Carson-Newman Football Position Previews: The Defensive Line
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – This is the final part in a nine-part series chronicling Carson-Newman football's positions for the 2025 season. This feature breaks down the Eagles' pass rushers and run stoppers with help from defensive line coach Johnson Jamison.
VIDEO: Coaches in Cars Getting Coffee – Johnson Jamison
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – This is the final part in a nine-part series chronicling Carson-Newman football's positions for the 2025 season. This feature breaks down the Eagles' pass rushers and run stoppers with help from defensive line coach Johnson Jamison.
Carson-Newman will aim to replace All-Mountain Division defensive end Jacorey Long, and utility to knife interior lineman Max Bryant, but the cupboard is still well-stocked for Jamison.
"We're going to be able to roll guys in and out, stay fresh, get them playing harder and faster," Jamison said. "They're bought into it. They like watching each other have success. Every year we've always had quality players, but probably more quality players down the depth chart than we've ever had."
Jamison immediately pointed to SAC player to watch Martavis "Chico" Mason as a player poised for an impact this season.
"The number one thing that I can say about Chico is just how proud I am of him and his leadership," Jamison said. "Not only that he brings to the defensive line room and the defense, but to the whole football team. I mean, if Chico says do something, you do it. If Chico tells me to do something. I do it. He's got that hit factor about him. He's been up here all summer. He's worked hard. I think he's improved tremendously, especially as a pass rusher. I know that was something he was really focused on. A I've got to see him do some things this spring that I haven't seen him do. So he's going to be a big piece of what we do. Every bit of success that he has, he's certainly earned."
Mason started all 12 games for C-N at defensive end. He had 32 tackles with 6.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. He also hurried the quarterback three times. Mason had a career-best six-tackle day in the SAC title game against Wingate (Nov. 16). He made a stop behind the line of scrimmage in the final four weeks of the year.
Joining Mason on the interior are David Alexander and Jesse Combs, two players who battled through injuries last season.
"David's been around a long time," Jamison said. "He's played a lot of ball for us. He's played every position on the defensive line. He's got a lot of versatility and experience. He's a savvy player. He's going to play hard. He's going to do great in practice. So excited to have him back and, send him out the right way."
Alexander appeared in three games with starts against Reinhardt and West Virginia State. He tallied two tackles before suffering a season-ending injury.
"Jesse got to play, you know, in a few games late in the year," Jamison said. "I thought made us better. And he's unbelievably talented, very good technician in his own right in terms of what he can do in the run game and the pass game. So I think that this is going to be a breakout year for him."
Combs appeared in seven games with five starts as a member of C-N's defensive line. He had seven tackles in an injury-shortened campaign with a tackle for loss. Combs had a season-best three stops and his tackle for loss at West Virginia State (Sept. 13).
The Eagles have oodles of depth with the returns of Dedrick McLain, Fortune Woods, Brandon Dumezil and Ted Eugene. That quartet combined to appear in 40 games last season with 11 starts.
Carson-Newman gets further depth from VMI transfer Luke Scott and Austin Peay transfer Caleb Graham.
Graham used a redshirt year for APSU with appearances in two games. He played defensive line for head coach Derek Hunt at Maryville High School, where he recorded 110 total tackles with 20 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and a defensive touchdown during his junior and senior seasons
"We recruited him coming out of high school," Jamison said. "So it's good to kind of get him back. He's added some leadership qualities and some toughness. He's got a little bit of an edge to him. He's not afraid to let guys know when they're not upholding the standard."
Scott appeared in all 12 games for the Keydets. He made 20 tackles on the year with 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack. He finished with four tackles against both Norfolk State and Chattanooga.
"He's going to bring an element of pass rush," Jamison said. "He's a dynamic rusher. He's tough in the run game. He and Graham are two guys that are big time players and I'm excited to see what they can do for us on Saturdays."
Carson-Newman kicks off the season Aug. 30 at noon inside Burke-Tarr Stadium against West Virginia State. Pregame coverage on the Eagle Sports Network begins at 11 a.m. with the AEC Countdown to Kickoff on Joy 620 (WRJZ-AM, Knoxville), Mix 105.5 (WSEV-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live. A video stream is available with a subscription to FloSports at cneagles.com/FloFB.
