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2008 Gridiron Camp Preview: Defensive Line
Aug. 6, 2008
FORT WORTH, Texas -- As the TCU football team continues through its first week of preseason camp, GoFrogs.com takes a look at the 2008 Horned Frog defensive line. Despite losing highly decorated ends Tommy Blake and Chase Ortiz to graduation, the TCU defensive front is loaded with talented players ready to fill their shoes. Bolstering the front is the return of defensive tackle James Vess (6-3, 282, Sr.), who sat out last season. With the double teams that he'll command, Vess will make the Frog linebackers better. Vess played extremely well down the stretch in the 2006 campaign, twice being named TCU's Defensive Player of the Week and recording four sacks in the final seven games. He is an All-MWC caliber player. Behind Vess is returning letterman John Fonua (5-10, 270, Sr.). Fonua, who came to the Frogs as a junior college transfer, played in all 13 games last season and totaled 15 tackles. True freshman Jeremy Coleman (6-3, 270, Fr.) could make an immediate impact at defensive tackle. Veteran Cody Moore (6-1, 292, Sr.) is a mainstay on the TCU defensive line. He started all 13 games last season and totaled 5.5 tackles for a loss. Behind Moore are Cory Grant (6-2, 303, So.), Kelly Griffin (6-1, 280, So.) and Henry Niutei (6-4, 292, So.). Griffin started all 13 games last season in becoming the first true freshman to start in the seven-year tenure of head coach Gary Patterson. Griffin was an honorable-mention Freshman All-American. Grant totaled two sacks in his first season of competition. Matt Panfil (6-2, 232, Sr.) is the lone senior among the Frogs' six defensive ends and will occupy the starting job on the right side. The local product from North Crowley High School in Fort Worth started six games last season and placed among the Frogs' top-10 tacklers with 37 stops. Braylon Broughton (6-6, 250, RFr.), who has a tremendous upside, will back up Panfil. Broughton was named the 2008 MWC Preseason Freshman of the Year. Jerry Hughes (6-2, 248, Jr.), who played well in a reserve role a year ago with 29 tackles, will move into a first-team position at left end. Hughes made his first collegiate start in the 37-0 win over New Mexico. Pushing Hughes for playing time are Wayne Daniels (6-2, 240, So.) and Clarence Leatch (6-4, 238, So.). Daniels saw action as a true freshman in 2006 before taking a redshirt last year. Leatch played in two games last season. BY THE NUMBERS:
1 - Interceptions by Jerry Hughes last season (at Wyoming), representing the first pick by a TCU defensive lineman since Chase Ortiz in the 2006 opener at Baylor
2 - Sacks by Matt Panfil in last year's 24-12 win over Colorado State
4 - Sacks by James Vess in the final seven games of the 2006 season 13 - Games started by Kelly Griffin in 2007 as he became the first true freshman to start in the seven-year tenure of head coach Gary Patterson
17 - Career starts by Cody Moore, the most among the Horned Frog defensive front
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