Spring Football Report: Linebackers

There are few positions on the football roster with as much talent and potential as the linebacking corps.

Returning first-team All Mid-American Conference performer junior Khalil Mack and Phil Steele's All-Freshman team honoree sophomore Lee Skinner make this squad the backbone of the Buffalo defense.

They will have to learn from new defensive coordinator Lou Tepper this season, but head coach Jeff Quinn says the squad is picking up the new defense easily.

"If you look at week one and week two I think there was still a lot of learning," Quinn said. "When you look at last week I think we made significant strides in execution."

Tepper will certainly have an experienced bunch to work with, as Fred Branch will be the only player not returning this season. As a senior, Branch was the team's leading tackler in 2011.

Buffalo hopes to have a number of players step up and help fill that role to compliment the rest of the returners.

Khalil Mack

2011 Stats:

Tackles: 65 (20.5 for loss)

Sacks: 5.5

Forced fumbles: 5

Interceptions: 1

Blocked Kicks: 1

Junior Khalil Mack is the best defensive player on the Bulls entering the 2012 season and one of the best in the country as well. He proved that last year, leading the team in tackles for loss, sacks, and forced fumbles, which broke the school record since its entry into Division-1.

He finished last year as a first team All-MAC player, and was named by Sports Illustrated as an honorable mention All-American pick.

Coming into this season he will most likely be on a preseason watch list, and with that type of pressure, it can change the way some players perform. Not so with Mack.

"I don't want it to be all about me," Mack said. "I have very good teammates. There are too many guys to be worried about me, so I can't have a target on my back."

With a guy as talented as he is, there are few things to work on. Mack knows that lateral quickness is something that he wants to work on in order to be a more complete player. Tepper has helped his learning curve tremendously.

"I learned that I'm not as good as I think I am," Mack said. "He's just trying to make me a better linebacker, not just during pass rushing, but being able to make plays outside in coverage. With his experience being in the Big Ten and SEC, I can't do [anything] but respect him, and know that I don't know everything. I can do nothing but learn from him."

With his talent and experience in Buffalo, it would be natural to place him as one of the vocal leaders on the team. But that's just not his style.

"I'm a laid-back guy, so I try to lead by example," Mack said. "That's my approach, because I'm not much of a verbal, out-there type of guy, so I sit back and use my actions."

Look for the "Mack Truck" to lay out opposing ball carriers in the 2012 season.

Lee Skinner

2011 Stats:

Tackles: 80 (5 for loss)

Skinner had the most tackles on the team last season among returning players with 80. As a freshman Skinner jumped into a starting role and performed so well that he earned a spot on the second-team of Phil Steele's All-Freshman team.

Now heading into his sophomore campaign, Skinner hopes to build upon that first year and make himself an even bigger force within the MAC.

"Last year I didn't really know what to expect," Skinner said. "This year I'm a little more comfortable."

Skinner hopes that comfort leads to a solid one-two punch at linebacker with Mack.

Jaleel Verser

2011 Stats:

Tackles: 49 (6 for loss)

Sacks: 1

Blocked kicks: 1

Verser is coming into the 2012 season after surprising many with a strong 2011 campaign. He is a guy whose 6-foot-6 frame and athleticism can wreak havoc on opposing offensive linemen and quarterbacks. With talent all around him, the senior is a candidate to break out and have an even stronger 2012.

Verser's aggressive style of play comes from the way he mentally approaches the game.

"I step on the field with a chip on my shoulder because I feel like the underdog," Verser said. "You got to have that mindset, so I just try to go out there and make a name for myself."

Coming into the season, he is looking to become a stronger linebacker in terms of making plays outside of the tackle box.

"I'd like to get better at my man and zone coverage," Verser said. "It's something that I have been working on over the offseason."

This is due to a change in position, as he started out his Buffalo career as a defensive end. Verser is comfortable at his new position, but it wasn't always the case.

"It was very tough, because I wasn't so used to being in space," Verser said. "After I got used to stuff, got a feel for it, I just started getting comfortable.

In his final season, Verser is one that will make a big splash on the MAC scene if defensive coordinators don't target him.

Scott Pettigrew

2011 Stats:

Tackles: 32

Forced Fumbles: 1

The fifth-year senior is the savvy-vet amongst the younger group, and looks to take that experience into a leadership role.

With the time that Pettigrew has spent as a member of the Bulls, he's seen a number of players come through the squad. But he thinks this year's group could potentially be the best at the position.

"We're definitely stacked this year," Pettigrew said. "We have a lot of depth too, not only is the starting line [good] but second and third string as well."

Pettigrew made a name for himself as soon as he stepped on campus. He played a big part in the 2008 MAC Championship run by playing in all 14 games and starting eight. He also started 11 games as a sophomore, and played in all 12 games as a redshirt junior after missing all of 2010 with a knee injury.

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