The Houston defensive line lost a couple of key starters this off-season: Carlos Allen and Eddie Walls. But defensive line coach Oscar Giles is optimistic about the players they brought in since January.
“The depth is more than we had last year. We had maybe 3 or 4 guys that you saw. You’ll probably see a lot more guys. Hopefully!” said defensive line coach Oscar Giles.
Returning players
Part of that depth are returning players Khalil Laufau, Brandon Mack, and Latreveon McCutchin. Laufau was a steady presence last season, starting 12 games, and has taken snaps with the first team back to spring ball. I expect him to start again this season. Laufau was recently named to the Outland Trophy preseason watchlist.
For clarity, we’ll discuss the Jack position as part of the defensive line. Mack started the last nine games of the season at Jack. He’ll get a lot of work there this season, his eighth of college football. He posted a solid run-defense grade of 75.0, according to PFF. I’d expect to see him a lot on early downs and obvious run situations.
McCutchin started the first four games of last season before settling in a reserve role. He played in 12 games and logged 379 snaps. In his 51 coverage snaps, McCutchin posted a team-high grade of 86.5. He showcased his athletic ability and versatility, especially with his pick-six against UCF. This is another opportunity for me to say, I think this is his year to step up if he can consistently perform.
Myles Parker, Quindario Lee and Travis Buhake are a few other players returning from last season that Giles mentioned. He pointed out that Buhake is up from 265 pounds to “295-300” and still moving just as well.
Portal Newcomers
Houston used the portal to add depth at defensive end. Ashton Porter, Ejiro Egodogbare, and De’Marion Thomas were players General Manager Wes Fritz and his staff identified to improve the defensive front. All three appear to have earned a role this season, with Porter and Thomas likely starting.
Teammates continue to praise Porter and have done so since his arrival in the spring. Giles referenced Porter’s passion as an asset: “the temperature rises when he’s in the room.” There’s a lot of excitement surrounding the former Cy Ranch standout and what he will do for the Coogs this year.
Thomas will likely start up front next to Laufau. In July, he told me that he is down from 340 pounds to 325. His length in the trenches will be a welcome asset, as will his quickness at this size. While not an exact replacement for Carlos Allen, he can do similar things with a bigger frame.
Giles talked about the importance of having longer bodies up front:
Freshman Standout
A few of the incoming freshmen up front have made a good impression early on. Xavier Fleming and Kaleb Walker have progressed well so far. Their coaches have mentioned their names across fall camp, but the standout of the group has been Isaiah Broughton. Broughton is a 6’4” 340-pound beast.
“It’s hard to find those types of guys like him, walking around this planet: long, rangy, can run, change direction, and he has a little nastiness to him,” Giles told me.
Giles recruited Isaiah’s older brother Vernon when he coached at Texas. He remembers meeting Isaiah as a young kid and predicted he would be even bigger than his NFL-bound brother.
During pass-rush reps, Broughton regularly drove offensive linemen back off the line, collapsing the pocket and forcing the quarterback to scramble. His ability to win off the line will help free up other players when he gets on the field.
Giles said he has the physical strength to play the position, but like all young players, Broughton is still learning and will have to earn his opportunities. As the season goes on, I think it will be hard to keep him off the field.
Outlook
Giles likes where the group is overall, but it’s early, and there is still work to do.
“We still got two more weeks of work to decide who is gonna be on that first bus,” Giles said. But relative to last season, the depth along the front line has improved. And moving forward, fans have reason for optimism for this season, and even further out. Just ask the defensive line coach:
“The future is bright.”
