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Dayton's Langhorst looks to build on breakout season
Defensive end finished with 14 sacks, named 3rd-team All-American.
University of Dayton football coach Rick Chamberlin has never noticed opponents assigning extra blockers for defensive end Devon Langhorst to keep him from causing mayhem in the backfield.
He expects that to change this year.
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Langhorst was named by the Associated Press as a third-team All-American in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) last season. The Sidney High School graduate finished second in the FCS with 14 sacks, including five in one game, and registered 18 tackles for losses.
The 6-foot-3, 225-pound fifth-year senior is a former high school quarterback, and his quick burst allows him to blow past offensive tackles.
“He’s an outstanding athlete. And the motor, it just never stops,” Chamberlin said. “He’s relentless.”
Langhorst is a bit undersized for the position, even at the nonscholarship I-AA level, but Chamberlin said: “It doesn’t matter. … He’s strong. And he’s just so fast, you can’t get your hands on him. He’s not bad against the run, either. He’ll hold his ground in there and get off blocks. He just has that ability, that tenacity there.”
Langhorst was consistent in 2010, recording at least a half-sack in every game while earning first-team All-Pioneer Football League honors. He also was second on the team in tackles with 77.
He’s expecting even more out of himself this season.
“I feel like I’ve improved my speed and agility. I stayed here this summer, and our strength coach, Mark Thobe, does a fantastic job of getting guys ready to go,” Langhorst said. “Everybody who stayed added inches to their vertical and took off a little bit of time on their 40 or shuttle time. I think everybody will be a little bit faster on defense this year.”
The Flyers are coming off back-to-back PFL co-championships. And while they’ll have to replace three all-league players on defense in linebacker Joe Ries, defensive back James Vercammen and defensive end Brandon Wingeier, Langhorst likes what he’s seen from a hungry batch of newcomers.
“I think we’ll have guys step into their roles just fine,” he said.
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