The Horned Frogs’ defensive line hits hard and the nation knows it.The line returns two of its most dominating players in senior defensive ends Tommy Blake and Chase Ortiz.

Both Blake and Ortiz have been named to the All-Mountain West Conference team two years in a row, and combined for 27.5 tackles for loss in 2006.

The line also features defensive tackles Cody Moore, a junior, and Kelly Griffin, who will become the first true freshman to start the first game of the season for head coach Gary Patterson.

As potent as the line looks on paper, it could have been more intimidating with the presence of junior defensive tackle James Vess. Vess, who started 11 games and accumulated eight and a half tackles for loss and four sacks last season, was suspended for the entire 2007 season after violating school regulations.

“Of the five defensive tackles we have, only one has any real experience,” Patterson said.

Without Vess, Moore is the only returning defensive tackle. Patterson said that the team does not make it too intellectually challenging to play inside defensive tackle.

“They’re going to need to rush the passer, don’t let them run the football or let the quarterbacks scramble,” Patterson said of the defensive tackle’s role in the 4-2-5 defensive set.

Blake has already been named to four different pre-season All-American lists including lists from ESPN.com and Playboy Magazine. He is also featured in five different award watch lists, most notably the Chuck Bednarik Award given to the nation’s top defensive player and the Ted Hendricks Award given to the nation’s top defensive end.

Senior linebacker David Hawthorne said the team feeds off Blake’s intensity.

“We know it and the nation knows it, he’s a remarkable athlete and he brings a lot of different things to a football team,” Hawthorne said. “He’s the kind of guy that if you had on your team you wouldn’t worry about it. He goes hard 100 percent every play.”

Hawthorne also said Blake was the type of player you cannot hold back — even at a different position on the field.

Ortiz has also garnered preseason attention as well. He is featured on four award watch lists and one preseason team.

Patterson takes enormous pride in the defensive line and said he considered the defensive ends to be the heart of the defense.