With camp ending and Houston game prep right around the corner we would like to introduce “The BirdsUp Starting 11”. Our 11 most important players going into the 2017 season.

1. Dalton Sturm: WKU, MTSU, and LaTech have been the class of the conference the past few seasons, and it is no coincidence their QB play has been head and shoulders above the rest of the conference in that time span. On paper Sturm had a very strong 2016 season in leading UTSA to 6 wins and a bowl berth. The inconsistency from game to game and even drive to drive is what held him back. If UTSA can get Arizona State Dalton for 12 games we could be staring at a truly special season. The flip side is getting the Dalton that was pulled in over half the games for Jared Johnson last season. Which Dalton do we get?

2. Josh Dunlop: The UTSA offensive line brings back 4 players with tons of experience playing together. The 6’7” 300 pound sophomore JUCO transfer is the only new face. With the body, length, and potential of an NFL offensive tackle, Josh Dunlop has already locked himself in as the starting blind side protector on the offensive line. The line gave up 43 sacks last season, and Dunlop will be asked to help dramatically lower that number. Last season’s starter Domond was a beast in the run game, but struggled mightily at times in pass protection. Coach Frank Wilson has already stated that Dunlop “has improved dramatically” from when he came in the past spring.

3. Marcus Davenport: As the above indicates, Marcus was already an elite player in terms of pressuring the QB and getting into opponents backfields. What we need from Davenport is turning those QB pressures into sacks. The mammoth defensive end has the potential to be the first Roadrunner to ever crack the 10 sack mark in a single season. A preseason all conference selection, Marcus has the potential to be one of most disruptive defensive players in the entire conference.

4. Josiah Tauaefa: Freshman All American. Conference USA Freshman of the Year. 2016 First Team All Conference. Most tackles in a single season in UTSA history. The list of accolades for the Sophomore Middle Linebacker is very long. It almost seems like it would be too much to expect improvement, but we all need to remember last season was his first time playing exclusively as a linebacker. After admitting he needed to get more comfortable in reading offenses and making the right play calls at the line of scrimmage Josiah could be in for an even bigger 2017 season.

5. Jalen Rhodes: After 2 years battling injuries, and 2 more splitting carries with Jarveon Williams it is finally time for the veteran running back to shoulder the RB1 load. Jalen averaged over 5 yards per rush last season on the way to 827 yards rushing and 9 touchdowns. The RB depth chart looks strong going into the season. That means Jalen probably still shares his carries with guys like BJ Daniels, Brett Winnegan, and Tyrell Clay. An experience oline, a healthy Halen Steward at FB, and a slight uptick in touches could lead to one of the best single season rushing performance in UTSA history.

6. Devron Davis: One of the players that Coach Wilson singled out during media day as having a strong camp, Devron has the chance to build on a very strong finish to his 2016 season. Davis and Austin Jupe have the potential to be one of the strongest CB duos in the conference this season. Pairing 2 strong corners with what should be a improved pass rushing front 7 could (should?) lead to more havoc plays and turnovers.

7. Kevin Strong: After having what could only be called an up and down sophomore season, the Cleveland, TX DE/DT hybrid has received tons of praise coming out of camp. Coach Wilson called him “one of the better defensive lineman in our conference” earlier in camp, and is counting on Kevin to play like that for 12 games this season. Creating more plays in the backfield will be this main focus his junior season. Can he double the 6.5 tackles for loss he had last season?

8. Lakel Bass: After leading the team in Havoc players (sacks and tackles for loss), the rising Senior could be in line for even more in 2017. Read this article for a great breakdown on what we can expect from Lakel this season: LINK

9. Reed Darragh: Darragh once upon a time started all 12 games at RT as sophomore. His junior campaign saw him get beat out by Gabe Casillas at RT, but he slid comfortably into the swing oline spot for the Roadrunners in 2016. He saw action in all 12 games at both guard and tackle before starting and playing very well in the New Mexico Bowl to end last season.

10. Austin Pratt: A bulldog at center with a mean streak to match, Austin will be counted on to be the leader of the offensive line. After splitting time between guard and center last season, I think you can pencil him in as the starting center going into his senior season. Austin, Kyle McKinney, and Stefan beard combine to form what should be a very strong (and experienced) interior of our oline. The strength of this offense should be running right up the middle, and Austin will need to be a big part of that.

11. Josh Stewart: Came out of nowhere to lead the team in catches, receiving yards, and yards per catch last season. Pairs with his brother Kerry Thomas to form a strong outside pass catching duo for the Roadrunners. A big play receiver that benefits from our run first philosophy by getting open off the play action, Josh will need to show more consistency catching balls in traffic this coming season.