USF Athletics

USF D-Tackles Want to Dominate This Fall

August 10, 2017

By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer

TAMPA, AUG. 10, 2017 – For USF to achieve greatness this season, the Bulls know their rapidly improving defense has to be much better than its 2016 numbers.

It all starts up front, where USF's defensive tackles are working to become extraordinary under the guidance of new position coach Sean Cronin.

"I don't expect them to play like normal," Cronin said after fall practice No. 13 Thursday morning. "When you turn on the film, I don't want them to look like every D-lineman. I want them to look like they have exceptional effort."

To accomplish the feat, Cronin is looking to rotate up to five Bulls on the inside throughout games this season to keep the standard high. Fortunately for USF, it's developing a lot of solid depth this fall with veteran upperclassmen leading the way.

One player jumping right out during 11-on-11 action has been senior Deadrin Senat, who has already gained national attention on the Nagurski and Outland preseason watch lists. The summer 2017 graduate and Immokalee, Fla., native led USF's linemen last season with 49 tackles and seven tackles for loss en route to all-conference honors.

Not very vocal in the past, Senat has upped his game in the leadership department this fall to push USF's defensive line to get the most of every practice.

"If we want to be the great defense we strive to be, that Coach (Charlie) Strong wants us to be, that we want to be, then we have to work every day to get that," Senat said. "I feel like we're on the right path to it."

Valuable senior leadership on the interior of the line is also coming from Bruce Hector, who started 12 games last season. The Tampa native tied for the team lead in sacks the past two seasons (6.0 in 2016) and he's bringing the pressure yet again this fall.

"We're always going to keep everybody in check and make sure everybody is doing the right thing," Hector said. "We know what it takes and we have to make sure everybody is onboard."

Another player leading by example on the inside is junior Kevin Bronson, a 23-game veteran from Delray Beach, Fla., who posted six tackles for loss last season. Cronin also knows he will get production from sophomore Marlon Gonzalez (Cape Coral, Fla.), who gained seven games of experience in 2016.

Three weeks into camp, Cronin has given the defensive tackle group glowing reviews because of their steady progress.

"I'm seeing better effort, I'm seeing better understanding," he said. "I'm seeing better communication and I think they're starting to really learn coach's defense. It's starting to really slow down for them."

Young Talent Emerging at D-Tackle
Cronin is finding out the future is bright with some of USF's younger defensive tackles working to show they can play right away.

Freshmen Kevin Kegler (Madison, Fla.) and Kelvin Pinkney (Sarasota) are showing they have the physical ability to get the job done. Cronin also likes what redshirt freshman Mi'Cario Stanley (Cape Coral), a converted linebacker, is bringing to the table after gaining nearly 50 pounds last season to get up to 274.

"He's a guy that moved to defensive line in the spring," Cronin said. "It was new to him, he was really a fish out of water. Now he's starting to figure it out and it's starting to slow down for him."

Regardless if they're veterans or emerging talent, one notable observation regarding defensive tackles this fall is their ability to play both inside and outside on the line.

"Those guys have to be somewhat multitalented because we're going to cross train them at a couple positions," Cronin said. "Within those positions, the different stuff we ask them to do, they have to be pretty special guys to play the D-line here."

Bulls Get After It Thursday Morning
USF's Aug. 26 season opener at San Jose State is approaching fast and you can tell the Bulls are itching to hit someone other than their teammates.

Thursday's 11-on-11 red zone work took on a WWE Royal Rumble feel, with plenty of punishment delivered on both sides of the ball. Senior cornerback Deatrick Nichols' pads popped running back D'Ernest Johnson so loudly, the sound could be heard from the Morsani Complex walkway.

"It's getting competitive out there," Kevin Bronson said. "A lot of talking was going on, but also it was getting good work in. Everybody was having fun and competing."

USF's offense showed some physicality of its own, particular junior receiver Tyre McCants (5-11, 236), who threw defenders off him near the goal line during a touchdown reception. Running back Jordan Cronkrite (5-11, 205) also trucked through a couple defenders on a run after grinding out an 8-yard touchdown on the ground.

"You know how you sharpen iron?" Deadrin Senat said. "You put it in the fire, you take it out and you stomp on it. Then you put it right back in the fire and I feel that's exactly what Coach Strong is doing. He's putting us in the fire, he's letting us know we gotta grind day-in and day-out."

Bulls Bits

• A scout from the Jacksonville Jaguars was at practice for the second straight practice Thursday. Representatives from the Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins and New York Jets also have watched the Bulls work this week.
• After picking off a pass Wednesday, linebacker Jimmy Bayes (Immokalee, Fla.) made another big play Thursday with a sack during 11-on-11 action.

Up Next
USF will put its fifth practice of the week on tape Friday morning in a session that will be closed to the public. Supporters can catch Saturday's practice, which will mark the beginning of the Fan Day experience.
 
 
ABOUT USF FOOTBALL
USF finished the 2016 season ranked No. 19 in the Associated Press poll with a school-record 11 wins following the program's fifth-ever bowl victory in the Birmingham Bowl. The Bulls' 11-2 record marked the fifth-best winning percentage in FBS football in 2016 and one of just 11 teams to reach 11 wins. USF set nearly 40 team and individual records in 2016, including team records for total yards (6,650), rushing yards (3,714), touchdowns (77) and scoring (569). Junior quarterback Quinton Flowers was named the American Conference Offensive Player of the Year and led a school-record 10 players named to the all-conference team, six of which, including Flowers, will return in 2017. 

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