Date: 8/14
Position: Defensive Line
Position Coach: Harland Bower
Returning Letterwinners (Key stats): Sean Brown (12 games played, 8-11—19 TT, 1 TFL, 1 FF); Tyree Turner (12 GP, 9-19—28 TT, 4½ TFL, 3½ sacks, 1 FF, 1 FR); Jeffery Whatley (11 GP, 5-5—10 TT, 1 TFL)
Letterwinners lost (Key stats): Tre Alford (12 GP, 6-14—20 TT, 1 sack); Zach Befort (12 GP, 10-12—22 TT, 1 TFL, ½ sack, 2 FR); Wade Forde (12 GP, 6-2—8 TT, 2 sacks)
Newcomers (Yr., Previous school): Jordon Beaton (Jr., Jones County [Miss.] JC); William Elliott (Jr., Huntingdon [Ala.]); Darius Whitfield (So., Southwest Mississippi CC); Maurice Strong Jr. (Fr., Raiford [Fla.] Union County HS)
Miscellaneous Notes
-Turner was voted preseason second-team all-Sun Belt Conference by the league's head coaches and selected media members last month, also earning recognition from Athlon Sports (second-team) and Phil Steele Publications (third-team) publications over the summer.
-He has made 20 starts in his career, with the rest of the position group combining for four (all by Brown).
-Brown — a fourth-team preseason all-Sun Belt pick by Phil Steele Publications — posted a career-high tackle total a year ago.
-After appearing in just four contests his first two seasons with the program, Whatley played in all but one outing last fall.
-Jeremiah Littles hasn't played due to injury and a redshirt year since recording a pair of stops in his collegiate debut at Mississippi State in September 2016.
-Two other individuals at the position have been with the program but have seen limited game action, senior Courtney Bowman and sophomore Konnor Houston.
- Beaton enters this season as a projected starter after transferring to the program in January and participating in spring practice .
-A second-team all-Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges selection in 2017, Beaton also set several state weightlifting records as a senior at Gulfport (Miss.) Harrison Central High.
-Whitfield — who was also chosen second-team all-MACJC after recording 51 tackles a year ago — was considered a four-star recruit coming out of Mobile St. Paul's Episcopal School before signing with South Carolina.
-Strong Jr. was a three-year letterwinner in high school, posting 31 stops highlighted by eight sacks as a senior.
Harland Bower
-On what he believes the strength of the Jaguars' interior defensive line is: "The strength really is the depth right now, we've got four juniors and a third-year sophomore inside."
-On what the group is working on during preseason camp: "Scheme aside, for us it is about having relentless attitude and effort. If we can build that in this group, everything else is simple. You've heard [assistant] Coach [Greg] Stewart talk about it, we are a simple defense, we are going to line up and attack you. The thing we need to build each and every day is that warrior mentality."
-On Tyree Turner: "It started in the spring when we asked Tyree to trust what we were bringing to the table and what we are doing on defense because a lot of the things were different in terms of scheme and technique. He did that, and what you see is that he is really starting to become what we are look for out of that position — a twitchy playmaker who is going to be disruptive in all phases of the game whether it's pass rush or run downs."
Jordon Beaton
-On what he believes is the strength of the group: "Basically we are good together as a group, our strength is blowing people up off the line and playing hard."
-On making the transition from junior college: "I am getting used to Division I practices, at junior college it was a little different, but I am getting comfortable at the position I play and around the new guys I am with. I want to play my position the best that I can."
-On what he does well when playing at a high level: "I get in my gap and use my technique to blow people up off the ball, and pass rushing and putting pressure on the quarterback."
Tyree Turner
-On his role as a leader at the position: "I took on this role because I know the guys look up to me. I come out here every day with a great attitude, even when I am not in the best mood I find a way to get myself going because I know these guys are depending on me."
-On what he is telling the group to help prepare for the upcoming season: "I've told them to be prepared for such things as hard counts, making pre-snap reads and just to have an all-around awareness depending on where the back is and what kind of front we have."
-On the strength of his game: "I feel that I am a pretty well-rounded player, but my strength would be my motor. I don't get tired fast or easy, and when I do I still go."
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