Bronx, N.Y. – As we continue to breakdown the 2023 Fordham football Rams we complete our breakdown of the defense with a look at the defensive backfield.
 
The 2023 Fordham defensive backfield will be a solid mix of experienced returning players to go with talented newcomers. The Rams return a pair of starters from 2022, led by team captain Stephen Williams II, a preseason All-Patriot League selection, along with sophomore Alex Kemper.
 
Williams, a three-year starter, recorded 60 total tackles, 41 solo, including 3.0 for loss and one sack last fall. He was third on team in total tackles and he added three interceptions and 14 pass breakups, both team-highs. Kemper enjoyed a solid freshman season, starting six games at cornerback, recording 19 total tackles, 14 solo, including one for loss, and he had two interceptions, returning one for a score.
 
Other returning players with experience in the defensive backfield for the Rams include seniors Cameron Blair, Nahil Perkins, Deon Montgomery, Sam Heyer, and Jed DeNobile; juniors Demarice Rice-Williams, Garrett Williams, and Trey Bradford; and sophomores Jalyn Evans and Nick Pasquarella.
 
Blair saw limited action last fall after recovering from an injury which caused him to miss the entire 2021 season, while Perkins appeared in eight games in 2022, starting two at cornerback, making six total tackles, three solo, including 2.5 for loss. Montgomery saw action in four games as a junior, recording three solo tackles on the year, while Heyer appeared in eight games in his first season at Fordham after transferring from Ohio Wesleyan, and DeNobile saw action in one game as a junior. Rice-Williams saw action in eleven games as a sophomore, making 18 total tackles, ten solo, and recording a pair of pass breakups, while Williams played in nine games in his first season at Fordham, starting three at cornerback and recording 17 total tackles, 14 solo, including one for loss, after transferring from Temple. Bradford appeared in nine games as a sophomore, making four tackles on the year, one solo, while Evans did not see action as a freshman and Pasquarella saw action in four games in his rookie season.
 
Newcomers to the Fordham defensive backfield include freshmen Justin Johnson, Nathan Lindsey, Andrew Osmun, and Mathani Paul-Swinson. Johnson was a First Team All-CIF pick at Carlsbad High School in Carlsbad, California, where he was rated the #14 recruit in the San Diego Section, while Lindsey was a member of the 2022 State Championship squad at Aliquippa High School in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania. Osman was a two-time All-State selection at Spring Grove Area High School in Spring Grove, Pennsylvania, while Paul-Swinson played high school football at The McDonogh School in Owings Mills, Maryland.
 
Season and individual game tickets for the 2023 home season are now on sale through the Fordham Athletic Ticket Office.