Portland State Football opens preseason practice today at Stott Community Field at 10:15 a.m. The Vikings are looking to improve upon their 5-6 record of last season, 4-4 in the Big Sky Conference.
 
This week, we will take a look at the team as it prepares for the 2022 season.
 

TODAY – THE DEFENSE

The 2022 Viking football season will be a mixture of outstanding returning talent and high expectations for newcomers in vital roles.
        
Portland State returns depth and experience at wide receiver, defensive end, linebacker and defensive back. The Vikings will look for newcomers at the key positions of quarterback, nose tackle and running back to step forward.
        
Eighth-year Head Coach Bruce Barnum has 44 letterwinners back, including 19 starters with eight on offense, nine on defense and two on special teams.
 

DEFENSE

Portland State has a large group of returners and quality depth on the defensive side with nine returning starters and 27 letterwinners. One area the Vikings will look to reinforce is the defensive line – particularly at nose tackle.
        
Veteran Semise Kofe, who anchored the nose tackle spot the past few seasons, has graduated. The only other player with experience is SO Martin Salazar (5-10, 285) who played in five games as a true freshman before an injury sidelined his season. SR Boogie Davis (6-3, 275) also has played some snaps at nose, as well as defensive end, but played in only two games last season due to injury. A wildcard at tackle would be SR Moses Finau (6-1, 260), who impressed in the spring. The Vikings also have RS FR Jessie Brown (6-2, 280) vying for playing time at the spot.
        
SR EJ Ane (6-2, 275), an FBS transfer from San Jose State, is likely to have some say in replacing Kofe. Ane played in 28 games on the defensive line for San Jose State, making 68 career tackles. His size and experience brings a lot to the program.
        
The Vikings have experience at end with the return of SR starters VJ Malo (6-1, 270) and Jake Porter (6-4, 250). Malo took the conference by storm last season, making 45 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks and forcing three fumbles. He earned second team All-Big Sky Conference and, as a Preseason All-American, should be primed for a big senior season.
        
Porter has played in 35 career games, matching All-American DB Anthony Adams, for most experience on the team. He has 21 career starts at defensive end and a good knowledge of the Vikings' defensive system.
        
The Vikings have a host of young players to back up. SO Kennedy Freeman (6-2, 240) showed promise as a pass rusher, but was another Viking whose 2021 season was cut short by injury. RS FRs Slade Shufelt (6-3, 225) and Zane Maningo (6-2, 250) add depth.
        
PSU has added JR transfer Dino Kahaulelio (6-0, 285) from City College of San Francisco who may also compete at nose tackle in 2022. Signees Mike MacNeill (6-1, 280) and Elias Sanders (6-2, 265) are freshmen that will provide long term depth.
        
The Vikings should be loaded at linebacker. It begins with SO Parker McKenna (6-0, 220) who started every game at middle linebacker. He led the Vikings with 88 tackles, four tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. McKenna has the sideline to sideline speed needed in PSU's flex defensive system.
        
SRs Robert Holt (6-2, 225) and Tevita Tuitavake (6-0, 225) and SO Justice Pagan (6-2, 235) all have size, quality experience and starts on their resumes. Pagan, despite missing two games, ranked seventh on the team with 39 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and two sacks at buck linebacker last season. Holt (17 tackles) and Tuitavake (15 tackles) combined for a handful of starts. One of those three is likely to start at the whip linebacker, replacing the graduated Nic Ah Sam, who started every game there in 2021.
        
JR Isaiah Henry (5-11, 205) is another experienced player who should see increased time at linebacker, potentially at middle with McKenna.
        
Other returning letterwinners at linebacker include JRs Zack Mandera (6-1, 220) and Ian Crocker (6-1, 220). RS FR Spencer Delacruz (6-1, 220) will also get into the mix.
        
PSU signed FR LBs Elijah Mareko (6-2, 225), Joseph Nanai (6-1, 240) and Peyton Wing (6-0, 210) to the group in February, then added Utah State transfer Jaymason Willingham (6-1, 220) over the summer.
        
The back end of the defense is also loaded with experienced, talented players. The rover back position is a hybrid linebacker/defensive back role that returns two players who have been starters there in the past two full seasons. SO Tyreese Shakir (5-10, 175) took over as starter early in the 2021 season and had a big year as a freshman. He had 32 tackles, a sack, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries and four pass breakups. JR David Joseph (6-1, 200) has played in 28 career games and made nine career starts, mainly at rover. He had 27 tackles last season at rover, on special teams and spot duty in the defensive backfield. Both players will be a key to the Viking defense in 2022.
        
The Vikings will have a senior-laden back four that is loaded with experience, talent and playmakers.
        
PSU returns both starting cornerbacks and has excellent depth at the position. SR Anthony Adams (6-0, 185) is the face of the Viking defense, having started all 35 career games at PSU. A two-time first team All-Big Sky Conference selection – once at safety and once at cornerback – he was a consensus first team All-American in 2019 after leading the nation in passes defensed. After PSU opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID, Adams may have dropped from the minds of some national media, but his performance was just as strong in 2021, and he is now a consensus Preseason All-American in 2022. Adams made 52 tackles, five tackles for loss, had three interceptions, three fumble recoveries, five pass breakups and forced a fumble as the Vikings' boundary cornerback. He was named to one All-America team, but missed the others. Certainly, he should be front of mind as one of the best defensive backs in the nation in 2022. Adams goes into the season with 165 career tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 31 pass breakups and 13 career takeaways (9 INT, 4 FR). His 40 career passes defended (30 PBU, 9 INT) are the most of any returning FCS player in the nation.
        
At field cornerback, SR Evan Camarena (6-0, 185) returns after 11 starts and 29 tackles last season. He, along with Adams, are backed up by three SOs who saw a lot of playing time and performed well in 2021. Semaj Bolin (5-10, 170) and Davion Gaines (6-0, 170) saw significant action and will contend for more time at corner. Bolin had 11 tackles and an interception to lead that group. SO Michael Jackson (6-2, 185) also returns with experience, giving the Vikings excellent depth. RS FRs Jalen Boston (5-11, 170) and Ronan Gay (6-1, 185) make the cornerback position even deeper.
        
Portland State returns starters and depth at the safety spots as well. SR Xavier Bell (6-2, 200) took over the SAM role after transferring in from Arizona last year. He proved to be one of the Vikings' key players on defense, ranking third on the team in tackles with 50 and leading the team with seven pass breakups. SOs Day Day Bright (5-10, 170) and Travis West (5-6, 160) are young but experienced players at safety.
        
SR Broderick Harrell (5-11, 200) did not find his best role in the defensive backfield until mid-season last year when he took over at free safety. Like Bell, Harrell was an FBS transfer from UTEP who became a playmaker for the Vikings as well. He was fourth on the team with 48 tackles, had five pass breakups and a fumble recovery.
        
Returning letterwinner Shea Carstens (5-10, 185) was primarily a special teams contributor but also lends depth to the defensive backfield. RS SO Jake Urena (5-9, 180) will also battle to get into the mix at the safety position.
        
Four National Letter of Intent signees will come is as freshmen in the defensive backfield this fall: Elijah Gipson (5-11, 170), Duhron Goodman (5-11, 190), Michael Hurst (5-11, 190) and Ezriel Vasquez (5-11, 170). The Vikings also signed Liberty University transfer Isaiah Avery (6-0, 175).

FRIDAY: SPECIAL TEAMS, TEAM NOTES
 
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