Position Preview: Defensive Tackles


(Photo by Abby Fullenkamp)

The Jackrabbits lose a dominating force in Kellen Soulek but return three players who were part of the rotation last season and are joined by a promising red-shirt freshmen.  This group could be the biggest question mark on the team and we really won't know until they take the field September 1st.  Iowa State will be a big test as they are a big offensive line.  If they can hold up in that game, they should be more than okay the rest of the season.

The group is coached by Christian Smith who is in his second year with the team. Smith said that while the loss of Soulek is big, he expects the rest of the guys to fill the void.  He said he has challenged the younger guys to step up and make plays when they have the chance.
  

#96 Spencer Hildahl (6-3, 290) started for much of 2017 and finished with 10 tackles and 2.5 sacks.  Hildahl got hurt towards the end of training camp and never seemed to get fully healthy after a strong spring season and start to the 2017 fall camp.  The junior is now the elder statesmen and will be counted on to provide leadership to this group.  Smith credits Hildahl for holding down a full-time internship this summer and not missing a single workout and said that it shows a great work ethic and dedication to his team.   

#67 Xavier Ward (6-2, 290) played as a true freshmen and seemed to get stronger as the season went along; playing key minutes down the stretch. He finished with 10 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, and 1 sack.  Smith was quick to praise Ward for his effort on and off the field.  He also said that Xavier's quickness and athleticism are what make him you unique.  He's improved mentally, physically, and upped his weight from where he was last fall.

#69 Krockett Krolikowski (6-2, 290) red shirted his freshmen season but had a dominant spring season and will be counted on to disrupt opposing offenses.  Smith said that he may have had the best spring ball out of anyone on the team.  He was close to playing last fall and probably would have had the new red-shirt rules been in place.  Krockett is great at getting off a blocks and making plays according to Smith and he brings physicality and a nasty attitude to the group.


#95 Thomas Stacker (6-4, 285) had his moments during his red shirt freshmen season.  Stacker ended the year with 13 tackles and 1.5 sacks.  Stacker moves well for his size and is in much better shape entering the 2018 season according to Smith.  He brings the energy to the group and is very vocal with his teammates.  Smith said that Stacker may have made the biggest strides during the spring of anyone at the position.  

#51 Andrew Mueller (6-0, 260) and #59 Zach Dorgan (6-2, 260) are undersized but provide high motor energy.  Both are converted defensive ends.  Dorgan is the most athletic of the group while Mueller is the strongest squatter.  They will have a role this year if they can prove that they can hold up in the run game. 

The incoming recruits are #98 Ryan Van Marel (6-4, 245) from Sheldon, IA, #76 Caleb Sanders (6-1, 260) from Glenwood, IA, and #73 Trajan Walhof (6-5, 250) from Sioux Center, IA were all here this summer working out and learning from the veterans.  They have brought lots of questions and all will have an outside chance to play this season.  #64 Sam Willmott (6-3, 250 from Rosemount, MN and #65 Matt Borowicz (6-4, 255) from Lakeville, MN are big kids and will also be joining the group as true freshmen and will work hard to get stronger and learn the system.

Additional Position Previews
Cornerbacks
Safeties
Linebackers

Go Jacks!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Jackrabbit Football All-Decade Team

Image
Yes, we are well into the new year/decade but our debate has been fierce in creating an All-Decade Jackrabbit football team.  The challenges of creating this team were what to do with the players at the beginning and the end of the decade who may only have a year or two of stats to go on or what do we do with those players who only splashed for one year?  Further complicating matters was the consistent improvement of the Jackrabbit team as a whole and the level of competition they are facing week in and week out.  So with all of those factors, the Splitting Hares Podcast team of Ben Pierson, Brendan Luedtke, Kyle Sheehan, and Dallas Clarksean created our list of who the team should be.  All are welcome to their opinions!  Special thanks to Mitchell McLain who keeps an unbelievable database of Jackrabbit football statistics and information.  Offense Quarterback Taryn Christion (2015-2018) 44 games started, 59.70% completion rate, 11,535 yar...
Read more

What's Cookin': Dessert

Image
Alright, another year of Jackrabbit football is upon us. We are celebrating at Jackrabbit Illustrated, this our 5th season covering the team.  The players who we first covered as freshmen are now redshirt seniors. We hope you are as excited as us for this upcoming season. Chef Tim, a culinary instructor at Mitchell Tech and contributing writer, has some fun recipes for you this season.  He has committed to doing one a week. I have nothing but faith that he will get them turned in! We start the season celebrating with celebrations. Here are some fun baked goods that will lead to the healthy start to the season; Cherry-Chocolate Chunk Cookies ½ Cup All-Purpose Flour ¼ Cup Quick-Cooking Oats ½ Teaspoon baking Soda Pinch of Salt 2 tbs butter, melted and cooled 1/3 cup brown sugar 1 large egg 1 tsp vanilla Extract 2 oz semisweet chocolate 1/3 cup dried cherries 1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray large baking sheet with nonstick spray. 2) Combine Flour, Oats, baking soda, and s...
Read more

Rants & Raves: LIU

Image
The Jacks won 38-3 on a cold and damp September evening.  The Jacks dominated statistically in nearly every area but it didn't feel like a fully satisfying victory.  How spoiled have we become as Jackrabbit fans? Rave: How about that defense?  The argument could be made that they have only surrendered 17 points in 2 games.  Pretty impressive.  For most of the night Saturday LIU was completely overwhelmed by the size and speed of the Jackrabbit defense.  LIU managed only 123 yards of total offense.  The performance was phenominal, even against a transitioning FCS opponent. I'll highlight some of the invidual performances later. Rant: Adult fans... enough said.  This writer is tired of the apathy and excuses. Rave: Students!  Great job showing up, being loud, and impacting the game.  That was great! Rave: The true freshmen really showed out.  Quinton Hicks impacted the game from his first snap.  Diamond Evans played w...
Read more