'Super athletic' defensive line excites GSU Tiger coaches

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- It’s too early in fall camp for any unit to etch an identity, but Grambling State defensive coordinator and defensive line coach Everett Todd believes he can already see the outline of the defensive line forming.

This season’s defensive front three or four can’t be asked to replicate the form of last year’s group or to produce the numbers they did. No team is the same. With several collegiate migrants filling up the populated defensive line for the Tigers in 2017, the group will take shape the more time the big guys up front play together.

“Last year we were big, we had really experienced players, we weren’t necessarily the most athletic team,” Todd said after Tuesday’s practice. “This team is more athletic with the size being very similar. Now it’s a matter of them gaining the experience, and I think as we progress through the season and they get game experience, they’ll do nothing but get better and better.

“There’s a couple of guys that have been in the program, but haven’t been on the field that are older, more mature guys. We have the maturity, we don’t necessarily have the game experience. We’ve added some new guys to the group that makes it super athletic. That’s what I’m excited about.”

The rain pushed the Tigers indoors for Tuesday morning’s practice, and the tight quarters gave Todd and head coach Broderick Fobbs a good chance to watch the defensive line and see how the newcomers look eight days into fall camp.

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