The UTSA football season is inching closer, so it is time to take a look at each scholarship player on the current roster as we prepare for the 2015 season. We'll go in reverse numerical order, continuing with No. 32, linebacker Drew Douglas.
What we know:
Senior linebacker Drew Douglass has started 22 of UTSA's past 24 games, missing one game in each of the past two seasons. Douglas took over the Mike linebacker position in the spring of 2013, beating out highly regarded competition as just a sophomore. He had 69 tackles in 2013, including a career-high 11 in UTSA's first ever game in Conference USA when the Roadrunners traveled to El Paso and beat UTEP. Last year, he was third on the team with 71 tackles. Douglas isn't the biggest, strongest or fastest linebacker in the conference, but he is one of the most instinctive. He has a nose for the football, tends to always be in the right spot and is very good at reading an offense before the snap. As one of the few players on the UTSA defense with multiple seasons of experience, Douglas will need to be the leader of the defense this season.
What we don't know:
Douglas has played so many snaps for UTSA that his skill set is relatively known. There aren't going to be a ton of surprises with Douglas. He has proven durable at a tough position to stay healthy and has improved his play against the pass. Douglas has spoken openly in years past about his need to improve as a three-down linebacker and we saw some of that progression in 2014. He'll come off the field at times when UTSA gets into nickel packages, but another offseason may have allowed Douglas to improve even more in space. The biggest question mark for Douglas has nothing do with his play. UTSA lost three of its top four defensive tackles from last year, and it'll be key for the new guys to occupy blocks to keep Douglas free to make plays at the second level.
Expectations:
Douglas needs to have his best year to date if the UTSA defense hopes to replicate a 2014 season that was very good on that side of the ball despite a 4-8 record. The 6-foot-1, 230-pound Mike linebacker will be needed more than ever pre-snap and in between possessions to settle the young players down and get people in the right spot. The phrase "coach on the field" is used too often with linebackers, but Douglas truly has to be that this year for UTSA to get its assignment and alignment in order against the varying types of offenses it will see this year. Expect Douglas to be close to the team-lead in tackles.