Horan will coach an experienced line that includes eight seniors that have been in Cambridge as long as he has.

Despite the wealth of veteran leadership, two younger players may see a bigger role in the pass rush this season, including junior Jack Dittmer.

“He’s a natural pass rusher,” Horan says of Dittmer. “He’s got a knack to get to the QB.”

Dittmer has been a “dominating presence in the preseason,” according to Murphy.

Another end to watch out for is sophomore Zach Hodges. Hodges saw significant playing time as a freshman and was named second-team All-Ivy this preseason.

Inside, Obukwelu will be joined by less proven talent, including Nnamdi’s younger brother, sophomore Obum Obukwelu. The Crimson’s inexperience on the interior has increased the importance of the elder Obukwelu’s conditioning, as Murphy expects him to be on the field for up to 50 plays a game. That was one motivation for Nnamdi Obukwelu to work even harder this offseason, adding weight and improving his agility.

After an offseason of running from cone to cone, dealing with adversity and pushing to improve, Obukwelu hopes he’s gotten back to the center of the cones again, the level of play the D-line was competing at in the final games of last season.

“Guys have the mentality that we can beat what we did last year if we put the work in,” Obukwelu says. “We will have to wait and see.”

—Staff writer Jacob D. H. Feldman can be reached at jacobfeldman@college.harvard.edu.