With just under a few weeks away from the season opener vs. Virginia Tech, the Vanderbilt defensive line has been working to take strides after struggling last season.
Defensive line coach Larry Black likes the fact that most of his unit has stayed healthy, relative to some of the injury issues in 2023.
“We’ve been battling. It’s been a good camp. Guys are staying healthy for the most part. I’ve been proud of the unit, guys are taking steps. We’ve just got to continue to tighten down on the little things, and minor details, and double down on the playbook. You think you know it. You don’t know it until it’s at game reps.”
One guy in particular has stood out so far. That’s junior Linus Zunk, a native of Germany. At 6-foot-6, 263 lbs., Zunk has taken strides that have caught the eye of Black.
“He’s been working, man. He’s been freaking handling his business. All Linus does is work. He has shown up since he got here. He has the same mentality every day, he’s just going to grind until he gets it right. That’s why he’s becoming a better player every day. I thought he had a great first scrimmage the other day. He’s got to keep taking those steps.”
Meanwhile, MTSU transfer Zaylin Wood has proven his versatility, which was much-needed in this room, especially after last season’s struggles. At 6-ft, 280 lbs., Wood isn’t the biggest guy, but his motor is what excites Black.
“He can play the inside, he can play the edge. He’s a high-motor guy, twitchy. We’ve been very pleased with him and are expecting big things. He comes in and brings leadership. He was a captain at MTSU so, he brings outstanding leadership. Getting him out of the portal has been huge for our defense.”
Last season with the Blue Raiders, Wood started seven games, finishing with 16 tackles, 4 TFLs, 3 sacks, a fumble recovery, and a forced fumble. After playing against Conference USA offensive linemen the last few years, there will likely be an adjustment to SEC-level offensive linemen. Black is specifically working with him on hand placement.
“Just getting him to use his hands more. He likes to use his shoulders. He’s so twitchy off the ball so, he likes to use his shoulders. We’re getting him to use his hands more on rushes and in the run game. He comes in and he works. We knew what we were getting.”
Wood certainly did most of his damage against C-USA opponents, but if you look at his tape, he also showed what he was capable of against SEC teams.
“When you look at guys out of the portal, the first thing you do is look at their SEC tape. You turn on the Bama and Mizzou tape, you see that he belongs in this conference. That’s a good feeling.”
Another player you can’t forget about is Yilanan Outarra, the 6-foot-7, 311 lb. Junior out of Germany. Entering his third year in the program, Outarra will be relied on to produce at a high level. At his size, he has a chance to be a dominant player for the Commodores this season.
Jovan Haye joked to Black during practice one day about Outarra, “You got a 97 million dollar body.”
Black explained how much they need Outarra to be a dominant force on the interior this season.
“I’m on him hard to bring that mindset, to be a dominant dog on the inside. We need it from him. You don’t get too many people like him walking around on the football field. He’s been having a good camp.”
For him to become dominant at this level, “It’s going to be his attack point and his pad level. If he does that, nobody should be able to block him in the country.”
Another player to watch is freshman defensive tackle Glenn Seabrooks from Davidson Academy. After a solid scrimmage performance, the Commodores are hoping he can carve out a small role in 2024.
“We’ve been very pleased. I thought he had a scrimmage where he flashed. He’s 300-plus pounds. He’s stout. He’s learning how to use his hands. He’s going to have a good shot. We’re proud of what he’s been able to do. He’s a guy to look out for.”
In the offseason, new strength and conditioning coach Robert Stiner came in from Georgia Southern and made an immediate impact. Several defensive linemen made sizeable weight gains. De’Marion Thomas added 13 lbs and Yilanan Outarra added 6 lbs, just to name a couple.
Coach Black was encouraged to see so many players in his room look and feel different heading into fall camp.
“You look at DT (De’Marion Thomas), Teddy (Ted Gregoire), Glenn (Seabrooks), Yilanan. Those guys are big, strong dudes. Devin Lee and Christian James, those guys are adding weight in all the good spots. Coach Stiner does a remarkable job with our unit.”
For the Commodores’ defensive line unit to improve after a poor showing in 2023, players like Yilanan Outarra, De’Marion Thomas, Zaylin Wood, and Khordae Sydnor must step into the best version of themselves. In addition, the pass rush has to improve, especially after just 21 sacks last season.
