Over the course of the next few weeks, we will be taking a look at each position group and giving our way-too-early depth chart projections. Today, we move onto the nose tackles.
Starter - Akheem Mesidor
Mesidor had a phenomenal true freshman season last fall racking up 32 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, and leading the team with five sacks. Defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley lined him up at defensive end but this year, he will be making the switch to move inside to fill the void left behind by Darius Stills. This may seem like an odd move to make but Mesidor has a lot of twitch and is very athletic and will be able to apply pressure on the quarterback up the middle. Mesidor had a very strong spring and was regularly getting into the backfield and putting linemen on the ground. I'd expect even bigger things from him this upcoming season.
2nd string - Jordan Jefferson
Jefferson was kind of thrown into the fire early in his career due to a lack of depth up front on the defensive line. Fortunately for Neal Brown and co., several guys stepped up and started to produce at a high level which allowed Jefferson to continue to develop before being thrown back into action. He's appeared in 16 games so far in his career and has registered six tackles, one tackle for loss, and one pass deflection. Now entering his third year in the program, Jefferson should be ready to take on a bigger role and be moved back into the rotation.
3rd string - Jalen Thornton
Thornton's situation is an interesting one. I could see him lining up at all three defensive line spots if I'm being honest and heck, potentially even at BANDIT if they really need him to. He's not much of a pass rusher, so I think he'll eventually settle on the interior of the defensive line to help stop the running game.
4th string - Edward Vesterinen
The Finland native is someone that Neal Brown has been impressed with since arriving on campus in January. They were surprised with how fast he has caught on to not only the defense but what they expect him to do within the defense. His work ethic is unmatched and is considered a gym rat. Physically, he'll be ready to play as a true freshman but it's likely that Vesterinen doesn't see the field much in 2021 as the coaching staff will use this as a development year for him to continue to clean up his technique.
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