LINEBACKERS OUTLOOK:
The linebacker position is one of three groups with a first-year assistant coach, as Ben Watkins was promoted following Tim Skipper's appointment as interim head coach.
Although this is his first season leading a position group with Fresno State, Watkins is no stranger to the program or the position group as he has been on staff since 2020.
He began his tenure with the Bulldogs in 2020 as a special teams quality control assistant, then was a defensive graduate assistant working with the linebackers in 2021 and 2022. In 2023, Watkins moved to a defensive quality control role.
Watkins inherits a seasoned linebacker group with 10 returners including Malachi Langley, who led the team in total tackles last season. Even with the loss of Levelle Bailey, a second-team All-Mountain West Conference selection, defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle believes the linebacker position has greater depth this season.
"We lost a big player," said Coyle, "but I feel like we are solid at the linebacker position and have more depth than we did a year ago. We even have the potential to be better at that position, collectively with the number of experienced players that we have."
Who's back: Langley has played in all 46 games of his career with 35 starts for the Bulldogs, and last season led the defense with 84.0 tackles (38 solo), plus 5.0 tackles for loss, one sack, and one quarterback hurry. The preseason second-team All-Mountain West selection by Phil Steele and Athlon Sports, has stepped into a leadership role, making an impact both on and off the field.
"It feels like Langley has been here since Coach Sweeney was coaching here," said Coyle. "He is very capable and we have a lot of trust in him. He brings natural leadership to the position group, on and off the field."
Phoenix Jackson had an outstanding offseason on and off the field, and has been consistently making plays throughout spring ball and the start of fall camp. He has appeared in every game over the past two seasons and in 2023 recorded 34.0 tackles (21 solo) with one interception, 2.5 tackles for loss and one sack.
Tuasivi Nomura is another returner, and is expected to be a significant contributor in his second season with the Bulldogs after transferring from USC and joining the program as a mid-year in January 2023. He appeared in eight games with one start during his first year with the Bulldogs, missing the start of the season due to an injury suffered during the spring. Nomura finished the season with 13.0 tackles, 2.0 TFLs, and one sack.
Fifth-year senior Tyler Mello and third-year sophomore Tim Thomas add to the Bulldogs' depth. Mello has appeared in 39 games throughout his career and has established himself as a key member of the special teams unit. Thomas played in two games last season and was in on two tackles in the Bulldogs' victory at Arizona State.
Steven Scheidt became a primary special teams contributor in his first season with the Bulldogs, seeing action in 12 games.
The group also returns Caden Rodgers, Seth Scheidt and Zeke Branham.
RL Miller made the transition from nickel to linebacker during the offseason. He utilized his redshirt year as a freshman in 2023, playing in three games on special teams.
Who's new: Two freshmen and one junior college transfer join the group this season.
Clovis native Logan Studt attended Buchanan High School, where he was rated the No. 2 local recruit in the Class of 2024. A three-star recruit, Studt started all four years of high school and was a 2023 first-team all-conference selection. He was high school teammates with current Fresno State quarterback Jayden Mandal, and the two have been attending Bulldog football games together since they were 6 years old.
Tytus Khajavi is another local product, graduating from Clovis West High School. The three-star recruit was the 2022 TRAC Defensive Player of the Year and a CalHi Sports third-team All-State selection. In 2022, he tallied 30 tackles and 7.5 sacks.
Zane Rix, a Valley native from Auberry, transferred in from Fresno City College. Over his two seasons with the Rams, he appeared in 11 games and racked up 19.0 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and 1.5 tackles for loss.
What to watch: Langley, Nomura and Jackson are the Bulldogs' top three linebackers. They figure to log most of the snaps this season, and will be charged with improving a run defense that struggled late in the year and ended up ranked sixth in the Mountain West.
The Bulldogs allowed 166.2 yards per game on the ground, their most in a full non-COVID impacted season since 2016.