The defensive line has a goal to buy into continual improvement this season.
“My big goal for them would be just to be better today (than) yesterday and be better tomorrow than today,” coach Michael Holland said.
He said players must have a “high motor” and be relentless during the play.
“The defensive line guys, those are generally bigger guys,” he said. “(They’re) not easy to block. Those are the best ones.”
Holland sees former player KB Bonds as a “prototype” defensive lineman and an example for current players. Bonds plays at Shorter University in Rome, Georgia.
“(Bonds is) big, but he’s athletic,” Holland said. “He can move very well. He’s tough (and) doesn’t take plays off, can rush the quarterback and play the run.”
He said he doesn’t have a set number of sacks or tackles for players to achieve, but “more is better.”
Sophomore Coleton Sexton has a goal to achieve over 75 tackles and sacks and said this season has been “so much better” than the last.
“I’ve learned to do more of my job (and) trust my teammates,” he said. “Practice has been amazing. It’s a lot more (hard), more fast speed, high speed, high tempo.”
Holland said he is looking for Sexton to have a “breakthrough year” as he will see “significant” time on both the offensive and defensive lines.
He said Sexton, senior Stephen Berlin and sophomore Brett Liedberg will start for the Patriots this season. Senior linebacker O’Maury Huggs will also step in as needed.
“Stephen has a lot of potential to be a really good defensive lineman,” he said. “He’s not quite as big as (Bonds), but he’s tough as nails.”