2026 Delaware Football Positional Preview: Defensive Linemen

The defensive line, also known as the “Trench Mob” from positional coach Kyre Hawkins, have several pieces ready for a breakout season in 2026. This preseason’s framework will cover the four who’s: 1) who is back 2) who is new 3) who said what during the local media availability and 4) who (or what) caught my attention. Let us know if this is a format that you appreciate or if you would like us to try something new.

*Note: All snap counts, PFF grades, and recognition are from the 2025 season

Who is Back?

#13 Noah Matthews (464 defensive snaps, 62 special teams snaps. 68.8 PFF Grade)
- 31 tackles, 7 TFL, 2 sacks, 1 pass deflections
#52 Dominick Brogna (332 defensive snaps, 33 special teams snaps. 70.4 PFF Grade)
- 31 tackles, 4 TFL, 0.5 sacks
#33 Trace Scott III (288 defensive snaps, 14 special teams snaps. 69.0 PFF Grade)
- 20 tackles, 4 TFL, 3.5 sacks
#0 Q’yaeir Price (44 defensive snaps, 1 special teams snap. 65.1 PFF Grade)
- 4 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sack
#44 Kaeden Singleton (75 defensive snaps, 66 special teams snaps. 59.8 PFF Grade)
- 4 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sack
#3 Brandon Gorham (69 defensive snaps, 6 special teams snaps. 70.6 PFF Grade)
- 7 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks
#49 Yamdry Hernandez
#89 Nate Ray (7 defensive snaps, special teams snaps. 54.9 PFF Grade. Walk-On)
#53 Carson Shockley (Walk-On)

Who is New?

#14 James Steel (UAB Transfer)
#88 Sam Siafa (Penn State Transfer): 9 defensive snaps. 55.9 PFF Grade
#96 Dylan Mann (Troy Transfer): 2 defensive snaps, 19 special teams snaps. 60.4 PFF Grade
#28 Quincy Smith (Lenoir-Rhyne/D2 Transfer)
- 7 tackles, 0.5 TFL
#91 Christian Corbin (High School)
#90 Noah Frazier (High School)

Who Said What?

Delaware Defensive Line Coach Kyre Hawkins
- (On how the defensive front is coming along in fall camp): “I feel like the depth is coming along really well. I feel confident in our older guys who are bringing the younger guys along. The old guys lead from example, they lead vocally bringing guys along. And then the young guys also push those guys… if an older guy’s having a day where he needs a little battery, the younger guys are right there to pick them up.”
- (On the biggest difference between FBS and FCS): “I would say on the larger scales like Colorado and Wake Forest that we played last year, those teams’ offensive lines were a little bit bigger than what we saw on a regular basis, but we didn’t feel like they really overwhelmed or over challenged us too much. A lot of times, we gave plays away and just not doing what we’re supposed to do consistently. Within our conference, I feel like we are very well adequate and we were very competitive with those guys.”
- (On how Noah Matthews can build off last year): “He just has to be consistent in making his plays. He can make a lot of plays, but he knows that every play that he is designed to make, he has to have it. And then the carryover on that is he also is going to have to force plays sometimes. Sometimes there might not be an easy way to get the play done, and that’s what a guy with his skill sets and his talent has to do. You have to go out there and find a way at times. He’s been in really close positions. He had the quarterback in his hands a lot of times last year, and he let them slip through him a couple times. So, we’ve harped on finishing and building those results off of that.”
- (On the developments of third-year players Trace Scott III and Kaeden Singleton): “It’s great because both those guys came in together and they have been developing well. I saw a lot of potential in them from a young age, so I’ve always tried to coach them as if they were starters when they were young. And now that they’re getting into the opportunity where they can really show off their skill sets, I think that they’re more than ready for it.”
Delaware Defensive End Noah Matthews
- (On how he would like to improve his game): “It starts with being a better leader and pulling the young guys along. I’m only as good as my group is, and I feel like just developing within our group and leading from the front is really where I can grow as a person and as a player as well… I feel like I did pretty good in the run [game] last year, but I feel that this offseason I was more worried about the pass and rushing the quarterback.”
- (On how the defense can simulate 3rd down situations in practice): “In practice, we’ve been having a lot more of 3rd down situational-types to where the offense can work their 3rd down situation, and also the defense can improve in getting off the field. We’ve really just been harping on that, like we had a 2-minute period today where we were working 3rd down the whole time… everybody has to do their job.”
Delaware Defensive End Brandon Gorham
- (On why Delaware during his high school recruitment): “I grew up in Maryland, and then I had to move to Hawaii my junior year. It was pretty hard, I didn’t play much in Hawaii, but Coach Hawkins reached out to me and gave me a shot here at Delaware and I committed for my senior year. I liked Delaware because they showed a lot of love early in my recruitment, and they stuck with it the whole time up to my commitment. When I came here on my visit, it was a great time being around great people and it felt like home.”
- (On who he models his game after): “In terms of gameplay, I try to model myself out of Micah Parsons… like a real speed guy good with his hands. But I also just try to make myself better in my own way.”
Delaware Defensive Tackle Trace Scott III
- (On where he felt like he needed to improve heading into this fall): “I definitely thought I had to play within myself a little more. I’m a big energy guy, so last year I would kind of get myself so jacked up for these games that I would come out a little out of control. So this year, I’m trying to stay within myself… see more analytical like the pre-snap keys rather than just launching off into the guys.”
- (On what Jack Hall taught him as his mentor): “The hands were a big thing. At D-Line, it’s all about the hand placement and the punch. He also helped me with the ball knowledge as well. He taught me really everything you need to know as a defensive lineman in such a short time. It was amazing.”

Who (or What) Caught my Attention?

Former Delaware defensive lineman Jack Hall mentioned in an interview on last season’s Blue Hens Coaches Show that the younger guys in the program like Trace Scott III, Kaeden Singleton, and Brandon Gorham are “next-level prospects” than his recruiting class was, citing the school’s transition to FBS factoring initial growth in athleticism. When Defensive Coordinator Manny Rojas was asked about finding more size in the defensive line room, he responded, “If you look at a guy like Noah Matthews, he’s in his 5th year and he’s 260 pounds right now. We have to remember when he transferred in here, he was 235 pounds. So in 2 years, he’s been able to add 20 to 30 pounds, which is significant. We’re trying to find Noah Matthews at 260-265 pounds as a true freshman now, so that changes things in recruiting.” We saw that in guys like Scott III, Singleton, and Gorham, and as well in this season’s freshman class in Christian Corbin (292 pounds listed on National Signing Day) and Noah Frazier (250 pounds).
All of Matthews, Scott III, Singleton, and Gorham will be consistent pieces to the Trench Mob this fall. The program will also appreciate the return of Q’yaeir Price, who had a season-ending injury at Colorado last September. An important piece that can’t go undiscussed is nose tackle Dominick Brogna. Brogna has seen his defensive snap count increase across each year of his collegiate career: 2 in 2022, 212 in 2023, 296 in 2024, and 332 in 2025. The defensive line has to rotate more than any other position, but I expect an even heavier workload for him this fall. “Dom’s a one-of-one type character,” Defensive Line Coach Kyre Hawkins said about Brogna. “He’s a guy that I do believe has captain-like qualities, and it’s easy for guys to follow behind what he does because he does it right all the time.”
There are some new pieces to the defensive front, including UAB transfer James Steel and Penn State transfer Sam Siafa. Hawkins described Steel as a “nice curve” into their rotation, stating his combination of size and ability to get off the line fast can add a dangerous element to their room on gamedays. Hawkins also highlighted Siafa’s intelligence and versatility, being able to fill in multiple spots on the line. One of the first things I will be looking out for in Delaware’s opener in how all of these new additions are utilized across the defensive line.