Big South DBs 2015

[bjtheflamesfan]

As teams across the country have now put on their pads (except probably the Ivies) and begin preparation in earnest for their respective 2015 season openers, we move to the final defensive position group, the football team's air patrol, aka the defensive backs

Charleston Southern
Malcolm Jackson 49 Tackles (33 Solo) 4.0 TFL 0 Sacks 4 INT
Davion Anderson 32 Tackles (22 Solo) 3.5 TFL 2.5 Sacks 3 INT

Jackson and Anderson are the top 2 on the stat sheet returning for an outstanding group in 2015, allowing only 882 yards through the air in conference and just over 2000 total yards, but also watch out for Troy McGowens, who finished tied for the team lead in INTs last year.

Coastal Carolina

Kamron Summers 51 Tackles (39 Solo) 0.5 TFL 0 Sacks 3 INT
Richie Sampson 40 Tackles (31 Solo) 4.0 TFL 0 Sacks 1 INT

Summers and Sampson lead the way for the returning Chants, but a name to watch out for with this group is Ray Lewis III, a transfer from Miami (FL). If that name AND school are both familiar to you, its because he is the son of former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis Jr., who also played for "the U". I will defer to Ibanez and Chants nation for input on how he is doing so far in camp, but I do expect him to have an impact, especially with Sampson coming off an injury shortened 2014 campaign where he only played in 7 games.

Gardner-Webb

Ivan Toomer 54 Tackles (36 Solo) 2.0 TFL 0 Sacks 1 INT 2014 BIg SOuth All-Conference Second Team)
Adam Johnson 27 Tackles (12 Solo)

Toomer returns as the top dog for the GWU this year after earning second team all-conference honors matching up with the #1 receiver for the opponent last year much of the time. Johnson only played 9 games last year, and they will lean heavily on the experience of this group to keep them in a lot of games this year

Kennesaw State

Phillip Staples
Dante Blackmon

Liberty
Wesley Scott 49 Tackles (29 Solo) 3.5 TFL 0 Sacks 1 INT
Justin GUillory 45 Tackles (26 Solo) 3.0 TFL

THe Flames lose a lot from this group with Kenny Scott, Jacob Hagen, and Gary Sampson (dismissed from team) all gone from last year's squad. There is a good bit of experience returning though led by the junior Scott. Also look for Tyrin Holloway, Avery James (who is a safety/linebacker hybrid) and a host of others all looking to step up and fill the void left by those three.

Monmouth
Mike Basile 78 Tackles (59 Solo) 4.0 TFL 1.0 Sacks 4 INT (2014 Big South All Conference First Team AND Freshman of the Year)
Marcus Leslie 40 Tackles (28 Solo)

Basile is an all-American candidate for the Hawks after an outstanding first season and will probably get the #1 assignment in most games. Leslie returns as well, along with a lot of experience, including team INT leader Joe Johnson.

Presbyterian
Ed Britt 72 Tackles (53 Solo) 5.0 TFL 3 INT (2014 Big South All Conference First Team
SHonquille Byers 43 Tackles (38 Solo) 1.0 TFL 3 INT

Britt and Byers lead the way for this group, with Kevin Crawford the only other senior on the roster. With 10 Freshmen (or Redshirt Freshmen) on the roster, the Hose will lean heavily on their upperclassmen experience to help them come along and keep them in games as the defense did last year.

Rankings
1. Ed Britt PC
2 Mike Basile, Monmouth
3. Ivan Toomer GWU
4. Kamron Summers CCU
5. Wesley Scott Liberty
6. Malcolm Jackson CSU
7. Richie Sampson CCU
8. Justin Guillory LU
9. Phillip Staples KSU
10. Adam Johnson GWU

Only one more group before we reveal my official game-by-game predictions, and that is the special teams. which comes next week.

[bodoyle]

Sampson's shoulder is still not 100% and is not going to start the season and may not play all year from what I've read/heard.

[Ibanez]

As teams across the country have now put on their pads (except probably the Ivies) and begin preparation in earnest for their respective 2015 season openers, we move to the final defensive position group, the football team's air patrol, aka the defensive backs

Charleston Southern
Malcolm Jackson 49 Tackles (33 Solo) 4.0 TFL 0 Sacks 4 INT
Davion Anderson 32 Tackles (22 Solo) 3.5 TFL 2.5 Sacks 3 INT

Jackson and Anderson are the top 2 on the stat sheet returning for an outstanding group in 2015, allowing only 882 yards through the air in conference and just over 2000 total yards, but also watch out for Troy McGowens, who finished tied for the team lead in INTs last year.

Coastal Carolina

Kamron Summers 51 Tackles (39 Solo) 0.5 TFL 0 Sacks 3 INT
Richie Sampson 40 Tackles (31 Solo) 4.0 TFL 0 Sacks 1 INT

Summers and Sampson lead the way for the returning Chants, but a name to watch out for with this group is Ray Lewis III, a transfer from Miami (FL). If that name AND school are both familiar to you, its because he is the son of former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis Jr., who also played for "the U". I will defer to Ibanez and Chants nation for input on how he is doing so far in camp, but I do expect him to have an impact, especially with Sampson coming off an injury shortened 2014 campaign where he only played in 7 games.

Gardner-Webb

Ivan Toomer 54 Tackles (36 Solo) 2.0 TFL 0 Sacks 1 INT 2014 BIg SOuth All-Conference Second Team)
Adam Johnson 27 Tackles (12 Solo)

Toomer returns as the top dog for the GWU this year after earning second team all-conference honors matching up with the #1 receiver for the opponent last year much of the time. Johnson only played 9 games last year, and they will lean heavily on the experience of this group to keep them in a lot of games this year

Kennesaw State

Phillip Staples
Dante Blackmon

Liberty
Wesley Scott 49 Tackles (29 Solo) 3.5 TFL 0 Sacks 1 INT
Justin GUillory 45 Tackles (26 Solo) 3.0 TFL

THe Flames lose a lot from this group with Kenny Scott, Jacob Hagen, and Gary Sampson (dismissed from team) all gone from last year's squad. There is a good bit of experience returning though led by the junior Scott. Also look for Tyrin Holloway, Avery James (who is a safety/linebacker hybrid) and a host of others all looking to step up and fill the void left by those three.

Monmouth
Mike Basile 78 Tackles (59 Solo) 4.0 TFL 1.0 Sacks 4 INT (2014 Big South All Conference First Team AND Freshman of the Year)
Marcus Leslie 40 Tackles (28 Solo)

Basile is an all-American candidate for the Hawks after an outstanding first season and will probably get the #1 assignment in most games. Leslie returns as well, along with a lot of experience, including team INT leader Joe Johnson.

Presbyterian
Ed Britt 72 Tackles (53 Solo) 5.0 TFL 3 INT (2014 Big South All Conference First Team
SHonquille Byers 43 Tackles (38 Solo) 1.0 TFL 3 INT

Britt and Byers lead the way for this group, with Kevin Crawford the only other senior on the roster. With 10 Freshmen (or Redshirt Freshmen) on the roster, the Hose will lean heavily on their upperclassmen experience to help them come along and keep them in games as the defense did last year.

Rankings
1. Ed Britt PC
2 Mike Basile, Monmouth
3. Ivan Toomer GWU
4. Kamron Summers CCU
5. Wesley Scott Liberty
6. Malcolm Jackson CSU
7. Richie Sampson CCU
8. Justin Guillory LU
9. Phillip Staples KSU
10. Adam Johnson GWU

Only one more group before we reveal my official game-by-game predictions, and that is the special teams. which comes next week.

Sampson isn't practicing. He's giving his shoulder more time to heal.

[bjtheflamesfan]

Thanks for the update guys. Any word on how Ray Lewis III is doing down in Conway?

[bodoyle]

I have not heard anything one way or the other. I guess we will see when the Depth Chart is released.

[bodoyle]

Here is a little bit about Ray Lewis III.

http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/sports ... rylink=cpy" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Looking for more consistency.