July 24, 2006

Editor's Note: This preview of Texas State's defensive line positions is the seventh in a series of insights into the 2006 Texas State football season.

SAN MARCOS - With the loss of Fred Evans and Travis Upshaw, returning two-year starter Nick Clark at defensive end and heir-apparent to the nose guard position, Ramel Borner, will be the glue which holds a fast, quick and strong defensive line together.

Clark recorded 51 tackles a year ago to go along with two quarterback sacks and five tackles for lost yards.

"Nick has shown the most improvement in speed during the off season," said Texas State defensive line coach Kyle Tietz. "He has been good in the weight room and has incredible field awareness."

Last year, Borner benefited from Texas State using a two-platoon system for its interior linemen and gained a wealth of game experience despite playing behind an all-conference pick. He finished just outside the top 10 in tackles, registering 30 stops, including a quarterback sack during the year. He also had a 31-yard fumble return against Texas A&M.

"We're excited about Ramel's future," Tietz said. "I think he has the opportunity to step in and continue to get better. This spring he did a great job helping (red-shirted freshman) Clifford Gardner become a better player."

Gardner is expected to back up Borner at nose guard this season. He continues to figure out the nose guard position and with his explosiveness, great hips, speed and quickness expectations are high for the rookie.

Wellington Deshield continues to show his versatility for the Bobcats as he makes the adjustment from defensive end to the projected starter at defensive tackle. The athletic and strong junior came to Texas State as a fullback and after seeing time on both sides of the ball as a true freshman, settled into a role last year playing primarily on rushing downs as a defensive end.

"Wellington has had a great attitude about everything," Tietz said. "He, like most athletes, wants to know how he can get on the field the quickest. A lot of techniques to being a defensive tackle come naturally to him and he has a great chance to excel there."

Last year the Hockley native registered 18 total tackles, including three for lost yards.

Heading into preseason camp, sophomore Donovan King will move back out to defensive end from playing defensive tackle in the spring. He took reps as a defensive tackle to give him an opportunity to learn the language and responsibilities which come from playing the position. But now he will be back in the mix of a talented pool at the defensive end position.

Nate Langford returns at right defensive end where he has started the past two seasons and battled with Arizona State transfer Mark Washington throughout the spring.

Langford recorded 34 tackles last season and was credited with a pair of quarterback sacks. Washington played as a true freshman at Arizona State. Also in the mix at defensive end is Blinn Junior College transfer Julian Humble.

"Both Julian Humble and Mark Washington are capable of playing either defensive end position," Tietz said. "Mark possesses great speed, incredible talent and is a very explosive player. With a little more time working on technique, he should be one of the top pass rushers in the group.

"The good thing is all of the guys are very competitive, which is something we have struggled with in the past at that position."

"The depth has made for some real good competition," added defensive coordinator Craig Naivar. "Langford and Clark are hard workers and not complacent guys. But from Day 1 of spring ball, there has been someone nipping at their tail and that has been good. Competition has made us a lot better at that position. We will be a lot better at that position this year."

Players such as Clark, Langford or Washington could easily walk back into more of a linebacker role whether it be blitzing or simple coverages.

"We already drop our defensive ends in zone blitzes," Naivar said. "We'll keep it simple for them but we can do some different things with them. We will mix it up."

Both Sam Martin and Freddy Paige are a pair of underclassemen who are both extremely hard workers and could battle for playing time this fall.

Texas State Notes
The Southland Conference will hold its annual Media Kick Off event Wednesday and Thursday in Lake Charles, La. In conjunction with the event, the league office will be releasing its preseason polls and all-conference teams.

Look for the next installment of Texas State's position-by-position preview later in the week when the wide receiver position is highlighted.

Texas State's season opener comes Sept. 2 when the Bobcats play host to Tarleton State. Season tickets are currently on sale through the athletic ticket office located in Strahan Administrative Annex or by calling (877) 798-CATS.