With Marcus Davenport graduated and now with the New Orleans Saints, the UTSA football team needed to find its next leader on defense.

Kevin Strong Jr. appears to be filling that role, including some early mentions on the 2019 NFL draft boards.

“It’s nice to see that somebody is looking,” Strong said. “It’s humbling to see Marcus go (get drafted), its opened up the door for us.”

The defensive tackle wants to replicate everything Davenport stood for with the program.

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“His willpower, he didn’t give up on any play,” Strong said when asked what he learned from Davenport. “You never know when it could be your last time on that field, so you got to give it your all.”

Named to the Conference USA’s preseason second team, Strong hopes to continue the success the ’Runners had on defense last year.

In 2017, the Roadrunners were the conference’s best defensively, allowing 187 points and 287.9 yards per game, a stat also good for fifth nationally.

“This defense has a lot of pride, and we stand behind it 100 percent,” Strong said. “As a unit we still want to grow and have to continue to work.”

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Born in the small town of Cleveland, Texas, the 6-foot-4, 300-pound lineman was a star for the Cleveland High School football team. He was a unanimous first-team all-district honoree as a senior with 51 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and seven sacks.

After receiving heavy interest from UTSA, Strong decided to become a Roadrunner in late 2013 and he redshirted as a freshman in 2014.

In three seasons at UTSA, Strong has 82 tackles, including 20 for loss. With Strong and other returnees junior linebacker Josiah Tauaefa and sophomore defensive end Lorenzo Dantzler, the ’Runners’ key to a winning season is through their defense.

“It fits like a puzzle,” UTSA head coach Frank Wilson said when asked about his defense. “The expectation is to build off what we have done already.”

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At the start of the second week of fall camp, Strong commended the energy the entire team has displayed and he said everyone is working together.

With high expectations, there’s pressure mounting on the senior to fill in the gap left by Davenport. Having to fill those big shoes has only given him more energy.

“It’s nothing but motivation,” Strong said. “Being able to see Marcus get drafted, it just shows that we all have the opportunity to achieve the goals we want to.”

More than anything else, Strong is bringing Davenport’s mental approach to the field in hopes of being the next star.

“His main thing was ‘Don’t take no place for granted,’” Strong said. “Him just going out with the approach of having fun and staying focused has opened my eyes. It doesn’t matter what school you’re at, if the eyes are on you, they’re on you. If they want you, they want you.”

Strong believes UTSA football is on the rise and a program heading in the right direction under Wilson.

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“It’s a big difference as far as the fan support and how we come in and play compared to when I first got here,” he said.

Despite six wins last year, UTSA missed an opportunity to play in a bowl. It’s a chip on the shoulder of the whole team.

“One of our main things is to prepare as a whole team day by day,” Strong said. “We can’t let the little things slip this year.”

If one thing is certain, Davenport will be missed. However, Strong wants everyone to know that he’s going to take what Marcus showed him and be the playmaker UTSA needs.

“I’m going to do what Marcus did, lead by example,” he said. “Don’t ever count us out.”