Bynum leads YSU platoon

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Shereif Bynum

By Brian Dzenis

bdzenis@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Shereif Bynum waited his turn and he’s made the most of it so far.

Defensive end has been a four-man committee at Youngstown State all through camp and the team’s first three games, but the junior has been that committee’s most productive member. He’s tied with South Dakota’s Darin Greenfield for the Missouri Valley Football Conference lead in tackles for a loss with 5.5, a figure that’s tied for seventh-best nationally.

He’s spent his first three years behind somebody, be it due to redshirting or sitting behind current NFL players Derek Rivers and Avery Moss in 2016 or Fazson Chapman and Johnson Louigene in 2017.

“I tried to absorb so much knowledge. They told me to play fast and play hard and the plays will come,” Bynum said. “I played within the scheme and made the best of my opportunities.”

Bynum’s job is to rush the passer, which he was on the opposite side of in high school. He was a quarterback in addition to playing defensive line at Summit Academy in Romulus, Mich.

“It was a small school and I was fortunate to be athletic enough to play quarterback to help my team,” Bynum said. “When I went to my bigger high school — where I graduated — they just needed me at d-end.

“Playing both ways was cool, but playing one position helped my hone my craft and land me a scholarship.”

Bynum transferred to Belleville High for his senior season and that’s where former YSU defensive line coach Tom Sims found him. His interest in the rest of the defense makes him stick out.

“You can definitely tell he was a quarterback. When we install stuff, he wants to know everything,” co-defensive coordinator Donald D’Alesio said. “He wants to know what the secondary is doing and he knows the formations. It definitely helps him as a player.”

Even with good numbers, when asked to grade the defensive line, he gave C-minuses for the Butler and West Virginia losses. Last week’s 42-7 win against Valparaiso? A B-plus.

“When we did us and made sure we played within the system and made the plays like we had to, we have the outcome like we did the last game,” Bynum said. “That was our best game so far. There’s always room for improvement. Everybody made some kind of mistake that we can clean up before we start league play.”

For D’Alesio the first three games were about mixing and matching Bynum with Louigene, Ma’Lik Richmond and Antoine Cook to figure out the best pair for different situations. Every variation of the four has been trotted out and sometimes, all four are out there at the same time.

“That’s the main rush. The one defensive tackle that could stay in is Savon Smith,” D’Alesio said. “Besides that, more than likely it’s going to be four ends. Ma’Lik is 265 pounds, Antoine Cook is 262 pounds, so those ends are bigger guys.

“I have no problem with them rushing guards inside. Johnson has also done it before for us.”

Even if he’s part of a rotation, Bynum is still producing. The case can be made that the rotating line makes him a more productive player.

“It allows you stay fresh. The fresher you are, the faster you play. You play more efficiently,” Bynum said. “Having all those d-ends out there puts more pressure on the o-line and the quarterback.

“That’s what we do, try to disrupt the quarterback and basically, make a play for the team.”