College programs are always looking for that guy to plug the holes in the dam. If you pay close attention to the NFL Draft each year, you’ll notice the pros are looking for the same.
It’s tough to find a good interior defensive lineman, whether it’s your standard tackle in a four-man front or a “Nose”, otherwise. No matter what, you know their stats won’t be as gaudy as a great defensive end’s stats are, but they’re just as important to the D-line.
There are a bunch of them returning this fall to the FCS. Take a look, conference by conference:
BIG SKY
David Rowe, Idaho State, Sr.
2023 STAT LINE: 36 tackles, 10 TFLs, 4 sacks
Rowe is a home-state talent for Idaho State and a true credit to The Gem State. He has racked up 121 tackles in his career to go with 18.5 tackles for loss as an interior defensive lineman prospect. This All-Big Sky player is one of many good ones returning in the league, along with Dallas Afalava (Idaho), Matt Herron (Weber State), and Matthew Brown (Eastern Washington) – just to name a few.
BIG SOUTH-OVC
Eriq George, Tennessee State, Soph.
2023 STAT LINE: 25 tackles, 6 TFLs, 2.5 sacks, 4 hurries
George is the young guy, and we also could have gone with a guy like Lindenwood’s Kobe McClendon – who plays D-end in college but is built like a D-tackle prospect and tells HERO Sports he’ll play anywhere someone asks him. No matter how you go with it, these are a couple of 2024 standouts in the making in the Big South-OVC. George seems primed to explode onto the scene – 2023 was just a hint.
CAA
Westley Neal Jr., Rhode Island, Sr.
2023 STAT LINE: 25 tackles, 5 TFLs, 4 hurries
Neal is a Miami native, and his ability has roots in that talent-rich corner of the country. At 6-foot, 315 pounds, he moves more quickly than one would expect for his size, and he causes serious problems. Watch out for him on special teams, too – he can block a kick. Bryant’s Michael Otty, Maine’s Izaiah Henderson, and Neal’s new teammate, Sacred Heart transfer Carson Primrose, are expected to be standout CAA D-linemen too.
IVY
Josiah Green, Dartmouth, Sr.
2023 STAT LINE: 46 tackles, 7.5 TFLs
Green has been a key contributor for two years, going on three now. An All-Ivy League performer, he has one brother who played at Brigham Young, and his twin brother Micah who is also with Dartmouth as a linebacker. Green is a classic nose guard.
MEAC
Jaden Taylor, North Carolina Central, Sr.
2023 STAT LINE: 51 tackles, 8.5 TFLs, 4 sacks, 3 hurries
Taylor opened eyes when he finished with 8 tackles and 0.5 TFL against UCLA last year, going on to a very active 2023 season. He has posted 143 career tackles and 19 TFLs. He started his career at Mercer but has a home with the 9-win Eagles, too.
MORE: 2024 Preseason Preview Central
MVFC
Eli Mostaert, North Dakota State, Sr.
2023 STAT LINE: 37 tackles, 4 TFLs, 3 passes defended
Mostaert has been around a while since signing with NDSU back in 2019. With COVID and an injury in 2022, he will be in his sixth year with the national powerhouse Bison. The Minnesota native has posted 120 tackles, 21.5 TFLs, and 13.5 sacks during his career so far, and undoubtedly will add to it this year. Players like South Dakota’s Nick Gaes and SDSU’s Jarod DePriest are just a couple of other standouts on the interior.
NEC
Eddie Bierals, St. Francis (PA), Sr.
2023 STAT LINE: 26 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, 3 sacks
Bierals has been a mainstay for the Red Flash defense for the past three seasons, and he’s back for another. A New Jersey native with a wrestling background, he’s a brawler up front and has the career numbers to back it up.
PATRIOT
Sam Buerkle, Fordham, Jr.
2023 STAT LINE: 35 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, 4 fumble recoveries
Buerkle has certainly been noticed within the Patriot League, with most of those highlights coming last year as a sophomore. This Ohio native led the team with four fumble recoveries and started all 11 games at defensive tackle.
PIONEER
Darryn Kindles, Davidson, Sr.
2023 STAT LINE: 23 tackles, 8.5 TFLs, 2.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles
Kindles was a team defensive captain last year as a junior, starting every game. He was an All-Pioneer League selection for the Wildcats. Before 2023, he had a 2022 season-high four tackles against Jacksonville State and a 2021-best five tackles in the FCS playoffs against Kennesaw State – with both opponents now residing in the FBS.
SOCON
Marlon Taylor, Chattanooga, Sr.
2023 STAT LINE: 30 tackles, 9 TFLs, 5.5 sacks, 4 hurries
Taylor is a terror, like an out-of-control bowling ball that ran into a wall and won. He’s 6-foot-2, 322 pounds, and can flat-out move or plug a necessary hole and is already catching the eye of pro scouts. His career: 68 tackles, 16 TFLs as a block-absorbing “Nose”.
SOUTHLAND
Caleb Williams, Lamar, Sr.
2023 STAT LINE: 58 tackles, 6 TFLs, 3 hurries
Williams, a Houston native, was an All-Southland Conference member last year and posted some impressive numbers. He has 15 career starts – mostly coming last year – and at 5-foot-11, 290 pounds he’s built perfectly for the interior defensive line. Stephen F. Austin’s Edward Bobino III is also a big Southland name in the interior.
SWAC
James Ash, Florida A&M, Sr.
2023 STAT LINE: 32 tackles, 6 TFLs
Ash, a Tampa (Fla.) native, started his career at Wake Forest before coming to play for the 2023 HBCU National Champion Rattlers. Standing 6-foot-4, 280 pounds, Ash looks the part and plays it too. Look for a dominant season in the SWAC from this Sunshine State native. Jackson State’s Jeremiah Williams is another good one in the SWAC.
UAC
Rylen Sua-Filo, Southern Utah, Jr.
2023 STAT LINE: 28 tackles, 7 hurries, 5 TFLs, 3 sacks
Sua-Filo was very active when he opened 2023 and held his own against two Power Conference teams – Arizona State and Brigham Young. That set the tone for a year where the Utah native turned heads and got on the radar for 2024 as a top FCS interior defensive lineman.
