Throughout the course of the Bears' preseason training camp, we'll take a sneak peek at each position group in anticipation of the 2015 season. Our next edition previews the Missouri State defensive linemen, an experienced group that returns eight letterwinners, five of which drew at least one starting assignment last fall.

New defensive line coach Chris Morton will inherit a corps that features two players-sophomore Cecil Bratton and senior James Barnes-who started all 12 games in 2014. Additionally, sophomores Brad Pryor and Colby Isbell performed admirably as rookies while splitting starting duties at left end. The Bears will employ a new look on the defensive side of the ball under head coach Dave Steckel and defensive coordinator Marcus Yokeley this year, and Morton has been encouraged by his group's ability to embrace the new system.

"The thing I like the most about this group has been their desire to improve and get better, their willingness to adjust to a new system," Morton said. "Entering the fall, we have to continue to get better, attack and focus on improving our fundamentals. We have a couple of guys who have stepped up and taken charge in leadership roles over the summer, and we also have a younger crew who didn't see as much playing time last year. It's an open battle for playing time, but we're excited to see what each of these guys can do."

Barnes, who logged 47 stops as the Bears' top tackler on the defensive line last year, moves from right end to left end for his final collegiate campaign. The St. Louis native led the team in sacks as a junior en route to being named the club's defensive lineman of the year. Morton expects big things from a talented group of newcomers that possesses both size and skill in spades. Redshirt freshmen Brock Kliewer and Skylar Hulse will also compete for playing time on the left side, as will true freshman Taiwo Oluwafunmila. Kliewer was a two-time consensus Class 4 all-state selection at Harrisonville (Mo.) High, while Hulse was tabbed for all-state honors three times at Oak Grove (Mo.) High, including a first-team citation as a senior in 2013. Oluwafunmila, a Lagos, Nigeria native who was a standout performer in his lone season with Montverde (Fla.) Academy, has already made an impact in preseason camp, logging a sack in each of MSU's first two preseason scrimmages.

"We like to get after the passer," Morton added. "I feel like the way we can affect games the most. Obviously we have to stop the run and get after the quarterback in the passing situations. In general, we need to focus on becoming bigger playmakers in big situations."

On the opposite side of the MSU defensive line, both Isbell and senior Jermaine Hill return, and sophomore Tony Jones is expected to see his role expand following an injury-plagued freshman year. Isbell earned freshman All-America honors after playing in all 12 games - starting four -while turning in 30 tackles and 3.0 sacks last fall. Hill also saw action in every contest last year as a junior transfer, tallying eight stops for the season. Jones was limited to four contests in his first season of eligibility with the Bears, but Morton and the MSU defense will look to utilize the Wynne, Ark., product's massive 6-7, 258-pound frame to disrupt opposing offenses. Freshman Colin Bess brings a strong prep resume that includes a pair of Missouri Class 3 all-state selections for Central High in Park Hills, Mo.

At the defensive tackle position, Bratton will look to build on a standout freshman campaign in which he started all 12 games and finished the year with 42 total tackles-including 13 solo stops-to join Isbell as a freshman All-America honoree. Pryor, a fellow sophomore, moves inside to accompany Bratton after making six starts at left end as a rookie last fall. The St. Charles, Mo., native logged 24 takedowns and 2.5 sacks in 2014, then posted a strong showing in the Bears' Maroon and White Game with five tackles and two stops for losses. Fifth-year senior Corey Feagin will be aiming to work his way back into the defensive line rotation after being limited to scout team duties last year, while sophomore Daryl Coburn and junior Terrence Neuhauser will also provide experienced support at the tackle position. Coburn totaled six tackles in six games as a true freshman last fall, while Neuhauser appeared in 11 contests on the Bears' defensive line in his first year in the program.

"I thought the whole group improved in the spring," Morton said. "Some guys made big jumps, some guys had smaller gains, but every single one of them improved in some facet of their game, and I'm excited to see them continue that process."

2015 Missouri State Defensive Linemen
James Barnes (5-10, 238, Sr., 3L, St. Louis, Mo.)
Colin Bess (6-5, 235, Fr., Park Hills, Mo.)
Cecil Bratton (6-3, 290, So., 1L, St. Joseph, Mo.)
Daryl Coburn (6-1, 306, So., 1L, Little Rock, Ark.)
Corey Feagin (6-4, 299, Sr., 2L, Cedar Hill, Texas)
Jermaine Hill (6-2, 256, Sr., 1L, Orange, Calif.)
Skyler Hulse (6-3, 233, RFr., Oak Grove, Mo.)
Colby Isbell (6-3, 253, So, 1L, Rogers, Ark.)
Tony Jones (6-7, 258, So., Wynne, Ark.)
Brock Kliewer (6-4, 240, RFr., Harrisonville, Mo.)
Terrence Neuhauser (6-1, 296, Jr., 1L, Las Vegas, Nev.)
Taiwo Oluwafunmila (6-4, 220, Fr., Lagos Nigeria)
Brad Pryor (6-3, 296, So., 1L, St. Charles, Mo.)

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