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By Brian Pitts

Sports Editor

Defensive coordinator Blaine Nicholson is feeling good about the outside linebackers.

One of the tentpoles on defense – Jerred Alexander – is a guy who plays ever down as if it were his last.

“I think the leader of that group is Jerred,” head coach Tim Devericks said of the 6-4, 185-pound senior. “He’s one of those guys who will give you 110 percent. He will just go and go and go. He’s a kid you need to have on defense who sets the tone.”

“He’s definitely one of our most improved players over the past two years,” Nicholson said. “He started out as an offensive lineman. He didn’t gain any weight, but he’s got plenty of height. He’s a read player; he’s not taking the candy. He’s a throwback guy. He doesn’t care about his physical well-being. He’s going to absolutely throw it up in there, and he’s going to play as many snaps as you let him. He’s never going to tap out. I mean, he absolutely has a junkyard-dog mentality, and we hope that spreads throughout our defense.”

While Alexander is entrenched as a starter, senior Zander Richardson (5-11, 175) has potential to wreak havoc at the other OLB spot. He’s the older brother of junior inside linebacker Archer Richardson.

“He’s a really smart guy,” Nicholson said. “He’s shown up to almost every workout. He’s all-in. He’s going to be in the right position more often than not. The whole Richardson clan (including Trevor Richardson, who graduated in 2021) is not scared of contact.”

Dylan Miller (6-0, 160) is a sophomore who is willing to put in the work.

“Dylan was a really good JV player,” Nicholson said. “He’s not missed a single day, so he’s in the mix. He’s only a sophomore, but he just makes plays, so you can’t keep those guys off the field. He’s one of those guys that I know can help us win.”

The pieces are there for Davie to be deep at this position. There’s senior Cole Thomas (5-11, 205), a converted offensive lineman.

“He’s a very strong guy,” Nicholson said. “Coach Devericks thought he could help the team better on defense. He’s a huge weight-room guy.”

Junior Landon Waller (6-5, 185) is recovering from an injury, but he was a constant playmaker on JV. Sophomore Connor Dixson and freshman J’seire Arnold are great looking young players.

“The future is really bright at this position,” Nicholson said. “We’ve got some great athletes coming behind (the starters).”