Position Preview: Defensive Line
9/4/2010 12:18:09 AM | Football
ABILENE – If there's a word that would describe ACU's defensive line, the one that leaps to the mind of head coach Chris Thomsen is 'disruptive.'
And there's good reason that's the word he immediately thinks of when describing his front line.
Junior defensive end Aston Whiteside, senior nose tackle Marvin Jones and senior defensive Fred Thompson form the core of one of the strongest position groups on the 2010 ACU football team. All were all-conference performers in 2009 with Whiteside earning all-region honors.
He's already been selected as the Lone Star Conference South Division Pre-Season Player of the Year and a pre-season NCAA Division II all-America.
Jones is a force against the run and Thompson – perhaps the most overlooked player on ACU's defense – is equally adept at defending the run or the pass. Thompson slides back down to defensive end for his senior season after playing at outside linebacker in 2009.
"That entire group is so disruptive," Thomsen said. "We see it every day in practice. It's hard to maintain blocks on those guys for very long. We went that front line to be disruptive and let others make plays."
One of the things Thomsen talked to Whiteside about after the 2009 season was his need to get stronger to carry him through the season. In two seasons, Whiteside doesn't have a sack in four playoff games, something that has to change for the Wildcats to reach their ultimate goal.
Thomsen, however, believes that Whiteside is ready to take the next step in his development.
"He's always been a good worker, but he's taken it to another level from January through now," Thomsen said. "He has that maturity that a guy in his fourth year in our program should have. We need him to be a guy who leads us, and he's stepped up to that challenge."
Thomsen said he believes junior transfer Donald Moore could be another force at defensive end behind Thompson, while Derek Odelusi and Austin January also provide stability at the end spot. MIke Jones -- who dropped 30 pounds in the off-season to get down to 330 pounds -- and freshman T.R. Varnado will provide excellent depth at nose tackle.
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