The spring schedule has been announced and fall practice is underway for the Coyotes, who have 12 more practices from now until the end of October. In that span, we will catch up with position coaches to learn more about their units. We continue the series with outside linebackers coach Abdul Hodge, who is preparing for his second season with the unit.
 
Returning Starters
Jacob Matthew, Sr., Omaha, Neb.
Jakari Starling, So., Riviera Beach, Fla.
 
Returners
Jake Richardson, Sr., Kansas City, Kan.
Jason Simon-Ressler, R-Fr., Farley, Iowa
Jonathan Joanis, Jr., Orlando, Fla.
Tre Thomas, So., Burnsville, Minn.
 
Newcomers
Zander Flucas, Fr., Waconia, Minn. (Mayer Lutheran HS)
Caleb Smith, Fr., Davison, Mich. (Davison HS)
Teven McKelvey, Fr., Gardner, Kan. (Gardner Edgerton HS)
 
The game sounds so simple when you talk it with coach Hodge: get lined up, get off a block, pursue the football correctly and make the tackle.
 
You would expect nothing less when talking to an NFL veteran who played under Mike McCarthy in Green Bay, Marvin Lewis in Cincinnati and John Fox in Carolina. Plus the number of coordinators and position coaches who has shaped his teaching are too numerous for this space.
 
That said, the new wrinkle for Hodge in year two in working with coordinator Travis Johansen is coaching the "stud" backers alongside the "rush" backers. The stud, or strong side backers, are more of your "nickel" backs who are big enough to aid the run defense and fast enough to cover backs and receivers. The rush backers resemble more of a standup defensive end.
 
Jacob Matthew, who led the Coyotes in sacks and tackles-for-loss last season, thrived as a rush backer and played more than 90 percent of USD's snaps at that position in 2019. On the other side was Jakari Starling, who finished as the Coyotes' third-leading tackler and was named to the Valley's all-Newcomer Team.
 
"We have a group of nine guys with unique skill sets," said Hodge. "They are high-level processors who give us a lot of depth, not just at those two positions, but at a lot of other positions including special teams. They have great size and athleticism, and their instincts allow them to play at a high level."
 
Hodge referred to the spring season as a blessing in disguise for two main reasons. Hodge joined the staff last February and much of his first year was spent in fast-break mode while installing a new defense. This extra time has allowed the defensive staff to slow down, work together, get more ideas on film and play with different looks.
 
The second main reason is the development of his unit and especially the newcomers.
 
"We have very talented freshmen, and we've been able to spend a lot of time teaching them the playbook and getting them up to speed," said Hodge. "It's also a great opportunity for Jake, John, JSR and Tre. I think the strength of our defense and special teams is going to come from these two linebacker groups with the quality of the athletes and high-level processes we have in those groups."
 
A renewed focus for Hodge here in the fall is the classroom. He has challenged his players to achieve at least a 3.0 grade point average this semester while taking advantage of the Student-Athlete Success Center and other campus resources. It's not a new goal and in fact all but one achieved the mark in the spring despite the COVID restrictions. Jake Richardson turned in a 4.0.
 
"It's a great group of guys who are working hard both on and off the field," said Hodge. "I tell them every day, 'you don't have to be perfect every day, it just has to be better.' I want them to grade out better on the field and in the classroom."