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Iowa State University Athletics
Spring Breakdown: The Defensive Ends
03.02.2015 | Football
AMES, Iowa – Iowa State will begin its spring practice schedule on Tuesday March 3. Cyclones.com will breakdown each position heading into the spring game on April 11.
THE DEFENSIVE ENDS
SYNOPSIS
Replacing All-Big 12 performer Cory Morrissey will be the top priority for the Cyclones at the defensive end spot. Rhoads also announced that returning starter Mitchell Meyers (6-4, 260, Jr.#, The Woodlands, Texas) was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in February.
Meyers, who started all 12 games last season while recording 30 tackles, will sit out spring drills while undergoing treatment. His leadership and experience will be missed.
Despite both of those setbacks, the Cyclones will have experience returning in seniors Trent Taylor (6-2, 257, Sr., Lakeland, Fla.) and Dale Pierson (6-2, 246, Sr., Bakersfield, Calif.).
The junior college transfers showed significant improvement throughout their first season at ISU in 2014. Taylor started eight games last year, recording 37 tackles. He was second on the team in sacks (2.0) and third on the squad in tackles for loss at 5.0.
Pierson tallied 29 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss in his first season as a Cyclone, but increased his production dramatically at the end of the year. In the last four games, he registered 22 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble.
The Cyclones are also excited to welcome back Darius White (6-1, 251, Jr.#, Palmetto, Fla.). White registered 15 tackles while playing in all 12 games last year.
Also watch for Gabe Luna (6-2, 250, Jr.#, Garden City, Kan.) and Justin Madison (6-3, 229, So.#, Tampa, Fla.) this spring. Both were injured last year and are anxious to see what they can bring to the table.
Rhoads On The Defensive Ends
“I am really looking forward to seeing the benefits of second-year junior college talents Dale Pierson and Trent Taylor. Usually in a first-year junior college player you will see relevant improvement in the second half of the season. We did see that in both Pierson and Taylor. Both are entering their second season and last year of eligibility as Iowa State Cyclones and I think both will be productive for us in 2015. Darius White started to show signs late in the year by making the move from linebacker to defensive end a year ago. He now understands the position and he has some of that explosive strength that we talk about all the time. Gabe Luna, not unlike Terry Ayeni, is almost like having a new junior college signee as we were forced to redshirt him a year ago because of back injuries. Justin Madison comes off the transition of being a high school linebacker. He had ACL surgery a year ago and this will be his first spring as a defensive end. It's another position where we certainly have some numbers, quality depth and production established. And don't count out Mitchell Meyers at that position in the fall, but right now certainly his treatment for Hodgkin's lymphoma, his overall health, is at the forefront of our thoughts.”
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