As a redshirt sophomore, Devlyn Cousin was not expected to play much more than a few snaps for the Cyclones. The stout defensive tackle only saw the field once in the first six games as a reserve.

As the season wore on, so did the defensive line and with only a handful of options, defensive tackles coach Shane Burnham gave the young and inexperienced Cousin playing time in each of the final six games.

“Last three or four games we played Dev more than we anticipated for a lot of reasons, for a lack of production ahead of him and to gain some experience,” Burnham said. “Dev sometimes is a jack-in-the-box … at times he comes off the ball and moves his feet, but it’s just about consistency.”

Playing the three-technique, shooting the gap between offensive guard and tackle, Cousin recorded six tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. After gaining weight in the offseason to tip the scales at over 300 lbs., Burnham moved him over center as nose tackle.

With the losses of David Irving and Rodney Coe after both were dismissed from the team this spring, the defensive line runs thinner than any other position. With some young and inexperienced players getting beat playing the three-technique, Cousin sometimes has to pick up the slack.

“I love it,” Cousin said. “It’s a grown-man position so it’s pretty tough down in the trenches. You’re getting triple-teamed almost every play.”

Although the first-team defensive end position performed well in the spring game, racking up 15 tackles and seven sacks, Burnham hopes a few transfers will help in the summer and fall, as well.

Dalyou Pierson and Terry Ayeni are regarded as two of the top junior college defensive ends in the country. Despite not being on campus for spring ball, Burnham is hoping they add depth immediately.

“My expectation here is they have to come in and contribute right away,” Burnham said. “When we recruited them we thought they might go inside for some speed packages and now you look at some of the losses, health and youth, maybe now one of those guys has to go inside.”

With the defensive line becoming smaller and smaller, it seems that Cousin will be a mainstay in the middle of the defensive line. Despite often being double- or triple-teamed, he said he does not mind and has grown to love taking on the experienced first-team offensive line.

Cousin even said he has improved through the spring. In the team’s practice leading up to the spring game, he did something he had not done against a triple-team.

“I’ve won one,” Cousin said with a smile. “I just picked one of them and bull-rushed. The others just jumped on my back and I took them for a ride.”