Offseason Outlook: Boise State defensive line has a ton of production to replace

We’re taking a look at each position on the Boise State football team heading into the summer in our ‘Offseason Outlook’ series. First up is the defensive line.

The thought of having to replace the entire starting defensive line is a daunting one for the Boise State football team.

“It’s absolutely terrifying,” joked Boise State defensive line coach Spencer Danielson.

The Broncos lose defensive end Chase Hatada and tackles David Moa and Sonatane Lui, who combined for 25.5 tackles-for-loss and 11.5 sacks last season. STUD Curtis Weaver is the biggest loss, but we’ll focus entirely on the STUD position in a later entry in this series.

Hatada, Moa and Lui started almost every game last season and played a ton of reps, leaving little chances for backups to gain experience. Only nose tackle Scale Igiehon returns with significant playing time from last season. Scott Matlock, Keegan Freeborn and Aisa Kelemete, three expected contributors, combined to have just three tackles last year.

Igiehon will be the anchor of the group after totaling 38 tackles and three tackles-for-loss last season.

“If Scale does what he needs to do, he’ll be one of the best (defensive) tackles in our conference,” Danielson said. “I believe that, I stand on that, and I tell him that. He’s got that physical ability, and what he did in the Washington game ... he played really well and that’s the best center we saw all year and he got after it. That was really exciting to see.”

The Broncos are hoping for immediate production from a trio of transfers in Jackson Cravens (Utah) Shane Irwin (Long Beach City College) and Divine Ovichere (Long Beach City College). True freshman Herbert Gums also could be poised to see playing time right away.

The group will be largely young and inexperienced, but Danielson believes it will still be productive.

“I told them this, the standard is not going to change,” Danielson said. “You hear ‘oh man, you lost the whole front, it’s going to be kind of tough’ and I tell those guys, to me, the standard is set and I want to be better than we were last year. Everyone says that can’t happen, but why shouldn’t it?

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FIRST PITCHES: An English lesson

“The standard is set and they know we need to reach that and surpass it. They’ve been kind of sitting and biding their time, a lot of these guys, and now shoot, he’s gone, he’s gone, he’s gone, and now it’s my turn.”

PLAYERS LOST

Lui (49 tackles, six tackles-for-loss, 4.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries, one forced fumble, one defensive touchdown); Hatada (42 sacks, 13 tackles-for-loss, six sacks, two forced fumbles); Moa (37 tackles, 6.5 tackles-for-loss, one sack, one fumble recovery); Jabari Watson (six tackles, 0.5 tackles-for-loss); Emmanuel Fesili (five tackles, 0.5 tackles-for-loss); Matt Locher (four tackles, 1.0 tackles-for-loss, 0.5 sacks); Kukea Emmsley (one tackle).

RETURNERS

NT Igiehon (JR, 6-foot-2, 308 pounds), 38 tackles, 3.0 tackles-for-loss; DT Matlock (RS SO, 6-4, 281), two tackles, 0.5 tackles-for-loss; NT Freeborn (RS SO, 6-1, 308), one tackle; DE Kelemete (RS JR, 6-4, 274), no stats.

NEWCOMERS

DE Jaydn Ewing (RS FR, 6-3, 255); DE Dylan Hall (RS FR, 6-5, 258); DE Michael Callahan (RS FR, 6-3, 270); DL Irwin (RS JR, 6-3, 254); DL Obichere (JR, 6-4, 285); DT Jackson Cravens (RS SO, 6-2, 293, transfer from Utah); DL Robert Cooper (FR, 6-5, 250); DL Herbert Gums Jr. (FR, 6-1, 284).

HE SAID IT

“I’m extremely excited, and a lot of it is because I love being around our players. I know for them, they want to take the standard to another level. They hear it from friends or whoever, we’re losing the front four and all this production, and I think they are like ‘hey, I’m still here and I’m working my tail off’,” Danielson said. … “We lost a ton of reps and players that are going to keep playing at the next level, but the standard is set and let’s meet it and take it to another level, and I’m excited to see them do it.”