POSITION PREVIEW: THE ENTIRE DEFENSE

Given the nature of Jerry Mack’s hire, you can understand why Marc Mattioli’s first Kennesaw State defense mostly flew under the radar during the offseason. This regime change occurred because of the other side of the ball, so the questions center around QB1, an overhauled OL, and all the other pieces assembled to score points.

Compared to the total demolition job on offense, Mattioli’s light remodel won’t get the same headlines. I’m guilty, too, after writing deep dives for each offensive position group, then jamming the entire defense into one post. Either way, it’s finally time to talk about ‘em, with only a couple days before kickoff against Wake Forest.

Comparison is the thief of joy, they say. Not in the case of last year’s KSU defense, which received a more generous judgment based on the offense’s futility. When teams know that 17 points likely gets the job done, how deep does the opposing playcaller need to reach into his bag?

Still, looking past the extreme lowlights — getting run out of the stadium in the first three home games, allowing a full season of production for Nick Nash, etc. — the full results on defense were mostly fine for an FBS transition squad. Factoring the quality of offenses faced (pretty bad, tbh), the Owls still finished 99th in Adjusted EPA/play and 118th in defensive SP+ on the year.

I don’t know if bright spot’s an accurate description, but take a look at the Owls’ defensive profile, via Game on Paper:

Good? No. Frustrating? Quite often. That was still a passable effort from a flawed, shorthanded group playing complementary football with the dead weight of a three-and-out machine.

To hear the full deep dive on the new DC, check out his conversation with Nolan Alexander on KSU’s podcast channel. For a self-promo, I enjoyed writing about Mattioli’s journey when the news of his hire first started circulating. Short version: You must appreciate a coach who’s willing to drop everything and sell American football to Paris with PSG as his literal next-door neighbor. That’s peak DC brain.

Most of the defensive foundation returns, Mattioli’s biggest advantage during his first season in Kennesaw. Eight Owls come back from the final normal starting lineup before the portal exodus began, though you’d probably set the over/under on demoted starters at like 2.5.

Per Bill Connelly at ESPN, no CUSA defense brings back more production this fall. His formula, for the record, combines percentage of returning snaps, tackles, and TFLs coming back to Kennesaw. That’s not a measure of quality, really, but gives the entirely new staff some leeway and a reasonable idea what to expect on defense. Connelly’s preseason SP+ rankings project a top 100 defense for the Owls, with Kelley Ford’s system placing them in the same range.

Most preseason power ratings project KSU as the nation’s worst offense by around 3 points. That means if Mattioli and co. can hold serve on the preseason expectations, an offensive improvement to even 125th in the nation or so would mean Kennesaw’s favored in more than half their games this season.

Opposite the 15-play drives of the flexbone era, KSU’s defensive coordinator role became a coveted gig that typically allowed coaches to flourish over the last decade. It basically guaranteed the next career move, too: Prior to the FBS transition, every Owls DC took a step up after his time in Kennesaw. Brian Newberry and Blake Harrell went to Navy and ECU, respectively, and both eventually earned the head coaching jobs. Danny Verpaele ended up at Army, and Nathan Burton is now Troy’s co-DC after running the Owls’ defense in ‘23. Greg Harris, the coach Mattioli’s replacing, will call the defense for Valdosta State in Division 2 this fall.

The baseline difficulty of the DC job increased when Mack brought in Tennessee’s Mitch Militello to run an offense staffed by Briles, Heupel, and Kiffin disciples. If you’re not up to speed on the Veer and Hoot, here’s the TLDR: Tempo, tempo, tempo. That doesn’t always set your own defense up for success, but sometimes the scoreboard can be misleading.

My stat boy plea to Owls fans this year: Please do not use PPG and total yards as the only ways to assess Mattioli’s defense. Based on the number of drives that opponents will get, those numbers won’t ever tell the full story. There aren’t many better use cases for analytics than trying to gauge success for defenses on teams that employ extremely uptempo offenses.

There’s also an element of mystery on defense that doesn’t exist with the army of young Veer and Shoot radicals on the other side. Militello’s guys all come from similar coaching trees; Mattioli’s position coaches don’t have a similar connection. What they do share is that four of the five defensive coaches, Mattioli included, have called a defense either as coordinator or head coach. It’s a simplistic view of coaching on my part, but give me the studious, young offensive analysts who have been grinding tape in the basement of the football facility. On defense, staff the room with as many unique backgrounds as possible. Mattioli certainly cast a wide net to that effect.

Kennesaw’s initial depth chart for Week 1 confirmed that his first Owls defense will line up in a base 4-2-5, at least on paper. We’ll have to wait on regular season action for specifics, like how Mattioli calls games and what week-to-week differences he’ll tune up in a conference with distinct challenges like Liberty’s option and the track meet against UTEP.

One promising aspect is that Mattioli’s less caught up on labels like 4-2-5. College football has fully entered a positionless era, where it’s more about a player’s down-to-down role than what’s listed next to his name on the roster. You’ll see some carryover, too, with the odd fronts mixed in to give a different look. Mattioli’s been out of the college game long enough that he’s probably been cooking up all kinds of stuff in the lab.

These two pieces, from and will start to point you in the right direction as to the broad structure and versatility of what we’ll likely see this fall from the base defense.

On to the personnel…

Let’s start with the verdict and work backward: An improvement that at least fits together, even if we have serious questions about depth unless the freshmen get involved. During the preseason, Mack and DL Jonathan Bradley both independently referred to WKU transfer Marcus Patterson as the “soul” of the defensive line. They’ll need that to come true, as the redshirt junior is one of four edge transfers — along with Daniels, Harper, and Smith — vying to transform a patchwork three-man front from a year ago.

Pooda Walker, now listed as the starting nose at Memphis, is the only meaningful portal loss, and even he was replaced effectively by true freshman Jaiden Grimes late last season. Based on the initial depth chart, Dunlap and Watkins slide over to tackle and nose, respectively, from the 4 technique role they both played last season.

When Mattioli wants to shuffle the deck and get back into an odd front, the versatility of your front line allows that without a change in personnel. That’s an aspect where I think the Owls can succeed up front, with tweeners in the room like Dunlap (only moving a gap from what he did last year), Patterson as a 260-pound field edge, and Westmoreland as the prince that was promised at hybrid DE/OLB. I added the names to this MatchQuarters diagram before Daniels was announced as starter, but I think it still fits as a method to show how KSU might try to seal those B gaps by jumping into the Mint stuff that Kirby Smart/Dan Lanning use at times.

Be more like Georgia. Sounds easy enough, right?

A healthy Westmoreland (a big ask off back-to-back Achilles tears) would feel like a new signing if he’s as advertised. “I think he’s going to be a well-kept secret,” Mack said during camp. I wouldn’t read much into Westmoreland’s spot on the initial depth chart for against a Wake team that might run it 50 times. They might just like Daniels better for the matchup. That Rush position will be where you see most innovation and change week-to-week, and even within games.

I kinda love the thought of a passing-down cheetah package that gets Westmoreland on the field at Rush, moves Daniels over to the field edge position, shifts Patterson inside to pair with Grimes and his nasty swim move.

Outside of wondering if the internal hype on Patterson/Daniels is real, my next question would about what the Owls have at tackle past Watkins, Dunlap, and Grimes. That’s a position group where depth matters more than most, as even the top tier draftable tackles run on and off the field like a hockey line change. Neither Mike Jones or Ebenezer Dibula made the initial two-deep, with Jackson Cooper — the true freshman out of IMG — nabbing that fourth spot.

Big picture, the line of succession looks pretty clear when you look at Cooper and the other rookies. Edges Byron Jackson and Elijah Hill earned high praise during camp, while Cooper (310 pounds) and former Bowling Green signee Keinan Williams (330) were the biggest DTs on campus the moment they arrived in Kennesaw. Can the veteran linemen bridge the gap to this next generation or will the newcomers be forced into early action?

The job market for linebackers tightened up as the new system offshores a couple roles in the 4-2-5. Sidney Porter’s Spur position becomes a nickel back, and the Bandit, usually occupied by Silas, now goes by “Rush” and will likely see much more defensive end usage this year.

That made LB an underrated camp battle, where five guys with serious D1 experience fought for two spots in the first-choice lineup. Fifth-year senior Baron Hopson battled injuries throughout 2024 and came back to win the Mike job for the second straight opener. You’ll notice the competition level when not even returning starter Garland Benyard could avoid the OR tag at Will alongside Jaden Kelly, the lone transfer in to what’s easily the most homegrown room in the program.

Kelly racked up 91 total tackles at Arkansas-Pine Bluff last season, his lone season of D1 action. He spent the spring at Norfolk State, then moved to Kennesaw during the summer. No clue about any further background, but kudos to him for coming in and immediately challenging at a position where the incumbent has 1,500+ snaps to his name.

The glaring omission on the two-deep is Donelius Johnson, Kennesaw’s leading tackler from a year ago and a guy who seemed to have the most job security on the team. Mack’s weekly media availability made no mention of any specific injuries, so we’ll skip the speculation and keep an eye on any further updates. Surely it’s not performance-related, though.

That yards after contact average for opponents, which includes 276(!!!) against Jacksonville State, is probably the number one area for KSU to clean up. Pair that with the career missed tackle rates (below) for the LBs with experience…

Johnson: 5.2%Hopson: 7.9%Silas: 10.1%Kelly: 10.2%Benyard: 14.5%

…and you’ll see why Johnson’s absence on the two-deep stood out in a major way. His 4.9% missed tackle rate last season led CUSA linebackers with 250+ snaps.

Beside him, Benyard’s 22% finished at the other end of the rankings. Despite that, he finished 6th overall in the league in tackles, and third in Average Depth of Tackle (2.1 yards). How much patience will Mattioli and Paruta have for those boom or bust outcomes from an essential run defender?

Depending on how the paycheck game portion of the schedule goes, I’m intrigued to see Silas and Christopher get some reps at Mike. Glancing at the long-term roster outlook in the room, Mattioli and Paruta will count on one of these guys next year as Hopson, Benyard, and Kelly all wrap up their careers. Silas got the square peg-round hole treatment on the edge and will probably feel more comfortable in the MLB role he played in 2023.

Christopher, a one-time safety recruit, gained 12 pounds over the offseason and could be next up. Crazy talk to think about LB rotations two years out, but he could pair with Stephenson, a three-star 2026 commit and fellow Thomas County Central product.

Bringing back all four starters in the secondary gave Mattioli and Co. much more freedom to explore options in the portal. The staff clearly did not love the options at safety/nickel during the spring, as they cleared out some of the depth and went after Jones, Stevens, and Thomas during the April window. If you had any question on how safety-forward this defense will be, Mattioli took over the room after spring ball. He wants full control to turn them into on-field extensions of the DC.

At corner, the Owls didn’t put a lot of faith in anyone past Washington and Hallum last year. Even Jayven Williams, plucked from the portal for a spot in the SEC at Mississippi State, was criminally underused. The offseason mission was simple: Go get bigger. In a similar transformation as the offensive line, Kennesaw brought in four different corners standing at least 6’2” to pair with the returning starters and Five Hamilton, who has impressed the staff in his work at nickel during camp.

That newfound depth helps right away, as Hallum’s omission from the depth chart suggests he may be dealing with some sort of injury. I don’t think you leave preseason All-CUSA off the two-deep unless something else is happening. Alabama State transfer Caleb Offord, who’s the most seasoned player in the room after starting his college career at Notre Dame and spending a couple seasons in Buffalo. If Mattioli likes to set his corners based on field/boundary, I wonder if they’ll drop Offord into Hallum’s boundary role or swap Washington over. One of the many things us true sickos are weighing ahead of the trip to Winston Salem.

Two of those summer arrivals — Jones at nickel and Stevens at free safety — put themselves in conversations to start immediately, which is a positive sign. You always want to see those returners pushed by the new faces. If neither of the Big Ten transfers was in the mix for serious playing time, that’d probably raise a red flag or two.

If Jones takes the primary nickel role — he’s currently listed with Five Hamilton in an OR-off — we can safely put him in the conversation alongside Dexter Williams as one of the most important players on the team. Finding a nickel who can credibly cover, blitz, play in the box, and move all over the field will provide a ton of flexibility. Can you even work in some three-high safety looks as the season progresses? (Eyeing that UTEP game in particular.) A defensive assistant recently called Jones the fastest player on the team, and he’s listed as an option to return kicks. Instant boost in athleticism in that DB room.

While at Purdue, Stevens faced a similar battle as Paul and Jones battled last year in Kennesaw: They were asked to do way too much based on their skillset. Only five safeties in the entire country played a higher rate of man coverage than Stevens (56.1%) in. He didn’t get much help, either, as Purdue tripled the national Cover 0 usage, and in Cover 1 the FS lined up at Ryan Walters’ trademark 25-yard depth. Playing essentially a slot corner on a Big Ten team as a 6’2”, 216-pound safety will feel like altitude training compared to a normal defense in a league like CUSA. Using Stevens as a Big Nickel seems like it’s also on the table, gameplan dependent. He already weighs as much as the current Mike linebackers, anyway.

Going forward, your guess is as good as mine for Mattioli’s coverage principles and core belief system. The good news is that we’re less than 72 hours away from finding out. Here’s how Kennesaw’s coverage matrix looked last year, for the record:

Overall, the secondary does feel destined for a positive regression with you factor the change up front. I think Barclay Miller made this exact point on the Owl Chat Podcast season preview: How can you expect to hold up in coverage when you mostly refuse to play nickel, devote so many bodies to the box, and still can’t get home on the pass rush? That led to a situation where the Owls finish in the 90th percentile in pass explosiveness, but allowed the 120th-ranked passing success rate in the nation. They gave up a lot of open layups but rarely surrendered the deep balls.

From the archives: I don’t think playing a safety 12 yards off Nick Nash in de facto man coverage is advisable. SJSU was able to spam the slot receivers all game, especially on quick game on standard downs. Paul and Jones would have an open-and-shut case if they filed a lawsuit against Greg Harris for this game.

One play from a less comical game that stands out: Down on the goal line against Louisiana Lafayette, Tyler Hallum was lined up by himself opposite a two-WR stack formation. What could you possibly expect Hallum, even as an all-conference caliber corner, to do in this situation if the outside backer doesn’t give him some support?

You’re not going to believe it: The Cajuns threw a quick screen and strolled into the endzone to basically finish off the Owls in the home opener. Those are just a couple examples of how last year’s DBs were often conceptually doomed, through no fault of their own.

The other piece to consider for the KSU secondary: Do any opposing QBs in Conference USA truly scare you? You miss the best one — Maverick McIvor, who also throws to the best receiving corps. Who’s #2? Jacob Clark at Missouri State? Vattiato at MTSU and Jenkins at FIU are serviceable, sure, but if they were legitimate game-changers, neither guy would be back to start for a third season in this league.

In the games where you’re expected to compete (so remove Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza from consideration), Mattioli’s mashup of returners and veteran transfers will have some opportunity to figure things out on the job as the year goes. Bookmark this part in the off chance someone goes off against them, so I can come back and cut it from the historical record.

For a futures bet, Tay’vion Lawson is the obvious play. To check in for preseason as a 6’2”, 199-pound true freshman corner — that’s just different than what Owls fans are used to at the position. Mack showed him love, unprompted, in camp as one of the early bright spots, and called his shot on Lawson playing “sooner, rather than later” back on National Signing Day. He's already earned a spot on the two-deep and isn’t far from getting an opportunity, depending on Hallum’s availability.