Vongni Yang/Collegian File Photo
Former sack-specialist Chris Carter might be taking his talents to the NFL, but his work ethic has rubbed off on former teammates on the defensive line.
Defensive line coach Will Plemons said that the young and inexperienced players took note of Carter’s hard-working, blue-collar lifestyle during his time at Fresno State, and the Bulldogs now understand what it takes to elevate their game from good to great.
“A lot of them saw Chris Carter work as hard as he did,” Plemons said. “It’s been a tremendous treat for us because they understand what it is ”” what it means to work as hard as Chris did for us.”
But with Carter graduating, that leaves a gaping hole at the rush end position where Carter had huge success last season on the defensive line. In 2010, Carter terrorized opposing quarterbacks for a Western Athletic Conference-best 11 sacks en route to being named WAC Defensive Player of the Year.
With the loss of Carter and starters Chris Lewis and Cornell Banks to graduation too, returning players view spring practice as the perfect time to solidify a starting spot.
“A lot of them see an opportunity now to play ”” to step up,” Plemons said.
Emerging from the pack of young Bulldogs to help replace Carter is redshirt sophomore Nat Harrison followed by junior Matt Akers and redshirt sophomore Tristan Okpalaugo.
“Young Nat Harrison has done a great job and Akers has done a great job as well,” Plemons said with excitement. “Akers can play both rush and end. Tristan Okpalaugo, boy, he’s really grown too. So, I got some guys who really have some great tools.”
Harrison was able to get a sniff of playing time last season as a backup, appearing in nine games and registering nine tackles and a sack.
Okpalaugo redshirted last season and Akers spent much of the season on the sidelines.
Although Bulldog coaches are eager to work with their young student-athletes, they understand that none will be able to generate the game-changing impact, at least right now, that Carter provided last season.
“Right now we don’t have a Chris Carter-type,” Bulldogs head coach Pat Hill said. “We got some young guys that are very promising, but Chris Carter in his senior year was one of the best in the country. We don’t have any right now that has proven that on the field yet.”
But the unit’s potential is intriguing with a plethora of rising young players, and the return of defensive anchor Logan Harrell, a first-team All-WAC performer, up front.
“He can play about any position on that front,” Plemons said of Harrell. “He’s a guy that left his junior year finishing 10th in the nation in sacks from tackle. We think a lot of him.”
Matt Weir/Collegian File Photo
Harrell exploded onto the scene in the season opener against Cincinnati last year, sacking Bearcats quarterback Zach Collaros three-and-a-half times, which was just a glimpse of Harrell’s dominance throughout the year.
Coaches will be expecting a lot from Harrell come fall.
Filling out the nose tackle position in place of Banks is Texan Chase McEntee. McEntee, an experienced player since his freshman year in 2008, has appeared in 32 games with seven starts.
“Those two guys are going to be fun to watch at the tackle position,” Plemons said.
Pushing McEntee for playing time this spring is redshirt freshman Tyeler Davison, whom both Hill and Plemons praised as a promising player.
Fighting for playing time at the defensive end position is Akers, Sanger native Nikko Motta and 6-foot-5, 280-pounder Donavaughn Pritchett.
Plemons said Pritchett brings great size to the position up front.
But outside of Harrell and McEntee, the game-starting experience drops off dramatically.
“I’m really looking forward to working with this front,” Plemons said. “But we’re young, we haven’t done anything yet.”