Martin, Ingram share D-line coaching load

Both believe players will benefit from setup

New UCF assistants Kenny Martin and Kenny Ingram share the same first name. The pair also share coaching duties on the defensive front this season.

Martin and Ingram will split time between the tackles and ends. It’s a relationship both believe will pay big dividends down the road.

“I know a lot of people see the defensive line and tend to think, ‘OK. It’s the same line,’ ” said Ingram, who also coaches the outside linebackers. “It’s just like being in a classroom; the more students per teacher the less isolated one-on-one time that you have.

“But when you have two coaches breaking down the defensive line, it allows us to have more isolated, more specialized one-on-one interaction and coaching.”

“To split the defensive line is phenomenal for the guys,” added Martin, who spent the past two seasons coaching defensive tackles at alma mater Western Kentucky.

“They get more position-specific drills. They get more position-specific game plan-wise.

Being on the edge and being inside are two different worlds.”

UCF features a young but deep group on the defensive front, with 13 players seeing playing time at one point or another. That includes nine players with at least one career start, led by tackle Anthony Montalvo (17 career starts) and end Stephon Zayas (12 career starts).

“To be inside, you have to be able to take on the double-teams,” explained Martin. “You’ve got to be able to be stout and strong inside, able to create a pass rush from the interior and learning the depth of the pass rush.”

Added Ingram: “That’s a lot more of a physical strain on the defensive tackles from the inside. They also see different things in pass protection.”

Montalvo is joined at the tackle spot by veterans such as Noah Hancock and Kalia Davis, along with a mix of younger players, such as Cam Goode, Kam’ron Green and Kervins Choute. There’s also incoming freshmen Anthony Hundley, Matthew Alexander and Zyin Thomas.

Zayas shared the majority of starts at defensive end with Landon Woodson, Tre’Mon Morris-Brash, Josh Celiscar, Keenan Hester and Dallaz Corbitt.

The unit also adds incoming freshmen Malachi Lawrence and Jae’vien Gill.