Defensive line
Defensive End
Jalen Graves, Jr.
Adam Plant, Jr.
Nick Dehdashtian, Sr.
Nate Neal, Sr.
Defensive Tackle
Kolo Uasike, Sr.
Chris Manoa, Jr.
Tavis Malakius, Sr.
Eliel Ehimare, Sr.
A unit that couldn’t generate a pass rush at all now loses the one guy, Gabe McCoy, who’d proved he could do that at least a little bit. The competition for spots in the rotation, especially at the end spots, should be fierce. Uasike and Manoa, as the only 300-pound bodies on the spring roster, should man the interior.
Linebacker
Jacoby Windman, Soph.
Austin Ajiake, Jr.
Farrell Hester II, Sr.
Vic Viramontes, Sr.
Malakai Salu, Soph.
Kyle Beaudry, Soph.
The defense’s strength is more or less starting over in 2020, so finding answers here will probably take time. Windmon saw starting time when Gabe McCoy was unavailable last fall, so the new coaching staff might give him every opportunity to lock down that BUCK-type role. Overall, there’s plenty of a potential for a youth movement in this unit.
Cornerback
Aaron Lewis, Sr.
Alex Perry, Sr.
Jamel Hamm, Soph.
Jeremiah Houston, Jr.
The secondary was relatively stable and mostly fine, but replacing an athlete like Jericho Flowers will be tough. Lewis is a safe bet to at least start atop the depth chart after receiving playing time all year and four starts down the stretch. Houston, a juco transfer, could come in and compete right away, while Perry remains a tantalizing wild card.
Safety
Free Safety
Greg Francis, Sr.
Drew Tejchman, Sr.
Strong Safety
Bryce Jackson, Jr.
Christian Minor, Sr.
The race to start at free safety should be an interesting one since Tejchman started the year at that position before suffering a season-ending injury. Jackson, meanwhile, looks primed for a shot to lock down the other spot over the next couple years,
Kicker
Daniel Gutierrez, Sr.
Nathan De Jager, Sr.
Gutierrez may not have performed at quite the same level as some of his Mountain West peers, but it doesn’t seem like there’s much reason for his job to be in jeopardy. De Jager may give him a run, but he couldn’t win the starting job at Fresno State back in 2016.
Punter
Evan Silva, Soph.
Daniel Gutierrez, Sr.
There’s a non-zero chance that the Rebels turn to Gutierrez for double duty in replacing Hayes Hicken, since Silva is the only other punting specialist currently on the roster.
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