We kicked this series off by looking at the Birmingham Stallions offensive roster. Now, we turn to the defensive side of the ball. Led by veteran defensive coach John Chavis, aka “The Chief,” the Stallions’ defense was one of the best in the league last year. They allowed the fewest yards per game and the second-fewest points per game during the regular season. The Stallions would not have been able to make their USFL championship run without being so stout on this side of the ball.
But how will things fare in 2023? We will try to answer that question by first considering the Stallions defensive line. Later articles will consider the linebacking crew and secondary.
Birmingham’s defensive line was arguably the best in the USFL last year. During the regular season, they only allowed 95.5 yards per game on the ground (good enough for second in the league) and led the league with 27 sacks (2.7 sacks per game). Given their success, you might expect some turnover for this unit. However, here is the great news for Stallions fans: nearly all of the defensive line returns in 2023. Only three players from last season are gone: Doug Costin and Aaron Adeoye are with the Arlington Renegades of the XFL and Seth Thomas was released last month to make room for new signings. None of the three were starters last year. Plus, in addition to retaining their core from last year’s team, the Stallions also added some talented players this offseason. Let’s take a look at every defensive lineman currently on the roster.
Returning Interior Defensive Linemen
Three interior defensive linemen return from last year: Willie Yarbary, Willie Henry, and Keyshon Camp. Yarbary is the most notable figure in the group, having started at defensive tackle last season. He led all Stallions defensive linemen with 44 tackles and 5.5 sacks. He also added five tackles for loss and four passes deflected. He was dominant in the USFL Championship, registering five…