Projecting the Depth Chart on the Defensive Line

The depth chart series continues on with the defensive line today. And since I’m feeling a little frisky, we’ll knock out both defensive tackle and defensive end in one swipe. Here’s how I see things as we stand today and where I think OSU will start the season:

Defensive Tackle

No. 1: Vincent Taylor — Just a year ago, OSU was begging Taylor to take over as the leader of a young defensive line. And a year later, he’s the clear cut veteran and represents the swagger of the group. I’m all for more of this from No. 96:

https://vine.co/v/ibABHWMXPFB

No. 1: Vili Leveni — Leveni is a monster who was primed for a breakout season last year, before an achilles injury sidelined him for 2015. Assuming he stays healthy, he will be a huge part of this groups success. 6-4, 290lbs. doesn’t just grow on trees for OSU. And his 13 games played in 2014 will make him even more valuable this year. I’m expecting a bounce back.

No. 2: Mote Maile — Maile is back for his senior year after a solid junior year coming from Tyler Jr. College. And he’s Mr. Reliable in the middle. He’s a guy who was forced into an expanded role last year with Leveni suffering an injury, and he’s all the better for it this year.

No. 2: Darrion Daniels — Sugar Loaf is riding in off a monster true freshman year. He has a lot of more experienced guys in front of him, but I don’t think there’s any question he’s the next big thing in this group. He’s an NFL caliber talent who could take another step forward in 2016.

No. 3: DeQuinton Osborne — A JUCO All-American ready to contribute? That would be a luxury. And more than likely, he will. It’s no slight that I have him slotted here, it’s just a testament to the depth of this group. This very well could change (or he could be on first team and I could be totally wrong!)

No. 3: Eric Davis — Experience and leadership were key in having Davis last year while the defensive tackle depth suffered after losing Leveni, but now with this group he’ll be counted on and definitely qualifies in the “quality depth” category.

SUMMARY: The defensive tackle group is a legitimate three deep, and I don’t think there’s a whole lot of difference between Osborne, the former Baylor commit, and the No. 1 squad. He’ll have a learning curve being at the D1 level coming from JUCO, but I’d be comfortable seeing him getting meaningful snaps. From top to bottom, this is one of the most talented groups on the entire roster. The tricky part is figuring out who gets how many snaps and when. Luckily, Glenn Spencer gets paid to do that and not me.

Defensive End

No. 1: Jarrell Owens — The former running back is ready to make the leap in year 3 of the program. And with Ogbah and Bean out, he’ll be thrust into a major role this year. Last year, his defining moment came when Ogbah was forced to sit after losing his helmet. And Owens made a heroic play on fourth down to stop Jerrod Heard. Now is his chance to make those plays on a more consistent basis.

No. 1: Jordan Brailford — If Jarrell Owens is the one defensive player everyone’s talking about, then Brailford is the one no one’s talking about but should be. The former Booker T. Washington product is primed for a breakout year and has big shoes to fill with Jimmy Bean and Ogbah gone.

No. 2: Trey Carter — …and this is the guy Brailford is competing against. Trey Carter, who calls himself “The Motor”, is an aggressive end who would be considered “raw but talented.” This man will get some good playing time this year in the rotation. If he catches a groove, I think he can be a force off the edge. It’s more of a ‘1B’ rating I’m giving him here.

No. 2: Cole Walterscheid — The underrated 2014 recruit that no one gave much of a look to, Walterscheid has done well to transform his body since stepping foot on campus. He made it to Stillwater at 6-6, 210, and is now sitting at 6-6 254 on the okstate roster. We’d be talking more about him coming into the season if an injury didn’t derail his 2015 season.

No. 3: Tralund Webber — This is a guy whose a bit of an unknown at the moment for me. JUCO guy who came in this summer, I suspect they don’t have high expectations for him early on. There’s an acclimation period jumping to Div. I but he’s a guy who got a lot of looks from Blinn College. He’ll be a contributor and *should* be able to really start making leaps toward conference play.

SUMMARY: The DE position is in a similar position to last season’s defensive tackle, where there is no clear cut leader and uncertainty abounds. Just like last year, a ton of untapped, young potential is in the midst and should be a fun development as the season progresses. They may be lost on the field but they’ll definitely give the effort if Coach Spencer has anything to say about it.