TCU defensive line and linebackers cited by TSN and Athlon
6/11/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
June 11, 2007
FORT WORTH, Texas -- The TCU football team's defensive line and linebacker units are ranked among the nation's best by The Sporting News and Athlon.The Horned Frogs' defensive front, which returns three of four starters and is anchored by ends Tommy Blake and Chase Ortiz, is listed as fifth-best in the country by The Sporting News and seventh by Athlon.
Blake, a 2007 Playboy and Athlon preseason All-American, is rated by TSN as the nation's fifth-best defensive end.
TCU's linebacking corps returns everyone from last season and is ranked fourth by Athlon. While outside the top five by TSN, the group is listed under "Five others."
TSN rates TCU junior Jason Phillips as the nation's 10th-best middle linebacker.
Blake was the 2006 Poinsettia Bowl Defensive Most Valuable Player. The senior from Aransas Pass, Texas, topped the MWC in tackles for a loss (16.5), five more than league runner-up Ortiz (11.0). Blake tied for the MWC lead with seven sacks.
Ortiz, a senior from League City, Texas, was the 2005 MWC leader in TFLs (14.0) and sacks (9.0). Ortiz and Blake are both two-time, first-team All-MWC selections. Blake was a unanimous choice in 2006.
James Vess is a returning starter at defensive tackle who posted a sack in four of the last seven games.
Phillips, a junior from Waller, Texas, is a two-time All-MWC selection. In 2005, he became the first freshman defensive player in league history to be named All-MWC. Phillips has started all 25 games in his TCU career and is the Frogs' top-returning tackler with 73 stops. He led TCU with 71 tackles in 2005.
A fixture opposite Phillips is David Hawthorne. A senior from Corsicana, Texas, Hawthorne started all 13 games last year and totaled 43 tackles with six for a loss.
Robert Henson has been an honorable-mention All-MWC pick in both of his first two seasons. Despite not starting a game last year, the junior from Longview, Texas, placed third on the team with 64 tackles.
Overall, the Frogs return nine defensive starters from a unit last season that placed second nationally in total defense (234.9 yards per game) and run defense (60.8 ypg.) while ranking third in scoring defense (12.3 points per game).
