A Look into Liberty’s Defensive line

“Tips and overthrows, got to get those.”

This motto echoed repeatedly throughout Liberty’s defense this season has proven to be successful. Through five games, the Flames have recorded a total of 14 turnovers — seven interceptions and seven forced fumbles. 

The mantra, however, isn’t just the focus of Liberty’s secondary. In fact, defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett said the sentiment hails from the defensive front. 

“You hear the defense saying, ‘tips and overthrows, got to get those.” Well, that starts with us, the tip,” Garrett said. “Getting our hands up on the quick game and understanding if it’s empty, the ball’s coming out fast.” 

Nearly 10 months have passed since Garrett vacated his position as the assistant defensive line coach with the Cleveland Browns to join Liberty’s program as the head of the group. Those 10 months have brought a great deal of achievement thus far, with 17 sacks and 40 tackles for loss tallied by the unit in five games.  

Ask Garrett, and he’ll tell you that at the root of successful defensive line play is adequate preparation. Football is, indeed, both physical and cerebral. Garrett, however, likes to place extra emphasis on the cerebral side of the game, finding value in the details. 

One of his main priorities since his time at Liberty has been making sure his players take good notes.  

“It allows them to play faster and understand formations because they’ve written it down and they’ve studied it,” Garrett said of note-taking. “We have very minimal missed assignments, so I think the note-taking helps as far as the scheme and the individual guys that they’re playing against.”

The players have dedicated themselves to the process, with several players asking coaches for new notebooks merely five weeks into the season. 

“I feel like this year nothing has gotten harder, but the pace has gotten faster,” defensive end TreShaun Clark said. “There’s little things you have to remember. It’s not always the big things or knowing what to do on a play, but how to do it. Taking good notes, you can see who does and who doesn’t.”

It’s players like Clark, the team’s sack leader, whose game has elevated the efficiency of the whole football team. Clark has registered four sacks and 17 tackles on the season.  

On the other side of Clark is Durrell Johnson, a player that Garrett views as a “hybrid.” Not only can Johnson consistently get to the quarterback, tallying three and a half sacks on the season so far, but he’s showcased an ability to deflect passes and cause turnovers, notching one interception and one forced fumble this year.  

“It allows us to be multiple when you have guys that can drop in coverage, who can set the edge in the run game and who can also rush the passer,” Garrett said of Johnson.

While many of Liberty’s key playmakers, such as Johnson and Clark, have been with the program for a few years now, critical pieces of depth brought in this offseason from the transfer portal have strengthened the unit. 

Over the offseason, the Flames added Dre Butler and Jay Hardy from Auburn, as well as Dennis Osagiede from Stephen F. Austin. The depth at the position has not only added skill to the room but allowed for fresh legs in late-game situations. 

Typically, when the line comes away with a big play, it’s the edge defender getting the glory. 

Garrett sees things differently. When the unit is at its best, it’s rushing as a whole, with the bulk of the work coming from the interior. 

 “What you guys don’t see is the inside guys really pushing the pocket, so there’s nowhere for the quarterback to step up,” Garrett said. “I tell them all the time, the sacks that we miss, we didn’t rush as one.”

The Flames’ performance against the Old Dominion Monarchs was another elite outing, as the group notched four sacks and seven tackles for loss. From top to bottom, this is a unit that’s been hitting its stride early.

“This year, the D-line chemistry has been the best it’s ever been,” Clark said. “I feel like as a group, we’re able to depend on each other a lot more because the leaders we have in that room are doing what they’re supposed to do, (both) on the field and off the field and in practice.”

The team’s 17 sacks this season are on track to surpass last year’s total of 37. The Garrett-led group, however, isn’t concerned about what it’s done lately. 

“It’s never good enough with them,” Garrett said. “At the end of the year, with bowl games and all that stuff, we’ll talk about what we did well. Right now, we’re talking about getting better. That’s the standard of the room.” 

Cory is the sports editor for the Liberty Champion. Follow her on Twitter