SMU DL Coach Thibodeaux encouraged by size, production this spring

The old adage goes that you can’t coach size, well SMU defensive line coach Calvin Thibodeaux has plenty to work with so he can work on other things this spring.

That was the question coming into this offseason as the Mustangs lost three interior linemen who were key to the defense’s success in 2023. Thibodeaux and company have brought in Anthony Booker Jr., Mike Lockhart and Jonathan Jefferson to help in that area.

“The guys are working hard. I love the size. I love the girth,” Thibodeaux said. “I love the fact that everybody’s, right now, just trying to learn and they’re all sticking together, they’ve got each other’s back. And we’re forming a unit, we’re becoming a team. We’re building it from the ground up and that’s the beauty of it, they’re accepting the challenge right now.”

They join a group that includes Kori Roberson and Mike Yoan Sandjo-Njiki who got significant playing time last year along with now redshirt freshman Kevin Allen. But they can’t rely on last year’s success automatically carrying over into this season.

“You draw confidence from it, but you can’t just strictly depend on that,” Thibodeaux said. “You’ve got to build these habits here in spring ball now. Nothing’s going to be given to us. We have to form those great habits and go take what’s ours. The guys are working. They’re working, they’ve got great attitudes and as a coach that’s all you really could ask for right now.”

When the Mustangs were looking to bring in some players to fill the gaps they wanted to find more than just good players. They needed guys that fit the system and the team dynamic.

“You want to make sure that everybody understands what their role is and make sure that they’re stars in their roles,” Thibodeaux said. “And you want to make sure that you bring good quality character young men into the program and so far, that seems to be the case. These guys work hard, guys that love football, No. 1. They love football, man, we’re going to love each other. Guys that are just eager and passionate to get on the field and make the most of this opportunity. And we feel like we got a couple of those guys.”

Booker can almost be a one-for-one trade from Jordan Miller last season. Although at 6-foot-4, 351-pounds, the aptly nicknamed named ‘Tank’ is even bigger than Miller is.

“He’s a grown man. He’s hard to move and he can move though,” Thibodeaux said of Booker. “He’s able to (move), from tackle to tackle, he’s a problem, he’s big. He can anchor at the point and I’m excited to continue to just build great habits with him. But I think he’s a guy that’s going to help us. We kind of see him as that Jordan Miller type of guy. A guy that can take two (blockers), a guy that can anchor our run defense, that’s what we need. Some of the things that he do, it might not show up in the stats, but you know in order to play the defense the way we want to play it, that you need a guy like that.”

Then there is Lockhart. The Mustangs are going to ask he 6-4, 317 tackle to do some different things. He’s shown he can handle it so far.

“You see a big athletic guy. A guy that’s played a lot of nose and we’re asking him to play another position,” Thibodeaux said of Lockhart. “He’s going to play both, he’ll play all across the line. But he’s a guy who’s learning our system and coming out here and trying to form some good habits. He’s a guy that’s going to help us because he’s big and athletic, he has a lot of P5 experience. We’ve just got to keep developing those great habits and I think come fall he’ll be a guy that makes our team a lot better.”

Then there is Jefferson who comes from three seasons in a Georgia program. While he doesn’t bring a lot of playing experience, he is a veteran of college football. That could get him on the field plenty this year.

“Big, athletic, very well coached. A lot of the drills that we have done, fundamentally a lot of experience at that,” Thibodeaux said of Jefferson. “He can get in front of the line and lead that group. He’s going to help us. You have to roll those interior guys. When big guys get tired, that’s when those injuries come, that’s when the MAs happen, so we want to be able to keep guys fresh. He’s a guy, he’s pushing, we’re in competition right now. He’s a guy that’s going to play a bunch for us next year.”

SMU is more experienced on the edges where defensive end Elijah Roberts returns following a 10-sack season. The Mustangs also bring back Isaiah Smith, Cameron Robertson, Je’lin Samuels and David Abiara while adding Jahfari Harvey and Omari Abor.

The Bandits work with newly promoted Sam Dunnam, but Thibodeaux has liked what he’s seen from Abor coming in and working behind Roberts on the end.

“Omari, he did some good things the previous practice. You can tell he’s getting comfortable,” Thibodeaux said. “You can tell that he’s a more comfortable young man, more comfortable in his talents. He’s athletic and he’s allowed himself to be coached. He’s a really quiet guy, so sometimes you ask him a question and you want a little more from him, but he’s just a very quiet kid. But I’m starting to see him flash more and more. The more reps he gets, the more he’s flashing and that’s going to help our depth and that’s going to be big for us.”

Abiara is another one working that position. He has shown flashes of ability, like his 1.5 tackles for loss including a sack assist against East Carolina. But is still working to find that consistency.

“David’s a vet. He’s a guy that showed last year, versus East Carolina, that he can do it,” Thibodeaux said. “It’s just up to him. It’s that man in the mirror. If his mindset’s right, with that frame, he can do it. We need both of those guys. We need everybody in our room to add to the organization.”

Leadership was also lost through graduation. Roberts brings back a good amount of leadership ability but there is also a new face stepping up and making people listen.

“Tank is one of those guys, he doesn’t say much but when he does it’s understood,” Thibodeaux said. “I like to find out who my alpha is quick. He doesn’t say much, but when he does talk everybody falls in place. When I first got here, Elijah Chatman, alpha. He doesn’t say much but when he does it’s understood and they fall in line. As a coach you better figure out who that guy is and make sure he’s on your side. I think if I really want to get some s— done, excuse my language, Tank is my alpha.”

When it comes to those … things … Thibodeaux wants to get done, in spring the fundamentals are key. But in the end, it’s about who can get the job done between the time the ball is snapped and the whistle is blown.

“We’ve got to be able to have great fundamentals. We’ve got to be able to run the defense,” Thibodeaux said. “We have to win the line of scrimmage. We have to be physical at the point of contact. We have to be able to do it over and over again. I’m just looking for who are the most consistent. Who doesn’t bust calls. Who can come out of their hips and make a man go backwards against their will.

“Who’s showing up on tape, who’s flashing, who’s making plays. It’s one thing to run the defense and use the techniques, but who’s actually finding the ball. All that goes into the breakdown of, ‘Where’s this guy, where’s this guy.’ We do that every single day and at the end the film speaks volumes.”