And now the defensive depth chart.  Changes from my May 18th Depth Chart are listed in italics.

DE
Doug Pilcher (SR)
Whitney Mercilus (FR)
Michael Buchanan (FR)

DT
Corey Liuget (SO)
Rahkeem Smith (SR)

DT
Josh Brent (JR)
Sirod Williams (SR)

DE
Clay Nurse (JR)
Antonio James (SR)

SLB
Ian Thomas (SO)
Aaron Gress (JR)

MLB
Martez Wilson (JR)
Evan Frierson (FR)

WLB
Russell Ellington (SO)
Nate Bussey (JR)
Eric Watts (FR)

CB
Tavon Wilson (SO)
Travon Bellamy (JR)

CB
Dere Hicks (SR)
Joelil Thrash (FR)

SS
Garrett Edwards (JR)
Bo Flowers (JR)

FS
Donsay Hardeman (SR)
Supo Sanni (SO)

Nickel
Travon Bellamy (JR)

+ I added a third player at DE and WLB because by November 1, I think Michael Buchanan and Eric Watts might find themselves in the actual two-deep.  Buchanan because of Jerry Brown’s departure, Watts because of my mancrush.  Granted, both are currently small for their positions, so Loushirts would be helpful for both, but I really do think they find their way onto the field.

+ Joelil Thrash might have shed his redshirt even before the Miami Thomas injury.  I was really impressed at Camp Rantoul.  So with Miami gone and Patrick Nixon-Youman seemingly not 100% after the injury, I think Thrash is most definitely our 4th corner.  And with our third corner (Bellamy) also being the nickel, it stands to reason that Thrash will get a fair amount of time on the field this fall.

+ I think we’ll see a fair amount of dime defense this season.  Partly to cover spread offenses, partly for down-and-distance situations, and partly to give offenses a different look than the same, predictable base defense.  A guess at the dime would be Nurse-Liuget-Pilcher on the line, Thomas and Tez at linebacker, and Wilson-Bellamy-Hicks, Sanni-Edwards-Hardeman in the defensive backfield.

+ I switched Antonio James and Clay Nurse from what I had back in May, but that’s only because I liked Nurse more than James in Rantoul.  I think the plan remains the same: James at DE on rushing downs, Nurse at DE on passing downs.

+ A peek at next year’s defense: Nurse-Brent-Liuget-Buchanan, Thomas-Tez-Ellington, Bellamy-Wilson-Edwards-Sanni.  You know, if Buchanan can progress nicely and Sanni can step it up, that has a chance to be a really solid defense.  A strength-of-the-team defense, led by the top DT tandem in the country.

I just wanted to say “2010 top DT tandem in the country” again. Fun.