Heading into the ISU football team’s spring game on Saturday, defensive coordinator Wally Burnham said his defense is not where he wants it to be in terms of performance.

However, Burnham said he is typically never satisfied with the play of his unit.

“We’ve made some plays; we’ve made some stops, but we haven’t been consistent enough with our play,” Burnham said. “We’ve had our bright spots, and we’ve had some dark spots in there too.”

The defense, which ranked 95th out of 120 FBS teams in total defense last season, has been trying to mend itself after the loss of six starters from a year ago.

Also serving as the linebackers’ coach, Burnham has been least affected by the yearly transition, returning two — seniors Jake Knott and A.J. Klein — of his three starters from a year ago.

With the absence of Knott at the will linebacker position, however, true sophomore Jevohn Miller has stepped up in his place. Miller has been receiving direct coaching from Knott, who is out for the entire spring season while recovering from shoulder surgery.

“With [Knott] being on the sidelines, I feel like I get more individual attention with him,” Miller said. “It’s easier than when he’s playing because he can answer my questions, but he’s focused on his game too.”

Despite all the extra attention Miller has been getting, Burnham said he still has a long way to go.

“The kid works hard, and he’s made some improvement,” Burnham said of Miller. “The biggest thing he’s got to do — you put him in a drill, and he does fine, when the bullets start flying, and he’s got 10 other people around him then that’s when he’s got to stay calm and collective and do the things that it takes to play.”

Jeremiah George has been another linebacker who has come into his own having gotten more reps this spring. George recorded one tackle in all 13 games last season, primarily on special teams.

“Finally, I can see the little light when I look in his eyes,” Burnham said of George. “For two years, it’s been dark back in there. But he’s learned and gotten a lot of reps this spring.

“If I had to say there’s three guys who have made the most improvement this spring, he’d be one of the three. And I don’t know who the other two are.”

Burnham said George has been the replacement for Matt Tau’fo’ou at starting sam linebacker opposite the defense’s nickel package — in which 213-pound C.J. Morgan plays as a hybrid linebacker/defensive back in the sam position.

George and Miller have both been rotating in with the first- and second-team defenses, getting reps and experience in both facets.

“The game’s fast no matter what,” Miller said. “But the difference between ones and twos is just who you’re working with. And communication on the field, you’ve got to have really good communication with your fellow linebackers and defensive players to execute a play and get everyone lined up right.”

Despite having notched a combined three tackles last season, Miller and George are gearing up to make an immediate impact come September.

“Jeremiah and Jevohn are coming along, they’re making progress day by day,” Klein said on April 3. “Especially Jeremiah getting more reps with the ones and with the twos and depending on situations, he’s making leaps and bounds right now for the fall.”