JSU football: Hale expects big year from Gamecocks' linebackers

JACKSONVILLE — While players and coaches have found success on both sides of the ball, the Jacksonville State's linebackers are among the groups that are filled with talent.
The group of linebackers is returning four players who saw action in at least nine games last season (Laletia Hale, Cole Fuller, Tristan Wells and Larry Worth), giving plenty of experience among the group that features six freshmen or redshirt freshmen.
The staff also stayed busy in the portal in the offseason, adding ULM transfer Quae Drake and Independence Community College transfer Xavier Morrow.
Linebacker Laletia Hale said that in year two under Rich Rodriguez, he and his defensive teammates have been able to find success in the fast way the coaching staff runs practice.
"I think the defense is doing pretty good,” Hale said. “The biggest thing that I see is the new guys adjusting to the tempo that Coach Rodriguez practices with. After they are able to adjust to that, they will be able to play faster. It is a lot to think about, especially when you aren't used to practicing that fast."
One of the position groups that have stood out to players and coaching staff has been the linebacker corps, which is returning familiar faces and adding new ones.
Along with returning veterans Hale and Kolbi Fuqua, Rordriguez said that he’s really excited about the addition of Drake.
During his time with the Warhawks, Drake was coached by Rodriguez and Zac Alley, who served as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at ULM. Alley now holds the same position at JSU.
“Having Quae Drake come is a big bonus because he's a veteran guy that knows our defense and he's a plug and play guy,” Rodriguez said. “You’ve got Fuqua who's a really good football player, Hale has been playing really well in camp.”
Along with plenty of compliments for Drake, Hale said he also expects Morrow and Jibreel Al-Amin to step up and have big seasons.
“There’s a lot of different things we can do with those different types of versatile linebackers,” Hale said.
While the linebackers standing out in preseason practices has been key for the defense, it’s given some of the offensive players a difficult time in team drills.
Quarterback Zion Webb said that there’s been plenty of defensive players putting pressure on him in team drills, noting how many groups on the defense have depth.
“We have a crazy defense,” Webb said. “We’ve got numbers everywhere, we've got guys everywhere, it’s like organized maniacs running around. Those guys are going to be a big help. Like they say, defense wins games, so we’re going to see.”
Hale also said that one of the things that will help the team this season is the depth within the linebacker room, which has been bolstered by incoming freshmen and transfers.
“When you have depth, you can play faster because we know we have different personnel for different things,” Hale said. “If I was to get tired or if anyone else would get tired, knowing that you work with this guy and knowing that he has these different abilities, he's not a liability in coverage or pass rushing, it helps you play faster.”
Still, both Rodriguez Alley are still trying to build up the younger and more inexperienced players in the team’s linebacker corps.
“We're trying to get some young guys to give us some depth,” Rodriguez said. “They're still a little bit behind, but Coach Alley does a great job with them. This is going to be a big week for those young linebackers to see if we can count on them.”
Hale said that both being used to the pace of practice and the depth of the linebackers have helped him succeed in preseason practices.
“Catching on to it and knowing what to do, it helps me work on my game more, other than thinking about plays and my assignments,” Hale said. “I can practice different techniques I want to use in the game and be able to make plays within the scheme.”