Cal Poly Spring Football Positional Preview: Defensive Line
2/27/2025 1:20:00 PM | Football
SAN LUIS OBISPO — Arguably the heartbeat of Cal Poly’s 2024 defensive unit, this spring the Mustangs return 14-of-18 defensive linemen from last year, including six that registered tackles for loss and at least ten total tackles.
Obviously the biggest loss year-over-year was that of star defensive end Elijah Ponder who is expected to be picked up by an NFL team this offseason, whether via the draft or undrafted free agency.
Ponder led the team with 7.0 sacks, 12.5 tackles for loss, and 14 quarterback hits before taking his talents to the Shrine Bowl where he picked up a sack and two passes deflected.
[Ponder’s] talent and work ethic were both extremely high. His commitment to the team and consistency were also impressive, and now he’s in a position to continue playing this game for a long time [in the NFL].Head Coach Paul Wulff
In 2024, the Mustang defensive linemen accounted for about 22% of tackling, 60% of tackles for loss, and 86% of sacks. Defensive Line Coach Will Plemons has no reservations about the state of the team without Ponder, saying, “All the young guys coming back from last year have a lot of reps under their belt. I don’t think we’re going to be less without Ponder. With the unit collectively and how much better everyone has gotten, especially the redshirts, we expect to be even better than last year."
The biggest thing [with the returners] is that they’re bigger, stronger, older and continue to take coaching. We expect our defensive line to be the leader of our defense. [The trenches] are critical on both sides of the ball. If we can play consistent, physical, and have an overall good team defense, then we’ll be fine.Head Coach Paul Wulff
One key player who embodied Wulff’s philosophy last season was Ethan Rodriguez, a proven veteran on the defensive line who is expected to take on a leadership role this season as the line's most statistically successful returner.
An All-Big Sky Honorable Mention in 2024, Rodriguez has struggled with injuries throughout his four years with Cal Poly but finally put it all together last year to the tune of 9.5 tackles for loss and 3 sacks, becoming the perfect compliment to Ponder on a physically imposing line.
Assistant Head Coach and Defensive Line Coach Will Plemons has big plans for Rodriguez as the redshirt senior enters his final year as a Mustang: “We’d like to see him increase in size, get up near the 285-290 mark. I think he has the potential to be the best (FCS) defensive tackle in the nation. He’s got all the tools and can have so much influence on both the run and pass like Ponder did.”
Mason Barbour and Thomas Bouda, both double-digit game participants last season, return and are set to compete for bigger roles on the defensive line as redshirt seniors.
Barbour compiled 19.0 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and 1.0 sacks in 2024, enjoying his best games against Northern Colorado and Northern Arizona where his tackles for loss were generated. A local product from Templeton, Barbour had a great spring last year and will look to emulate that production with another spring in proving that he deserves to consistently start entering 2025.
Bouda, like Rodriguez, finally played in his first full season during the 2024 campaign, having only previously played one game in three years due to injuries. He broke out against Stanford with five total tackles and a half tackle for loss, eventually totaling 24.0 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks on the season.
Bouda and Barbour are strong ends, successful in the run game, and in the pass rush J.J. [Julius Jordan], Victory [Johnson], and J.T. [Houston] are three very fantastic athletes, so I expect all those returners to make sure our d-line is in good shape.Assistant Head Coach / Defensive Line Coach Will Plemons
Though less productive in 2024 that the aforementioned returners, Julius Jordan and Victory Johnson are both expected to compete for larger roles in 2025.
Now a redshirt Junior, Jordan enjoyed most of his production in the near upset over Idaho, collecting one tackle for loss, one sack, and four total tackles. He ended the season with 10 total tackles.
A former three-star recruit and transfer from Colorado, Johnson's numbers nearly mirrored Jordan's as the redshirt sophomore comes into 2025 after a solid debut season of 10 total tackles and one tackle for loss, all of that coming in Cal Poly's first three games of the season.
It will be up to Johnson and Jordan as the more nimble edge rushers to try and echo the pressure that Ponder once brought to the defensive line. Head Coach Paul Wulff has complete faith that they pair can rise to the challenge.
[With Ponder leaving] we have guys like Victory Johnson and Julius Jordan who we expect to take big steps in their time to shine. They’ve got plenty of work to do still, but both of them have the drive and power to do it.Head Coach Paul Wulff
Matthew Nuanez, Jacob Bobic, Will Plemons, Jake Vorhees, Ish Taliauli, Antonio Vakameilalo, J.T. Houston, Josh Ngaluafe, and Marquise Jones are all with the team this Spring and will be working hard to compete for spots and meet the renewed high expectations the coaching staff has for its defensive line.
In Cal Poly's traditional 4-3 defense, the defensive line is expected to work like a coalition and provide the first line of defense in both the run and pass game. Assistant Head Coach and Defensive Line Coach Will Plemons knows the formula for this team to find success, whether with last season's star returners or surprise breakout players:
“We’re not worrying about the numbers and sacks, we’re only worried about the technique that it takes to generate pressure and sacks. The stats will come, but only if we’re developing the skill sets to do that, whether that be through disruption, quarterback hits, making the quarterback throw the ball faster, we’re going to work on the details and fundamentals.”
