LINEBACKER OUTLOOK
The linebackers room is loaded with starters Levelle Bailey and Malachi Langley back among 10 returning players, and they will lead a defense that is expected to be more dynamic and productive in a second season under coordinator Kevin Coyle and staff.
"When you have a veteran group you can feel the anticipation of the guys wanting to get out to practice," linebackers coach Tim Skipper said. "When your group is inexperienced, they want to meet a lot. When you have an experienced group like this, they already know the defense so they are ready to get on the field to work on technique and the small things."
Who's back: Bailey, who has gained honorable mention on the All-Mountain West selection three years in a row, has played in every game of his career with 36 starts. In 2022, he started all 14 games and was the Bulldogs' leading tackler with 88 stops (54 solo), averaging 6.29 tackles per game. He added 5.5 tackles for loss, six pass breakups and one forced fumble.
The senior is a versatile linebacker with the physicality to stop the run in the box, agility to go sideline to sideline and the speed to pick up coverage down the middle.
Langley, another fifth-year senior, has played in every game the past three seasons and started 13 games a year ago when the Bulldogs allowed just 19.4 points per game. Langley was an All-MW honorable mention selection after racking up 68 tackles (40 solo), 3.0 tackles for loss, two interceptions, two quarterback hurries, two pass breakups and 1.0 sacks.
"Those two guys really command the room," Skipper said. "They hold the guys accountable. Everything goes through them. They are the leaders. They have had the most snaps so when the other guys have questions, they ask them. It's really good to see."
Sophomore Phoenix Jackson played in all 14 games last season primarily as a member of the special teams kickoff coverage unit, but saw some time at linebacker.
Jackson has been taking reps with the No. 2 defense during fall camp, a result of the work that he put in during the offseason.
"Phoenix Jackson had a phenomenal summer." said Andy Ward, the Bulldogs' director of sports performance. "He went from 17% to 10% body fat, a huge transformation, and he's still staying in that 220 to 225 pound range. His body weight didn't go down with that, and his peak power has gone up tremendously. All of his numbers went up - squat, bench, all of that stuff. He absolutely crushed it. He dominated it."
Redshirt freshman Tim Thomas also has been taking reps with the No. 2s during fall camp. He was a three-star recruit out of Lincoln High School in Stockton.
Tanner Blount, Zeke Branham, Tyler Mello, Raymond Scott and Seth Scheidt also return in the position group and Caden Rodgers made the move to linebacker from running back during the offseason.
Who's new: The Bulldogs added Division I transfers in Steven Scheidt and Tuasivi Nomura, though Nomura will miss time due to an injury suffered in the spring.
Scheidt, a Buchanan High graduate, returned home after spending three seasons at Eastern Washington after starting his career at Fresno City College. He played in 16 games for the Eagles and was in on 28 tackles.
Nomura joins the 'Dogs after spending four seasons at USC. He played in 33 career games for the Trojans and last season had 25 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, one quarterback hurry and one pass break up.
What to watch: The Bulldogs are set with Bailey and Langley, but it will be interesting to see how the depth at the position and the defense develops behind them.
Fresno State was one of the best defenses in the nation down the stretch last season, allowing an average of just 9.0 points over its last four games.
One area Coyle and Skipper have targeted for improvement: turnovers.
The Bulldogs ranked in a tie with Utah State for sixth in the Mountain West with 18 takeaways (12 interceptions and six fumble recoveries), down by six from 2021 when they played one fewer football games. It also was the first time they had not had 20 takeaways in a full non-COVID season since 2016.