SLU Secondary Preview

HAMMOND, La. – The reigning Southland Conference champion Southeastern Louisiana University football team will enter the 2023 season with a new look in the secondary.

The Lions will be replacing four All-SLC starters among their defensive backs. Southeastern head coach Frank Scelfo is confident that the new-look back end of the SLU defense will be a plus this fall.

"We feel like we're deeper and more talented than we've been in the secondary," Scelfo commented. "We're two-deep at every position on the back end and we feel like our defensive backs have the chance to be the strength of our defense."

Defensive coordinator and assistant head coach Bill D'Ottavio has been pleased with the secondary's progress.

"Every year there's going to be change with guys graduating," D'Ottavio said. "We'll have some veterans step into bigger roles and we'll have some new guys in the mix, so we've had great competition back there. We're still a work in progress, but we're starting to see that group show up and do some things we want to see."

Markell Linzer, Ian Goodly, Kunta Hester, Coryell Pierce, Varon Douglas, Rob Buquoi and Tyrone Legette are all veterans returning in the secondary, while Blayne Delahoussaye and Justin Dumas are also back after missing all of 2022 with injuries.

Legette, a New Orleans native, was named to the preseason All-Southland Conference season last month. Cornerback coach Del Lee-Collins touted Legette's toughness.

"Tyrone is a feisty competitor and always gives his all," Lee-Collins stated. "We think he's going to make some tough plays this year. He's a proven leader, along with Blayne, in our room. Blayne has really worked hard coming back from injury and has improved tremendously."

Lee-Collins also noted that Tylon Cooper, Ralph Walker and Tyler Mansfield were newcomers to watch among the cornerbacks, as well as Jonathan Vaughn, who made the switch from running back this spring. A pair of transfer safeties Victor Tademy (Harvard) and Donald Clay (SMU) are expected to make an immediate impact, while safeties coach Antonio Baker has also been pleased with the development of freshmen Rodney Brown Jr. and Richard McKneely, as well as newcomer Khamron Ford.

Baker is bullish on the safeties' progress as the season progresses.

"As preseason progresses, we just want to continue to learn," Baker commented. "We just want to get everybody to play fast. Our guys support each other, learn from each other and we're concentrated on executing at a high level."