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[QUOTE="SoBristol, post: 2247401, member: 485"]
3 big elements in a better defense:

1.  Brian Ward has a year under his belt, against ACC teams.  He added an experienced assistant to coach the DEs -- Steve Stannard, who has more experience as a DC than Ward.

2.  A year in S&C for the rising sophomores, specifically Coleman, Black & Williams in the DL, and Foster at one of the safety spots.  We likely do not have to rely on true frosh, as happened in 2016.

3.  A lot of returning players with starting experience (missing only Clark at NT and Winfield at one of the CB spots), plus 3 grad transfers and 4 jucos.  It will be a bigger, deeper, more experienced defense than 2016 -- and compared to any defense we have had since 2012-13.  Consider that Austin Valdez (an all-MAC player under Dino in 2015) supplements Franklin and Bennett to give us senior experience at all 3 LB positions.  The two grad transfers at CB plus Cordy give us 4th and 5th year players for the secondary.  The DL is still young (though Slayton and Samuels are 4th year players), but the depth is there to have a decent rotation.  In short, every unit is in better shape than 2016.  Much better.
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