Editor's note: With the 2020 Nevada football season postponed until the spring semester, NevadaWolfPack.com is taking a look at the Wolf Pack program on a position-by-position basis this fall. This week's focus: linebackers.
 
It's fair to say that the next iteration of the Nevada football team's linebacking corps will have a new look than what Wolf Pack fans saw during the 2019 season. Not only did Nevada lose multi-year starter Gabriel Sewell, but also fellow starters Kyle Adams and Maliek Broady from that group. So new faces will see significant minutes when the Pack returns to action in 2021.
 
Those new faces also include the new leader of the defense in coordinator Brian Ward, who comes to the Wolf Pack from Syracuse. Ward will also head up the linebackers as a position coach.
 
Ward has faced challenges greater than normal in moving to a new team, coaching new players and installing a new scheme. He's had to do so thus far without the benefit of extended full-padded practice time. Nevada was on the cusp of beginning spring football drills before the COVID-19 outbreak struck and the Wolf Pack had its fall camp halted in August when the Mountain West Board of Directors postponed fall sports until the spring semester. So the installation of his multiple front scheme has taken place in unique methods, including Zoom meetings.
 
"We have not yet even had 15 full padded practices," Ward said.
 
The influx of new faces does not mean Nevada does not have some talented returners. Starter Lawson Hall returns for his senior campaign and he has fully embraced a role as a leader in the program, on and off the field. Hall was third on the team in tackles last year and also picked off two passes. He was named to the preseason All-MW third team by Athlon Sports and the All-MW fourth team by Phil Steele Magazine, and he also is on the preseason watch list for the Wuerffel Trophy.
 
Among other returners, juniors Lamin Touray and Trevor Price also return after seeing time in 2019. And Nevada has a handful of incoming freshmen who could see time early, including Davion Blackwell, Peter Montini and Tongiaka "Naki" Mateialona