Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Jordans, Poydras thankful for another year in trenches
3/31/2021 6:00:00 PM | Football, BRAA
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — If Middle Tennessee senior defensive tackle Rakavian Poydras has ever considered going by a different name, now might be the time. Here's a suggestion: Jordan.
Poydras, a career 20-game starter for the Blue Raiders at defensive tackle, will likely line up this season alongside the same three linemen as he did in 2020, the Jordans.
Redshirt junior Jordan Ferguson, redshirt sophomores Jorden (note the spelling) Starling and Jordan Branch, and Poydras made up MT's starting defensive front in six of nine games in 2020. They're all back and trying this spring to find a way to create more havoc in the interior.
"I'm honestly just blessed to be in the pack with the Jordans," Poydras said. "It's pretty fun to be back with those boys running around and playing. They make it fun to come here every day."
While the four starters return — not to mention a handful of other guys who played meaningful snaps in 2020 — that doesn't mean the group is oozing experience on the gridiron. That's where getting back to spring practice after last year's cancelation will hopefully have an impact.
Veteran defensive line coach Tommy West, who has 39 years of college coaching experience under his belt, only has one senior on his line, Poydras, and two juniors, Ferguson and Ja'Kerrius Wyatt. The rest are either freshmen or sophomores who thanks to last season's spring hiatus were a little behind when the 2020 season started. Not to mention, Ferguson moved from tackle to play defensive end for the first time ever.
"Spring ball is where we teach guys how to play football," West said. "I thought you could tell it during the season with our team. … You can't just pour water over their head and they know how to play."
The one area on paper where the group needs to show improvement heading into 2021 is finishing off sacks.
Of the Blue Raiders' 19 sacks in 2020 — they ranked fourth in Conference USA with 2.11 per game — only six came from linemen, led by Ferguson's 2.5. However, they accounted for 18 of the team's 27 quarterback hurries.
Perfecting techniques to get off blocks a half second quicker could be the ticket to more sacks, and having spring practice to work on that has been a blessing. The relatively young group also gets yet another chance to grow together on and off the field, which should pay dividends down the road.
"It's amazing. We lost no chemistry from last year and do nothing but gain experience and talent," Starling said. "We know we'll be good for years to come if we can keep our heads down and grind. We should have a lot of time together still."
This spring, West wants to see his linemen really focus on perfecting their craft. They all have different things to work on, but the hope is they become a more cohesive unit heading into the 2021 season.
One more thing they could add to their plate is getting Poydras to change his name to complete the Jordan square
"We're trying to get him to change it," Starling said.
Poydras, a career 20-game starter for the Blue Raiders at defensive tackle, will likely line up this season alongside the same three linemen as he did in 2020, the Jordans.
Redshirt junior Jordan Ferguson, redshirt sophomores Jorden (note the spelling) Starling and Jordan Branch, and Poydras made up MT's starting defensive front in six of nine games in 2020. They're all back and trying this spring to find a way to create more havoc in the interior.
"I'm honestly just blessed to be in the pack with the Jordans," Poydras said. "It's pretty fun to be back with those boys running around and playing. They make it fun to come here every day."
While the four starters return — not to mention a handful of other guys who played meaningful snaps in 2020 — that doesn't mean the group is oozing experience on the gridiron. That's where getting back to spring practice after last year's cancelation will hopefully have an impact.
Veteran defensive line coach Tommy West, who has 39 years of college coaching experience under his belt, only has one senior on his line, Poydras, and two juniors, Ferguson and Ja'Kerrius Wyatt. The rest are either freshmen or sophomores who thanks to last season's spring hiatus were a little behind when the 2020 season started. Not to mention, Ferguson moved from tackle to play defensive end for the first time ever.
"Spring ball is where we teach guys how to play football," West said. "I thought you could tell it during the season with our team. … You can't just pour water over their head and they know how to play."
The one area on paper where the group needs to show improvement heading into 2021 is finishing off sacks.
Of the Blue Raiders' 19 sacks in 2020 — they ranked fourth in Conference USA with 2.11 per game — only six came from linemen, led by Ferguson's 2.5. However, they accounted for 18 of the team's 27 quarterback hurries.
Perfecting techniques to get off blocks a half second quicker could be the ticket to more sacks, and having spring practice to work on that has been a blessing. The relatively young group also gets yet another chance to grow together on and off the field, which should pay dividends down the road.
"It's amazing. We lost no chemistry from last year and do nothing but gain experience and talent," Starling said. "We know we'll be good for years to come if we can keep our heads down and grind. We should have a lot of time together still."
This spring, West wants to see his linemen really focus on perfecting their craft. They all have different things to work on, but the hope is they become a more cohesive unit heading into the 2021 season.
One more thing they could add to their plate is getting Poydras to change his name to complete the Jordan square
"We're trying to get him to change it," Starling said.
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