Moving on to the defense and we’ll start with the guys up front. This group is very deep and talented on the interior, but thin on the edges. Making this upgrade/downgrade call more challenging.
Starter: Hendrick Ekpe, Steven Richardson, Scott Ekpe, Gaelin Elmore
Depth: Merrick Jackson, Youshub Timms, Andrew Stelter, Tai’yon Devers, Winston DeLattibourdere
Two seniors and two juniors started along the defensive line most of last season with a deep tackle rotation and some unexpected young contributions at end.
Steven Jackson had his breakout season in 2016 and was not only our best defensive lineman, but one of the best in the Big Ten.