Stanford’s defensive line is unquestionably a question mark heading into 2018, so we checked in with Defensive Line Coach Diron Reynolds and asked about what he’s looking for at the start of training camp and where he hopes the squad will be by the end of training camp.

For Coach Reynolds, it’s back to basics. “Just trying to get the guys lined up, that's first and foremost. We tried to tell 'em a little while ago that all the technique we teach 'em doesn't even matter if we can't get 'em lined up so day one we just want to get them lined up, running to the ball, show 'em what kind of standard we have out here and what we expect from the d line.”

In terms of those expectations, effort is really the leading factor but Reynolds identified the standards that a number of unproven talents will have to meet for the Cardinal to be successful this year. “Expect them to learn the playbook, first and foremost. Expect for them to bring their 'A' game everyday, hustle to the ball. We pride ourselves on hustling to the ball, getting everybody up front to run to the ball and they have to bring that standard and meet it."

Dalyn Wade-Perry and Jovan Swann are two players Stanford hopes makes that leap from unproven to bedrock constants on the defensive line. Reynolds offered qualified praise on the early returns from both.

Speaking of Wade-Perry, he says “It's hard to judge the first couple of days. Everybody's gonna win the underwear Olympics, but until we put the pads on it's kind of hard to tell. I like where he's starting off, trying to keep his pads square, knocking people back, knowing the defense and being really sharp.” And then of Swann, Reynolds says “Looks like he's trying to use a lot of that athletic ability that he's had during this offseason. Getting stronger and faster and running to the ball. He's trying to be a leader, doing a better job of running to the ball and setting the standard. Can't wait to get in there and see it on tape.”

Both players will be expected to shore up a defense that allowed nearly five yards per carry (4.88) last year in Pac-12 play, which ranked eighth in the Conference of Champions.

David Shaw, Alijah Holder, and JJ Arcega-Whiteside all alluded to “finishing” in reference to the big step Stanford needs to take this year. The Cardinal lost four games by three points or less last year and such was the difference between an elite season and one that fell below Stanford’s standards in the David Shaw Era. As a defense, the Cardinal’s strongest quarter all season long was the third quarter, in which it ranked 24th in the country based on Bill Connolly’s S&P+ play-by-play efficiency metric. That rank fell to 47th in the fourth quarter. Reynolds left no ambiguity when defining what ‘finishing’ means to the defensive line. “Finishing means getting off of blocks, making tackles in the backfield, sacking the quarterback, actually getting him down. Pressure isn't enough nowadays. You have to get the quarterback down, get sacks, get turnovers, get the ball back for our offense with as many opportunities as possible.”

Stanford did not win the battles up front with the consistency of its best defensive teams. Power success rate measures how successful teams are on third and fourth down with two or fewer yards to go. In 2017, Stanford’s defense won 64.3% of those battles, which ranked 47th in the country. In context, that was an improvement from 2016 when the Cardinal ranked 80th in that category.

Stay tuned to TheBootleg.com for Stanford Football and Basketball Team and Recruiting Updates all year long!

R.J. Abeytia has been contributing to The Bootleg since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter at @RJ_Abeytia and follow The Bootleg @TheBootleg for up to the moment Cardinal news and analysis.

Not a subscriber? Sign up now to get all the great information inside our Premium Football and Hoops Boards Click here to subscribe!

And don't forget to sign up for our Bootleg Newsletter! It's free and a great way to get all the latest Stanford Cardinal information right into your inbox!