The following feature on the defensive line is the first installment of position by position over the next five weeks on the Wayne State football program.

The defensive line lacked experience last season with only one returning starter (Athan Anagonye). With a year under their belts, the coaching staff is expecting big things out of the group. One thing is for certain, the unit is bigger and stronger than they were a year ago.

Greg Hasse, who started all 11 games at defensive tackle in 2009 and led all WSU defensive linemen with 47 tackles, will move outside.  Two true freshmen (Serxho Guraleci and Zach Houghton) both started at the other defensive tackle spot last season.  Senior Nick Grundy, who may miss the season following an injury during spring ball, and Jon Robinson started at the defensive end spot opposite Anagone a year ago.

In addition to the 13 student-athletes mentioned below, additional depth will be provided by incoming transfers.  The breakdown by class is two redshirt seniors (Akra and Rocheleau), one senior (Kinaia), two redshirt juniors (Ewell and Robinson), three redshirt sophomores (Burnley, Cecile and Hasse), two sophomores (Guraleci and Houghton), one redshirt freshman (Laamanen) and two true freshmen (McAuliffe and Waterbury).

Defensive line coach Scott Kazmierski thoughts on each player (alphabetically):

Daunte Akra (DE, 6-2, 250, r-Sr., 1L) -- "Daunte is a very explosive defensive end that has great speed and the ability to make plays.  He has great quickness off the ball and plays with great passion.  He brings experience to the defensive line and has worked very hard the last year.  I am excited about Daunte and what he brings to the defensive line.  I am looking for Daunte to do great things this year."

David Burnley (NT, 5-11, 277, r-So.) -- "I am excited going into the fall with Dave. He had a good spring and has improved a lot. He has great hands and is a very active pass rusher. He has gotten stronger over the past year and is continuing to work on his footwork. I am expecting Dave to compete for playing time this year.

Pat Cecile (DT, 6-4, 248, r-So., 1L) -- "Pat gained experience last year as a backup and improved as the season went on. He has worked hard all off season and had a good spring. He has improved his footwork and hands and has gotten bigger this summer. He is a tough, physical, active player that we expect to make some plays this season. He will be competing for a starting job, and I look forward to seeing Pat at fall camp."

Cornell Ewell (DE, 6-6, 225, r-Jr.) -- "Cornell has worked very hard since the end of last season to get bigger and stronger. He has made good gains in both of those categories. He improved last spring with technique and learning how to use his hands. He is continuing to work hard and I expect Cornell to be more active this upcoming fall."

Serxho Guraleci (NT, 6-1, 300, So., 1L) -- "Serxho started last season (four times) as a freshman, and improved a lot as the season went on. He has worked a lot on his technique and has improved his feet and movement. Serxho is very strong and physical. He had a good spring and was improving every day. We are expecting Serxho to compete for the starting job again. We are also expecting him to make more plays for us this year."

Greg Hasse (DE, 6-4, 258, r-So., 1L) -- "We are expecting big things from Greg this year. He started last year (all 11 games at defensive tackle) and gained a lot of experience and knowledge. He is very active, and has a nose for the ball. He has improved a lot with his footwork and strength. He did a nice job for us last year and continued that through the spring. Greg made a lot of plays for us last year up front and we expect him continue to do that. He will be looked at as a leader up front for us."

Zach Houghton (DT, 6-2, 293, So., 1L) -- "Zach started last year (seven times) as a freshman, and gained a lot of experience and knowledge. He has worked very hard this off season and has improved a lot. He has worked a lot on his technique and is continuing to improve. Zach is a strong kid, who did a nice job as a freshman for us. We are expecting Zach to compete for the starting job, and also to start making more plays."

Jimmy Kinaia (DT, 6-1, 268, Sr., 1L) -- "Jimmy gained some game experience last year and helped us out in the games he played. He is a tough football player who is very smart and knows multiple positions. He has worked very hard over the last year and has improved a lot. Jimmy comes off a good spring and we expect him to continue to improve. Jimmy will compete for playing time this season."

Mike Laamanen (DE, 6-1, 247, r-Fr.) -- "Mike has improved a lot in the course of the year. He moves very well and has good feet. He has good athletic ability, and uses his hands well. He needs to continue to get stronger, but Mike works hard and gives a lot of effort on the field. We are looking for Mike to compete for playing time this fall."

Sean McAuliffe (DE, 6-2, 241, Fr.) -- "Sean is an exciting defensive end who brings a lot of passion for the game. He is working very hard and is a physical player. He has a desire to get to the ball. I am really excited about Sean being a part of this D-Line."

Jon Robinson (DE, 6-0, 245, r-Jr., 2L) -- "Jon will bring much needed experience to the defensive line and his leadership is very important to us. He has a lot of game experience and will look to have a great year for us. Jon is a very smart player that understands the game of football. He is passionate about the game and plays with a lot of energy. He has continued to improve in the weight room and on the field and we expect him to take another step forward this year."

Ray Rocheleau (DE, 6-6, 280, r-Sr., 2L [both on offense]) -- "Ray is a great addition to the defensive line for us. He has playing experience and is very active. He plays the game with great intensity and plays every snap hard. He is a big, long body that moves very well . We are looking forward to Ray contributing to the defensive line this year."

Colton Waterbury (DE, 6-2, 223, Fr.) -- "I am excited about Colton. He is a tough football player who understands the game and has good technique. He comes from a great program and knows how to work hard. I am excited about the future of Colton."