Last season, ULM’s senior standout Darius Prelow commanded the Hawk safety position vocally and physically, earning first team All-Sun Belt honors and second team All-Louisiana honors. He finished the season tied for 23rd in the NCAA with four interceptions and fifth among Sun Belt defensive backs with 77 tackles on the year.

But now he’s gone, and the Warhawks will have to fill the void.

ULM has two-experienced Warhawks battling for a safety position, while a third looks to spread his wings and show this former hatchling can lead.  Now

that Prelow is gone the Hawk safety spot is wide open for three players: Henry Mitchell, Mitch Lane, and Brandon Hardy.

“That’s been one of the most heated position battles we have on defense right now,” says defensive coordinator Troy Ruffett. “We grade every play in practice, so whoever is the most productive and makes the fewest mistakes is going to be the guy who lines up against Arkansas.”

Safeties are an important position to any defense. Think of them as a human torpedo: able to propel their bodies through obstructions twice their size, but also versatile enough to redirect their path.

They are the last line of defense. Getting beat means trouble. A good safety must be able to completely rotate his hips around, adjust to a e, and ll all in the same instant.

Mitchell and Hardy are two seniors that saw significant playing time last season. Mitchell finished with 19 tackles and an interception throughout 12 games. Hardy, who appeared in 11 games, totaled 10 tackles and recovered a fumble against conference rival Troy.

To be successful Mitchell said, “Everyone must stick together as a family and be accountable for their assignment.” Mitchell said he and the other safeties are ready to raise the bar higher than Prelow set it. “Those are big shoes to fill, but after working all spring and summer I think we will be able to do that.”

The last player fighting for the Hawk spot is redshirt freshman Lane. Lane studied Prelow’s commanding role and said he was shown what it takes to be successful. When asked what advantages the two seniors may have over him Lane said, “Those guys are really aggressive and have experience. I’m trying to learn a lot so that’s the really big edge they have over me.”

Coach Ruffett’s talked highly of all three players saying each has something to offer to the position: Mitchell is the most experienced, Hardy is the most physical and Lane is the most athletic. 

Time will tell which quality wins the battle.