Football season is around the corner. To get you ready for week one vs. UIW we will be previewing position groups leading up to game week. Today we look at the linebackers.
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LINEBACKERS - 7 scholarships used
SR - Andrew Martel, Dominic Sheppard
JR - Layton Garnett
SO - De'Marco Guidry, Donovan Perkins, Trevor Harmanson
FR - Jarrett Preston
Analysis: The Roadrunner linebackers will have to find a replacement for Josiah Tauaefa who left a year early to join the NFL. The seven members of the 2019 linebacker group will not be able to fill the shoes of Tauaefa but then very few people could as he was a rare talent. The seven linebackers will be called on to be as consistent as Tauaefa was for the Roadrunners.
Andrew Martel - Martel enters the 2019 season after putting up good numbers in 2018. He is the leading tackler among the returning linebackers with 45 total tackles. Martel also sacked the quarterback twice and recovered two fumbles in 2018. Martel played in 11 games last season and made two starts at safety. He could find himself moving from linebacker to safety throughout the season depending on situations.
Dominic Sheppard - Sheppard will have one year with the Roadrunners. The Miami native transferred to the Alamo City from the University of Virginia. As a member of the Cavaliers he missed last season with injury. He played only three games in 2017 and none in 2016 after redshirting in 2015. Sheppard's hunger to play could help him in fall camp and the 2019 season.
Layton Garnett - Another newcomer to UTSA, Garnett transferred from LSU. While he was a Tiger he played in seven games in 2017 and recorded two tackles. Garnett is a native of Monroe, Louisiana where he had 62 tackles, nine tackles for loss and three fumble recoveries in his senior season. Garnett will get to see action this season as a Roadrunner, how much could be decided by his performance in fall camp.
De'Marco Guidry - Guidry saw action in eight games last season after missing the first four games. He recorded eight tackles in his redshirt freshman season. It is likely that Guidry will get a larger role in 2019. Keep an eye on what kind of role that is and what Guidry does with the chance.
Donovan Perkins - Perkins played in all 12 games last season, mostly on special teams. The Zachary, Louisiana native finished with four tackles, including one in the season opener at Arizona State. Perkins is another linebacker to keep an eye on in fall camp. The talent is there for him to increase the amount of playing time.
Trevor Harmanson - Harmanson comes to UTSA after playing last season for the Blinn Buccaneers in Brenham. Last season, Harmanson recorded 39 tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks an interception and a fumble recovery. Fall camp will provide an opportunity for Harmanson to find a spot with the Roadrunners, whether thats at linebacker or on special teams.
Jarrett Preston - Preston played in four games last season before being redshirted. Before UTSA he played at Ridge Point High School in Missouri City south of Houston. In his senior season at Ridge Point he finished with 51 tackles, two interceptions and a fumble recovery. Like most of the members of the linebacker group, Preston will enter camp looking to earn a larger role in the defense.
Prediction: UTSA will enter the 2019 season with a question mark at linebacker after the departure of Josiah Tauaefa. For the current crop of linebackers a successful 2019 season would be for one or two to step up and take over the leadership role that Tauaefa had on the defense. Success could also be the group as a whole leading the team in tackles and forcing/recovering turnovers.
2020 Commits:
2020 Targets:
FORUMS: UTSA Boulevard | Roadrunner Way
