Nate Tronzo embraces role of Swiss Army knife of Saluki D-Line
- Tom Weber
- 23 minutes ago
- 8 min read
CARBONDALE, Ill. — One of the marks of a great football team is when guys are willing to embrace whatever role they’re called upon to play.
When Southern Illinois defensive end Nate Tronzo was asked during the offseason to expand his role and play on the interior of the D-line, the Louisville native was skeptical at first.
“Coach (Darius) Davis talked to me about it, and I was like, well, I don't know about that,” Tronzo recalled. “Coach explained that he thinks I can be a Swiss Army knife guy and play all four positions.”
The more Tronzo considered it, the more it made sense. At 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds, he has the long frame to play on the edge, plus the quickness required of the “3” technique inside.
“I’m not the strongest guy or the fastest guy, but I really honed in on my technique this past spring and summer,” he said. “I learned a lot from (defensive tackle) Amir (Dwight), because he does things the right way. I see how he stays low, plays with a good base and just doesn't get moved.”
Tronzo understands that while he may not be a starter this season, the reps he provides will be critical to the defense.
“Coach (Nick) Hill says everybody on this team has a role, and you need to know what your role is and do it to your max potential,” Tronzo said. “I’m gonna be a gadget guy. I don't need to be the starter. I'm okay with backing up Amir, or if someone needs a breather, I’m ready.”
Said Davis, “I’m lucky I can have a guy like that. If something happens, I can easily put him back outside. He’s going to push Amir as well as steal reps any way he can. I’m looking for him to push every guy that's either in front of him, or him being the guy, and guys pushing him to be better.”
Tronzo has been playing tackle football since he was five. Unlike his father, former Louisville wide receiver Derek Tronzo, Nate was born to play in the trenches.
“I always had the ‘X’ on my helmet (over the weight limit), so I never really got to run the ball,” Tronzo smiled. “It was always a hand in the dirt. I wanted to score touchdowns, but that wasn't my calling. My calling was to hit the quarterback.”
Tronzo played for state powerhouse Trinity High School and helped lead his team to a state championship as a senior in 2023. He flew under the recruiting radar of most schools until SIU reached out during his senior year and asked him to come on a visit.
“I remember sitting in Coach Hill's office with my parents when he offered me a scholarship,” Tronzo said. “My mom started crying a little bit, and I was like, I want to commit. I want to be a Saluki.”
“Since I was a little kid, I’ve been talking about how I want to play Division I football just be like my dad,” he continued. “It's a big honor and a big responsibility.”
Tronzo redshirted at SIU in 2024 and played in every game as a redshirt freshman last season. He had a season-high four tackles at Purdue.
“Last season, I found out that I can really do this,” he explained. “I needed to focus on the little things so that I could go out there and impact the team in a positive way. My mindset is — what can I get better on today? What can I do today that makes me work harder than the next person?”
More about SIU's Defensive Tackles
Including Tronzo, the Salukis have nine defensive tackles on the roster. Headlining the unit is Amir Dwight (6-1, 270 Sr.), who led the Saluki interior with 3.0 sacks last season.
“Everybody knows Amir has athleticism, he’s fast-twitch,” Davis said. “Now, it's just about him being consistent at finishing plays. A lot of times last season, he was close to getting plays, so this year it's really about unfinished business with him and finishing those plays that he let slip away.
North Alabama transfer Lance Bassett (6-2, 295, Sr.) has been running with the first team at nose tackle. He began his career at Kansas, where he spent two seasons but didn’t play. Last season, he played in all 12 games at UNA and made 17 tackles.
“Lance has all the talent in the world,” Davis said. “Now, it's just about honing in and being detailed, being consistent. I love his intangibles, love his leadership. He’s an older guy, so when I tell him something, he corrects it fast.”
You can spot former walk-on Max Bremer is (6-3, 268, Sr.) just by his motor. The Massac County grad, who played in all 12 games last season, mainly on special teams, brings relentless effort.
“If you ask him to run through a wall, he's gonna say, how fast?” Davis said. “He's gotten so much better from last year to this year, just understanding pad level, getting off blocks, getting separation. The next step for him is just adding a few more pass rush moves.”
Kaden Lewis (6-2, 295, Jr.) played in three games for SIU last season after transferring from Division II Ohio Dominican.
“He’s looking to make that jump,” Davis said. “He takes it personal when he gets corrected, and that's a good thing, because now it forces him to go back to the drawing table and want to get better right away. He doesn't wait three or four days.”
Gavin Tinch (6-5, 305, So.) is a big body tackle who redshirted in 2025 and has dropped 30 pounds in the offseason.
“He went from 335 pounds down to 305,” Davis said “I said, you need to be lighter, you need to be quicker, and he's done that. And you see that with his play. Every day he's getting better. He doesn't say much, he just works,”
Troy transfer ShuMond Johnson (6-5, 290, Jr.) has added weight and moved inside since transferring to SIU.
“He hasn't gotten to play much in his career,” Davis said. “I think he’s beginning to understand that he can be great if he puts in the work. His focus is to get better at something every day and build a pyramid up to see what he can become in the future.”
Freshman Caillou Robinson (6-1, 255 Fr.) missed all of his senior year at West Clermont High School in Cincinnati with a torn ACL, but has shown impressive quickness early in camp.
“His explosion is still evident and everything that we saw when we recruited him, we see on the field now,” Davis said. “He’s very energetic, but the college game is so fast and it’s about him learning what to do in certain scenarios.”
Davis describes freshman Jonah Were (6-3, 230, Fr.) as having “an unreal motor.”
“I really love what he brings to the table,” Davis said. “He's just go, go, go. Sometimes, you gotta slow him down because he wants to be great tomorrow, but he has to learn every day.”
Practice #3 Notebook
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Practice began with the two-minute drill, and the offense was electric. QB DJ Williams needed just a handful of plays to move the team into the red zone, completing a pair of downfield strikes to WR Markell Quick, who is having a strong camp so far.