Stanford’s defensive unit will be a mix of the familiar and foreign this upcoming season. With eight starters returning, there is an encouraging sense of continuity in the locker room, a feeling that rising senior defensive end Erik Lorig has noticed.

“Our front seven’s experience has allowed us to really focus on better technique and individual responsibility,” Lorig said on Tuesday.

However, the Cardinal will have to deal with the departure of Defensive Coordinator Scott Shafer, who took a similar position with Michigan. Shafer implemented the 4-3 last year and coached a defense that had the fifth-most tackles for loss in the NCAA and the second-most sacks in the Pac-10. Former NFL coach Ron Lynn was hired as co-defensive coordinator and assistant head coach. Lynn will collaborate with linebackers’ coach Andy Buh, who was elevated to co-defensive coordinator during the off season.

With lingering questions surrounding the quarterback position and the offense, it’s quite clear that Stanford will need an impressive defensive showing to improve upon last year’s 4-8 record.

Defensive Line

Stanford is led up front by rising senior DE Pannel Egboh. At 6-foot-6 and 270 pounds, Egboh has NFL talent and size. Erik Lorig, a former tight end, will start as the other end and continue to learn the intricacies of defensive line play. Rising juniors Ekom Udofia and Brian Bulcke will work together as the two starting interior linemen.

The line struggled last year against the run and Head Coach Jim Harbaugh observed that “the speed on the line [looked] weak” in Tuesday’s scrimmage.

Rising sophomore Sione Fua could play a significant role in helping stuff the run for the Cardinal. The 6-foot-2, 305-pound Fua was highly recruited out of high school, but missed last season while on a mission for his church. The defensive line should be able to wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks this season, but the ability to stop the run will be the true test of the unit’s effectiveness.

Linebackers

The linebacker position should be the strength of the Stanford football team. The Cardinal returns three starting linebackers from a unit that was surprisingly solid all last season.

Rising junior Clinton Snyder, who has been named to preseason watch lists for every NCAA linebacker award, is the clear leader of the defense. Starting all but two games in his previous two seasons on the Farm, Snyder has made a name for himself in the Pac-10 with a knack for finding the ball and hard hitting. Snyder earned honorable mention All-Pac-10 honors last year with 96 tackles and a team-high eight sacks.

Fifth-year senior Pat Maynor, another headliner of the linebacker corps, has played in 30 games for the Cardinal and led the team with a career-best 16.5 tackles for loss.

Rising sophomore Chike Amajoyi, who made an immediate contribution as a true freshman last year, rounds out the starting trio.

“[The starting linebackers] set the tone for a very tough, aggressive and athletic unit,” Harbaugh told GoStanford.com.

Secondary

Stanford’s secondary struggled against strong passers last year, and the forecast for 2008 isn’t particularly bright on the surface. Last year’s team interception leader Nick Sanchez and fellow corner Tim Sims have graduated and rising junior free safety Austin Yancy, who started all 12 games last year, is out for five to six weeks with a hamstring injury.

As cornerbacks, rising junior Kris Evans and rising senior Wopamo Osaisai will be depended upon to weather the storm in their first years as starters. Osaisai allowed too many big plays last year and needs to channel his special teams’ success and tremendous speed into coverage brilliance. Rising junior strong safety Bo McNally led last year’s team with 114 tackles and “still has room for growth” according to defensive backs coach Clayton White. Rising sophomore Taylor Skaufel will fill in at free safety while Yancy rehabilitates.

The secondary could benefit from the pressure a strong front seven is expected to provide. But if opposing quarterbacks have enough time, it could be a long season for Stanford’s secondary.