BEAUMONT, Texas – Another offseason has come and gone, and the calendar has turned the page for August which means players have reported back to campus for preseason camp. It also means LamarCardinals.com will once again be posting its annual position-by-position breakdowns leading up to the team's season opener Saturday, Aug. 30^th at North Texas.
 
Today LamarCardinals.com will break down the LU defensive line.
 
DL Quick Facts:
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 10/2
Starters Returning/Lost: 1/2
Newcomers: 5 (four signees and one transfer)
 
Stats: The Cardinals ended the 2024 season ranked second in the Southland in scoring defense (22.8 ppg), fifth in total defense (367.2 ypg), fourth in rushing defense (138.8 ypg) and seventh in passing (228.3 ypg). The Cardinals also ranked seventh in the league in sacks with 23 and recorded 60 tackles for losses.
 
Key Player: Kei'Trone Simpson (24 tackles, 9 unassisted, 1.5 TFLs, 1.0 Sack, 1 FF) – is the Cardinals' lone returning starter on the defensive line.
 
The Storyline
While Lamar returns only one official starter on the defensive line (and for our purposes, we're considering a returning starter as an individual who started the majority of games at a position), the Cardinals have more players returning who have starting experience. Having said that, we here at LamarCardinals.com believe fans should not get hung up on the words, 'returning starters.' At the end of the day, the player on the field for the first snap of the game does not matter as much as those that get the majority of reps. Lamar has several guys on the roster who have played what we will call "starter reps" last year and throughout their careers.
 
Plus, fans will have to get used to us talking about not many "returning starters" on the defensive side of the ball. It just is what it is this year and that should be exciting. It's a chance for other guys, younger guys to possibly step into the spotlight. LU head coach Pete Rossomando praised the first and second-team defense following the second scrimmage of camp.
 
Back to the returning players - the other two players who got starts last year are Royce Maloles (6-2, 251, Jr.) on the end and Peyton Christian (6-1, 304, Jr.) at tackle. Maloles earned five starts last season and, in all honesty, should be labeled as a starter (but I'm too stubborn to break away from my "majority" rule when it comes to labeling starters) while Christian started in the win over Mississippi Valley State.
 
Maloles has played in 19 games during his two seasons with the Cardinals after a stellar high school career at Cypress Ranch. There is no reason why he (30 tackles, 11 solo stops, 1.5 sacks and four quarterback hurries) won't continue to improve this season. When you combine Maloles and Simpson, the Cardinals return all of the starts from their defensive end position.
 
Christian has played in 22 games making three starts during his two seasons in Beaumont. He has recorded 36 total tackles to go along with 2.5 tackles for losses and a sack. Christian was listed as the backup last season to all-conference selection Caleb Williams. He should be able to step in and be that run-stopping menace in the middle of the Cardinals' defense with no drop off.
 
Lamar also returns Jacob Ferree (6-2, 276, So.), Javen Sanchez (6-1, 297, Sr.), Iyioluwa Adekoya (6-4, 260, So.), Alex Sumler (6-3, 264, So.), Colin Hedges (6-1, 265, Jr.), Alexandre Dedieu (6-4, 235, Sr. – who is battling back from an injury during the spring) and Christian Booker (6-3, 291, Sr.).
 
Put that group together and they average 6-3, 270 pounds and have combined for 62 games played. Along with 2024 redshirts Grayden Spencer (6-3, 282, Fr.) and IyiolaOluwa Solomi (6-0, 273, Fr.), the Cardinals should have the versatility to rotate in 9-10 guys on the defensive line. That type of depth will allow for stronger legs and more energy when the fourth quarter rolls around and invariably turns into a grind.
 
If that isn't enough, the coaching staff also added more talent while on the recruiting trail. The Cardinals added five newcomers – four via the high school route and one from the portal (Andrew Huff – Houston Christian). The true freshmen are Courtlyn Houston (6-3, 310, Lake Charles, La. – his signing only adds to the fun of the Battle of the Border rivalry), Christian Osae (6-3, 241, Hurst, Texas), Carlos Coleman Talton (6-2, 258, Waco, Texas) and Fred Banks, Jr. (6-1, 300, New Orleans, La.) who provide the coaching staff with a plethora of options.
 
Despite losing two starters, including one all-conference selection from last year, the Cardinals' D-Line should be an interesting position group to watch this season. The pieces appear to be in place for the Cardinals' 2025 line to be even more productive this season compared to last.