4. Akron Zips College Football Preview 2021: Defense
– The defense had a rough go. It didn’t give up a ton of passing yards, but it also didn’t come up with any big plays, didn’t generate a lick of pressure, and with a total disaster against the run. Ten starters are back, though, and like the offensive side, it was young and developing.
– Start with the positives – the Zips have a few keepers in the secondary. The corner tandem of Randy Cochran and former safety AJ Watts – who was second on the team in tackles and came up with the team’s only two interceptions – should be one of the team’s biggest strengths.
There’s help on the way from the JUCO ranks to go along with former Michigan Wolverine Jaylen Kelly-Powell, a decent-tackling safety who made 18 stops. Adetutu Daranijo finished fourth on the team with 23 tackles.
– The pass rush needs options up front. The front three isn’t going to do a lot to get into the backfield, and it has to be night-and-day better against the run, but there’s size and bulk around 6-3, 285-pound sophomore Bryce Wilson on the nose and 284-pound Eric Bentley at one end.
5-9, 205-pound is built like a big safety, but he’s the main man on the inside of the linebacking corps with a team-high 74 stops. He’s also one of the only Zips who can get behind the line. 6-1, 210-pound Brandon Bischof is the other tackler on the inside, and there’s depth for a rotation on the outside.
– What You Need To Know: Offense
– Top Players | Keys To The Season
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Akron Zips Schedule Analysis