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2013 ROSTER PREVIEW
-DEFENSE-
SENIOR LINEBACKERS TOM TERRY (RIGHT) AND CHRIS KINIRY (LEFT) LEAD AN EXPERIENCED DEFENSE
-DEFENSE-
SENIOR LINEBACKERS TOM TERRY (RIGHT) AND CHRIS KINIRY (LEFT) LEAD AN EXPERIENCED DEFENSE
DEFENSIVE LINE (DE/DT)
Lawrence Castillo recorded 45 tackles and two sacks last season, and returns to the starting lineup for his final collegiate year. Joining him will be junior Ryan Downs, who replaces recently graduated starter Jason Guidry. Castillo's graduation at the end of the year will signal what is sure to be a fierce competition for the vacant starting spot between junior Michael Higdon, and true freshmen Reggie Lacey and Rodney Anderson. At defensive tackle, Sam Browning returns as the team's #1 guy at the position. Joining him will be JUCO transfer Bryan Martindale, who is in his first year with the team. With all four of the team's defensive tackles currently in their junior season, the Outlaws will redshirt JUCO transfer Perry Lynch to leave them with at least one experienced defensive tackle in 2015.
RECRUITING: The Outlaws will target just one player on the defensive line: three-star prospect Josh Brown out of Mount Pleasant, Texas, who has shown excellent pass rushing skills in high school.
LINEBACKER CORPS (OLB/MLB)
As the undisputed leaders of the defense, Chris Kiniry (OLB) and Tom Terry (MLB) combined for 139 tackles, four sacks, and two forced fumbles last year. This season, they'll be joined by second-year freshman Clay Miller (OLB), who replaces the recently graduated Luke Pace in the starting lineup. Waiting in the wings to replace Kiniry and Terry once they graduate at the end of 2013 are freshmen Thomas Robinson (OLB) and Antoine Pitts (MLB).
RECRUITING: The team was already short one player at outside linebacker, and will lose two more seniors after this year. WTU hopes to bring in three players at the position: three-star prospects Thomas Payne, Ronald Allen, and Darrell Palmer, all Texas natives who have the Outlaws listed as one of their top three schools. At middle linebacker, the team will target three-star prospect Willie Foreman of Port Arthur, TX to replace Tom Terry.
CORNERBACK
Five of the team's six cornerbacks last season have graduated, giving the Outlaws a dramatically different (and inexperienced) secondary this year. Thomas Bray will be #1 on the depth chart following a redshirt last season, and will be joined by three-star recruits Zach West at #2, and Nate Williams as nickelback. JUCO transfer Bryan Bowser rounds out the depth chart, with true freshman Brian Clemons and Jermaine Hall taking a redshirt in 2013.
RECRUITING: The plus side to having such a young secondary is that the team can focus their recruiting attention elsewhere. Don't expect any new recruits here for the next three years, unless a real gem of a player shows interest in the team.
SAFETY (FS/SS)
After combining for 108 tackles last season, seniors A.J. Smart (FS) and Alfred Billings (SS) return as the team's starters once again in 2013. They'll be backed up by junior Aaron Gibbons (FS) and second-year freshman Justin Williams (SS). True freshmen Taylor Bentley (FS) and Lawrence Carlson (SS) will both redshirt this season in anticipation of taking over the starting job next season.
RERUITING: The Outlaws hope to land three-star prospects Erik Jack (FS) and Joel Little (SS), both of whom list WTU as the top school right now.
SPECIAL TEAMS (K/P/RET)
Senior Caleb Reynolds and sophomore Clint Weaver return as the special teams leaders at kicker and punter, respectively. Third-year sophomore Vernon Weaver will spend yet another season on the bench, but should step into the starting spot at kicker once Reynolds graduates at the end of this season. Meanwhile, senior wide receiver C.J. Bellamy will take over the return duties after seeing some limited action at the position behind Jared Ingram last year.
RERUITING: The team is currently targeting two-star prospect Miguel Witherspoon (P) out of Dallas, TX to fill the hole left by the graduating Caleb Reynolds.
TOTAL RECRUITING TARGETS: 8
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