Following the 2016 season, sophomore defensive end Porter Gustin seemed poised for a breakout junior year. He had amassed 13 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks, a marked improvement over his freshman season, in which he had only seven tackles for loss. However, as a junior, a big toe injury limited him to only four games of action. As a senior, a broken ankle limited him to just six.
Gustin lined up as an outside linebacker freshman year, defensive end sophomore year, outside linebacker junior year, and as the predator position in Clancy Pendergast’s scheme his senior year.