Akron An entire new coaching staff can be rough on players. Luckily, defensive coordinator Curt Mallory has Almondo Sewell to help smooth the transition. Staying true to his positions namesake, the senior tackle made 53 stops last season to lead the defensive line. Junior defensive end Hasan Hazime and junior tackle James Harvey also return as starters for 2010. Coaches have yet to name the defensive end opposite Hazime.
Bowling Green With three of the four defensive linemen returning, it may prove difficult for any team to run the ball against the Falcons. Seniors Angelo Magnone and Darius Smith will man the end positions. Junior Kevin Alvarado and sophomore Chris Jones will return at the tackle spots. Magnone led the line last year in tackles with 43.
Buffalo Defensive tackle Anel Montanez will be charged with leading an inexperienced defensive line for head coach Jeff Quinn. The fifth-year senior has started all 26 games over the last two seasons. The only other returning starter will be sophomore Steven Means, who tallied 25 tackles last year and led the team with five sacks
Kent State With 16 career sacks, defensive end Monte Simmons needs 9.5 this year to break the school record for most in a career. Nose tackle Quinton Rainey is expected to help Simmons anchor the defensive line as the only other returning starter. Junior defensive tackle Ishmaa’ily Kitchen and fifth-year senior end Zach Williams are most likely to take the two available positions.
Miami (OH) Just because you’re a returning starter doesn’t mean your going to start this year for the RedHawks defensive line. For a defensive unit that ranked 101st against the run last year, no ones job is safe heading into 2010. Redshirt freshman Jason Semmes and junior Morris Council will look to take over at end for Mike Johns and Matt Kajmowicz. On the inside, defensive coordinator Carl Reese projects junior Jordain Brown and sophomore Austin Brown to start at the tackle positions.
Ohio Youth and inexperience are concepts unfamiliar to the defensive line in Ohio. The Bobcats have four senior starters on the line heading into the 2010 season. At defensive end, there will be Dak Notestine and Stafford Gatling. On the interior of the line, the Bobcats will go with Ernie Hodge and Marcellis Williamson.
Temple Reigning MAC defensive player of the year Adrian Robinson will look to continue his dominance at defensive end in what will be his junior campaign. Robinson totaled 13 sacks in 2009 to lead the Owls and the MAC. At nose tackle, the Owls will have to move on without three time All-MAC recipient Andre Neblett. The frontrunners to replace him are redshirt freshman Levi Brown and senior Elisha Joseph.