2022 Princeton Football: Defensive Preview

By Craig Sachson
PrincetonTigersFootball.com

In an era when both rules and innovations have favored the offense, the Princeton football program has come up with a sound strategy for the defensive side of the ball.

Keep the other team out of the end zone.

Overly simplistic? Sure. But you can't argue with its effectiveness. In four of the last five seasons, Princeton has held its opposition to 2.3 touchdowns per game or fewer (in comparison, the Tigers have scored anywhere between 3.6 and a ridiculous 6.4 per game); over that stretch, Princeton went 35-5 and won three Ivy League titles.

There has been no shortage of standout players throughout that stretch, including 12 different players who earned at least one All-Ivy honor over the last three seasons alone. While several have graduated, including 2021 Defensive Player of the Year Jeremiah Tyler, there is still a strong corps of standouts ready to lead again this fall.

Defensive Line
While Tyler may have won Defensive Player of the Year honors during the last championship season, classmate Samuel Wright made a strong case for himself during an 11-sack season. He was the dominant force in the final month of the season, recording five sacks to help clinch the title. His effort was critical following a season-ending injury to fellow lineman and co-captain Uche Ndukwe, who had announced himself as a force over the first half of the season.

Ndukwe is back after recording six sacks in six games and should be the first focus for every offensive line and quarterback this season. He had three tackles for loss in the marathon win over Harvard before suffering his injury, and he is looking forward to taking the role Wright held last season.

Classmates Michael Azevedo and James Stagg both saw consistent time in the defensive line rotation last year, and head coach Bob Surace has seen growth in their game during the preseason. They combined for nearly 30 tackles last years, and their versatility allows the defensive coaches to use them either inside or outside. Senior Carter Christopher made 19 tackles as the nose last season and should bring a steady presence to the middle of the line. Sophomore Nate Martey saw action in four games before suffering an injury last season, but that experience and a strong offseason should make him an important contributor this year.

Surace is excited about the young talent on the line and believes there are 13-14 players who could be travel roster guys most seasons. Early performances will likely help determine who is in the 2022 rotation when the Ivy season arrives, but he has liked what he's seen from players like Nicholas Sanker, Jonathan Pittman and Ryan Ives.

Linebackers
Offensive coordinators around the league celebrated Jeremiah Tyler's graduation in the spring, but the Princeton linebacker room brings plenty of talent and experience into this season.

Senior co-captain Matthew Jester leads all returning players with 30 tackles last season, and Surace felt like he had reached All-Ivy levels towards the end of the season. Nobody can fully replace the impact Tyler brought to the position, but that doesn't mean Jester can't create serious problems for offenses. Cole Aubrey gained experience last season and recorded 15 tackles, while Ike Hall has put together a strong preseason, which should give the staff a trio of capable outside linebackers.

Will Perez is coming off a strong spring and could be a fit at the nickel linebacker position, though Larkin Ison, Caleb Coleman and Jayden Wickware also figure to compete for that spot. Corbin played in every game of the last two seasons and has 45 career stops.

The graduation of All-Ivy inside linebacker James Johnson leaves big shoes to fill, but seniors Joseph Bonczek and Anthony Corbin have worked hard to assume a central role in this defense. Bonczek played in all 10 games last season and started to find his way in November, which included three-tackle games in the championship-clinching wins over both Yale and Penn.

Princeton has had a Johnson brother earn All-Ivy League honors in each of the last four seasons (Tom in 2017 and 2018; James in 2019 and 2021). Junior Liam Johnson impressed the staff in the preseason and would love nothing more than to earn a consistent place in the rotation. He was behind a deep group of inside linebackers last season, but he found time on special teams and had one of the biggest plays of the season, a blocked punt that was recovered for a touchdown in the 5-OT win over Harvard.

Junior Ozzie Nicholas also gained experience last season and has had a productive camp this fall, so he could find a consistent rotation role while also factoring in special teams.

Defensive Backfield
The 2021 Princeton defensive backfield was loaded with familiar names to Tiger fans. Delan Stallworth, Trevor Forbes and Christian Brown seemed like they played for a decade in Orange and Black, and they played massive roles in bringing the 2018 and 2021 Ivy League titles to New Jersey.

But once upon a time, each of them was young and inexperienced, dealing with the challenges of defending some of the top offensive playmakers in the Ivy League. They made their mistakes, but they also came up with big moments early in their career. Surace thinks he has a similar group of defensive backs now, and he is optimistic that things are coming together quicker than he could have hoped.

It isn't a complete new defensive backfield, of course. Senior co-captain Michael Ruttlen Jr. made 29 tackles and two interceptions at safety last season, and he will take over the leadership role from Forbes in the backfield. His confidence has jumped in the preseason, and he should raise the confidence level of the younger cornerbacks just by his presence behind them.

Sophomore Payton Tally is one of the younger players who has impressed Surace. He played in seven games as a freshman, but that experience and a strong offseason at the safety position has moved him to a new level entering 2022. Daiveon Carrington, Dawson De Iuliis and Ken Lim also add depth at the position.

The cornerbacks are the great unknown right now, but they could shed the unknown status and simply be great before long. Sophomores Mason Armstead and Jalen Newman made huge leaps in the offseason, while freshmen Nasir Cook, Glenie Cross III and Nasir Hill are pushing them hard for playing time. Senior Zachary Bouggess is also coming off a strong offseason, and could find time in the rotation.

"The secondary was our biggest question coming into the season, but I'm feeling much better after seeing their progress in the preseason," Surace said. "This group will take some early lumps, but once they get their confidence, they could be a really good group. They'll benefit from the experience in front of them. Hopefully we can force the issue early in the season while the young guys get their feet wet."

Special Teams
Senior Will Powers is the reigning first-team All-Ivy League punter after averaging 43.8 yards per kick last season. He had 12 punts of at least 50 yards, including a 75-yard rocket against Brown, and has had 25 fair catches in his career.

Sophomore Jeffrey Sexton showed his toughness as a rookie kicker on an Ivy championship team last season. He made 13 of 19 field goals, including three critical ones in the win over Harvard, and he made a 35-yarder in the final seconds of a comeback win over Monmouth.

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Players Mentioned

Mason Armstead

Cole Aubrey

Michael Azevedo

Joseph Bonczek

Zachary Bouggess

Christian Brown

Daiveon Carrington

Carter Christopher

Caleb Coleman

Nasir Cook

Anthony Corbin

Glenie Cross III

Dawson De Iuliis

Trevor Forbes

Ike Hall

Nasir Hill

Larkin Ison

Ryan Ives

Matthew Jester

James Johnson

Liam Johnson

Ken Lim

Nate Martey

Uche Ndukwe

Jalen Newman

Ozzie Nicholas

Will Perez

Jonathan Pittman

Will Powers

Michael Ruttlen Jr.

Nicholas Sanker

Jeffrey Sexton

James Stagg

Delan Stallworth

Payton Tally

Jeremiah Tyler

Jayden Wickware

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