Date: 8/24
Position: Defensive Line
Position Coach: Brian Turner

Returning Letterwinners (Key stats): Tre Alford (12 games played, 17-20—37 TT, 3½ TFL, 2 sacks, 2 PBU in 2015); Zach Befort (11 GP, 7-18—25 TT, 2 TFL); Sean Brown (12 GP, 9-3—12 TT); Wade Forde (12 GP, 5-5—10 TT, 1 TFL); Jimmie Gipson III (13 GP, 12-16—28 TT, 6½ TFL, 3 sacks, 2 PBU in '14); Sean Grayer (13 GP, 7-10—17 TT, 1  TFL, 1 FR); Chris Henderson (8 GP, 1-5—6 TT, 1 PBU); Finessé Middleton (13 GP, 13-7—20 TT, 8½ TFL, 4½ sacks); Chason Milner (13 GP, 10-15—25 TT, 2 sacks); Tyree Turner (13 GP, 23-27—50 TT, 7 TFL, 1½ sacks)

Letterwinners lost (Key stats): Randy Allen (13 GP, 40-33—73 TT, 19 TFL, 12 sacks, 2 PBU, 3 FF, 2 FR); SirCalvin Wallace (10 GP, 6-11—17 TT, 2 TFL, 1 FR)

Newcomers (Yr., Previous school): Rocel McWilliams (Jr., Missouri); Jalon Sheffield (Fr., Tallahassee [Fla.] Leon HS)

Miscellaneous Notes
-After setting school season records for tackles for loss and sacks last fall, Allen was named first-team all-Sun Belt Conference.
-Turner — the Jaguars' leading returning tackler up front after posting 50 stops as a redshirt freshman in 2016 — was named preseason third-team all-conference by Phil Steele Publications.
-Middleton joined Allen among the top 10 in the league in sacks after recording 4½ his first season with the program.
-Befort was credited with a career-high-tying five tackles at Idaho, one of three performances with multiple stops against regular-season opponents who would go on to play in a postseason bowl game.
-Grayer started eight of 13 contests last fall, nearly tripling the tackle total he posted as a true freshman in 2015.
-The unit returns two letterwinners — Alford and Gipson III — who missed the 2016 campaign due to injury suffered prior to the start of the season; the latter was granted a sixth year of eligibility after sitting out all of 2015 following an injury as well.
-Despite not playing a year ago Alford was selected fourth-team preseason all-Sun Belt by Phil Steel Publications.
-Both Brown and Henderson earned playing time as true freshmen last fall.
-Milner has been held out of action during preseason camp while recovering from an offseason injury.
-McWilliams — who sat out last year following a transfer from Missouri — hasn't played since 2013, when he was a second-team all-state selection at West Florida Tech High after being credited with 73 stops.

Brian Turner
-On the team's improved health at the position: "I'm ecstatic, it's the first time in two or three years I've got bodies that we can rotate in."
-On the key for the group to be successful this year: "The main thing is stopping the run.  We were a decent pass-rushing team last year, but I thought we were very average at stopping the run.  From the spring through the summer up and now in fall camp, I've placed an emphasis on stopping the run.  For us to be a great group we have to do that and when it's time get after the quarterback."
-On replacing Randy Allen's production this fall: "Last year we had one guy who was a dominant pass rusher, this year I believe we have multiple guys.  We have guys inside as well as guys on the edge who can really rush the passer.  With Finessé, Jimmie, Rocel and Chris, you have four guys who can do almost what Randy did last year.  On the inside Tyree, Zach and Tre can rush the passer too, so the contributions will be widespread instead of coming from just one guy."

Zach Befort
-On his expectations for the group this year: "To dominate and stop the run.  We have really good chemistry, which I like because I'm a chemistry guy.  I like how well we're getting along, I think that will really help us to play well together this year."
-On the most difficult adjustment from the junior-college to NCAA Division I level: "Mainly it was a different system.  I came from a system that was all about getting up the field and each person making plays, making the transition to playing a gap and holding a job instead of trying to run around and make plays was the biggest difference for me.  Coach Turner did a heck of a job changing the way that my mind worked to get me to do my job a lot better."
-On individual and group goals going into the season: "As a group, I think the ceiling is as high as it's ever been.  Our chemistry is awesome, we have characters throughout the defensive line, it's just fun to be around them.  I don't know that I have an individual goal — obviously being all-conference would be nice — but honestly it's just fun being with these guys so I hope we go out and kill it in my last year."

Finessé Middleton
-On his expectations for the Jaguar defensive line in the fall: "I feel like we are going to be pretty good, we have a lot of people who are healthy this year — last year we lacked in that area — and we have young guys who are ready to play and help us out as well."
-On where he has made the most improvement from last season: "A big thing for me was my weight, I had to get that up, and since I have gained the weight that I needed I believe I can play the run better.  That was something I struggled with last year."
-On what he does best: "I am good at pass rushing, that's what I like to go to.  When I am rushing the passer I just key on the man in front of me and look for his weak spots and his tendencies."

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

Join the Jaguar Athletic Fund (JAF) Priority Fund, the unrestricted giving option of the University of South Alabama Athletics.  Contributions to the Priority Fund directly support all 17 sports in addition to various support programming. For more information on how you can join visit: http://jaguarathleticfund.com/priorityfund

—USA—