LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky's defensive linemen can't wait to put on a stiff and united front this season.
A Wildcats defense that was frequently tested last season because of injuries and youth will be stronger this year, thanks to senior tackles Donte Rumph and Mister Cobble. Rumph is returning from a spring shoulder injury while Cobble is working toward a spot after being limited by illness last season.
Their play will be crucial to a defense considered Kentucky's strength under first-year coach Mark Stoops. The defensive line will be heavily counted on to withstand a tough early schedule, including games against four top-10 teams.
Rumph, Cobble and other linemen believe they're capable of being the first line of resistance in a 4-3 alignment, a scheme they say is suited to their talents.
"Adapting from the 3-4 back to the 4-3 just shows my maturity," Rumph said of the scheme he played in high school. "It's my roots and makes me feel more comfortable. It's going to take me back to some old memories and I'm ready."
Rumph's immediate task is completing his recovery from a shoulder surgery and picking up from an impressive junior season highlighted by 36 tackles including six for loss and four sacks.
The 6-foot-3, 320-pounder says he feels fine and has been working out during fall camp, but Stoops and defensive line coach Jimmy Brumbaugh are being cautious with his practice reps in an effort to get him ready for the Aug. 31 season opener against Western Kentucky in Nashville.
"He can go at any point," Brumbaugh said of Rumph. "It's just a precautionary thing that we want to watch."
Coaches are taking the same care with Cobble, who started four games but spent most of the 2012 season regaining his strength. The 6-foot, 338-pound Louisville native insists that health is not a concern.
"I feel good and I'm ready to help this defense," Cobble said on media day. "I think we have a chance to be really good and I think this fits my abilities perfectly."
Considering how last season's adversity that resulted in a lot of work for the defense in general and the line in particular, it's no wonder that coaches are focusing on building depth beside and behind those veterans while trying to build the aggression that coordinator D.J. Eliot seeks defending the run and the pass.
The Wildcats have another solid starter returning in senior tackle Tristian Johnson, who took over for Cobble the last nine games last season and had 27 tackles. Freshman Regie Meant has drawn praise from coaches, while junior college product Za'Darius Smith figures to bring pressure from the edge once he's over an ankle injury that Stoops said isn't major.
Then there's junior end Alvin Dupree, a 6-4, 275-pounder who alternated between there and linebacker the past two seasons. Coming off a year in which Dupree's 91 tackles and 6.5 sacks ranked top-10 in the Southeastern Conference, Brumbaugh believes he's able to handle his new assignment and that the line can handle the burden.
"I really think it has to be put on the defensive line to get things right," Brumbaugh said. "We know that, and that's why I ride them every day and put that on their shoulders."
As the front line's massive veterans, Rumph and Cobble know a lot could fall on them to set the tone. But after being under siege last year, they not only feel ready to handle a four-game stretch starting Sept. 14 with No. 9 Louisville, No. 10 Florida, No. 6 South Carolina and top-ranked and two-time defending national champion Alabama, but the defensive linemen are motivated to show what they learned from the past.
"Taking those many reps and working with those many young guys last year, we knew going into games that it was up to us to do a lot more," Rumph said. "We felt like the D-line was the strongest unit, and we're ready to show again that we can bear it."
