2021 Princeton Football Preview - Defense and Specialists

Football Part II – Defense/Specialists

With kickoff for the 2021 season just a few days away, here is Part II of the Princeton preview. You can see Part I HERE. Today the focus is on the defense and specialists.

Defensive Line
There will be some new names who play major roles on the defensive front after the graduation of starters Joey DeMarco and Jake Strain. Princeton's defensive line will be anchored by Sam Wright, and that's a pretty good place to start. Wright was a second-team All-Ivy League selection in 2019, when he led Tiger D-linemen in tackles with 40. He also had 4.5 sacks, best on the team. Wright has great size, something he combines with his quick feet. He, too, is likely to find himself in an NFL camp next summer.

There are a host of players who could join Wright on the line, though there isn't a great deal of experience. Uche Ndukwe was a real difference-maker in a back-up role in 2019, when he made 12 tackles, of which 4.5 were for loss, with three sacks. James Stagg got some good playing time in 2019, with nine tackles, a sack and an interception, and he was even Ivy Rookie of the Week one week. Alex Kilander has played a bit, with 12 career tackles, and he has shown himself to be strong against the run. Carter Christopher made five tackles as a freshman.

One benefit of having only one returning starter is that there is a lot of opportunity for playing time. Among those who have had strong fall camps are Michael Azevedo (seven tackles in 2019), Tola Banjoko, Kevin Bruce and Reece Hite.

Linebackers
If the defensive line is lacking in experience, the linebacking corps is not. There is depth and experience everywhere at the position, and it starts with one of the most dynamic players who has ever played for Bob Surace.

Jeremiah Tyler is back after a junior season that saw him earn unanimous first-team All-Ivy League honors and be one of the two finalists for the Bushnell Cup as the top defensive player in the league. He is a preseason All-American and Bushnell Cup favorite, after putting up 62 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 14.5 tackles for loss and an interception. More than his numbers, he is a game-changing presence with a tireless motor on every play.

Tyler plays on the outside. The other starters outside in 2019 were either Ike Hall or Matthew Jester, both of whom are back as well. Jester had 5.5 tackles for loss among his 16 tackles, and Hall added 13 tackles, 1.5 for loss. That neither one of them is a lock to start shows just how deep this current group is. In addition to those two, the competition for starting roles and playing time includes Will Perez, Larkon Isom III, Tavaris Noel and even Cole Aubrey, a converted defensive lineman.

It wouldn't feel right for Princeton to go into a season without one of the Johnson brothers as an inside linebacker. James Johnson, Princeton's leading tackler in 2019 with 67, was an All-Ivy selection as a junior, following his brother Tom, a 2018 first-team selection (and youngest brother Liam now a freshman). Daniel Beard was having a big year as the other inside linebacker with 29 tackles, four for loss, and a big interception against Harvard before injury cut it short. His replacement was Anthony Corbin, who had 32 tackles of his own. They are both back. Tyler McDonald, Zach Beagle and Joseph Bonczek continue to push them.

Defensive Backs
The Tigers graduated two-time All-Ivy safety TJ Floyd, and even with that loss, the Tigers still return an army of defensive backs who has already made a huge impact in their careers. Delan Stallworth was a first-team All-Ivy cornerback in 2019 (and a second-team All-Ivy pick in 2018), and he has been making plays since his freshman year. He's an outstanding tackler, and his 60 tackles in 2019 were third-best on the team. He also is tough to throw against – and he is not the only one on the team who is.

Sultaan Shabazz led Princeton with three interceptions in 2019, and he also had 21 tackles and a sack. Matthew Winston had 10 tackles and a sack, and his one interception was the one that sealed the win over Harvard. Christian Brown, who is also an Ivy League runner-up and NCAA regional qualifier as a hurdler, had 20 tackles and an interception. If that's not enough, C.J. Wall is also back after missing all of 2019 and most of 2018. Wall is a former All-Ivy corner who had three interceptions in 2017.

Trevor Forbes had 34 tackles as a nickleback in his first two years combined and then had 35 more, with an interception, as a starting safety in 2019. The other safety spot is open after Ford's graduation, and there is no shortage of contenders for the spot, among them Michael Ruttlen Jr., Dawson DeIullis (also a great special teams player), Daiveon Carrington, Kenny Lim and Jayden Wickware.

Specialists
Will Powers was a second-team All-Ivy League punter as a freshman in 2019 after averaging 40.2 yards per attempt. Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Powers, who has the ability to change field position at any time, is that of his 29 punts his freshman year, only three were returned.

Tavish Rice was a second-team All-Ivy placekicker in 2019. More than just his actual placekicking, Princeton will also miss his ability to kick off through the end zone – Rice had 45 touchbacks in 59 attempts. Jeffrey Sexton is the leading contender to be the placekicker, though Powers can do that and also kick off if needed.

Another veteran who is an unsung part of the team is long snapper Ryan McNeil, who has been remarkably consistent for his first three seasons and who also has NFL potential.

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