Leisle Moves Up on the Depth Chart

Rodney Leisle’s improvement and Anthony Fletcher’s lingering back injury have turned their competition at defensive tackle into one of the best in camp.

Fletcher started three times last season as a sophomore and was in line to replace the graduated Pete Holland in the starting lineup. But he sat out much of spring practice because of lower-back problems. At the same time, Leisle was impressing.

“He made life miserable for the offensive linemen,” Coach Bob Toledo said of Leisle.

When fall camp started Saturday, Leisle was listed as the starter. Both will play, but the redshirt freshman, named the outstanding defensive player on the scout team in 1999, has made the jump.

“They’ve kind of hinted at it,” Leisle said of discussions with coaches about the No. 1 spot. “But I just want to play. I don’t worry if I’m starting or not.”

Said Fletcher: “It means a whole lot to me. I’ve been wanting to start since I was a freshman. I’m going to fight for it. But I know he is too. That’s good.”

The rest of the front four is settled, with Ken Kocher back at the other tackle and Kenyon Coleman and Rusty Williams returning at end. Coleman was second-team All-Pacific 10 Conference last season and is being billed as an All-American candidate as a senior.

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Two players who used spring practice to break out of the shadows carried that momentum into fall.

Redshirt freshman Akil Harris, the offensive star of the spring scrimmage, isn’t likely to move up from third-string tailback, at least not as long as DeShaun Foster and Jermaine Lewis are sound. But Harris is being given a good chance to handle kickoff returns, along with Tab Perry, a receiver who has immediately shined as a freshman.

“I used to tell people he’s my best-kept secret because no one knew about him,” Toledo said of Harris. “But people are going to know about him.”

Redshirt freshman Dennis Link has been moved from third-string at one outside linebacker to the backup middle linebacker. He will also play a lot on special teams.

“He caught our eye, and that hasn’t changed,” Toledo said.

The new two-deep at linebacker has starter Robert Thomas and Link in the middle, starter Ryan Nece and Marcus Reese on one outside, and starter Tony White and Santi Hall on the other outside. Brandon Chillar is scheduled to back up White against Alabama while Hall serves a one-game suspension for a violation of team rules.

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The Bruins today will work out in full pads for the first time.