UNIVERSITY PARK -- Before SMU's season opener against Stephen F. Austin, defensive coordinator Van Malone admitted to some nerves over his young secondary. Outside of corner Jordan Wyatt, the starters -- corner Christian Davis and safeties Mikial Onu and Rodney Clemons -- are sophomores.
A learning curve for the group is to be expected. Malone's worry is eased a bit by the work ethic the sophomores have shown, but only a bit.
"They're really ahead of their time in terms of their preparation, in terms of their outspoken operation out on the field. And that helps us," Malone said at SMU's weekly availability Tuesday.