Positional Preview: Defensive Line
Aug 16, 2019 | Football
NEW ORLEANS – In the 125 years of Tulane Football the Green Wave have only surpassed 40 sacks as a team four times in a single season. In 2018, Tulane finished with 41 sacks and 62 percent of those sacks came from Green Wave defensive lineman.
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Tulane defensive lineman also were responsible for 42.5 tackles for loss and 230 tackles.
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So is it really possible for the Green Wave defensive line unit to expect more from this year's unit?
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The answer is a resounding - YES.
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With the return of four starting defensive lineman, the addition of a trio of three-star recruits and a graduate transfer, the Green Wave believe that the 2019 defensive line unit will be even better than last year.
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THE UNIT
-Tulane features 18 players on its defensive line for the start of the 2019 season.
-Returning starters Jeffery Johnson, Patrick Johnson, Cameron Sample and De'Andre Williams have combined to make 51 career starts.
-The Green Wave did lose senior Robert Kennedy to graduation last year. In 2018, Kennedy made 11 appearances and totaled four starts.
-Sample's 14 career starts are the most among any returning defensive lineman.
-Over the offseason, Tulane added graduate transfer Mike Hinton from Columbia. During his four seasons at Columbia, Hinton started in 30 games. He comes to Tulane following a senior season that saw him earn Honorable Mention All-Ivy League honors.
-Tulane also added a trio of three-star freshman recruits in Erik Hicks Jr., Darius Hodges and Armoni Dixon all of whom could see playing time this fall.
-Kevin Peoples begins his fourth season as the team's defensive line coach.Â
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POSITION HIGHLIGHTS
-Tulane's defensive line was ranked as one of the 10 Best Defensive Lines in College Football by Bleacher Report earlier this summer.
-The Green Wave defensive line played a major role in holding opponents to just 147.3 yards per game in 2018.
-Tulane's rushing defense ranked second in The American and 46th among FBS teams.
-The Green Wave averaged 3.15 sacks per game, which ranked first in The American and eighth among FBS teams. Â
-Junior Patrick Johnson will look to build off of his impressive 2018 campaign that saw him earn All-American Athletic Conference Second Team honors.
-Johnson was one of only 11 sophomores selected to The American's all-conference team.
-Johnson also became just the third player in program history to finish the season with double-digit sacks.
-Over the offseason, Johnson has been named to the Watch List for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and the Chuck Bednarik Award.
-Tulane defensive lineman totaled 25.5 sacks in 2018, which surpassed the entire team's total from 2017 (14).
-Sixteen different players on the team had at least half a sack.
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For season ticket information, please call 504-861-WAVE (9283), log on to TulaneTix.com or visit the ticket office at the James W. Wilson Jr. Center.
Download the official mobile app of Tulane Athletics. Now, you can stay in touch with the Green Wave anytime and anywhere on your Android or iOS mobile device.
Follow Tulane football on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @GreenWaveFB. Follow Tulane Athletics on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
WE ARE NOLA BUILT
Tulane University is located in the city of New Orleans. It is a city built on tradition and resiliency. The lessons Green Wave student-athletes have learned through their connection with this university and city have BUILT doctors, lawyers, business leaders, conference champions, all-conference players, All-Americans, professional athletes and NCAA tournament teams. The city of New Orleans has shaped us into who we are today. We are One City. We are Tulane. We are NOLA BUILT. Check out our story at NolaBuilt.com.
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Tulane defensive lineman also were responsible for 42.5 tackles for loss and 230 tackles.
Â
So is it really possible for the Green Wave defensive line unit to expect more from this year's unit?
Â
The answer is a resounding - YES.
Â
With the return of four starting defensive lineman, the addition of a trio of three-star recruits and a graduate transfer, the Green Wave believe that the 2019 defensive line unit will be even better than last year.
Â
THE UNIT
-Tulane features 18 players on its defensive line for the start of the 2019 season.
-Returning starters Jeffery Johnson, Patrick Johnson, Cameron Sample and De'Andre Williams have combined to make 51 career starts.
-The Green Wave did lose senior Robert Kennedy to graduation last year. In 2018, Kennedy made 11 appearances and totaled four starts.
-Sample's 14 career starts are the most among any returning defensive lineman.
-Over the offseason, Tulane added graduate transfer Mike Hinton from Columbia. During his four seasons at Columbia, Hinton started in 30 games. He comes to Tulane following a senior season that saw him earn Honorable Mention All-Ivy League honors.
-Tulane also added a trio of three-star freshman recruits in Erik Hicks Jr., Darius Hodges and Armoni Dixon all of whom could see playing time this fall.
-Kevin Peoples begins his fourth season as the team's defensive line coach.Â
Â
POSITION HIGHLIGHTS
-Tulane's defensive line was ranked as one of the 10 Best Defensive Lines in College Football by Bleacher Report earlier this summer.
-The Green Wave defensive line played a major role in holding opponents to just 147.3 yards per game in 2018.
-Tulane's rushing defense ranked second in The American and 46th among FBS teams.
-The Green Wave averaged 3.15 sacks per game, which ranked first in The American and eighth among FBS teams. Â
-Junior Patrick Johnson will look to build off of his impressive 2018 campaign that saw him earn All-American Athletic Conference Second Team honors.
-Johnson was one of only 11 sophomores selected to The American's all-conference team.
-Johnson also became just the third player in program history to finish the season with double-digit sacks.
-Over the offseason, Johnson has been named to the Watch List for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and the Chuck Bednarik Award.
-Tulane defensive lineman totaled 25.5 sacks in 2018, which surpassed the entire team's total from 2017 (14).
-Sixteen different players on the team had at least half a sack.
Â
For season ticket information, please call 504-861-WAVE (9283), log on to TulaneTix.com or visit the ticket office at the James W. Wilson Jr. Center.
Download the official mobile app of Tulane Athletics. Now, you can stay in touch with the Green Wave anytime and anywhere on your Android or iOS mobile device.
Follow Tulane football on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @GreenWaveFB. Follow Tulane Athletics on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
WE ARE NOLA BUILT
Tulane University is located in the city of New Orleans. It is a city built on tradition and resiliency. The lessons Green Wave student-athletes have learned through their connection with this university and city have BUILT doctors, lawyers, business leaders, conference champions, all-conference players, All-Americans, professional athletes and NCAA tournament teams. The city of New Orleans has shaped us into who we are today. We are One City. We are Tulane. We are NOLA BUILT. Check out our story at NolaBuilt.com.
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Players Mentioned
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