With more snaps, Fresno State defensive tackle Kevin Atkins could maul way to big season
The biggest piece in the Fresno State defense this season will be the senior tackle Kevin Atkins, who at 6-foot-2 and well more than 300 pounds is uncommonly quick and athletic, and it is a tough ask for any guard or center or combination thereof to move with him much success.
If recent trends hold with a strong line of former Bulldogs’ defensive tackles from Logan Harrell to Tyeler Davison, Malik Forrester and Keiti Iakopo all taking a step up to put together very productive senior seasons, then Atkins is in line for a big year.
He’s already starting from very productive, coming off a junior season in which he led Fresno State with 5.0 sacks and was third with 7.0 tackles for loss.
But to get there Atkins, who was not available Friday, will be asked to thrive while playing more snaps in 2020 than he has the past few seasons when part of more experienced rotations.
“That’s one thing that’s been a point of emphasis for us, making sure he’s in shape to handle that and he can build up as much work capacity as he can build up,” defensive line coach Eric Schmidt said. “He’s a guy that could play more snaps than he has played up to this point.
“You still want to rotate. You still want to make sure that you have fresh guys, especially as you go through a year. You’re going to need a lot of guys in there to be able to play key roles and valuable snaps and we’re still of that mindset. But if there’s a guy that can maybe be able to handle a little more of the load, I think Kevin is a guy that can do that.”
Depth on Fresno State offensive line
Along with Atkins the Bulldogs have been rolling through a number of options, evaluating the best fits inside and out as they install a new 4-2-5 scheme.
Alex Dumais has perhaps the most experience, playing in 11 games last season as a redshirt freshman. He made one start at Air Force where he was credited with seven tackles including four solo tackles.
Kurtis Brown sat out last season under NCAA transfer rules, but played in 10 games at Arizona in 2017 and two games in 2018. Matt Lawson saw limited time a year ago as a redshirt freshman, playing in one game.
Fresno State has worked senior defensive end Leevel Tatum, the Edison High product, inside some. Colby Warkentin, a redshirt freshman from Bakersfield, has added good weight to his 6-foot-5 frame and now in the 250-pound range has had some work at tackle in fall camp.
But Atkins with three seasons of experience and production in the bank has stood out on the practice field as the Bulldogs prepare amid the coronavirus pandemic for a fall football season, which starts Oct. 24 with a home game against Hawaii.
“From an interior standpoint Kevin Atkins, he’s definitely showing his worth and value to the football team and we’ve been definitely pleased with his progress,” defensive coordinator William Inge said.
Kevin Atkins stands out at Fresno State camp
“One guy that stands out to me, I think Kevin Atkins looks as good as he has,” offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said. “He’s a dominant player on the inside and we have all we can handle when he’s at the 3-technique.”
As the season progresses the Bulldogs could deploy Atkins at different spots across the defensive line, adding to his play-making potential.
“He’s an athletic guy,” Schmidt said. “He’s a guy that can play up and down the line of scrimmage and we don’t have a ton of those guys. We have some interior guys and then we have some guys that are edge-type guys, guys that are maybe situational pass rushers.
“Kevin’s a guy that can play all three downs. He can play anywhere from over the center to out on a tackle. He’s not out of place out there. He has the most positional versatility of any guy that we have - he can play anywhere we need him to play.”