WVU’s transition to a 3-4 defensive line worked in head coach Neal Brown’s favor last season, and this year, under veteran leadership, the Mountaineers are looking to take it to the next step.
With the preseason depth chart officially announced for the 2024 WVU Football season, it is clear that upperclassmen leadership will be a big part of the Mountaineers’ identity. On the defensive line, that starts with five seniors, including three starters.
Defensive ends Sean Martin, T.J. Jackson, and Taurus Simmons, nose tackle Fatorma Mulbah, and tackle Edward Vesterinen are the seniors at the front of the defense, with Martin, Mulbah, and Vesterinen being named the starters.
Coaches have shown a great deal of trust in Martin leading up to the fall season. The senior was named one of four that represented WVU in Las Vegas at Big 12 Media Days after earning Iron Mountaineer honors at spring camp.
Martin has not had the largest sample size of opportunities in his past four seasons at WVU, but he took a jump last season to be named an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention by the coaches. He finished with 27 tackles last season, including 15 solo, one sack, and five for loss.
The 6-foot-5, 295-pounder earned the starting defensive end position over T.J. Jackson, a senior transfer from Troy. Jackson, standing at 6-foot-1 and 282 pounds, was rated PFF College’s top Big 12 defensive tackle earlier this offseason, thanks to his 27 tackles, including 17 solo, seven for loss and 3.5 sacks, as a junior.
Jackson will move to defensive end for the Mountaineers, based on the released depth chart, but he may earn time back at defensive tackle, which is a thin position in WVU’s defensive line.
Vesterinen, who started all 13 games at the position last year and earned an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention from the coaches, earned the trust of defensive line coach Andrew Jackson to start the year, but only redshirt sophomore Asani Redwood sits behind him on the depth chart. Redwood comes in at 6-foot-3, 290 pounds and made three tackles in 11 games last year.
At nose tackle, 6-foot-3, 308-pound redshirt junior Hammond Russell and 6-foot-3, 315-pound freshman Nate Gabriel will wait in the wings behind Mulbah, providing solid defensive line depth overall. Russell finished with 10 tackles in 11 games last season, including four solo tackles, 0.5 for loss, and 0.5 sacks.
Fatorma Mulbah takes the jump to a starting role after starting in just one of his 13 appearances last season. He lined up for 20 snaps or more in six different games last season and finished with 25 tackles, including 10 solo, three for loss, and 0.5 sacks, in his first season with the Mountaineers.
Mulbah’s increased role comes as part of a linear pattern for the former Penn State Nittany Lion. After seeing no action as a redshirted freshman, Mulbah earned enough time for four tackles in six games the next year before moving to a significant special teams role in his final season at Penn State.
Having gained the top roles and responsibilities after years of fighting for it, these senior leaders will be key to a defensive line and team built to make a Big 12 Championship appearance this season. The Mountaineers will begin their campaign on August 31 at home against Penn State.
Photo by Aaron Parker, Blue Gold Sports
