As he walks off the practice field, following a hard day’s work in his final fall camp, Fish McWilliams exudes a newfound air about himself.

Often lauded for a boisterous demeanor, the senior defensive lineman still shares laughs and smiles with UAB teammates but there is now a stoic weight to his words and actions.

“I had to mature a little bit, let the guys know that they can trust me,” McWilliams said. “At the same time, I’m the type of leader that, if I do something wrong, my teammates get on me. I want that mutual respect. Over the years, watching different leaders and learning about different leadership styles, I found the style that worked for me and I lead in that way.”

McWilliams enters the 2023 season as the de facto leader of UAB’s defensive line and, along with fellow senior Kevin Penn, has transformed both body and mind to better lead a unit employing a mix of upper and underclassmen.

“I think all of our interior defensive linemen went through a transition with their bodies,” UAB head coach Trent Dilfer said. “They worked really hard in the offseason and it’s showing. We’re asking more lateral movement from them, more speed or change of direction from them, and so there’s a natural endurance piece that needs to get better as well.”

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McWilliams and Penn, for their part, each dropped at least 10 pounds in the offseason and their endurance is evident on the field. Penn, who appeared in 18 games the past three seasons while collecting 22 tackles, lost a total of 15 pounds in his offseason evolution and showcased a fresh fortitude on 12 consecutive plays during a drive-series drill in fall practice.

A Herculean feat not lost on McWilliams as both entered the program within a year of one another and forged a friendship based on shared admiration and competitiveness.

“Big Penn, over these years, I’ve seen him grow up a lot, from his freshman year to now,” McWilliams said. “He comes in and works hard every day. I got much respect for Penn. He’s going to give it his all every play. He’s got that heart, that motor, and he loves the work. That brings the best out of me and pushes me a little bit more than I even thought.”

A productive and constant force on the defensive line, McWilliams has missed only one game since redshirting his initial season in 2018 and started every contest for the Blazers last season while earning CUSA second-team recognition. He has accumulated 70 tackles (14.5 for loss), 8.5 sacks and three fumble recoveries during a lengthy UAB career, but the eagerness to rally the multitudes is what has earned McWilliams reverence from his flock.

“I’ve been around Fish for four years now, I’m like the soldier and he’s the general that leads the troops,” Penn said. “He showed me things that I’ve learned from the field and off the field and anytime he gives orders, he’s the leader and we have to respect what he says.”

While Penn may consider himself just a good solider to ‘the general,’ the Decatur native has figuratively been promoted to ‘captain’ — due to his own transformation and actions on and off the field — and his example has not gone unnoticed by the entire defensive line room.

“Penn is the type of guy that is going to lead by example,” UAB defensive line coach Miguel Patrick said. “He’s not going to do a whole lot of talking. He will talk when he needs to but he’s a guy who’s going to do every drill as hard as he possibly can and pay attention in the meeting room. When we go back and watch the film as a group, they see how hard he’s preparing himself and how hard he’s working.”

Penn acted as a part-time contributor for the majority of his career and the impendence of his ascension was heralded by the arrival of Dilfer and a new defensive coaching staff. Although a bevy of former players entered the transfer portal following the hire, the formation of close relationships between returning players and newcomers is a program cornerstone Penn witnessed first-hand this fall.

“Coach Dilfer, when he first came in, all he talked about was toughness,” Penn said. “For our team to come together, as far as we did, I can say I’m truly proud of his team. I’ve sacrificed a lot for this team, behind closed doors, and this team is all about family and a bond. That’s what Coach Dilfer preached about and I’m a true believer in what he said because every promise made, he’s made true. That’s why I transformed myself into a better player, not only a player but a better person, and this team has truly come far from where we came.”

Regardless of leadership style, McWilliams and Penn are mature beyond their years and instantly took to Patrick’s coaching during spring practice. The commitment to learning has extended far beyond the field and set an example that trickles down to a unit comprised of veterans and freshmen.

“They approach every day like a pro,” Patrick said. “Both of those guys have been in this program for quite some time now and, me bringing a different mentality here, they’ve grabbed everything that I’ve given to them. They’ve done it on the field, off the field, in the weight room and in the meeting room. They’re going to make play after play, they’re going to be where they’re supposed to be and make every play that they’re supposed to make.”

McWilliams and Penn are not the only upperclassmen on the defensive line but the unit is now populated by a majority of freshmen enrollees. While a couple of new arrivals — Tyler Thomas and Emmanuel Waller — have worked with the JACKs and SAMs, the interior is getting a push from Jonathan Allen, Miquon Merriweather, Fred Owens, Eamon Smalls, Elijah Williams and Connor Knight.

Offenses continue to execute faster each passing season and keeping the defensive line fresh is paramount in modern college football. Given the amount of true freshman taking reps in fall camp, it is not out of the question that one or two could break their way into the rotation.

“We got a great group of young guys that are working hard and want to be coached,” McWilliams said. “They’re different from when I came in. I didn’t want to compete, thinking I’m going to be a freshman and redshirt, but these guys actually want to get on the field. They listen and they take the coaching that Coach Patrick gives him. They’re still freshmen, got a long way to go, but they can contribute in big ways this year.”

McWilliams and Penn, along with fellow interior lineman Tyrique Howard and SAM defensive end Michael Fairbanks II, are the only senior representatives on UAB’s defensive line and have lofty expectations for their first year under Dilfer. Although he was recently named to Chuck Bednarik Award watch list, McWilliams’ singular goal is taking advantage of any opportunity that leads to success for the Blazers.

“I want to win a championship and we want to host the championship game in Birmingham this year,” McWilliams said. “We want to win a championship, go to New Year’s Six Bowl, anything that has got to do with the team winning. I want every team success.”