There’s still star power on the Buffalo defense with Shaun Dolac and Marcus Fuqua leading the charge.
It’s a new era for the Buffalo Bulls.
Buffalo is the only MAC program to start fresh with a new head coach in 2024, landing former Ball State frontman Pete Lembo, who spent the last eight years traveling around the country as a special teams coordinator.
Lembo’s arrival also marked the construction of a new staff. On the defensive side of the ball, he didn’t even look beyond the conference’s boundaries for a coordinator. He hired Joe Bowen who comes from the reigning MAC champions Miami (OH), where he served two seasons as a run-game coordinator and linebackers coach. Bowen coached the MAC Defensive Player of the Year in linebacker Matt Salopek and guided Miami to the No. 7 scoring defense in the FBS at 15.9 points allowed per game.
Buffalo has traditionally run a 4-2-5 base as its defensive scheme throughout the years. Considering this scheme aligns with what Miami (OH) utilizes, expect it to remain in place as Bowen takes the reins at defensive coordinator.
What else is new? Adam Morris and Brian Dougherty are the first-year defensive staff members making the trek from the state of Indiana to Buffalo’s campus. Morris worked as Ball State’s defensive line coach and retains the same role in Buffalo, while Dougherty was the defensive coordinator at the University of Indianapolis, and he’ll operate as the safeties and nickels coach, in close conjunction with incumbent cornerbacks coach Holman Copeland.
What square are Lembo, Bowen, and staff starting from? Buffalo’s defense returns five primary starters from a 2023 unit which ranked 77th in scoring defense (27.4 points allowed per game) and 55th in total defense (367 yards allowed per game), typically showing better habits in stopping the aerial attack than the run.
Defensive line
Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Buffalo has fielded some potent defensive lines over the years but the 2024 unit will be a mix of returning talent and new experimental pieces.
The most recognizable face on the d-line is defensive tackle George Wolo, who began regularly racking up starts as early as the 2020 season. Wolo’s statistical outputs have been fairly consistent each season, totaling 91 tackles, 12.0 sacks, and three forced fumbles headed into his final year of college football. Although he only started four of 12 games last year, Wolo still made his mark with 3.5 sacks, ranking second on the team and first among returning Bulls.
Over the past few seasons, Jaylon Bass and Daymond Williams were key stalwarts alongside Wolo in the defensive tackle rotation, but both graduated from the program, opening a vacancy likely occupied by Daishon Folsom. Folsom has been a fixture in the rotation during his time at Buffalo with 33 career games in his arsenal, totaling 50 tackles, 6.0 sacks, and 2.5 tackles for loss from 2021-23.
Besides Wolo, the other longtime standout with starting experience on the defensive line is C.J. Bazile, who first arrived on campus in 2019 and became a primary starter in 2021. Last year marked Bazile’s first go-around as an every-game starter and he finished with 20 tackles and a pair of sacks. His partner-in-crime, Max Michel, is gone from the opposite defensive end position so that is a key void Buffalo must fill this offseason.
A likely candidate to fill Michel’s spot is transfer Kobe Stewart, who hails from Samford of the FCS. Stewart logged 17 games of experience at his previous stop and recorded 19 tackles and 2.5 sacks. Although that’s not substantial experience for an FCS transfer looking to make the jump to the highest level, Stewart impressed in April as one of the top players at the spring game.
The other contenders for a starting defensive end spot include Antonio Colclough who played for both FCS Monmouth and James Madison prior to the Dukes’ upgrade to the FBS. Colclough earned all-conference honorable mention status after leading his team in sacks and tackles for loss, and he looks to bring that same level of production to the Bulls. Buffalo gained yet another FCS defensive end transfer from Cornell in Malin White, who played more of an outside linebacker role at his previous stop. White managed 21 tackles and a forced fumble in the Ivy League last season.
As mentioned above, Buffalo loaded up on transfers at defensive end. Bazile is just one of two returning players at the position. The other is redshirt freshman Nick Roy, a Canada native who sat out the entirety of 2023 and hopes to earn his first career snaps this fall.
The Bulls roster features a heavy contingent of true freshmen at defensive end, however, onboarding Jacari Bennett, Will Clark, Demetrius Ballard, Chris Martin, Billy O’Byrne, Luke Yau Gayle, Logan Jozwiak, and Noah Whitmer into the program.
The defensive tackle room involves many more players from the Maurice Linguist era than defensive end, and it’s completely devoid of true freshmen. Cornell Evans, who registered two tackles in 2023, is the only defensive tackle besides Wolo or Folsom with in-game experience. Other returning names like Devin Morgan, Junior Poyser, Charlton Goodell, and Ja’Mori Coard look for an uptick in playing time. The only newcomer to the group is Washington State transfer Tristan Souza, who is similarly awaiting his first collegiate snap.
Linebacker
David Yeazell-USA TODAY Sports
In Buffalo’s 4-2-5 scheme, only two linebackers are typically present on the field. But at times over the past few years, it’s felt like more than two because the Bulls seamlessly find omnipresent stars at this position on an annual basis.
James Patterson was a longtime staple at linebacker through the 2022 season and last fall the Bulls replaced Patterson with standout Joe Andreessen, who collected a team-high 90 tackles in 2023. Now, the passing of the torch continues as Buffalo must look at the future of the position post-Andreessen.
Buffalo does possess comfort at linebacker as there’s one familiar starter who prepares for his fifth season (and third head coach) during his stint with the Bulls. Shaun Dolac is one of the conference’s brightest stars — not just at linebacker, not just defensively, but overall. Dolac collected 147 tackles to finish first in the MAC and second in the entire FBS in 2022, additionally recording 13.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, seven pass breakups, and three forced fumbles to land on the All-MAC First Team. However, Dolac never received a fair shot at a follow-up act to a historic season.
The middle linebacker logged 32 tackles and his first-career interception in the first four contests of 2023 before sustaining a season-ending injury, taking away an all-conference talent from a defense in dire need of one. That injury was nearly the end of his time at Buffalo considering he transferred to Utah State this offseason, but after the conclusion of spring ball, the West Seneca, NY native returned home for unfinished business.
Who is Dolac’s co-starter in 2024? The likely answer is Red Murdock, who stepped into Dolac’s shoes and started the final six contests for the Bulls last fall. Murdock ranked third on the unit with 60 tackles in addition to 9.5 tackles for loss, a pair of sacks, and four forced fumbles. The redshirt sophomore was among the most impressive breakout players on defense last year, and he can elevate his game to All-MAC caliber alongside Dolac, who should command plenty of attention in opponent film study sessions.
Two additional players saw action at linebacker a season ago. One was Dion Crawford who was college-ready the instant he arrived at Buffalo. As a true freshman, he made 11 appearances and two starts, checking in at eighth on the team with 31 tackles. The other was Gio De Leon, a community college transfer who registered two tackles in his first season at the FBS level.
The Bulls also acquired much-needed depth at linebacker through the portal. The highlight addition is SaVeon Brown who travels from Western Michigan to Buffalo after totaling 17 tackles and two pass breakups in 2023. Other transfer additions include Jordan Owens from Army, who redshirted all of 2023 as well as former Erie Community College product Mathew Hilty.
Joseph Giggie is the only returning linebacker without any in-game experience, while Drake Saltarelli, DJ Mangan, and Matthew Conlin round out the position group as a trio of true freshmen.
Secondary
Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Buffalo has All-American caliber talent in its secondary. That’s not an opinion. It’s not up for debate. Because it is true.
Free safety Marcus Fuqua became the third Bull in history to AP All-American honors in 2022 by landing on the Third Team, and his qualification is no surprise when reading his stat-line. Fuqua intercepted the most passes in the FBS at seven, traveling an impressive 85 yards after his picks. He deflected five passes, recovered two fumbles, and recorded 65 tackles for a sharp Buffalo defense which only allowed an opponent completion percentage of 57.2.
While Fuqua didn’t replicate his masterful 2022 season in 2023, he still proved to be a valuable component of the secondary with 57 tackles, a personal-best four tackles for loss, and two fumble recoveries.
Even though the Bulls ranked 21st in the country in passing defense with 187 yards yielded per game, the 2023 unit overall didn’t feel as polished as 2022, and Buffalo finished in the bottom quartile in opponent completion percentage. Opponents simply didn’t pass much against the Bulls as they were able to accumulate 5.0 yards per carry and 180 yards per game on the ground.
So what other pieces return from the secondary besides the star free safety, hoping to revert back to the level of play in 2022?
At strong safety, there’s Jonathan Capo. Capo was a former walk-on but rapidly climbed up the ladder and started two games last fall. He recorded just eight tackles but given the transfer of last year’s strong safety Devin Grant, Capo is expected to become a staple in the starting lineup alongside Fuqua.
Buffalo’s roster isn’t overly safety-heavy with just five members outside of Fuqua and Capo. Jerrod Gentry and Jamiere Munson accumulated experience in 2023, but not enough to record a statistic, and both look to expand their role. The position group is very true freshmen dominant though, with John Keough, Ronnell Davis, and Xavier Leonard arriving directly from high school.
At cornerback, Buffalo is operating with familiarity on both boundaries. Jayden Oliver and Charles McCartherens held down the fort at the position a season ago and expect to do the same in 2024. Injuries kept Oliver off the field for the majority of his first two years at Buffalo, but he’s proved to be impactful when available, finishing first on the roster in 2023 with five pass breakups despite only participating in eight games. Meanwhile, McCartherens is a rare example of a true freshman starting cornerback. He started the final nine contests last year, generating 34 tackles and three interceptions. McCartherens is the only returning Buffalo player to land multiple interceptions in 2023, so his presence will be vital to the secondary.
But the starting experience at cornerback goes well beyond two players. Clevester Hines proved to be an interesting story in 2022 as he began the season at wide receiver and transitioned to a starting cornerback role in the Camellia Bowl when the Bulls were depleted at the position. Hines broke up three passes in that postseason victory and carried the momentum into 2024, tallying 24 tackles and two tackles for loss in 10 games at cornerback, including four starts.
FBS Transfers to the cornerback room include Oliver Bridges, who recorded three tackles during Cincinnati’s inaugural season in the Big 12 and Eddie Pleasant, who was redshirted at Michigan State last season. Both could play supporting roles in an experienced cornerback room, especially Bridges who logged reps at his former stomping ground.
In terms of cornerbacks looking to build experience, there’s Marquis Cooper and Amir Proctor who were apart of the group in 2023. The true freshmen are Mikey Crawford, Ramari Taylor, and Kobi Blackwell.
Remember that Buffalo utilizes a 4-2-5 which means the presence of a fifth starting defensive back. That starting nickel is likely Solomon Brown who held the No. 1 role for seven games last year while making eight appearances. Brown forced 26 stops in his second season with the Bulls after previously transferring from Minnesota. But the primary nickel could also be Jalen McNair who started the opener at Wisconsin after winning the battle in fall camp in Linguist’s final year. However, he suffered a season-ending injury in that opener, severely limiting his on-field experience. Thus, Brown has the upper-hand in the experience department, but McNair may provide valuable snaps at the position if he returns to healthy form.
The other two nickels on the roster are special teams staple Caleb Tate and redshirt sophomore Pershaun Fann, who gained one game of experience under his belt last fall.