UC Davis 2019 Preseason Preview: Defensive Line
Aug 19, 2019, 2:36 PM | Updated: 2:36 pm
DAVIS,
Calif. — For defensive line coach Brandon Huppert, now in his third season on
the UC Davis football staff, an outsider can gauge the performance of his corps
simply by what they see on screen.
“I just want people to turn on the film and say our guys went full-speed the
entire game,” he said. “They’ll say they are competitors, they are physical as
all get out, they play a complete game and they out-hit everybody. That’s what
I want our reputation to be. That’s what we put our stamp on when stopping the
run and creating sacks.”
On the stat sheet, halting opposing ground games and terrorizing quarterbacks
certainly were unlocked achievements during the Aggies’ historic 2018 season.
UC Davis ranked fourth in the Big Sky Conference in rushing defense at 185.4
yards per game, while the team’s 37 sacks ranked second in the league and
marked the highest total by the program since 2002 – when the Aggies were in
their final Division II season.
Best yet, Huppert has his most experienced crew since his arrival at UC Davis
in 2017. Seniors Jordan Franklin and Roland Ocansey are returning starters who
each earned 4.5 tackles-for-losses and 2.5 sacks a season ago. Bryce Rodgers
ranked among D-line leaders with 35 tackles in 2017 but sat out last year. He
is a welcome return to the unit, as is De’Andre Morgan, who saw action as a
true freshman in 2017 but also missed 2018 due to injury.
Program veterans Nick Fehrenbach, Brandon Jamison and Doug Drakeley also have
one more year of collegiate football to apply their experience. Drakeley has
perhaps the most unusual journey to this point: he arrived at UC Davis from
nearby Vista del Lago High School in 2010, then attended Folsom Lake College
before serving five years as an airborne infantryman in the U.S. Army. Thanks
to NCAA rules, military service does not count against a student-athlete’s
eligibility “clock,” giving Drakeley one more year of college football.
Huppert cited two returning players who made contributions in 2018, but whose
improved play will create added opportunities in the upcoming year, namely
Andrew Wilson (13 tackles, 0.5 sacks) and Fabian Hunkin (6 tackles). Meanwhile,
count on redshirt freshman Josiah Suani to push Franklin for some reps at nose
tackle this season.
Ultimately, Huppert cites depth and experience as the D-line’s greatest
strengths, and plans on using them accordingly. Like his fellow coaches of
other Aggie position groups, he adapts to the team’s uptempo style by rotating
more players onto the field.
“You may not be listed as the game-day starter,” Huppert says, “but you’ll
still probably get close to as many reps as that guy. And based on how we
structure the defense through different sub personnels and packages, guys will
carve out roles in situations were they can be successful. Not everyone can
rush the passer, but not everyone can two-gap and stop the run. It’s nice being
able to have those different pieces, and it’s up to us as coaches to put them
in the right positions to be successful.”
UC Davis, which comes off a 10-3 season and defends a Big Sky Conference
co-championship, will see its first action of 2019 on August 31 at
California.
Note: this Part 5 in a series previewing each UC Davis position group, leading
up to the week of the August 31 opener at Cal.
