CONWAY, Ark. _ The University of Central Arkansas has produced some of the top defensive linemen in the Southland Conference since joining the league in 2006, including four defensive ends who played in the National Football League.

    The next great defensive lineman to wear the Purple and Gray could be on campus and fighting for a starting spot just a week from now in UCA's 2019 season opener at Western Kentucky. Two that fit that mold a year ago, Eric Jackson and Chris Terrell, are both gone, but head coach Nathan Brown said the cupboard is far from bare.

    "When you lose two guys with the production of a Chris Terrell and an Eric Jackson, it's going to be difficult to replace,' said the second-year head coach who played with three of those NFL draftees in Jacob Ford, Larry Hart and Markell Carter. "However, we've done a really good job of recruiting some outstanding players on the defensive line in the last two or three recruiting classes. And with the loss of those two comes opportunities for other guys. I think our group has really responded throughout fall camp

    "(Defensive line) Coach (Tony) Davis has been here a long time and has done a great job with our defensive front. He teaches technique and fundamentals as well as anyone I've been around. So those guys are going to be coached up and ready to go. We'll have to rely on some young guys and some guys that haven't done it, but I think we're very talented up front.'

    The most experienced returnee is junior defensive end Nathan Grant (6-4, 245, Carrollton, Texas). He started 10 games as a sophomore in 2018 and finished with 34 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and four sacks.

    "I think Nathan Grant is probably our best pass rusher,' Brown said. "To me, he has an opportunity to be an All-Conference player. Pound for pound, one of the strongest guys on the team. He's extremely nimble when he rushes the passer, but he's very physical when he needs to be as well. He's going to be a solid player all year that you can really hang your hat on, to really add to the lineage of defensive ends we've had here over the past 10 years. He fits that mold.'

    The other end spot will be manned by another junior in J.W. Jones (6-4, 268, Rayville, La.), an athletic player with good size and speed, as well as two years of experience.

    "On the opposite end, you have J.W. Jones,' said Brown. "He's been a great player at times for us in spot duty over the past two years, but he just hasn't had to be THE guy because we've had depth in front of him. But when you're talking about getting off the bus and they way you're supposed to look, J.W. looks like an NFL defensive end. He's very physical in the run game, he's developed a great pass rush. He's really worked hard on it. Between him and Nathan, you're talking about two of the most solid ends you'll have in the conference.'

    Brown is also excited about a young player who go his feet wet during a redshirt season a year ago.

    "You have redshirt freshman Jeremiah Gray (6-3, 240, Dallas, Texas), who I think may be as talented a defensive lineman as we've had here,' said Brown. "He has extreme power when he comes off the line of scrimmage. For a young guy, to me, he can add a lot of production to that room. He could easily be an 8 to 10 sack guy this year, and you look up at the end of the season and he's and All-Conference type player. I have very high expectation for Jeremiah and for what he can bring to the table.'

    Another returnee is junior Victor Hill (6-2,228, Pensacola, Fla.), who has played in six games over the past two seasons. "Victor Hill comes back as junior. He's a year stronger, a year better. He'll add production at our end position,' said Brown.

    A pair of newcomers have already caught the eye of the coaching staff, according to Brown.

    "I'm excited about two of the new guys,' he said. "D.J. Reed we signed at the mid-year break so he went through spring practice with us. He brings a versatility that we look for in that bandit position, which is that boundary defensive end. Very good pass rusher, very well put together kid, a lot like Nathan Grant, one of the strongest guys on the team. Very explosive out of his stance. He's hard to block for (offensive) tackles, he's hard to get your hands on. I expect big things out of him.

    "And then Marquez Casey, the true freshman out of Jacksonville. He's physically ready to play. He's 6-3, 250 pounds. We knew we were going to try to fast track him with our depth at the defensive end. He's been battling a foot injury throughout camp but we fully expect him to be back and ready for Game 1. We think Marquez, hopefully this year, but if not, definitely down the line, can be one of the great defensive ends to play for UCA, one that fits the mold of what we've had here in the past.'

    There is some experience inside on the defensive front, beginning with a pair of Browns.

    "It starts with the two Browns, A'Javius (6-2, 330, Jackson, Miss.) and Caden (6-1, 302, Dardanelle, Ark.) both playing the nose position. A'Javius has been hampered with an offseason injury to his foot, but he should be ready. When he's in there, he has a knock back to him that you look for. He's a 330-pound kid that can really hold the middle. He has a lot of explosion to him.

    "And the guy who is playing maybe as good as anybody on the defensive front is Caden Brown. He's got his body in shape and ready to play. He's a guy that we think can be a playmaker from the inside. He plays as good laterally as any defensive lineman I've been around. He's just an extremely hard worker. He does a great job of doing the dirty work, taking on double teams inside, that you expect those guys to do.'

    Brown redshirted a highly touted interior player from Springdale, Ark., a year ago and he is ready to go in 2019, according to his head coach.

    "Alejandro Ramirez (6-2, 312) has been very versatile,' said Brown. "We can move him from our tackle position down to the nose in certain formations and sets. He has some twitch to him. He's a high school wrestler so he can really shed blocks when he gets his hands on you.

    "When you have those three guys in the middle, all 300-pound plus guys, that's what you have to have. You have to have some big bodies in the middle that can sustain offensive linemen trying to lean on them and run the football on them. And I think we're in good shape inside.'

    The defensive tackle position has a solid returnee in junior Austin Norris (6-5, 285, Conway, Ark.) and a prized newcomer in Azuka Mgbemena (6-2, 280, Spring, Texas).

    "At the three technique, we have Austin Norris. He's played big football for us, especially last year, but even the past two years,' said Brown. "Austin is long, he has long arms and can shed blocks. He's a playmaker. A lot of time you don't see guys with his length inside. He's very good with understanding angles and what the offense is trying to do to block him. He can get his hands on a lot of tipped balls. Just a very versatile player from the inside.

    "And I'm excited about Azuka Mgbemena. He actually reported to campus a week late after finishing up a class at Trinity Valley Community College. He was a very highly recruited guy out of there. He's just explosive off the ball. He has the same body type as Eric Jackson did, maybe even a little heavier. He has a relentless effort to the ball, which Coach (Chad) Willliams and Coach Davis preach. He adds an energy, and edge about him that we need up front. I'm very excited about Azuka and what he's doing.'

    Two freshman could easily figure in the mix this season.

    "We have a couple of young freshmen that we really like,' said Brown. "James Kitt  (6-3, 285) from Pensacola, Fla., is going to be relied upon early. He's proven himself throughout camp that he's a playmaker. He can play either of the inside positions. He's going to be forced to play some this year but he's a kid that two or three years down the road is going to be a big-time football player in this league.

    "And Taurean Mays (6-2, 240, Crestview, Fla.) is the same way. He has the versatility to shift inside and outside. He's going to be a good football player for us. Both of those guys from the same area of the Florida panhandle are everything we thought they would be. They are going to be very good football players.'

    Brown said the Bears' defensive front will have to overcome a combination of youth and inexperience, but certainly has the capability to do just that.

    "Staying healthy is one big thing,' he said. "The depth is limited a little bit and the experience is not there. You don't know how some of these guys are going to react when the lights are on. Now I think I know. I think it's a great group of guys, very talented. But that's the question that will be raised, especially early in the year. We're young up there, and that's fine. But I think we're talented. We have a great coach in Coach Davis coaching them. I think they'll be ready to go and will do a good job of doing what we ask them to do.

    "The big thing is getting them in as good a shape as we can. I talk to them every day and tell them that. We go from really taking 35-40 team snaps a day (in practice) when you talk about 1s, 2s and 3s, to when we play next Thursday, they'll probably be taking 80-90 snaps. So we have to get in shape and have a good rotation getting in and out of the game so we can be fresh and can be able to compete with an FBS opponent.'