Cornelius Campbell won’t let his Warren Sapp fetish die. The long-time NFL defensive tackle is long past his prime, but Campbell says Sapp is the player he wants to be – large with quick feet to make up for a lack of speed.

He’s on his way with the intangibles. He has the No. 99 jersey. And he has the mouth.

‘Yeah, I’m not gonna lie, I do,’ Campbell said of jawing during practice. ‘I mean, that is a part of my game.’

But there is a fundamental difference between the idol and the protg. Sapp never tried to make it as a pass rusher from the outside. As the Syracuse football team enters its third week of spring practice, Campbell and a host of other players are trying to assert themselves at end.

The position is arguably the biggest hole on a defense that, believe or not, played solidly last season – improving from 101st to 57th in the country. Speed rushers Ryan LaCasse, an All-Big East selection, and James Wyche played a major role in the improved unit by combining for 13.5 sacks in 2005.

Syracuse can’t replace the speed of those two. But the fresh faces on the line insist they have the quickness, athleticism and work ethic to counter the speed of the graduated seniors.

While most everyone is practicing at both the defensive line positions – tackle and end – they know the best chance to make the team is on the outside. Senior Chris Thorner and junior Tony Jenkins have both started in the past and are the frontrunners for the tackle positions.

Campbell, a junior, was named one of the first team players on the depth chart this spring at defensive end. Junior Lee Williams was the other. Sophomore Nick Santiago has played inside and outside during his career but hopes to trim down to rush the quarterback. Junior Jameel McClain and sophomore Jamar Atkinson switched from linebacker for more speed, but are still learning the position.

While Williams, McClain and Atkinson weigh no more than 262 pounds and fit the mold, Campbell and Santiago are nearly at 300 and could change the dynamic of the line.

‘With that size, we are stout now,’ said Campbell, who recorded his first career sack on Brady Quinn at Notre Dame in November. ‘But we have guys that are stout and can also pass rush. We have guys that are physical and can get after the quarterback. I don’t think we have one defensive lineman that is one-sided.’

Williams said the younger and relocated players are ahead of where last season’s new faces were. The sense of urgency following a 1-10 season and the open competition at every position has prompted a new culture for the younger players on the defensive line.

‘Everybody is more mature and actually watching the film,’ Williams said.

Then there’s on-field work as well. LaCasse and Wyche were rarely matched in their practice intensity last season, something Campbell wants to see out of everyone this spring and into next season.

‘I haven’t seen two players practice 100 miles per hour just like they play a game,’ Campbell said. ‘That’s one thing that I’ve noticed that I’ve tried to change – my practice habits.

‘It’s one thing I didn’t do when I first got here. Practice was more sort of, ‘Let me get through this.’ Coach (Greg) Robinson preaches emptying your tank and those guys did it every day.’

One challenging obstacle for Campbell and Santiago is they may also be used on the inside as well. Santiago, who is currently listed at 298 pounds, said he wants to lose weight to have a better chance to compete at end. Yet that would put him at a disadvantage on the inside.

Players naturally want to be considered at as many positions as possible, but that strategy may leave them without a specialty.

‘I’m trying to get down to that comfort position where I can be able to play both,’ said Santiago, who said that would be about 280 pounds.

The reality is the defensive ends are still a work in progress. With the loss of LaCasse and Wyche, there’s the chance the depth chart turnover many times before the start of the season.

McClain and Atkinson could emerge as speed specialists. Campbell and Santiago insist a somewhat larger line is the way to go, a la Warren Sapp. Williams is a senior eager to impress. Even another person could emerge. There are no ideal candidates, just a matter of exploiting the highest number of strengths.

‘Everybody that we have brings two or three things to the table,’ Campbell said.

Published on April 3, 2006 at 12:00 pm