By Dave Johnson
W&M Athletics

A year ago, William & Mary defensive end Nate Lynn began his sophomore season as a relative unknown — to outsiders, anyway. That anonymity didn't last long.

Starting off with seven tackles and a sack against Virginia, Lynn had a decorated year that included matching a school record and making five All-American teams. So it's a safe bet that Charlotte, Friday night's season-opening opponent (ESPN3), will be paying Lynn close and constant attention.

"I welcome that," said Lynn, the CAA's Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. "I've been preparing for it, and I know my guys have my back. If there's two on me, somebody else is one-on-one, and they're going to win that.

"I'm not shying away from that challenge. I know it's coming, and I'm ready for it."

Actually, Lynn got a taste of it last year. He had become a known commodity by week seven when he had a career-high three sacks against Towson. He finished the season with 12, the most ever by a Tribe defender in fewer than 12 games.

Although not heavily recruited out of high school, Lynn came to William & Mary with plenty of natural gifts — size, strength and athleticism. Now, with a stronger football IQ, he's a complete package.

"I learn way more from Nate than he does from me," said defensive end Carl Fowler, a three-time team captain. "I love to pick his brain about what he sees on film, because he's got a natural talent for picking stuff out."

Tribe coach Mike London credited defensive coordinator Vincent Brown, defensive line coach Keenan Carter and outside linebackers coach Darryl Blackstock with helping Lynn learn more about the game and his position.

"He's surrounded by (coaches) who have been in a defense he can flourish in," London said. "So you take his God-given ability and talent, and you add things in terms of his growth and development, he's taken that to a whole nother level.

"He's a very, very good player. He's dynamic."

After playing his first three years of high school football outside Chicago, Lynn spent his senior season at what is now called Julius L. Chambers High in Charlotte, N.C. He had 61 tackles and 14 sacks that year, yet no FBS offers came. Not even from the Charlotte, whose campus is just two miles up the road.

So Friday night will not only be a homecoming, there might be something of a chip on Lynn's shoulder pad.

"I wasn't on their radar," said Lynn, a junior in eligibility who is scheduled to graduate next spring with a degree in anthropology. "I didn't take that personal, but there's no better feeling than playing in your hometown. There's a lot of things surrounding that game, and I'm really hyped for it."

Lynn picked the Tribe over a list that included Gardner-Webb, Winston-Salem State and Fayetteville State. He was part of London's first recruiting class at William & Mary, and he would prove to be a steal.

Lynn played in all 12 games as a freshman and made 14 tackles, four coming in a five-overtime win at Elon. After the fall season in 2020 was canceled due to the pandemic, he played all three games of the abbreviated spring schedule and had seven tackles.

The coaches were already noticing a different player, and he started the '21 season opener at Virginia. On the Cavaliers' first possession of the third quarter, he sacked quarterback Brennan Armstrong and helped stop a runner for no gain on third-and-1.

Lynn had at least half a sack in eight of the 10 games he played. His season total 12 tied him with Adrian Tracy (2009) and Luke Cullinane (1996). As for this year, Lynn has set no sack total in mind. Not individually, anyway.

"Nah, all the goals I set are team oriented," he said.  "If I focus too much on the individual, it would be really easy to get sucked into my own world and play outside the range of the defense. I don't want to do that.

"Coach Brown says all the time: 'You're one of 11. Do your job and it'll be fine.' And he says if you do someone else's job, then nobody is doing yours."

Lynn knows he doesn't have to cover for anyone on the D-line. Fowler, the other end in W&M's 3-4 set, has started 27 career games. Zyquan "Termite" Bessant has played in 28 consecutive games, nine of which he started, at nose tackle.

"The rapport we have on the field is amazing," Lynn said. "If something happens on the field, we can go talk about it on the sideline. We've been playing together enough to know the issue and how to fix it. Those are my brothers."