Jackson likes the physicality of the defensive line and would like to see the unit continue to add depth.
As West Virginia defensive line coach Andrew Jackson considers position groups for spring football, one trait stands out above the rest.
“We are physical. We had some very talented groups here. This is the fittest group I’ve ever been a part of,” Jackson said. Jackson, who is in his fourth season with the Mountaineers, said the group’s physicality is something that has evolved over time. He credited current and former offensive linemen for helping to strengthen the unit physically. “Some of the guys that were here back then, Doug Nester and Wyatt Milam, were playing against Zach Frazier. They can push the competition and overcome a lot physically on the defensive line. They were setting a great example. “They really bought into it,” Jackson said.
Last season, the Mountaineers built a solid defensive line that included players like Mike Lockhart, Tomica Durodai and Jalen Thornton, as well as pass rush specialist Jared Bartlett at the Bandit position, who boasted a team-high 4.5 bags. We lost high quality personnel. But that’s largely because this unit has been growing for most of 2023, and it also has a solid core that leaves Jackson with at least some high expectations.
Sean Martin and Edvard Vesterinen are the most experienced defensive linemen, each playing in all 13 games before the season and recording 55 combined tackles, 27 and 28 tackles, respectively. Martin, a 6-foot-5, 295-pound Bluefield native, and Westerninen, 6-foot-5, 285 pounds, both have the size to withstand pressure and have the ability to pass.
Jackson credited Martin with growing throughout his WVU career, becoming more vocal as a veteran defensive end despite not being as vocal in recent years. “If I pass out, Sean might take over the coaching side as well,” Jackson said. “He’s been consistent since January and he’s in the best mental state he’s been in since I’ve been here.”
Vesterinen also arrived in Morgantown as a man of few words, albeit for very different reasons. “He spoke very little English or soccer terminology,” Jackson said. “Now he is the class clown and a fan of all things American. Just like us, he eats fast food and gains weight. He has grown a lot as a technician and seems to have been playing soccer for 10 to 12 years. He is now teaching young people. He is comfortable in his skin. It’s great to see what he can do.”
However, as he has done frequently throughout 2023, Jackson hopes to be able to move a variety of players along the defensive line, and to do that he will need to add depth to the unit.
Fatoruma Malva, a 6-4, 306-pound inside tackle who transferred from Penn State and is in his second year with the Mountaineers, plays in the inside zone, as does redshirt junior Hammond Russell IV. likely to play an important role. He played his fourth season at West Virginia, but his playing experience was limited. Both players have the versatility to play multiple positions on the line, but Jackson said he hasn’t decided on McIntyre’s position yet.
“He has the most beautiful legs in my room.” It’s really gaining momentum. He wasn’t able to enroll early and came in the summer, so his strength and conditioning were the biggest factors for him,” Jackson said. “He’s getting back in shape, and with our program, it’s impossible not to get stronger in the weight room. He’s growing mentally right now and has the potential to slow down his game and play fast.” There is sex. Everything went well for him now.
Jackson also wants other young, inexperienced players to prove in the spring that they are ready to take on expanded roles in the fall, adding to the depth he desperately needs. thinking.
“The players have to be willing to do it and create competition to push me to get the players in the game,” Jackson said. “But we are moving in the right direction.”
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