replace for fifth year defensive line coach Brian Early.
Both of those guys are going to be a problem to deal with
This is what Holgorsen said of edge defenders Nelson Ceaser (6-3, 250, RSr.) and Oklahoma transfer David Ugwoegbu (6-4, 250, GSr.) after spring ball. “We lost good production at (defensive) end. We need guys to step up at the position. Ugwoegbu is versatile and plays hard. He has a motor that I haven’t seen. He’s played 2,700 snaps at OU, but he wants to be a rush guy so we’re happy to have him. Coach Early is pretty good at coaching technique in the pass game. Ceaser is another of our veterans that had a good spring. He’s another guy that has the frame that can move around a little bit. He can move in space. He can rush off the edge but also drop in coverage. Both of those guys are gonna be a problem to deal with when it comes to IDing whether they’re blitzing or dropping.”
Ceaser has gained 30 solid pounds from his high school days at Missouri City’s Ridge Point High in which he was rated as a 4-star prospect by Rivals after amassing 131 career tackles including 38 for loss, 21 sacks and 7 forced fumbles. A first-time starter last year at rush end, Ceaser accounted for more than half of his career tackles last season (36 of 54), including 10 for loss and 4 sacks. He also flashed the athleticism everyone knows he has which allowed him to make clutch plays, including dropping back to intercept a pass at UTSA, returning it for 32 yards that led to a key late score in a 37-35 triple OT win as well as an 11-yard scoop-n-score for a late touchdown in a one score win against Rice (34-27). He also blocked a kick at Texas Tech. The redshirt senior has 31 career games with 11 starts in this his fifth season on campus. Ceaser will have an extra year next season as a Super Senior if he so desires, earning that extra year of eligibility due to NCAA rules that gave every player an extra year that participated in the 2020 Covid pandemic season.
Ugwoegbu is a graduate senior who played 51 career games (with 22 starts) over the previous four seasons in Norman. “Ugwoegbu was OU’s leading tackler from the second level, but he wanted to be a rush guy,” Holgorsen said prespring ball. “He’s got a lot of experience and we’re happy to have him. Watching him and Ceaser compete in off-season drills has been fun to watch.” The Katy (Seven Lakes High) native had 109 tackles in his breakout season last year, 55 of which were solo. The former 4-star ranked prospect, who chose OU over programs such as Alabama, Michigan and A&M, also added 7.5 TFL and 2 sacks. “He’s versatile,” Holgorsen said post spring, “he plays hard and with a motor that I haven’t seen before. He’s got over 2,700 snaps at OU. We’re doing different things with him.” He played with both his hand in the ground as a pass rusher in high school but played both weakside and middle linebacker at OU. For his career he has 211 total tackles, 107 solo, 16 for loss, 4 sacks and 1 interception.
Along the interior will be Chidozie Nwankwo (5-11, 295, Sr.) at the nose and Sedrick Williams (6-1, 285, SS.) at the “3 tech” defensive tackle spot as the starters, presumably. “Dot” (Nwankwo) was an immediate impact player, which is rare for a young player lining up at the nose due to just the difference in a fear physical nature of the game from the high school to the collegiate level of play (IE, the speed, size and shear violence of the position). But the Fort Bend-Foster product has relied heavily on his storied prep wrestling career (four-time district champ, three-time regional champ, two-time STATE champ and a 102-5 record) to handle the violence in the trenches. Dot has 27 starts in 29 career games over his four years and has amassed 65 total tackles, 33 solo, 6 TFL and 2 sacks. His size, 5-11, 295, allows him great leverage at the point of attack while his skills as a former two-time state wrestling champion (2018 and 2020) gives him the upper hand in ‘close quarters combat’ needed to win one-on-one battles against offensive linemen. In the trenches it’s all about being able to control your opponent via quick hands and violent strikes. He’ll also have one more season of eligibility after this year due to the Covid rules if he so desires.
Williams started in 6 of the 13 games he appeared in last season at DT after only playing in two games in the previous two seasons due to injuries. The Houma, Louisiana native ranked as the sixth best interior pass rusher in the AAC per Pro Football Focus last season as 7 of his 20 total tackles on the season were for a loss. The Kilgore College product also forced and recovered a fumble last year. The former JUCO All-American and conference MVP is in his final season of eligibility unless he gets an injury waiver from the NCAA as he missed the 2020 season due to complications of Covid.
Coach Early has a unit that can go a legit 3-deep at every position along the line. Subbing in at both DE spots (or starting) includes Zykeius “Zeus” Strong (6-6, 265, RJr.), Garfield Lawrence (6-4, 245, RSo.), Justin Beadles (6-5, 260, RJr.) and Nadame Tucker (6-3, 250, RJr.) as returnees at DE. Brandon Mack (6-3, 250, RSr.) transferred over the spring from Ole Miss.
Strong became eligible by the end of the year last season and just played in the bowl game, producing a tackle in 14 snaps. Holgorsen did praise him for a good spring, “Zeus is a different looking human being. He’s 6-6, 250 and can run.” The Birmingham, Alabama native played a season at Hutchinson Community College in 2021, producing 26 total tackles, with 6.5 for loss in 9 games. The Oak Mountain product was offered by Ole Miss, Miss St and Tenn. as a 3-star ranked prospect in the 2019 class as a 255-pound DE. Strong was a 2018 All-Shelby County Honorable Mention at 235 pounds so he’s definitely grown into his body over the last five years.
Beadles played in just four games last season, producing one tackle in limited (18) snaps, after playing in one game in 2021 (producing one tackle). Previously he transferred from Virginia Tech after playing in just four games in 2020, registering zero stats. The Tyrone, Georgia native was a 3-star ranked prospect for the 2020 class after amassing 13 TFL (53 total tackles) and 9 sacks for Sandy Creek High as he was rated as the 49th best weakside defensive end in the nation by 247sports.
Lawrence has not seen the field over his first two seasons due to various injuries, but has actually lost weight, going from 260 as a true freshman to a listed 245 for this season. A 3-star prospect out of Tyler Legacy, Lawrence signed with the Coogs over Texas after decomitting from Kansas. A long, lengthy athlete, Lawrence compiled 71 tackles for the Raiders in 2020 (including 10 TFL, 8 sacks and 3 forced fumbles).
Tucker also played sparingly last season, appearing in just three games, participating in 27 snaps, producing just one tackle, half for loss. The New York native had over 20 combined sacks in three seasons at the JUCO level at Hutchinson CC last season (where he was teammates with Strong).
Mack transfers from Ole Miss where he played in two of four seasons, amassing 7 total tackles in 11 games. The Montgomery, Alabama native was redshirted in 2020 and missed the 2021 season due to injury. He finished his prep career with 125 total tackles, 25 for loss and 10 sacks at Jefferson Davis High. The 3-star prospect was offered out of high school by LSU, Miss St, Kentucky and Louisville.
Along the interior as backups include Amipeleasi Langi Jr. (6-6, 310, RJr.), Jamaree Caldwell (6-1, 325, RJr.) and Anthony Holmes Jr. (6-2, 295, RFr.). Jalen Hunt (6-4, 320, RSr.) is a transfer from Michigan State while Justin Benton (6-1, 280) is a true freshman out of Covington, Georgia. Taleeq Robins (6-1, 282, RSo.) is a late transfer out of Northeast Mississippi Community College.
Caldwell and Langi Jr. both played at the nose last season backing up Dot. Caldwell signed late last season, during the summer, but made an immediate impact as the JC transfer (Independence and Hutchinson) was ranked the AAC’s fourth best interior run defender and the seventh overall interior defender, per PFF. The Newberry, SC native played in 9 games last season, producing 12 total sacks, 6 solo, 3.5 TFL, 2 sacks and a blocked kick.
Langi, or “Big Asi,” played in one game last season (logging four snaps) after producing 28 total tackles (16 solo), 5 TFL and a sack the previous two seasons at Independence Community College. The Puyallup, Washington native chose Houston over programs such as Nebraska and Maryland.
Holmes Jr played five games last season including the bowl game but was still able to retain his redshirt status due to a one-year bowl game participation waiver. The Houston-Westfield native produced 6 tackles, 5 solo and half a tackle for loss. The high 3-star prospect amassed over 125 total tackles in his three prep years, including a breakout year in 2021 in which he produced 96 tackles, 54 solo and 26 TFL as a senior
Hunt has both the size and quickness to play all three positions along the defensive line. A transfer from Michigan State, the former 4-star recruit played in 23 career games with five starts (three at DE and two at DT) in his four seasons at East Lansing. The Belleville High (Belleville, Mich.) has 19 career tackles, 12 solo, and two for loss.
Benton is another “Doug Belk special,” IE an “undersized” highly ranked 3-star prospect out of Georgia (Newton). He chose “Sack Ave” over programs such as Texas, Arkansas, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Tennessee and Penn State. At “just” over 6-feet, the 290-pound defensive lineman at either end or the 3-tech DT spot using his leverage and power to get up field quickly. In his three seasons at Newton High (he spent his Jr season at famed IMG Academy in Florida), Benton racked up 49 total TFL and 24 sacks. He also played at running back and punted over his prep career in the Atlanta suburb.
Robbins played in 7 games last season, amassing 13 total tackles, 2 for loss and a pass breakup at Northeast Mississippi CC. The Imhotep Institute Charter product (Philadelphia, Pa.) didn’t play the season before at Ole Miss where he committed as a 3-star prospect, choosing the Rebels over programs such as Georgia, Texas A&M, Auburn, Tennessee and Michigan. What intrigues me about Robbins is his weight loss, as he was listed last season at 305 pounds just two years ago, showing his commitment to the game.
Hakeem Ajijolaiya (6-2, 320, RSr.) is a walk-on who earned more playing time as his career has progressed, seeing 155 snaps last season versus 71 in 2021. The Katy-Tompkins product has played in 28 career games, 25 the past two (13 last year), producing 6 total career tackles, 3 solo, a sack and a fumble recovery.
Next week we take a look at a linebacker core that may lack a leader, stats wise, but is deep and ready to prove itself on the field.