Jayhawk to watch: James McClinton

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BY STEVEN M. SIPPLE / Lincoln Journal Star

No. 93 James McClinton, 6-1, 283, defensive lineman

McClinton is among only three returning starters from a 2005 Kansas defense that last season held Nebraska to 138 total yards and seven first downs.

This season, McClinton has recorded eight tackles (three for losses), a sack, three quarterback hurries and forced a fumble. The Garland, Texas, native teams with 6-foot-3, 295-pound senior Wayne Wilder to give Kansas an especially strong one-two punch in the interior, said Nebraska coach Bill Callahan.

Wilder, of Forsyth, Ga., has 10 tackles this season, including one for a loss. KU ranks 21st nationally defending  the run, allowing 81.8 yards per game.

“Their inside two tackles are outstanding,” Callahan said. “I think those guys are playing at a very high level. They really set the tone for that front. You can feel their energy. You can see them come off the ball with quickness and explosion and strength, whether it’s against the run or against the pass.

“They provide a lot of disruption for their front. Their ends work off of that, and their linebackers feed off of what they’re doing up front. (The defensive tackles) are going to be a force to deal with. It appears to me they’re more or less the emotional leaders up front.”