Liberty Flames 2018 Football Preview
Opening Statement: I have to be honest, much like a school like Texas State, I highly question the motive and the reasoning for moving Liberty to the FBS level, when real and sustainable success had not really been attained at the FCS level, on a competition level. Liberty has long been a middling program in the FCS, and was never a program that you could look at as a title contender nationally. They played in the Big South, which is largely viewed as a G5 type conference even by FCS standards, and was a league that struggled to keep members (still is). I know that Liberty sites such as Sea of Red want to spout that scheduling has gone through the roof, and that they firmly believe that they can make this work, no conference has offered a home, and none seem interested, and a school like Liberty is going to struggle to make a go with no conference home. There have been no overtures from the Sun Belt or CUSA, largely the two worst conferences in FBS football, to join, and that is bad news long term. Ask Idaho, U Mass, and New Mexico State, and even BYU is quietly looking (sometimes) for a new home.
Breakdown Offense: The QB job is held by Stephen Buckshot Calvert, who passed for 3363 yards and 29 TDs last fall. He is a junior, and has a firm lock on the job as a starter. Mason Cunningham and Landon Brown are tha backups, but they have little shot at dethroning Calvert as the starter, short of injury.
The bad news on offense is that the run game was the worst in the Big South last season. The Flames averaged just 139.3 yards rushing per game, and averaged 4 yards per carry. Carrington Mosley, the leading rusher from last season, has moved on, leaving the job to an inexperienced group of backs. RS freshman Frank Boyd is projected to win the job, but Frankie Hickson, who is a better KR man than RB, and Kentory Matthews are the only real threats to the job. Troy Henderson, a freshman, and JC transfer Peytton Pickett will be in camp in the fall to add some depth and competition. This is a red flag spot that bares some watching.
The receivers are solid. Antonio Gandy-Golden, BJ Farrow, and Damian King return as starters. Gandy-Golden is the star of the group, as he averaged 106.6 yards receiving per game last fall. Kevin Shaa and DJ Stubbs add some depth. Zac Foutz, a junior, is the starter at TE, while Fidel Ogbeifun and Chris Barrett are the key reserves.
The line is solid as a rock, as 4 starters return. Julio Lozano (LT), Ethan Crawford (LG), Thomas Sargeant (C), and Dontae Duff (RG) all return. Sophomore Tristan Schultz projects as the starter at RT as we head to fall camp, but James Passmore and Sam Isaacson will try to change that. Damian Bounds is a key reserve inside.
Breakdown Defense: The Flames defense had some serious issues stopping anyone last fall, as they allowed 30.4 points per game, 225 yards rushing per game, and 223.5 yards passing per game. In all, Liberty allowed 448 yards per game last fall, which is hardly a number you want to take into a move up in standing.
The line has 2 starters returning in Juwan Wells and Tolen Avery, bit at the DE spots. Wells finished with 11 TFLs and 4.5 sacks, and added 11 QB hurries last season. Jayod Sanders, Jesse Lemonier, and Austin Lewis will attempt to add some depth, something that was not available last fall.
Devin pearson looks as if he has locked up the NT position after spring ball, but the DT spot is still open for competition, as Mitchell Hurtado and Vincent Elefante appear locked in battle. Emmanuel Cater is the 3rd unit guy.
Brandon Tillman has moved to LB from the secondary, and should be right at home at the WILL spot. He totaled 60 tackles last season. The MIKE spot appears to be an ongoing battle heading into fall camp. Remington Green and Lucas Irons appear to be the finalists there, but Solomon Ajayi is in the mix as well. Look for Kedrick Bailey and David King to add depth. Ceneca Espinoza has a lock on the SPUR spot, a hybrid LB/DB position.
The secondary will have 3 starters who did not finish the season as such last fall. Jeremy Peters is the lone returning starter in the group at CB. Malik Matthews, who had a solid spring, is the opposite CB to Peters as we head into fall camp, but could still be in a battle with Jimmy Faulks. Kimani Donaldson is the backup.
The Safety spots seem unsettled heading into fall camp. Elijah Benton moved to SS to open up FS for Benjamin Alexander, but Rion Davis (FS) and Corbin Jackson (SS) are in the mix as well.
Breakdown Special Teams: Alex Probert hit just 14/20 FGs last fall, which may have been OK in 2017, but will not cut it in FBS football. He will have to gain more consistency.
Aidan Alves, a RS freshman, will be in line to take over at Punter, as Trey Turner has moved on.
Frankie Hickson, who is involved in the hunt for the RB spot, is the main KR man, while DJ Stubbs returns punts.
Final Analysis: Best of luck to this program trying to start up as an Independent, with no other landing spot in sight. It gets harder every year to make it as an independent not named Notre Dame or Army, and Liberty will find that out rather quickly. While future scheduling has been solid, many schools got in a rush to schedule Liberty as the new kid on the FBS block that many feel they can cash in on for an easy win. Whether or not that takes place remains to be seen, but this is going to be a tough go, as they struggled enough to stay head above water in the Big South. If Liberty cannot fix their ground game, and a defense that struggles to stop anyone, this could be a long slow go in their new home.
Monday, June 18, 2018
Louisville Cardinals 2018 Football Preview
Louisville Cardinals 2018 Football Depth Chart
Opening Statement: It's like starting over again at Louisville. Lamar Jackson, the most successful QB in school history statistically speaking, has moved on. The Cardinals have holes all over the place on offense and defense, and Bobby Petrino has the task of filling multiple spots in fall camp, as many answers did not come through in the spring. It could be a big stepping back year for a team that never fully lived up to the hype the last couple of seasons.
Breakdown Offense: The Lamar Jackson era has ended, and now the job moves to the hands of Jawon Pass, the RS sophomore who has plenty of talent, but is limited on overall experience and game action. He did manage to get himself into 6 games last season, and he completed 23/33 passes for 238 yards and 2 scores to zero INTs. He will have a different look than Jackson had, as he will be under center more often, and the read options will decrease in usage.
Sophomore Dae Williams, a sophomore, will likely be the new RB, but Jackson was also, by far, the leading rusher for the Cardinals last fall, so they will have to take a completely different approach to the position this fall. Williams carried just 38 times last fall, but averaged 6.18 yards per carry, so he has talent and ability, but lacks overall experience. Colin Wilson, Tray Smith, and Malik Staples are all in the mix, and along with Williams, were the only 4 scholarship backs on the roster this spring, and all four were hurt during the spring session, and Wilson is coming off of an ACL tear. This could be a situation that bares watching in fall camp.
Jaylen Smith returns as the star receiver for the Cardinals, as he caught 60 passes last fall for 980 hards and 7 scores, while averaging 16.33 yards per catch. Dez Fitzpatrick caught 9 TD passes last fall as a freshman, and also returns after catching 45 balls for 699 yards, averaging 15.53 yards per grab. Seth Dawkins, who caught 42 passes last fall, is also returning as a junior. Tutu Atwell, a former QB, has some serious speed skill, and moved up in spring ball. Corey Reed and Josh Johnson will add depth.
Keari Averett, who caught 7 passes for 79 yards as a freshman last fall, projects to enter fall camp as the starter at TE. Senior Micky Crum and junior Jordan Davis will also be in the mix.
There is plenty of talent coming back on the line, with 4 players who ended the season as starters returning in Mechi Becton (LT), Kenny Thomas (LG), Robbie Bell (C), and Lukayus McNeil (RT). Linwood Foy, a senior, projects to win the starting job at RT. Luke for Cole Bentley to give a major push at C after Robbie Bell was hurt during the spring session. Caleb Chandler adds depth at the OG spot, while Nate Scheler brings additional depth at the C spot.
Breakdown Defense: The Cardinals need to find 3 new starters on the line from a defense that allowed 27.4 points per game last fall, and allowed 163 yards rushing. GG Robinson returns at DT, and is the only returning starter up front. He finished with just 3 TFLs last fall in 13 games as a sophomore. Henry Famurewa is projected to win the other starting DT spot, and also added 3 TFLs. Derek Dorsey could back up the DT spots, or play outside in a rotation, and Caleb Tillman could play the same role. Jon Greenard and Amante Caban are projected to start at DE, but JC transfers Michael Boykin and Jared Goldwire could have something to say as well for Caban's spot. Greenard is a beast who led the team with 15.5 TFLs last fall, and tied for the team lead with 7 sacks. Also, look out for early enrollment freshman Jarrett Jackson, who lit some people up in spring camp.
There are questions at LB as well, as only one of two return.Dorian Etheridge is back, and he led the team with 83 tackles last fall. He was just a freshman last season. Isaac Stewart, a senior, projects to start next to him. He finished with just 26 tackles in 11 games last season. London Iakopo, PJ Blue, and CJ Avery will all be in the mix against Stewart in fall camp.
The secondary returns just 2 starters of 5 who finished the season in his role. Dee Smith is one returning starter, and will start at Safety. He totaled 53 tackles last fall, but is stronger against the run than the pass. Khane Pass is slated in at the other Safety, with TreSean Smith recovering from an injury. Marlon Character and Trenell Troutman arrive as freshmen in the fall, and could push for playing time.
The second returning starter is CB Russ Yeast, who played in 12 games as a freshman last season, ending the year as a starter. He is a developing talent who has much to show moving forward. PJ Mbanasor and Rodjay Burns project as the other starters at CB heading into the fall, but again, they could all be pushed.
Breakdown Special Teams: Blanton Creque had a big season as a sophomore, hitting 17/20 FG attempts. He returns to duty this fall.
Mason King was also largely successful as a sophomore at Punter, averaging 43.88 yards per punt last fall.
Seth Dawkins should be the primary KR man once again after averaging over 21 yards per return, while the PR job is open for competition in fall camp.
Final Analysis: With the torch passing to Pass at QB, we will see some different looks for this offense. With Petrino coaching him, it is certain that he should come along just fine, but the run game has to get sorted out early, as even with a talented receiver group, teams will not stay honest if the Cardinals cannot run, and the massive amounts of injury to an already thin unit did not look like a positive in spring camp. Defensively, there are more questions than answers up front, and the secondary has just as many questions for a unit that did not exactly stop anyone cold last fall. Petrino will have his hands full in fall camp, and while a bowl is likely, competing for the ACC title this season would be a miracle.
Opening Statement: It's like starting over again at Louisville. Lamar Jackson, the most successful QB in school history statistically speaking, has moved on. The Cardinals have holes all over the place on offense and defense, and Bobby Petrino has the task of filling multiple spots in fall camp, as many answers did not come through in the spring. It could be a big stepping back year for a team that never fully lived up to the hype the last couple of seasons.
Breakdown Offense: The Lamar Jackson era has ended, and now the job moves to the hands of Jawon Pass, the RS sophomore who has plenty of talent, but is limited on overall experience and game action. He did manage to get himself into 6 games last season, and he completed 23/33 passes for 238 yards and 2 scores to zero INTs. He will have a different look than Jackson had, as he will be under center more often, and the read options will decrease in usage.
Sophomore Dae Williams, a sophomore, will likely be the new RB, but Jackson was also, by far, the leading rusher for the Cardinals last fall, so they will have to take a completely different approach to the position this fall. Williams carried just 38 times last fall, but averaged 6.18 yards per carry, so he has talent and ability, but lacks overall experience. Colin Wilson, Tray Smith, and Malik Staples are all in the mix, and along with Williams, were the only 4 scholarship backs on the roster this spring, and all four were hurt during the spring session, and Wilson is coming off of an ACL tear. This could be a situation that bares watching in fall camp.
Jaylen Smith returns as the star receiver for the Cardinals, as he caught 60 passes last fall for 980 hards and 7 scores, while averaging 16.33 yards per catch. Dez Fitzpatrick caught 9 TD passes last fall as a freshman, and also returns after catching 45 balls for 699 yards, averaging 15.53 yards per grab. Seth Dawkins, who caught 42 passes last fall, is also returning as a junior. Tutu Atwell, a former QB, has some serious speed skill, and moved up in spring ball. Corey Reed and Josh Johnson will add depth.
Keari Averett, who caught 7 passes for 79 yards as a freshman last fall, projects to enter fall camp as the starter at TE. Senior Micky Crum and junior Jordan Davis will also be in the mix.
There is plenty of talent coming back on the line, with 4 players who ended the season as starters returning in Mechi Becton (LT), Kenny Thomas (LG), Robbie Bell (C), and Lukayus McNeil (RT). Linwood Foy, a senior, projects to win the starting job at RT. Luke for Cole Bentley to give a major push at C after Robbie Bell was hurt during the spring session. Caleb Chandler adds depth at the OG spot, while Nate Scheler brings additional depth at the C spot.
Breakdown Defense: The Cardinals need to find 3 new starters on the line from a defense that allowed 27.4 points per game last fall, and allowed 163 yards rushing. GG Robinson returns at DT, and is the only returning starter up front. He finished with just 3 TFLs last fall in 13 games as a sophomore. Henry Famurewa is projected to win the other starting DT spot, and also added 3 TFLs. Derek Dorsey could back up the DT spots, or play outside in a rotation, and Caleb Tillman could play the same role. Jon Greenard and Amante Caban are projected to start at DE, but JC transfers Michael Boykin and Jared Goldwire could have something to say as well for Caban's spot. Greenard is a beast who led the team with 15.5 TFLs last fall, and tied for the team lead with 7 sacks. Also, look out for early enrollment freshman Jarrett Jackson, who lit some people up in spring camp.
There are questions at LB as well, as only one of two return.Dorian Etheridge is back, and he led the team with 83 tackles last fall. He was just a freshman last season. Isaac Stewart, a senior, projects to start next to him. He finished with just 26 tackles in 11 games last season. London Iakopo, PJ Blue, and CJ Avery will all be in the mix against Stewart in fall camp.
The secondary returns just 2 starters of 5 who finished the season in his role. Dee Smith is one returning starter, and will start at Safety. He totaled 53 tackles last fall, but is stronger against the run than the pass. Khane Pass is slated in at the other Safety, with TreSean Smith recovering from an injury. Marlon Character and Trenell Troutman arrive as freshmen in the fall, and could push for playing time.
The second returning starter is CB Russ Yeast, who played in 12 games as a freshman last season, ending the year as a starter. He is a developing talent who has much to show moving forward. PJ Mbanasor and Rodjay Burns project as the other starters at CB heading into the fall, but again, they could all be pushed.
Breakdown Special Teams: Blanton Creque had a big season as a sophomore, hitting 17/20 FG attempts. He returns to duty this fall.
Mason King was also largely successful as a sophomore at Punter, averaging 43.88 yards per punt last fall.
Seth Dawkins should be the primary KR man once again after averaging over 21 yards per return, while the PR job is open for competition in fall camp.
Final Analysis: With the torch passing to Pass at QB, we will see some different looks for this offense. With Petrino coaching him, it is certain that he should come along just fine, but the run game has to get sorted out early, as even with a talented receiver group, teams will not stay honest if the Cardinals cannot run, and the massive amounts of injury to an already thin unit did not look like a positive in spring camp. Defensively, there are more questions than answers up front, and the secondary has just as many questions for a unit that did not exactly stop anyone cold last fall. Petrino will have his hands full in fall camp, and while a bowl is likely, competing for the ACC title this season would be a miracle.
Friday, June 15, 2018
Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks 2018 Football Preview
Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks 2018 Football Preview
Opening Statement: Matt Viator did well to win 4 games in his first season at ULM last fall, and the offense responded well to what he wanted them to do. Now, it is time to focus fixing a defense that allowed 41 points per game, while the offense scored 33.9 points per game. It would be expected, in year 2, to see more improvements coming, but the work in progress sticker still applies.
Breakdown Offense: Caleb Evans came through in 2017 as a sophomore, passing for 2868 yards with 17 TDs and just 6 INTs. He brought a stability to the QB position, and gave the Warhawks someone to trust in the pocket throwing the football. He completed 61.3% of his passes. Expect to see more improvements in his game in year 2 under the system in place. Garrett Smith returns as the primary backup, with Will Collins returning as the 3rd QB. In short, there is complete roster stability this season at the position, which is huge. Evans also gives the Warhawks a strong run threat, as he rushed for 579 yards and 13 TDs last season.
The RB situation may not be as good as one would think for a team that averaged 170.33 yards per game last fall. There is absolutely not one player who has stepped up to take the position by the horns, an we may see more of that in fall camp. Derrick Gore led the team with 585 yards and 6 scores, but he did no wow anyone by averaging just 3.57 yards per carry last season. Ben Luckett gives them a better breakaway caliber back, as he averaged 6.76 yards per carry last fall, and he looks like he may be ready to take on a bigger role. Kayin White, Duke Carter IV, and Austin Vaughan all give ULM some depth at the position, but a star must be born to make this unit fly.
Marcus Green was solid at WR last fall, as he led the team with a line of 55-847-5. He averaged 15.4 yards per catch, and gives ULM a solid threat to stretch the field. RJ Turner also had a solid year, posting 39-686-6, and averaged 17.59 yards per catch. D'Marius Gillespie and Xavier Brown also return, as they combined for 34 receptions last fall. Gillespie is a huge threat down the field, as he averaged over 20 yards per catch last fall. Brown is more of a possession type, as he averaged just over 10 yards per grab. Markis McCray, Jonathon Hodoh, Brandius Baptiste, and Darius Rodrigue all add depth.
Josh Pederson caught 12 passes in 11 games last fall as a freshman, and will start at TE. He averaged 11.33 yards per catch last fall. Sloan Spiller projects as the TE2, while Regan Heddins is the 3rd TE on the depth chart.
Trace Ellison left spring football as the starting LT, while Devin Jackson (LG), Bobby Reynolds (C), TJ Fiailoa (RG), and Eastwood Thomas (RT) all project as starters as well. Joq Savage is the top backup at OT, while Brandon Jones and Ben Moye are the key reserves at OG. Noah Ramsey and Brian Thlang are the backups at C.
Breakdown Defense: Kerry Starks led all D linemen last fall as a freshman with 6.5 TFLs, and will return to start at DE. He totaled 29 tackles last fall, and added 2.5 sacks. You can expect some improvement with more experience. Donald Louis will be the other end, or the hybrid HANK spot on the line. He played in 12 games as a sophomore last season. Sam Miller, Ty Shelby, and Shaquille Warren will provide depth off the edge.
Tyler Johnson projects to start at NT this fall, and he finished with 2.5 TFLs last fall. Derion Ford backs him up. Mason Husmann had a solid year last fall at DT, finishing with 4.5 TFLs, and will get a push from sophomore Jaylen Veasley, who finished with 1.5 TFLs in 12 games last season off the bench.
David Griffith is back at the WILL LB spot this fall, and finished 2nd on the team in tackles last fall with 76. He led the team with 8 TFLs, and added 2 sacks and 3 QB hurries. He is the leader of the front seven, and much will be expected of him in 2018. Chase Day is projected to win the MIKE job. He totaled 47 tackles last fall. Cortez Sisco and Rashaad Harding are expected to add some depth.
Kenderick Marbles and Corey Straughter are the starting CBs coming into fall camp, but they need to show major improvement after giving up 299.3 yards passing per game last fall. Straughter finished with 3 PBUs last fall, while Marbles did not do much as a freshman. Jarell Brown and JJ Dallas are the backups.
Marcus Hubbard is projected to start at the BUCK position, while Logan Latin looks for work at Safety as well. Wesley Thompson and Traveon Webster also return, and are looking for reps at the Safety spot.
Breakdown Special Teams: Craig Ford returns as the PK for the Warhawks, as he hit 10/13 FG attempts last fall. He also hit 45/47 on PATs.
Harrison Heim also returns as the Punter, as he averaged 41.95 yards per punt last fall.
Marcus Green is one of the most dangerous kick return men in FBS football, as he averaged 32.44 yards per return last fall, and scored 4 TDs on returns. Teams are crazy to kick the ball anywhere near him. He averaged another 7.77 yards per return on punts.
Final Analysis: The Warhawks were young last season, and they took their lumps in year one under Viator. He is a quality head coach who is trying to get something working at ULM, and it showed in conference play that some things are working. Expect more in the way of improvement this season, but don't expect too much. If the defense can improve on any level, the fortune of the entire team falls in line with that development. There is certainly talent to work with, but again, this is a building project. Take that into consideration when trying to parse out where this team heads in 2018.
Opening Statement: Matt Viator did well to win 4 games in his first season at ULM last fall, and the offense responded well to what he wanted them to do. Now, it is time to focus fixing a defense that allowed 41 points per game, while the offense scored 33.9 points per game. It would be expected, in year 2, to see more improvements coming, but the work in progress sticker still applies.
Breakdown Offense: Caleb Evans came through in 2017 as a sophomore, passing for 2868 yards with 17 TDs and just 6 INTs. He brought a stability to the QB position, and gave the Warhawks someone to trust in the pocket throwing the football. He completed 61.3% of his passes. Expect to see more improvements in his game in year 2 under the system in place. Garrett Smith returns as the primary backup, with Will Collins returning as the 3rd QB. In short, there is complete roster stability this season at the position, which is huge. Evans also gives the Warhawks a strong run threat, as he rushed for 579 yards and 13 TDs last season.
The RB situation may not be as good as one would think for a team that averaged 170.33 yards per game last fall. There is absolutely not one player who has stepped up to take the position by the horns, an we may see more of that in fall camp. Derrick Gore led the team with 585 yards and 6 scores, but he did no wow anyone by averaging just 3.57 yards per carry last season. Ben Luckett gives them a better breakaway caliber back, as he averaged 6.76 yards per carry last fall, and he looks like he may be ready to take on a bigger role. Kayin White, Duke Carter IV, and Austin Vaughan all give ULM some depth at the position, but a star must be born to make this unit fly.
Marcus Green was solid at WR last fall, as he led the team with a line of 55-847-5. He averaged 15.4 yards per catch, and gives ULM a solid threat to stretch the field. RJ Turner also had a solid year, posting 39-686-6, and averaged 17.59 yards per catch. D'Marius Gillespie and Xavier Brown also return, as they combined for 34 receptions last fall. Gillespie is a huge threat down the field, as he averaged over 20 yards per catch last fall. Brown is more of a possession type, as he averaged just over 10 yards per grab. Markis McCray, Jonathon Hodoh, Brandius Baptiste, and Darius Rodrigue all add depth.
Josh Pederson caught 12 passes in 11 games last fall as a freshman, and will start at TE. He averaged 11.33 yards per catch last fall. Sloan Spiller projects as the TE2, while Regan Heddins is the 3rd TE on the depth chart.
Trace Ellison left spring football as the starting LT, while Devin Jackson (LG), Bobby Reynolds (C), TJ Fiailoa (RG), and Eastwood Thomas (RT) all project as starters as well. Joq Savage is the top backup at OT, while Brandon Jones and Ben Moye are the key reserves at OG. Noah Ramsey and Brian Thlang are the backups at C.
Breakdown Defense: Kerry Starks led all D linemen last fall as a freshman with 6.5 TFLs, and will return to start at DE. He totaled 29 tackles last fall, and added 2.5 sacks. You can expect some improvement with more experience. Donald Louis will be the other end, or the hybrid HANK spot on the line. He played in 12 games as a sophomore last season. Sam Miller, Ty Shelby, and Shaquille Warren will provide depth off the edge.
Tyler Johnson projects to start at NT this fall, and he finished with 2.5 TFLs last fall. Derion Ford backs him up. Mason Husmann had a solid year last fall at DT, finishing with 4.5 TFLs, and will get a push from sophomore Jaylen Veasley, who finished with 1.5 TFLs in 12 games last season off the bench.
David Griffith is back at the WILL LB spot this fall, and finished 2nd on the team in tackles last fall with 76. He led the team with 8 TFLs, and added 2 sacks and 3 QB hurries. He is the leader of the front seven, and much will be expected of him in 2018. Chase Day is projected to win the MIKE job. He totaled 47 tackles last fall. Cortez Sisco and Rashaad Harding are expected to add some depth.
Kenderick Marbles and Corey Straughter are the starting CBs coming into fall camp, but they need to show major improvement after giving up 299.3 yards passing per game last fall. Straughter finished with 3 PBUs last fall, while Marbles did not do much as a freshman. Jarell Brown and JJ Dallas are the backups.
Marcus Hubbard is projected to start at the BUCK position, while Logan Latin looks for work at Safety as well. Wesley Thompson and Traveon Webster also return, and are looking for reps at the Safety spot.
Breakdown Special Teams: Craig Ford returns as the PK for the Warhawks, as he hit 10/13 FG attempts last fall. He also hit 45/47 on PATs.
Harrison Heim also returns as the Punter, as he averaged 41.95 yards per punt last fall.
Marcus Green is one of the most dangerous kick return men in FBS football, as he averaged 32.44 yards per return last fall, and scored 4 TDs on returns. Teams are crazy to kick the ball anywhere near him. He averaged another 7.77 yards per return on punts.
Final Analysis: The Warhawks were young last season, and they took their lumps in year one under Viator. He is a quality head coach who is trying to get something working at ULM, and it showed in conference play that some things are working. Expect more in the way of improvement this season, but don't expect too much. If the defense can improve on any level, the fortune of the entire team falls in line with that development. There is certainly talent to work with, but again, this is a building project. Take that into consideration when trying to parse out where this team heads in 2018.
Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns 2018 Football Preview
Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns 2018 Football Preview
Opening Statement: The Mark Hudspeth era got painful to watch from a distance, and finally, the Louisiana administration had enough of it all, and moved on. Billy Napier comes on from Arizona State, and will try to restore some promise for the Cajuns once proud program. He has a ton of work ahead of him, and the future could be solid, but the 2018 season could be all about building a foundation in the newly formed Western Division of the Sun Belt.
Breakdown Offense: A huge problem developed in spring practice, when projected starter Jordan Davis simply got up and left the program. ULL now heads into fall camp with a QB issue they were not counting on having. Sophomore Levi Lewis, who is all of 5'-9" tall, will now have the edge heading into camp. Andre Nunez, a senior, will battle for the job. Lewis was not overly impressive last season in limited action, but had a big spring, and was likely gunning for the job.
Trey Ragas has big potential in the new spread offense, and led the team in rushing last fall with 813 yards rushing and 8 scores. He averaged 5.73 yards per carry on the season. Jordan Wright played in 9 games last fall, and moves into the primary backup spot at RB.
Keenan Barnes and Ja'Marcus Bradley are both back to start at WR, with Ryheem Malone slotting into the 3rd receiver role. Malone led the team last season off the bench with 44 receptions. He averaged 15.36 yards per catch on the season. Barnes caught 37 passes last fall for 539 yards and can spread the field when needed. Bradley caught 39 passes, giving the Bulldogs one of the best returning receiving corps in the league. Jarrod Jackson caught 18 passes last season, and is the likely 4th receiver. Earnest Patterson added 10 receptions of his own, and also returns to add depth.
Chase Rogers caught 6 passes at TE as a freshman last season, and also returns. There are 9 TEs currently on the roster, so there is plenty of depth to be found.
Cole Prudhomme (C), Kevin Dotson (RG), and Robert Hunt (RT) return as starters on the line, but the staff needs to find new starters at LT and LG. Rico Robinson has the edge at LT, while Ken Marks appears to have the edge at LG. Staten Wade could also be in the hunt at LG, as will be Akkai Ward, a RS freshman. Caden Cunningham and Adrian Goodacre will provide additional depth inside. Kordell Brewster and David Hudson provide backup help at C, while Spencer Gardner could be fighting for a starting job at OT.
Breakdown Defense: Transfers will be filling key spots on defense, starting with Ole Miss transfer Garrald McDowell at DE. McDowell had not really fired off as a key player at Ole Miss just yet, but the staff has high hopes for him here. Mustafa Mitchell could give him a good push for his money. Joe Dillon starts at the other DE spot. He totaled 7 TFLs last fall. LaDarrius Kidd starts at NT this fall after playing in 12 games last season. Tra'Vontae Booker may try to give him a push in fall camp.
The LB corps got some decent news, as JC transfer Lorenzo McCaskill has joined the team, and may project to start this fall. He was a big time grab for Louisiana, as he had offers from much larger programs in the Big 10 coming out of Holmes CC in Mississippi. He is a Detroit native. Jocques Boudreaux is also back after finishing last fall with 58 tackles. Justin Middleton also returns for his senior season after recording 39 tackles in 10 games. Chaiziere Malbrue, Julius Perkins, Terik Miller, Tanner Holmes, and Brayden Bailey all saw action in several roles last fall, and will provide decent depth.
The Ragin' Cajuns got a huge lift at CB as Kendall Johnson, a former starter at Nevada, arrived as a transfer. Johnson had been booted from his starting job, despite solid production, when Jay Norvell took over at Nevada, and so Johnson arrives to start this fall. He is a solid upgrade at the position. Michael Jacquet, who was likely going to be in a battle for a WR spot, was moved to CB because of a lack of depth, and may end up starting as well. Darrell Miller and Lorenzo Cryer will add some depth, along with Kamar Greenhouse. Koa Haynes will be looking for reps as well in the new defense.
Corey Turner and Deuce Wallace will likely start at the Safety spots, with Braylen Trahan adding some depth to the unit.
Breakdown Special Teams; Stevie Artigue is back as the PK after hitting 10/14 FGs last season, but needs to show some consistency in 2018. He missed on 6 PAT attempts last fall. Calvin Linden and Gabe Pontiff are on the roster as well, should Artigue need some pushing in camp.
Linden could end up handling punting duties, as Sam Geraci has moved on. Seth Kootsouradis and Australian freshman Rhys Byrn are also on the roster and should be in the battle in fall camp.
Final Analysis: Billy Napier understands offense, having moved over from the staff of former Arizona State coach Todd Graham. He will likely try to fire up this offense as quickly as possible, even if he does not have all of the perfect parts for it, especially at QB. Defensively, the secondary is thin on talent, and the front line is trying to develop itself. The LB unit could be one of the better groups in the Sun Belt, if everyone realizes their potential. The needle may not move much on this program in year one under Napier, but years 2 and 3 could see some progress. Asking for this team to make a bowl game this fall would be asking too much.
Opening Statement: The Mark Hudspeth era got painful to watch from a distance, and finally, the Louisiana administration had enough of it all, and moved on. Billy Napier comes on from Arizona State, and will try to restore some promise for the Cajuns once proud program. He has a ton of work ahead of him, and the future could be solid, but the 2018 season could be all about building a foundation in the newly formed Western Division of the Sun Belt.
Breakdown Offense: A huge problem developed in spring practice, when projected starter Jordan Davis simply got up and left the program. ULL now heads into fall camp with a QB issue they were not counting on having. Sophomore Levi Lewis, who is all of 5'-9" tall, will now have the edge heading into camp. Andre Nunez, a senior, will battle for the job. Lewis was not overly impressive last season in limited action, but had a big spring, and was likely gunning for the job.
Trey Ragas has big potential in the new spread offense, and led the team in rushing last fall with 813 yards rushing and 8 scores. He averaged 5.73 yards per carry on the season. Jordan Wright played in 9 games last fall, and moves into the primary backup spot at RB.
Keenan Barnes and Ja'Marcus Bradley are both back to start at WR, with Ryheem Malone slotting into the 3rd receiver role. Malone led the team last season off the bench with 44 receptions. He averaged 15.36 yards per catch on the season. Barnes caught 37 passes last fall for 539 yards and can spread the field when needed. Bradley caught 39 passes, giving the Bulldogs one of the best returning receiving corps in the league. Jarrod Jackson caught 18 passes last season, and is the likely 4th receiver. Earnest Patterson added 10 receptions of his own, and also returns to add depth.
Chase Rogers caught 6 passes at TE as a freshman last season, and also returns. There are 9 TEs currently on the roster, so there is plenty of depth to be found.
Cole Prudhomme (C), Kevin Dotson (RG), and Robert Hunt (RT) return as starters on the line, but the staff needs to find new starters at LT and LG. Rico Robinson has the edge at LT, while Ken Marks appears to have the edge at LG. Staten Wade could also be in the hunt at LG, as will be Akkai Ward, a RS freshman. Caden Cunningham and Adrian Goodacre will provide additional depth inside. Kordell Brewster and David Hudson provide backup help at C, while Spencer Gardner could be fighting for a starting job at OT.
Breakdown Defense: Transfers will be filling key spots on defense, starting with Ole Miss transfer Garrald McDowell at DE. McDowell had not really fired off as a key player at Ole Miss just yet, but the staff has high hopes for him here. Mustafa Mitchell could give him a good push for his money. Joe Dillon starts at the other DE spot. He totaled 7 TFLs last fall. LaDarrius Kidd starts at NT this fall after playing in 12 games last season. Tra'Vontae Booker may try to give him a push in fall camp.
The LB corps got some decent news, as JC transfer Lorenzo McCaskill has joined the team, and may project to start this fall. He was a big time grab for Louisiana, as he had offers from much larger programs in the Big 10 coming out of Holmes CC in Mississippi. He is a Detroit native. Jocques Boudreaux is also back after finishing last fall with 58 tackles. Justin Middleton also returns for his senior season after recording 39 tackles in 10 games. Chaiziere Malbrue, Julius Perkins, Terik Miller, Tanner Holmes, and Brayden Bailey all saw action in several roles last fall, and will provide decent depth.
The Ragin' Cajuns got a huge lift at CB as Kendall Johnson, a former starter at Nevada, arrived as a transfer. Johnson had been booted from his starting job, despite solid production, when Jay Norvell took over at Nevada, and so Johnson arrives to start this fall. He is a solid upgrade at the position. Michael Jacquet, who was likely going to be in a battle for a WR spot, was moved to CB because of a lack of depth, and may end up starting as well. Darrell Miller and Lorenzo Cryer will add some depth, along with Kamar Greenhouse. Koa Haynes will be looking for reps as well in the new defense.
Corey Turner and Deuce Wallace will likely start at the Safety spots, with Braylen Trahan adding some depth to the unit.
Breakdown Special Teams; Stevie Artigue is back as the PK after hitting 10/14 FGs last season, but needs to show some consistency in 2018. He missed on 6 PAT attempts last fall. Calvin Linden and Gabe Pontiff are on the roster as well, should Artigue need some pushing in camp.
Linden could end up handling punting duties, as Sam Geraci has moved on. Seth Kootsouradis and Australian freshman Rhys Byrn are also on the roster and should be in the battle in fall camp.
Final Analysis: Billy Napier understands offense, having moved over from the staff of former Arizona State coach Todd Graham. He will likely try to fire up this offense as quickly as possible, even if he does not have all of the perfect parts for it, especially at QB. Defensively, the secondary is thin on talent, and the front line is trying to develop itself. The LB unit could be one of the better groups in the Sun Belt, if everyone realizes their potential. The needle may not move much on this program in year one under Napier, but years 2 and 3 could see some progress. Asking for this team to make a bowl game this fall would be asking too much.
Thursday, June 14, 2018
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs 2018 Football Preview
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs 2018 Football Preview
Opening Statement: The Bulldogs suffered an up and down season in 2017, finishing just 7-6, but they finished strong, winning their final 3 games, including a 51-10 blowout win over SMU in the Frisco Bowl. Louisiana Tech will be trying to ride that streak into the 2018 season, as they have a real chance to make a big splash in a wide open Conference USA West Division race.
Breakdown Offense: The offense was not quite what we are used to in 2017, as the Bulldogs averaged 30.5 points per game, but ranked only 62nd nationally in total offense. Getting back on track will be a first priority issue in fall camp.
J'Mar Smith is back at QB, and while he passed for 2974 yards and 16 TDs to just 5 INTs, he also only completed 56% of his passes, a low number when matched up with previous QBs who have lined up for this program. Smith managed to rush for 315 yards and 6 more scores, so he does give you the run game that others have not. I expect bigger things from him this fall. Westin Elliot remains as the primary backup after attempting just 9 passes last fall.
The Bulldogs are in reboot mode in the run game, as they lost over 1500 yards and 11 scores with the losses of Boston Scott and Jarred Craft. Jaqwis Dancy, who carried just 39 times last fall, is the guy who looks like he has the job as we head into summer, but look for a push from Israel Tucker in camp. There are only 4 RBs on the spring roster for the Bulldogs, so depth is a huge issue.
Teddy Veal caught 74 passes last fall with 7 TD receptions, and will be back to start at WR. Rhashid Bonnette, who finished 2nd on the team with 33 receptions, also returns to start. There are, however, 2 jobs open at WR as we head into fall camp. Alfred Smith and Javonte Woodard are the leaders there. They combined for all of 4 receptions last season. Kam McKnight, a RS senior, also figures in to the mix, as he caught 19 passes last fall, but he has not blown down any walls in holding a prime spot, but he also has emerged as a position change to RB to add some depth there.
The line should be strong for the Bulldogs, as 4 starters return. O'Shea Douglas (LG), Kody Russey (C), Ethan Reed (RG), and Michael Rodriguez (RT) all return, while a battle brews at LT. Willie Allen appears ready to step in and win the job, but DeVante Lovett will battle with him in fall camp. Shane Carpenter and Hanner Shipley will provide some depth inside at OG, Drew Kirkpatrick backs up at Center. Gewhite Stallworth is the backup at Tackle.
Breakdown Defense: The defensive front is in decent shape this fall, as 3 starters return on the line. Jaylon Ferguson will return at DE, and he led the team with 9.5 TFLs last fall, and also led with 7 sacks. He added 5 QB hurries to his totals. Matthew Ydarraga appears to be the leader to start at the open DE spot this fall. He finished last season with 3.5 TFLs off the bench. Eric Kendzior and Willie Baker will provide depth off the edge.
Jordan Bradford is one of the better DTs in the CUSA football, and returns to start, as does Keonatye Garner. They combined for 7 TFLs inside last season, and should be even better with a year under them as a duo this fall. Ka'Derrion Mason can provide help inside or outside, and should see some reps in rotation this fall.
Dae'Von Washington returns at LB, and led the team with 70 tackles last fall. He added 5 TFLs, and 3 QB hurries. He will be joined by JC transfer Connor Taylor, who finished last fall with 139 tackles and 21 TFLs at Snow College last fall. Collin Scott will be available if Taylor cannot replicate his success, and senior Randy Hogan adds depth.
The secondary could be a big question area for the Bulldogs this fall. Only 2 of 5 starters return in CB Amik Robertson and S Darryl Lewis. Robertson totaled 6 PBUs last fall, and led the team with 5 INTs, all as a freshman. Michael Sam appears to have the edge at the open CB spot, but Aaron Roberson could have something to say about that. Roberson totaled 4 PBUs last season. Robertson finished the year with 62 tackles, and is one of the best CBs in CUSA. Lewis will lead the Safety group this fall, and finished with 4 INTs last fall, one off the pace of Robertson. Lewis totaled 45 tackles on the season. He will be joined at Safety by 2 new starters in a 4-2-5 set. Jordan Baldwin and Jaiden Cole appear to be the front runners for those spots. Baldwin played in 12 games last season. Trey Spencer provides some depth at CB as well.
Breakdown Special Teams: Jonathon Barnes hit 25 FGs last fall, and has moved on. Bailey Hale transfers in with 2 years remaining from Eastern New Mexico, and has an edge for the job heading into the summer. Brady Farlow will give him a push for the job.
Farlow was the Punter last fall, and struggled badly, averaging just 37.64 yards per punt on the season. Davan Dreyer will push him for that job, but RS senior Will Parker will make a last stand as well.
Dancy is dangerous in the KR game, and will retain that job while trying to start at RB. He averaged 30.8 yards per return last fall. Veal averaged 6.7 yards per return on Punts last season, and returned one for a score. He will handle that job once again.
Final Analysis: Louisiana Tech is the likely favorite once again in the CUSA West Division, but North Texas is nipping at their heels, and the Bulldogs have to go to Denton in November for what should be a showdown for the division title. The bulldogs have a lot of rock solid pieces, and some new faces that can do some damage, but if they cannot find a consistent run game, and the secondary folds, there could be trouble on the horizon. It would probably help if Smith can find a groove at QB as well. In short, Tech certainly has the tools to do some damage, but they have questions as well. The west is wide open, but they have to stay on course to take it. A league overall title would be asking a lot, but a bowl looks to be on the horizon.
Opening Statement: The Bulldogs suffered an up and down season in 2017, finishing just 7-6, but they finished strong, winning their final 3 games, including a 51-10 blowout win over SMU in the Frisco Bowl. Louisiana Tech will be trying to ride that streak into the 2018 season, as they have a real chance to make a big splash in a wide open Conference USA West Division race.
Breakdown Offense: The offense was not quite what we are used to in 2017, as the Bulldogs averaged 30.5 points per game, but ranked only 62nd nationally in total offense. Getting back on track will be a first priority issue in fall camp.
J'Mar Smith is back at QB, and while he passed for 2974 yards and 16 TDs to just 5 INTs, he also only completed 56% of his passes, a low number when matched up with previous QBs who have lined up for this program. Smith managed to rush for 315 yards and 6 more scores, so he does give you the run game that others have not. I expect bigger things from him this fall. Westin Elliot remains as the primary backup after attempting just 9 passes last fall.
The Bulldogs are in reboot mode in the run game, as they lost over 1500 yards and 11 scores with the losses of Boston Scott and Jarred Craft. Jaqwis Dancy, who carried just 39 times last fall, is the guy who looks like he has the job as we head into summer, but look for a push from Israel Tucker in camp. There are only 4 RBs on the spring roster for the Bulldogs, so depth is a huge issue.
Teddy Veal caught 74 passes last fall with 7 TD receptions, and will be back to start at WR. Rhashid Bonnette, who finished 2nd on the team with 33 receptions, also returns to start. There are, however, 2 jobs open at WR as we head into fall camp. Alfred Smith and Javonte Woodard are the leaders there. They combined for all of 4 receptions last season. Kam McKnight, a RS senior, also figures in to the mix, as he caught 19 passes last fall, but he has not blown down any walls in holding a prime spot, but he also has emerged as a position change to RB to add some depth there.
The line should be strong for the Bulldogs, as 4 starters return. O'Shea Douglas (LG), Kody Russey (C), Ethan Reed (RG), and Michael Rodriguez (RT) all return, while a battle brews at LT. Willie Allen appears ready to step in and win the job, but DeVante Lovett will battle with him in fall camp. Shane Carpenter and Hanner Shipley will provide some depth inside at OG, Drew Kirkpatrick backs up at Center. Gewhite Stallworth is the backup at Tackle.
Breakdown Defense: The defensive front is in decent shape this fall, as 3 starters return on the line. Jaylon Ferguson will return at DE, and he led the team with 9.5 TFLs last fall, and also led with 7 sacks. He added 5 QB hurries to his totals. Matthew Ydarraga appears to be the leader to start at the open DE spot this fall. He finished last season with 3.5 TFLs off the bench. Eric Kendzior and Willie Baker will provide depth off the edge.
Jordan Bradford is one of the better DTs in the CUSA football, and returns to start, as does Keonatye Garner. They combined for 7 TFLs inside last season, and should be even better with a year under them as a duo this fall. Ka'Derrion Mason can provide help inside or outside, and should see some reps in rotation this fall.
Dae'Von Washington returns at LB, and led the team with 70 tackles last fall. He added 5 TFLs, and 3 QB hurries. He will be joined by JC transfer Connor Taylor, who finished last fall with 139 tackles and 21 TFLs at Snow College last fall. Collin Scott will be available if Taylor cannot replicate his success, and senior Randy Hogan adds depth.
The secondary could be a big question area for the Bulldogs this fall. Only 2 of 5 starters return in CB Amik Robertson and S Darryl Lewis. Robertson totaled 6 PBUs last fall, and led the team with 5 INTs, all as a freshman. Michael Sam appears to have the edge at the open CB spot, but Aaron Roberson could have something to say about that. Roberson totaled 4 PBUs last season. Robertson finished the year with 62 tackles, and is one of the best CBs in CUSA. Lewis will lead the Safety group this fall, and finished with 4 INTs last fall, one off the pace of Robertson. Lewis totaled 45 tackles on the season. He will be joined at Safety by 2 new starters in a 4-2-5 set. Jordan Baldwin and Jaiden Cole appear to be the front runners for those spots. Baldwin played in 12 games last season. Trey Spencer provides some depth at CB as well.
Breakdown Special Teams: Jonathon Barnes hit 25 FGs last fall, and has moved on. Bailey Hale transfers in with 2 years remaining from Eastern New Mexico, and has an edge for the job heading into the summer. Brady Farlow will give him a push for the job.
Farlow was the Punter last fall, and struggled badly, averaging just 37.64 yards per punt on the season. Davan Dreyer will push him for that job, but RS senior Will Parker will make a last stand as well.
Dancy is dangerous in the KR game, and will retain that job while trying to start at RB. He averaged 30.8 yards per return last fall. Veal averaged 6.7 yards per return on Punts last season, and returned one for a score. He will handle that job once again.
Final Analysis: Louisiana Tech is the likely favorite once again in the CUSA West Division, but North Texas is nipping at their heels, and the Bulldogs have to go to Denton in November for what should be a showdown for the division title. The bulldogs have a lot of rock solid pieces, and some new faces that can do some damage, but if they cannot find a consistent run game, and the secondary folds, there could be trouble on the horizon. It would probably help if Smith can find a groove at QB as well. In short, Tech certainly has the tools to do some damage, but they have questions as well. The west is wide open, but they have to stay on course to take it. A league overall title would be asking a lot, but a bowl looks to be on the horizon.
LSU Tigers 2018 Football Preview
LSU Tigers 2018 Football Preview
Opening Statement: Last off-season, the Tigers put all of their eggs into the basket of hiring Tom Herman. When they failed at that attempt, they ended up settling with Ed Orgeron. At the time, it looked like it could work out, but it largely has not worked out, and this program is absolutely not in a better spot than it was when they fired Les Miles. Orgeron got into a very public personality pissing match with OC Matt Canada, and the offense flailed miserably. Steve Emsminger was hired to change an offense that ranked 54th nationally, and it wasn't really that good. Defense may have to carry the day once again, and that is a terrible sign.
Breakdown Offense: This unit was a bit of a mixed bag mess last season, and finding consistency will be key this fall to finding a unit that can create wins instead of losing games. That starts at QB, where a 3 way battle rages into the fall for the Tigers. Myles Brennan is back after attempting 24 passes last season (completed just 14 of them). He is the only QB on the roster that has any real experience, and that is, in itself, a problem. Justin McMillian and freshman Lowell Narcisse will be pushing in camp for the job, and it is anyone's guess who will be left standing.
The run game finished 28th last season nationally, and could be relied upon once again to make anything happen. Nick Brosette leads the way at RB as we head into fall camp. He rushed just 19 times for 96 yards all of last season, but he has the edge as of now. That does not mean he holds the job through the end of camp. Clyde Edwards-Helaire is expected to give him a good shove in camp.
Jonathon Giles is expected to give the Tigers some explosiveness at receiver this fall. He last played at Texas Tech in 2016, as he posted a line of 69-1158-13. He , of course, played in a system that benefited his skill set back then, and he will not have that same kind of QB play here. Justin Jefferson is expected to win the job opposite him. In short, this is not a deep or overly talented group of receivers on the Tigers roster this season, so finding depth and impact may be a lot to ask.
Foster Moreau returns at TE, and is actually the leading returning pass catcher from last season with 24. He caught 3 TD passes as well.
The line looks strong, but has some questions as well. Three starters return in Saahdiq Charles (LT), Garrett Brumfield (LG), and Ed Ingram (RG). Lloyd Cushenberry III has the edge at Center and Adrian Magee has the edge at RT as we head towards camp. Badara Traore will engage in the RT battle. Cole Smith, a freshman, will also be looking for some reps at Center, but is expected to be the backup when the season starts. Austin Deculsus and Cameron Wire will provide some depth at Tackle. Damien Lewis and Donavaughn Campbell will provide depth at the Guard spots.
Breakdown Defense: LSU ranked 12th in total defense last season, and there is talent returning that makes me believe that the defense should be strong once again.
Rashard Lawrence (DE) and K'Lavon Chaisson (DT) both return on the line to start. They combined for 8 TFLs last season. The loss of Greg Gilmore and Christian LaCouture will hurt, but the Tigers have talented, if not less experienced, options in play this fall. Ed Alexander, a junior, is expected to step in at the open DT spot, while Breidon Fehoko will likely start at DE. Alexander played in 10 games as a junior last fall.
Devin White and Tyler Taylor both return at LB this season, and that is fantastic news. White is one of the best LBs in the nation, and finished with 133 tackles last season, while adding a team leading 14 TFLs. He tossed in 4.5 sacks 5 QB hurries to go along with 3 PBUs. Taylor is a rising star who finished with 32 tackles as a freshman last fall. Michael Divinity looks to be the new starter at MLB, and finished with 15 tackles as a sophomore last season.
The Tigers are set in the secondary, as both John Battle and Grant Delpit return at the Safety spots. Battle finished with 61 tackles last fall, while Delpit added another 60. Battle added 4 PBUs and 2 forced fumbles, while Delpit added 8 PBUs. Each player added one INT to the mix. Eric Monroe and Jacoby Stevens are the backups.
Greedy Williams is back to start at CB, and may be one of the best in the nation after leading the team with 6 INTs last fall and 11 PBUs as a freshman. Jontre Kirklin looks like he has the edge for the open CB spot as we head to camp, but Kary Vincent may have a say in that battle before all is through. Vincent played in 11 games as a freshman last season. Kelvin Joseph, a freshman, is looking for a way into the action as well. Terrance Alexander, a Stanford transfer, may also emerge with the job.
Breakdown Special Teams: Connor Culp struggled at PK last season, so the Tigers found a transfer in Cole Tracy, who hit 27 FGs for D2 Assumption last season. He is going to push hard for the job. Jack Gonsoulin is also in the mix.
Zach Von Rosenberg is the Punter, and averaged 43 yards per punt last fall. He is one of the better Punters in the nation.
The KR job may be open for a battle in camp, as Edwards-Haire averaged just 19 yards per return last fall. The PR job is open in camp as well after DJ Chark left for the NFL.
Final Analysis: It is hard for me to conceive of a 2019 football season with Ed Orgeron still at the helm. Offensively, the Tigers simply do not have the horses to keep up with the high powered SEC West. The defense can line up with almost anyone, but the Tigers may simply struggle to score and move the football in the passing game, and in the modern era, if you struggle the throw the football, you do not win. The QB battle still ongoing is concerning, and the loss of talent at the RB spot is also a major issues. The WR corps is not at all deep, and with all of these issues existing, this season could get stuck in the muck fairly quickly. The Tigers face both Miami and Auburn in the opening month, and bad performances in those two contests could spell doom early.
Opening Statement: Last off-season, the Tigers put all of their eggs into the basket of hiring Tom Herman. When they failed at that attempt, they ended up settling with Ed Orgeron. At the time, it looked like it could work out, but it largely has not worked out, and this program is absolutely not in a better spot than it was when they fired Les Miles. Orgeron got into a very public personality pissing match with OC Matt Canada, and the offense flailed miserably. Steve Emsminger was hired to change an offense that ranked 54th nationally, and it wasn't really that good. Defense may have to carry the day once again, and that is a terrible sign.
Breakdown Offense: This unit was a bit of a mixed bag mess last season, and finding consistency will be key this fall to finding a unit that can create wins instead of losing games. That starts at QB, where a 3 way battle rages into the fall for the Tigers. Myles Brennan is back after attempting 24 passes last season (completed just 14 of them). He is the only QB on the roster that has any real experience, and that is, in itself, a problem. Justin McMillian and freshman Lowell Narcisse will be pushing in camp for the job, and it is anyone's guess who will be left standing.
The run game finished 28th last season nationally, and could be relied upon once again to make anything happen. Nick Brosette leads the way at RB as we head into fall camp. He rushed just 19 times for 96 yards all of last season, but he has the edge as of now. That does not mean he holds the job through the end of camp. Clyde Edwards-Helaire is expected to give him a good shove in camp.
Jonathon Giles is expected to give the Tigers some explosiveness at receiver this fall. He last played at Texas Tech in 2016, as he posted a line of 69-1158-13. He , of course, played in a system that benefited his skill set back then, and he will not have that same kind of QB play here. Justin Jefferson is expected to win the job opposite him. In short, this is not a deep or overly talented group of receivers on the Tigers roster this season, so finding depth and impact may be a lot to ask.
Foster Moreau returns at TE, and is actually the leading returning pass catcher from last season with 24. He caught 3 TD passes as well.
The line looks strong, but has some questions as well. Three starters return in Saahdiq Charles (LT), Garrett Brumfield (LG), and Ed Ingram (RG). Lloyd Cushenberry III has the edge at Center and Adrian Magee has the edge at RT as we head towards camp. Badara Traore will engage in the RT battle. Cole Smith, a freshman, will also be looking for some reps at Center, but is expected to be the backup when the season starts. Austin Deculsus and Cameron Wire will provide some depth at Tackle. Damien Lewis and Donavaughn Campbell will provide depth at the Guard spots.
Breakdown Defense: LSU ranked 12th in total defense last season, and there is talent returning that makes me believe that the defense should be strong once again.
Rashard Lawrence (DE) and K'Lavon Chaisson (DT) both return on the line to start. They combined for 8 TFLs last season. The loss of Greg Gilmore and Christian LaCouture will hurt, but the Tigers have talented, if not less experienced, options in play this fall. Ed Alexander, a junior, is expected to step in at the open DT spot, while Breidon Fehoko will likely start at DE. Alexander played in 10 games as a junior last fall.
Devin White and Tyler Taylor both return at LB this season, and that is fantastic news. White is one of the best LBs in the nation, and finished with 133 tackles last season, while adding a team leading 14 TFLs. He tossed in 4.5 sacks 5 QB hurries to go along with 3 PBUs. Taylor is a rising star who finished with 32 tackles as a freshman last fall. Michael Divinity looks to be the new starter at MLB, and finished with 15 tackles as a sophomore last season.
The Tigers are set in the secondary, as both John Battle and Grant Delpit return at the Safety spots. Battle finished with 61 tackles last fall, while Delpit added another 60. Battle added 4 PBUs and 2 forced fumbles, while Delpit added 8 PBUs. Each player added one INT to the mix. Eric Monroe and Jacoby Stevens are the backups.
Greedy Williams is back to start at CB, and may be one of the best in the nation after leading the team with 6 INTs last fall and 11 PBUs as a freshman. Jontre Kirklin looks like he has the edge for the open CB spot as we head to camp, but Kary Vincent may have a say in that battle before all is through. Vincent played in 11 games as a freshman last season. Kelvin Joseph, a freshman, is looking for a way into the action as well. Terrance Alexander, a Stanford transfer, may also emerge with the job.
Breakdown Special Teams: Connor Culp struggled at PK last season, so the Tigers found a transfer in Cole Tracy, who hit 27 FGs for D2 Assumption last season. He is going to push hard for the job. Jack Gonsoulin is also in the mix.
Zach Von Rosenberg is the Punter, and averaged 43 yards per punt last fall. He is one of the better Punters in the nation.
The KR job may be open for a battle in camp, as Edwards-Haire averaged just 19 yards per return last fall. The PR job is open in camp as well after DJ Chark left for the NFL.
Final Analysis: It is hard for me to conceive of a 2019 football season with Ed Orgeron still at the helm. Offensively, the Tigers simply do not have the horses to keep up with the high powered SEC West. The defense can line up with almost anyone, but the Tigers may simply struggle to score and move the football in the passing game, and in the modern era, if you struggle the throw the football, you do not win. The QB battle still ongoing is concerning, and the loss of talent at the RB spot is also a major issues. The WR corps is not at all deep, and with all of these issues existing, this season could get stuck in the muck fairly quickly. The Tigers face both Miami and Auburn in the opening month, and bad performances in those two contests could spell doom early.
Kentucky Wildcats 2018 Football Preview
Kentucky Wildcats 2018 Football Preview
Opening Statement: The Wildcats have not won an SEC title in football since 1976, and that was a shared title even then. The bad news is that you should not expect that drought to change in 2018, 42 years later. Kentucky won 7 games last fall, and lost 5 of their final 7 games. That will have to change if Mark Stoops wants to stick around. Kentucky has now gone to 2 straight bowl games, but losing to Northwestern in the Music City Bowl left a lot to be desired after a flat finish, and slow start could be in store with a brutal schedule. That could get people rumbling in a bad way.
Breakdown Offense: The reality here is that the passing game did no flourish under Stephen Johnson in a way that it should have. He has moved on, and now the job falls to one of two sophomores. Gunner Hoak seems to have the edge heading into fall camp, but JC transfer Terry Wilson is still hanging with him neck and neck, and neither has pulled away yet. For the Kentucky offense to flourish as a whole in 2018, one of these players needs to step forward and grab the job and explode onto the scene.
Barry Snell is back at RB, and is in a spot to become the all-time leading rusher for the Wildcats this season. He rushed for 1333 yards and 10 scores last fall, while averaging 5.09 yards per carry and 102.54 yards rushing per game. He is the true star of this offense, but he needs some help from his QB, or else he will be keyed on and stacked up against every week. AJ Rose and Siheim King both had solid springs, and should provide solid depth behind Snell this fall.
Garrett Johnson, who led the Cats with 48 catches last fall, is gone. Tavin Richardson is the lone returning starter, and he caught 27 passes last fall, and scored only once. Dorian Baker and Lynn Bowden are projected to fill the open starting jobs in camp. Baker missed last season with an injury, while Bowden caught 17 passes. Josh Ali, a sophomore, is also in the mix. Clevan Thomas and Isaiah Epps could provide some depth.
CJ Conrad caught 4 TD passes last season, and returns at TE, and could see an increased role in the passing game this fall. Justin Rigg, Brendan Bates, and Keaton Upshaw all provide some solid depth as well. Rigg caught just 3 passes last fall, but they went for 40 yards.
The line is in good shape with 4 starters returning. Logan Stenberg (LG), Drake Jackson (C), Bunchy Stallings (RG) and George Asafo-Adjei (RT) all appear to be locked into starting jobs. Landon Young, a junior, appears to be have the edge at LT heading into camp. EJ Price and Nasir Watkins should provide backup depth at the Tackle spots, while Luke Fortner is the backup at the OG spots, while Mason Wolfe provides depth at both Guard and Center.
Breakdown Defense: The Wildcats ranked 75th in scoring defense, 78th in rushing defense, 102nd against the pass, and 91st in total defense last fall. That will not get it done in the SEC East in 2018.
DT Adrian Middleton is the lone returning starter on the line for Kentucky, and he finished with just 3.5 TFLs last fall. TJ Carter and Josh Paschal are in a fight for the DE spot heading into camp. They combined for 6.5 TFLs last season and could work as a rotation this season. Calvin Taylor could also find his way into the mix there in camp. Quinton Bohanna is a massive presence in the middle at NG, but he is inexperienced as a sophomore.
The LB spot is good news, bad news for the Cats in 2018. Good news is that Josh Allen returns at OLB this season after recording 66 tackles last season. He led the team with 10.5 TFLs and 7 sacks. He also recorded 3 PBUs, 3 QB hurries, and 2 forced fumbles. Jordan Jones also returns at ILB after recording 64 tackles last season. He totaled 7.5 TFLs and 2 sacks, and added 3 QB hurries. The bad news is that the Wildcats are looking for new starters at the other OLB and ILB spots. Kengara Daniel will likely start at the open OLB spot, and recorded one TFL as a junior last fall. Kash Daniel has the edge at the ILB spot, and recorded just 7 tackles last fall. Jamar Watson could figure in at the open OLB spot, bur recorded just 7 tackles last fall, and Jordan Wright could provide some depth, but no experience. Jackson High, Alex King, DeAndre Square, and Jamin Davis are all trying to fight for roles as well.
The secondary brings some good news after a rough season, as 3 of 4 starters return. Darius West and Mike Edwards return at the Safety spots. Edwards led the team in tackles last fall with 96, while West finished with 85. Edwards finished with 7 PBUs, while West forced 2 fumbles. Edwards led the team with 4 INTs. Davonte Robinson should be the 3rd Safety, while Michael Nesbitt could provide depth at both Safety and CB.
Speaking of CB, Derrick Baity returns to start. He led the team with 9 PBUs a season ago, and should be another solid piece in the back end of the defense. Lonnie Johnson, a senior, fits into the other open CB job as we head towards camp. He finished with 5 PBUs last fall. Chris Westry figures in as the 3rd corner. and finished with 2 PBUs last fall.
Breakdown Special Teams: Austin MacGannas is gone after hitting 22 FGs last fall, and that leaves a rather large void for the Wildcats. Freshman Chance Poore looks like he has the lead on the job, but Miles Butler could figure in along with Matt Ruffalo.
Matt Panton has moved on at Punter as well, and it looks as if Max Duffy, a sophomore, has the track there. Butler could figure into this battle as well, while Grant McKinniss and Colin Goodfellow give chase.
Lynn Bowden finished last season with a solid average of 23.49 yards per kick return, and will be back at it this fall, and could add PR duties as well after the departure of Charles Walker.
Final Analysis: While the defense returns some talent in the secondary on defense, that unit got torched last fall to a tune of 251.6 yards passing per game, so improvements must be made. Teams also rushed for 175.3 yards per game against the Wildcats, and with all of the holes up front, that emerges as a dangerous situation as we head into the summer. If the Cats cannot stop anyone, talking about their offensive issues matters not, and they have some. The QB situation has not been ironed out, and the receivers are largely inexperienced, or have not shown anything yet. The line could be OK, but this is an offense that finished 103rd last season in total offense, so expectations should be severely limited. Kentucky could fight for a bowl, but getting over a first month that sees the Cats taking on Florida, Mississippi State, and South Carolina may leave a lasting negative impact, and that could cost Stoops, who has barely hung onto his job as is. Getting to that bowl will mean winning some games that they should not, and that may be asking a lot.
Opening Statement: The Wildcats have not won an SEC title in football since 1976, and that was a shared title even then. The bad news is that you should not expect that drought to change in 2018, 42 years later. Kentucky won 7 games last fall, and lost 5 of their final 7 games. That will have to change if Mark Stoops wants to stick around. Kentucky has now gone to 2 straight bowl games, but losing to Northwestern in the Music City Bowl left a lot to be desired after a flat finish, and slow start could be in store with a brutal schedule. That could get people rumbling in a bad way.
Breakdown Offense: The reality here is that the passing game did no flourish under Stephen Johnson in a way that it should have. He has moved on, and now the job falls to one of two sophomores. Gunner Hoak seems to have the edge heading into fall camp, but JC transfer Terry Wilson is still hanging with him neck and neck, and neither has pulled away yet. For the Kentucky offense to flourish as a whole in 2018, one of these players needs to step forward and grab the job and explode onto the scene.
Barry Snell is back at RB, and is in a spot to become the all-time leading rusher for the Wildcats this season. He rushed for 1333 yards and 10 scores last fall, while averaging 5.09 yards per carry and 102.54 yards rushing per game. He is the true star of this offense, but he needs some help from his QB, or else he will be keyed on and stacked up against every week. AJ Rose and Siheim King both had solid springs, and should provide solid depth behind Snell this fall.
Garrett Johnson, who led the Cats with 48 catches last fall, is gone. Tavin Richardson is the lone returning starter, and he caught 27 passes last fall, and scored only once. Dorian Baker and Lynn Bowden are projected to fill the open starting jobs in camp. Baker missed last season with an injury, while Bowden caught 17 passes. Josh Ali, a sophomore, is also in the mix. Clevan Thomas and Isaiah Epps could provide some depth.
CJ Conrad caught 4 TD passes last season, and returns at TE, and could see an increased role in the passing game this fall. Justin Rigg, Brendan Bates, and Keaton Upshaw all provide some solid depth as well. Rigg caught just 3 passes last fall, but they went for 40 yards.
The line is in good shape with 4 starters returning. Logan Stenberg (LG), Drake Jackson (C), Bunchy Stallings (RG) and George Asafo-Adjei (RT) all appear to be locked into starting jobs. Landon Young, a junior, appears to be have the edge at LT heading into camp. EJ Price and Nasir Watkins should provide backup depth at the Tackle spots, while Luke Fortner is the backup at the OG spots, while Mason Wolfe provides depth at both Guard and Center.
Breakdown Defense: The Wildcats ranked 75th in scoring defense, 78th in rushing defense, 102nd against the pass, and 91st in total defense last fall. That will not get it done in the SEC East in 2018.
DT Adrian Middleton is the lone returning starter on the line for Kentucky, and he finished with just 3.5 TFLs last fall. TJ Carter and Josh Paschal are in a fight for the DE spot heading into camp. They combined for 6.5 TFLs last season and could work as a rotation this season. Calvin Taylor could also find his way into the mix there in camp. Quinton Bohanna is a massive presence in the middle at NG, but he is inexperienced as a sophomore.
The LB spot is good news, bad news for the Cats in 2018. Good news is that Josh Allen returns at OLB this season after recording 66 tackles last season. He led the team with 10.5 TFLs and 7 sacks. He also recorded 3 PBUs, 3 QB hurries, and 2 forced fumbles. Jordan Jones also returns at ILB after recording 64 tackles last season. He totaled 7.5 TFLs and 2 sacks, and added 3 QB hurries. The bad news is that the Wildcats are looking for new starters at the other OLB and ILB spots. Kengara Daniel will likely start at the open OLB spot, and recorded one TFL as a junior last fall. Kash Daniel has the edge at the ILB spot, and recorded just 7 tackles last fall. Jamar Watson could figure in at the open OLB spot, bur recorded just 7 tackles last fall, and Jordan Wright could provide some depth, but no experience. Jackson High, Alex King, DeAndre Square, and Jamin Davis are all trying to fight for roles as well.
The secondary brings some good news after a rough season, as 3 of 4 starters return. Darius West and Mike Edwards return at the Safety spots. Edwards led the team in tackles last fall with 96, while West finished with 85. Edwards finished with 7 PBUs, while West forced 2 fumbles. Edwards led the team with 4 INTs. Davonte Robinson should be the 3rd Safety, while Michael Nesbitt could provide depth at both Safety and CB.
Speaking of CB, Derrick Baity returns to start. He led the team with 9 PBUs a season ago, and should be another solid piece in the back end of the defense. Lonnie Johnson, a senior, fits into the other open CB job as we head towards camp. He finished with 5 PBUs last fall. Chris Westry figures in as the 3rd corner. and finished with 2 PBUs last fall.
Breakdown Special Teams: Austin MacGannas is gone after hitting 22 FGs last fall, and that leaves a rather large void for the Wildcats. Freshman Chance Poore looks like he has the lead on the job, but Miles Butler could figure in along with Matt Ruffalo.
Matt Panton has moved on at Punter as well, and it looks as if Max Duffy, a sophomore, has the track there. Butler could figure into this battle as well, while Grant McKinniss and Colin Goodfellow give chase.
Lynn Bowden finished last season with a solid average of 23.49 yards per kick return, and will be back at it this fall, and could add PR duties as well after the departure of Charles Walker.
Final Analysis: While the defense returns some talent in the secondary on defense, that unit got torched last fall to a tune of 251.6 yards passing per game, so improvements must be made. Teams also rushed for 175.3 yards per game against the Wildcats, and with all of the holes up front, that emerges as a dangerous situation as we head into the summer. If the Cats cannot stop anyone, talking about their offensive issues matters not, and they have some. The QB situation has not been ironed out, and the receivers are largely inexperienced, or have not shown anything yet. The line could be OK, but this is an offense that finished 103rd last season in total offense, so expectations should be severely limited. Kentucky could fight for a bowl, but getting over a first month that sees the Cats taking on Florida, Mississippi State, and South Carolina may leave a lasting negative impact, and that could cost Stoops, who has barely hung onto his job as is. Getting to that bowl will mean winning some games that they should not, and that may be asking a lot.
Minnesota Golden Gophers 2018 Football Preview
Minnesota Golden Gophers 2018 Football Preview
Opening Statement: Expectations were sky high when Minnesota fired Tracy Claeys and replaced him with former Western Michigan coach PJ Fleck. Some folks, myself included, thought that he could take what was on that roster and make it work well enough to push for a second place finish in the Big 10 West last fall, an assumption that would backfire early on. What was not surmised was how much of a culture change that Fleck would have to install to make things workable in Minneapolis after an era under Claeys and Jerry Kill that had the tail wagging the dog, where personal accountability did not exist on the roster and within the staff, and where discipline was just simply non-existent. Fleck is in the middle of that culture change, and after a season that saw Minnesota fall to 5-7, thing may not be much different this season.
Breakdown Offense: The Gophers have not had what I would call a game changing QB in years, maybe decades, and they are trying to find a QB who fits what Fleck wants to do even now. RS freshmanTanner Morgan has the edge as we head into the fall, but JC transfer Vic Viramontes (Riverside CC, CA) brings a skill set that could fit well into the system. Viramontes is a dual threat QB who rolled up a bunch of passing and rushing yardage in the JC circuit, but this is big boy football, and he has to prove that he can replicate his success on a larger stage. Whichever QB wins the job will have to work on improving a passing offense that finished 121st in the nation last season, and will have to drive a scoring offense that finished 109th nationally.
Minnesota has no such issues running the football, and they have a back who could start for any of the more elevated programs in the conference in Rodney Smith. Smith averaged 81.42 yards per game last fall, and had to work for every inch of that, as he averaged just 4.27 yards per carry. If the passing attack opens up this fall, he becomes much more dangerous in the open field. The problem at RB is going to be depth. Kobe McCrary is gone, and Shannon Brooks, who was slated to move up to that role, will miss the season. Mohamed Ibrahim had a solid spring, while big things are hoped for out of freshman Bryce Williams.
Tyler Johnson led the team with 35 receptions last fall, and returns to start, but nobody else on the roster caught more than 17 passes last fall, and that was Smith out of the backfield. This unit has some talent, but experience and depth could be a major issue. Expect Demetrius Douglas and Chris Autman-Ball to come in and start, with Phillip Howard coming off the bench as the 4th receiver. He caught 11 passes last season, while Douglas caught 11 as well. Douglas and Autman-Ball were injured much, or all of last season. Clay Geary, a sophomore, is looking for reps as well.
The Gophers lose their top 2 TEs from a year ago, leaving the job in the hands of inexperienced Colton Beebe, a junior.
The Gophers are in decent shape up front, as 4 starters from the end of last season return. Donnell Greene (LT), Jared Weyler (C), Conner Olson (RG), and Sam Schlueter (RT) will all be back, with Greene being the star of the unit. Freshman Blaise Andries has the edge to start at LG, so keep an eye on that spot. Quinn Oseland, a junior, could be looking to push him in fall camp, while Bronson Dovich looks to create a competition at RG with Olson.
Breakdown Defense: Minnesota did a solid job when it came to containing points against and passin defense, but there needs to be some work done on the rush defense side of things, which is where the front seven comes into play. The line looks for 3 new starters this fall, with only DE Carter Coughlin returning from the end of last season. He led the team with 11.5 TFLs last season on 37 total tackles, and he also led the team with 6.5 sacks. Sam Renner, a junior, is slated to take on the open DE job, as he has the edge heading into fall camp.
Both DT jobs are open for battle as we head into the summer. OJ Smith, an Alabama transfer, looks to battle freshman Elijah Teague at one spot, while Gary Moore, a senior, has the edge at the other. Malcolm Robinson, a RS freshman, is also in the mix. Winston DeLattiboudere figures in as depth at both DT and DE this fall, and finished with 3.5 TFLs last fall. Sophomore Nate Umlor could also figure in to push Renner at DE.
The Gophers are in decent shape at LB, as Thomas Barber and Kamal Martin both return, with Blake Cashman taking up the 3rd spot in the starting unit. Barber led the team with 115 tackles, and is one of the best in the Big 10. He added 10.5 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, 3 PBUs, and 3 forced fumbles. Martin added 42 tackles last season, and more will be asked of him this fall. Cashman finished with 30 tackles last season. The major issue at LB will be finding depth behind this group, as any one injury here could decimate the unit.
The CBs are all set with Kiondre Thomas and Antonio Shenault both returning. Shenault finished with 4 PBUs last season. Justus Harris is the 3rd CB. Jacob Huff returns at S this fall, and could be the best of the secondary. He finished with 4 PBUs, led the team with 3 INTs, and totaled 65 tackles. Antonio Winfield, Jr. starts at the other S spot as a sophomore this fall, and will learn from the others. He totaled 20 tackles as a freshman last season. Calvin Swenson returns as the 3rd Safety.
Breakdown Special Teams: Emmit Carpenter is back at PK this fall, but he needs to show more consistency, as he connected on just 14/20 FG attempts (70%0 last fall.
Jacob Herbers takes over as the full time Punter this fall, as Ryan Santoso moves on after averaging 43 yards per punt.
Rodney Smith is one of the most dangerous KR men in the nation, and averaged 25.73 yards per return last fall.
Anotnio Shenault has the edge at the PR job heading into fall camp, but did not blow anyone away last fall in limited action. A replacement could be found in camp.
Final Analysis: Fleck was an excellent hire, much as Campbell was at Iowa State. The culture around this program was a flat out mess under Kill and Claeys, and some very bad things were happening. The players felt like they were in control, and that is never a good thing. Fleck will change that, but it could take another year to fully implement his style and some discipline into a program that largely had none. Fleck first must find a QB, and that is his first priority on the field this fall. Once he can get that taken care of, you will start to see his total stamp on the program. This could be one more season where just getting to a bowl should be the hope, and then we can start looking for more in 2019. In the meantime, I must preach patience.
Opening Statement: Expectations were sky high when Minnesota fired Tracy Claeys and replaced him with former Western Michigan coach PJ Fleck. Some folks, myself included, thought that he could take what was on that roster and make it work well enough to push for a second place finish in the Big 10 West last fall, an assumption that would backfire early on. What was not surmised was how much of a culture change that Fleck would have to install to make things workable in Minneapolis after an era under Claeys and Jerry Kill that had the tail wagging the dog, where personal accountability did not exist on the roster and within the staff, and where discipline was just simply non-existent. Fleck is in the middle of that culture change, and after a season that saw Minnesota fall to 5-7, thing may not be much different this season.
Breakdown Offense: The Gophers have not had what I would call a game changing QB in years, maybe decades, and they are trying to find a QB who fits what Fleck wants to do even now. RS freshmanTanner Morgan has the edge as we head into the fall, but JC transfer Vic Viramontes (Riverside CC, CA) brings a skill set that could fit well into the system. Viramontes is a dual threat QB who rolled up a bunch of passing and rushing yardage in the JC circuit, but this is big boy football, and he has to prove that he can replicate his success on a larger stage. Whichever QB wins the job will have to work on improving a passing offense that finished 121st in the nation last season, and will have to drive a scoring offense that finished 109th nationally.
Minnesota has no such issues running the football, and they have a back who could start for any of the more elevated programs in the conference in Rodney Smith. Smith averaged 81.42 yards per game last fall, and had to work for every inch of that, as he averaged just 4.27 yards per carry. If the passing attack opens up this fall, he becomes much more dangerous in the open field. The problem at RB is going to be depth. Kobe McCrary is gone, and Shannon Brooks, who was slated to move up to that role, will miss the season. Mohamed Ibrahim had a solid spring, while big things are hoped for out of freshman Bryce Williams.
Tyler Johnson led the team with 35 receptions last fall, and returns to start, but nobody else on the roster caught more than 17 passes last fall, and that was Smith out of the backfield. This unit has some talent, but experience and depth could be a major issue. Expect Demetrius Douglas and Chris Autman-Ball to come in and start, with Phillip Howard coming off the bench as the 4th receiver. He caught 11 passes last season, while Douglas caught 11 as well. Douglas and Autman-Ball were injured much, or all of last season. Clay Geary, a sophomore, is looking for reps as well.
The Gophers lose their top 2 TEs from a year ago, leaving the job in the hands of inexperienced Colton Beebe, a junior.
The Gophers are in decent shape up front, as 4 starters from the end of last season return. Donnell Greene (LT), Jared Weyler (C), Conner Olson (RG), and Sam Schlueter (RT) will all be back, with Greene being the star of the unit. Freshman Blaise Andries has the edge to start at LG, so keep an eye on that spot. Quinn Oseland, a junior, could be looking to push him in fall camp, while Bronson Dovich looks to create a competition at RG with Olson.
Breakdown Defense: Minnesota did a solid job when it came to containing points against and passin defense, but there needs to be some work done on the rush defense side of things, which is where the front seven comes into play. The line looks for 3 new starters this fall, with only DE Carter Coughlin returning from the end of last season. He led the team with 11.5 TFLs last season on 37 total tackles, and he also led the team with 6.5 sacks. Sam Renner, a junior, is slated to take on the open DE job, as he has the edge heading into fall camp.
Both DT jobs are open for battle as we head into the summer. OJ Smith, an Alabama transfer, looks to battle freshman Elijah Teague at one spot, while Gary Moore, a senior, has the edge at the other. Malcolm Robinson, a RS freshman, is also in the mix. Winston DeLattiboudere figures in as depth at both DT and DE this fall, and finished with 3.5 TFLs last fall. Sophomore Nate Umlor could also figure in to push Renner at DE.
The Gophers are in decent shape at LB, as Thomas Barber and Kamal Martin both return, with Blake Cashman taking up the 3rd spot in the starting unit. Barber led the team with 115 tackles, and is one of the best in the Big 10. He added 10.5 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, 3 PBUs, and 3 forced fumbles. Martin added 42 tackles last season, and more will be asked of him this fall. Cashman finished with 30 tackles last season. The major issue at LB will be finding depth behind this group, as any one injury here could decimate the unit.
The CBs are all set with Kiondre Thomas and Antonio Shenault both returning. Shenault finished with 4 PBUs last season. Justus Harris is the 3rd CB. Jacob Huff returns at S this fall, and could be the best of the secondary. He finished with 4 PBUs, led the team with 3 INTs, and totaled 65 tackles. Antonio Winfield, Jr. starts at the other S spot as a sophomore this fall, and will learn from the others. He totaled 20 tackles as a freshman last season. Calvin Swenson returns as the 3rd Safety.
Breakdown Special Teams: Emmit Carpenter is back at PK this fall, but he needs to show more consistency, as he connected on just 14/20 FG attempts (70%0 last fall.
Jacob Herbers takes over as the full time Punter this fall, as Ryan Santoso moves on after averaging 43 yards per punt.
Rodney Smith is one of the most dangerous KR men in the nation, and averaged 25.73 yards per return last fall.
Anotnio Shenault has the edge at the PR job heading into fall camp, but did not blow anyone away last fall in limited action. A replacement could be found in camp.
Final Analysis: Fleck was an excellent hire, much as Campbell was at Iowa State. The culture around this program was a flat out mess under Kill and Claeys, and some very bad things were happening. The players felt like they were in control, and that is never a good thing. Fleck will change that, but it could take another year to fully implement his style and some discipline into a program that largely had none. Fleck first must find a QB, and that is his first priority on the field this fall. Once he can get that taken care of, you will start to see his total stamp on the program. This could be one more season where just getting to a bowl should be the hope, and then we can start looking for more in 2019. In the meantime, I must preach patience.
Friday, June 8, 2018
Kent State Golden Flashes 2018 Football Preview
Kent State Golden Flashes 2018 Football Preview
Opening Statement: A right of passage for any national college football fan is just knowing that year in, year out, Kent State is just going to be awful this fall. I have grown up with it, and Darrell Hazell almost ruined our good time with this fact by making this team a winner before he did us all a favor by leaving for Purdue. Paul Haynes did us a solid by returning them to the gutters of the sport, and in uncertain times, we regained our certainty that Kent State would be awful once more. As Paul Haynes makes his way out of the coaching job at Kent State, I say thanks, Paul, for returning certainty to otherwise crazy days. Sean Lewis is the new coach, as he arrives after 2 years as the OC at Syracuse. Sean, don't blow this man!
Breakdown Offense: The larger question is, what offense? Kent State scored just 12.8 points per game last season, and ranked 129th out of 130 teams in the nation in scoring. Only UTEP was worse. Lewis is known for high scoring offense, but all he has to do is score 2 TDs per game, and that would be improving things. You cannot get much worse.
George Bolls is gone at QB, and that may be addition by subtraction. He was simply terrible last fall, tossing 4 TD passes to 12 INTs, and completing just 48.4% of his passes. The job appears to be in the hands of sophomore Dustin Crum, who was marginally better in limited action. He passed for 232 yards, but still had 2 INTs to his one TD pass. He did manage to complete 53.3% of his passes, so improvements are what they are. There is no QB on the roster that is a junior or senior, with 2 sophomores, and 2 RS freshman. Cross your fingers and hope for the best here.
Justin Rankin returns as the leading rusher, but that is not saying a lot. He rushed for just 490 yards, and led the team with 3 TDs. Yes, that led the team. He also averaged just 3.98 yards per carry, which was again, the team lead for any back with over 50 carries, not including QBs. He averaged just under 41 yards per game, again, the team lead. Will Matthews should be the primary backup, but rushed for just 188 yards, averaging 3.48 yards per carry. Myles Washington was the only other back last fall to rush more than 10 times, with 18 total carries.
Trey Harrell and Mike Carrigan appear to be set as the starting WRs, while Raekwon James will start at the SLOT. Harrell caught just 17 passes last fall, but led the team in yardage with 342. He averaged 19.06 yards per reception, and may be the best "weapon" that this roster has. Carrigan caught 14 passes last fall, James caught just 4 passes in 10 games. Donte Ross and Johnny Woods will try to provide some kind of depth.
Conor Brumfield caught 6 passes last season, and likely starts at TE.
Sophomore Zach Corrigall is trying to win the starting LT job in camp, but that will not be decided upon until the fall. Adam Gregoire (LG), Chase Von Hoef (C), Nate Warnock (RG), and Bryce Gibbs (RT) appear set on the line. There is virtually no depth on the line, and that should be concerning.
Breakdown Defense Theo Eboigbe starts at LDE for the Flashes this fall, and finished with 5 TFLs last fall. Alex Hoag appears set to back him up there after recording 2.5 TFLs. There is a wide open battle at NT, with no real depth, or any front runner candidates to be concerned with until fall camp begins. Theo Majette appears to be the starter at DT, but is severely undersized for the interior at just 251 lbs this spring. He managed 6.5 TFLs last fall. There are also no answers at RDE or the LEO spot that was employed last fall.
Jim Jones led the team with 98 tackles last season, and returns at OLB. His presence should help with a defensive line completely in flux. Sam Thomas and Cepeda Phillips will figure in elsewhere at LB, but again, this is largely a position in flux. Matt Behr is another name to watch.
Elvis Hines and Darryl Marshall return at CB this fall. They were not entirely effective last season as a duo, as they combined for 3 PBUs. KJ Sherald is the 3rd corner. Jamal Parker was the APACH last fall, and still figures into the new secondary under the new staff. Parker was the best DB in the unit last fall, as he finished with 11 PBUs. Juantez McCray and Manny Lawrence-Burke will start at Safety, but this will be a mostly new unit, so expect more bumps in the process. Erik Simpson and Quan Robinson will provide depth.
Breakdown Special Teams: Colton McFadden takes over at PK this season after Steven Hynes largely struggled last fall. McFadden has not kicked in a college game to this point.
Derek Adams returns at Punter, and was solid last season, finishing with 43.63 yards per punt.
Carrigan is the primary kick return man, but averaged just 18 yards per return last fall. Kavious Price returns punts, and averaged 8.14 yards per punt last fall.
Final Analysis: Despite a new coaching staff being in place, there is still a massive talent gap, and that will take a long time to change at a program that has always been know for being a bad place to land. Despite a brief reprieve from all of the losing a few years back, this program has been awful since the days after Don James left, and unfortunately, you should not expect anything different this fall. I wish Lewis and his staff all the luck in the world, seriously, but this place has been a coaching graveyard for decades. Good luck with that.
Opening Statement: A right of passage for any national college football fan is just knowing that year in, year out, Kent State is just going to be awful this fall. I have grown up with it, and Darrell Hazell almost ruined our good time with this fact by making this team a winner before he did us all a favor by leaving for Purdue. Paul Haynes did us a solid by returning them to the gutters of the sport, and in uncertain times, we regained our certainty that Kent State would be awful once more. As Paul Haynes makes his way out of the coaching job at Kent State, I say thanks, Paul, for returning certainty to otherwise crazy days. Sean Lewis is the new coach, as he arrives after 2 years as the OC at Syracuse. Sean, don't blow this man!
Breakdown Offense: The larger question is, what offense? Kent State scored just 12.8 points per game last season, and ranked 129th out of 130 teams in the nation in scoring. Only UTEP was worse. Lewis is known for high scoring offense, but all he has to do is score 2 TDs per game, and that would be improving things. You cannot get much worse.
George Bolls is gone at QB, and that may be addition by subtraction. He was simply terrible last fall, tossing 4 TD passes to 12 INTs, and completing just 48.4% of his passes. The job appears to be in the hands of sophomore Dustin Crum, who was marginally better in limited action. He passed for 232 yards, but still had 2 INTs to his one TD pass. He did manage to complete 53.3% of his passes, so improvements are what they are. There is no QB on the roster that is a junior or senior, with 2 sophomores, and 2 RS freshman. Cross your fingers and hope for the best here.
Justin Rankin returns as the leading rusher, but that is not saying a lot. He rushed for just 490 yards, and led the team with 3 TDs. Yes, that led the team. He also averaged just 3.98 yards per carry, which was again, the team lead for any back with over 50 carries, not including QBs. He averaged just under 41 yards per game, again, the team lead. Will Matthews should be the primary backup, but rushed for just 188 yards, averaging 3.48 yards per carry. Myles Washington was the only other back last fall to rush more than 10 times, with 18 total carries.
Trey Harrell and Mike Carrigan appear to be set as the starting WRs, while Raekwon James will start at the SLOT. Harrell caught just 17 passes last fall, but led the team in yardage with 342. He averaged 19.06 yards per reception, and may be the best "weapon" that this roster has. Carrigan caught 14 passes last fall, James caught just 4 passes in 10 games. Donte Ross and Johnny Woods will try to provide some kind of depth.
Conor Brumfield caught 6 passes last season, and likely starts at TE.
Sophomore Zach Corrigall is trying to win the starting LT job in camp, but that will not be decided upon until the fall. Adam Gregoire (LG), Chase Von Hoef (C), Nate Warnock (RG), and Bryce Gibbs (RT) appear set on the line. There is virtually no depth on the line, and that should be concerning.
Breakdown Defense Theo Eboigbe starts at LDE for the Flashes this fall, and finished with 5 TFLs last fall. Alex Hoag appears set to back him up there after recording 2.5 TFLs. There is a wide open battle at NT, with no real depth, or any front runner candidates to be concerned with until fall camp begins. Theo Majette appears to be the starter at DT, but is severely undersized for the interior at just 251 lbs this spring. He managed 6.5 TFLs last fall. There are also no answers at RDE or the LEO spot that was employed last fall.
Jim Jones led the team with 98 tackles last season, and returns at OLB. His presence should help with a defensive line completely in flux. Sam Thomas and Cepeda Phillips will figure in elsewhere at LB, but again, this is largely a position in flux. Matt Behr is another name to watch.
Elvis Hines and Darryl Marshall return at CB this fall. They were not entirely effective last season as a duo, as they combined for 3 PBUs. KJ Sherald is the 3rd corner. Jamal Parker was the APACH last fall, and still figures into the new secondary under the new staff. Parker was the best DB in the unit last fall, as he finished with 11 PBUs. Juantez McCray and Manny Lawrence-Burke will start at Safety, but this will be a mostly new unit, so expect more bumps in the process. Erik Simpson and Quan Robinson will provide depth.
Breakdown Special Teams: Colton McFadden takes over at PK this season after Steven Hynes largely struggled last fall. McFadden has not kicked in a college game to this point.
Derek Adams returns at Punter, and was solid last season, finishing with 43.63 yards per punt.
Carrigan is the primary kick return man, but averaged just 18 yards per return last fall. Kavious Price returns punts, and averaged 8.14 yards per punt last fall.
Final Analysis: Despite a new coaching staff being in place, there is still a massive talent gap, and that will take a long time to change at a program that has always been know for being a bad place to land. Despite a brief reprieve from all of the losing a few years back, this program has been awful since the days after Don James left, and unfortunately, you should not expect anything different this fall. I wish Lewis and his staff all the luck in the world, seriously, but this place has been a coaching graveyard for decades. Good luck with that.
Kansas State Wildcats 2018 Football Preview
Kansas State Wildcats 2018 Football Preview
Opening Statement: Bill Snyder returns for what will probably be his final season at the helm of this program, but of course, many of us believed last season would be that farewell tour as well. This time it feels real, however, and it would shock me to see a return beyond this fall. Snyder has done more for Kansas State than any coach well before him. In many ways, he has had a relationship with the school that you may not see again in a coach at K State. In my near 40 years of following and writing on college football, I have seen both sides of the school. I have seen the laughing stalk that Kansas State football was, as the epitome of the cellar dweller in the old Big 8, to suddenly being a national player on a massive stage. The future may be uncertain, but the ride until now has been well worth watching.
Breakdown Offense: The QB battle continues on into the fall after Alex Delton and Skylar Thompson remained tied in their competition through spring ball. Both had huge spring sessions, and we may not know who wins the job until fall camp ends and we head into week one of actual game play. Neither QB had a great season as the reserves behind Jessie Ertz last fall, but it would seem that they are both upping their games to win this job. Hunter Hall, a junior, is the 3rd QB behind the two competing for the starting job.If the winner of the job comes down to how much value they have as a runner, that would clearly be Delton, who rushed for 500 yards and 8 scores last fall.
Alex Barnes has battled injuries during his career, but appeared completely healthy throughout the spring, and he returns to action as the starter at RB. He rushed for 819 yards last fall, and scored 7 times, while averaging 5.61 yards per carry. Dalvin Warmack is back as one of the key backups after announcing that he would initially be leaving the school. He rushed for 3 scores as a backup last season. Justin Silmon, Mike McCoy, and Cornelius Ruff are the other backups.
Adam Harter is the FB, and had a huge spring. Luke Sowa and Terrence Richards provide excellent depth.
Byron Pringle has moved on, leaving a large production hole in the lineup at WR. Isaiah Zuber, Zach Reuter, and Dalton Schoen are the projected starters heading into fall camp. Zuber ledd the Cats with 51 total receptions last season, but is a short to intermediate range target. Schoen caught 23 passes, and averaged 20.43 yards per catch. Reuter caught just 4 passes last fall, but had a big spring. Chabastin Taylor, Landry Weber, and Isaiah Harris project as the backups.
The TE job is open heading into the fall. Blaise Gammon and Nick Lenners are both in the mix, with Matt Jones being involved as well. The TE is mostly a blocking position, like a 3rd tackle, in the Kansas State system, but the position could see more action with a new OC in place this fall.
The entire line remains intact for Kansas State, with Scott Frantz, Tyler Mitchell, Dalton Risner, Abdul Beecham, and Adam Holtorf all returning to start. The backup set is all dealt with as well, with Bill Kuduk, Nick Kaltmayer, Josh Rivas, Ben Adler, and Dylan Couch in set roles. Rivas and Kaltmayer started games last year, so the Wildcats have one of the top 5 deepest lines in the nation coming back.
Breakdown Defense: The Wildcats lose three seniors from the defensive line, so there is no wonder that it was a shaky spring for this unit. Reggie Walker finished with 6 TFLs as a sophomore last season, and played in every game. He will start at one DE spot, but the other spot is wide open as we head into the summer. Kyle Ball appears to have a beat on the job right now, but things could change in fall camp. He finished with 3.5 TFLs last season. Trey Dishon has a spot likely locked up at DT, as he finished with 4 TFLs as a sophomore last fall. Drew Wiley appears to be the other starter, but again, that could change. The line, as a whole, did not perform well towards the end of spring practice. Bronson Massie looks to get some solid reps at DE, but is a reserve for now. Wyatt Huber and Chase Johnson are also looking for reps at DE. Jordan Roberston and Eli Huggins will try to fill in some depth at DT.
The Wildcats lost their two top tacklers and their two best LBs as well after last season, so this is yet another position in transition. Da'Quan Patton and Elijah Sullivan appear locked in on jobs, while Eric Gallon, a Virginia transfer, could be the 3rd backer. Depth is a severe issue here, and it showed in the spring. Sam Sizelove, Ian Rudzik, Blake Richmeier, and Daniel Green are all looking for reps here.
The Cats had some serious loss in the secondary as well after last season, and again, it showed in the spring session. Duke Shelley and Neil Walter appear to have won the CB jobs out of spring. Shelley is rock solid, and led the team with 11 PBUs last fall, and had 2 INTs. Walter is just breaking in and is raw at this point. Kendall Adams and Denzel Goolsby are the Safeties. Both were banged up in the spring, but should be fine by August. They combined for 5 INTs last season, and totaled 7 PBUs between them. Goolsby had 78 tackles, while Adams finished the year with 63. AJ Parker and Jonathon AJ Parker appear locked in battle at the Nickel Back spot. Kevion McGee, Jahron McPherson, Brock Monty, Colby Moore, and Wayne Jones are all reserves looking for work.
Breakdown Special Teams: Blake Lynch and Nick McClellan look locked in battle at the PK position heading into fall camp. Neither has attempted a collegiate FG yet for their career.
Devin Anctil is penciled in at Punter right now, but Jeremy Collier and Bernardo Rodriguez could be pushing him in fall camp.
Zuber appears ready to step in as the primary KR man, while Warmack could be returning punts.
Final Analysis: When you look at what the Wildcats have on offense, a talented, if not mixed up QB position, a deep and solid line, and an offense that rewards dual threat QB play and RB depth, you would think that Kansas State could compete as a dark horse for the Big 12 title.
When you look at the defense, a line without depth, a LB corps that only goes 2 deep, and a secondary that got torched for over 400 yards in their spring game, you see a team that would do well to just get to a lower tier bowl game. Snyder has had these issues before, and has found ways to win, moderately, when up against the ropes. If this is going to be his swan song season, he is going to leave it all on the field, and coach his heart out to make something special out of what could be a big mess on defense. I put nothing past him.
Opening Statement: Bill Snyder returns for what will probably be his final season at the helm of this program, but of course, many of us believed last season would be that farewell tour as well. This time it feels real, however, and it would shock me to see a return beyond this fall. Snyder has done more for Kansas State than any coach well before him. In many ways, he has had a relationship with the school that you may not see again in a coach at K State. In my near 40 years of following and writing on college football, I have seen both sides of the school. I have seen the laughing stalk that Kansas State football was, as the epitome of the cellar dweller in the old Big 8, to suddenly being a national player on a massive stage. The future may be uncertain, but the ride until now has been well worth watching.
Breakdown Offense: The QB battle continues on into the fall after Alex Delton and Skylar Thompson remained tied in their competition through spring ball. Both had huge spring sessions, and we may not know who wins the job until fall camp ends and we head into week one of actual game play. Neither QB had a great season as the reserves behind Jessie Ertz last fall, but it would seem that they are both upping their games to win this job. Hunter Hall, a junior, is the 3rd QB behind the two competing for the starting job.If the winner of the job comes down to how much value they have as a runner, that would clearly be Delton, who rushed for 500 yards and 8 scores last fall.
Alex Barnes has battled injuries during his career, but appeared completely healthy throughout the spring, and he returns to action as the starter at RB. He rushed for 819 yards last fall, and scored 7 times, while averaging 5.61 yards per carry. Dalvin Warmack is back as one of the key backups after announcing that he would initially be leaving the school. He rushed for 3 scores as a backup last season. Justin Silmon, Mike McCoy, and Cornelius Ruff are the other backups.
Adam Harter is the FB, and had a huge spring. Luke Sowa and Terrence Richards provide excellent depth.
Byron Pringle has moved on, leaving a large production hole in the lineup at WR. Isaiah Zuber, Zach Reuter, and Dalton Schoen are the projected starters heading into fall camp. Zuber ledd the Cats with 51 total receptions last season, but is a short to intermediate range target. Schoen caught 23 passes, and averaged 20.43 yards per catch. Reuter caught just 4 passes last fall, but had a big spring. Chabastin Taylor, Landry Weber, and Isaiah Harris project as the backups.
The TE job is open heading into the fall. Blaise Gammon and Nick Lenners are both in the mix, with Matt Jones being involved as well. The TE is mostly a blocking position, like a 3rd tackle, in the Kansas State system, but the position could see more action with a new OC in place this fall.
The entire line remains intact for Kansas State, with Scott Frantz, Tyler Mitchell, Dalton Risner, Abdul Beecham, and Adam Holtorf all returning to start. The backup set is all dealt with as well, with Bill Kuduk, Nick Kaltmayer, Josh Rivas, Ben Adler, and Dylan Couch in set roles. Rivas and Kaltmayer started games last year, so the Wildcats have one of the top 5 deepest lines in the nation coming back.
Breakdown Defense: The Wildcats lose three seniors from the defensive line, so there is no wonder that it was a shaky spring for this unit. Reggie Walker finished with 6 TFLs as a sophomore last season, and played in every game. He will start at one DE spot, but the other spot is wide open as we head into the summer. Kyle Ball appears to have a beat on the job right now, but things could change in fall camp. He finished with 3.5 TFLs last season. Trey Dishon has a spot likely locked up at DT, as he finished with 4 TFLs as a sophomore last fall. Drew Wiley appears to be the other starter, but again, that could change. The line, as a whole, did not perform well towards the end of spring practice. Bronson Massie looks to get some solid reps at DE, but is a reserve for now. Wyatt Huber and Chase Johnson are also looking for reps at DE. Jordan Roberston and Eli Huggins will try to fill in some depth at DT.
The Wildcats lost their two top tacklers and their two best LBs as well after last season, so this is yet another position in transition. Da'Quan Patton and Elijah Sullivan appear locked in on jobs, while Eric Gallon, a Virginia transfer, could be the 3rd backer. Depth is a severe issue here, and it showed in the spring. Sam Sizelove, Ian Rudzik, Blake Richmeier, and Daniel Green are all looking for reps here.
The Cats had some serious loss in the secondary as well after last season, and again, it showed in the spring session. Duke Shelley and Neil Walter appear to have won the CB jobs out of spring. Shelley is rock solid, and led the team with 11 PBUs last fall, and had 2 INTs. Walter is just breaking in and is raw at this point. Kendall Adams and Denzel Goolsby are the Safeties. Both were banged up in the spring, but should be fine by August. They combined for 5 INTs last season, and totaled 7 PBUs between them. Goolsby had 78 tackles, while Adams finished the year with 63. AJ Parker and Jonathon AJ Parker appear locked in battle at the Nickel Back spot. Kevion McGee, Jahron McPherson, Brock Monty, Colby Moore, and Wayne Jones are all reserves looking for work.
Breakdown Special Teams: Blake Lynch and Nick McClellan look locked in battle at the PK position heading into fall camp. Neither has attempted a collegiate FG yet for their career.
Devin Anctil is penciled in at Punter right now, but Jeremy Collier and Bernardo Rodriguez could be pushing him in fall camp.
Zuber appears ready to step in as the primary KR man, while Warmack could be returning punts.
Final Analysis: When you look at what the Wildcats have on offense, a talented, if not mixed up QB position, a deep and solid line, and an offense that rewards dual threat QB play and RB depth, you would think that Kansas State could compete as a dark horse for the Big 12 title.
When you look at the defense, a line without depth, a LB corps that only goes 2 deep, and a secondary that got torched for over 400 yards in their spring game, you see a team that would do well to just get to a lower tier bowl game. Snyder has had these issues before, and has found ways to win, moderately, when up against the ropes. If this is going to be his swan song season, he is going to leave it all on the field, and coach his heart out to make something special out of what could be a big mess on defense. I put nothing past him.
Thursday, June 7, 2018
Kansas Jayhawks 2018 Football Preview
Kansas Jayhawks 2018 Football Preview
Opening Statement: It is impossible to imagine any sane person having any idea of how Kansas football gets out of the tailspin that they have been in, mostly since Mangino left as head coach some years ago. This program has been adrift, and the coaching tenure of David Beaty, much as I predicted it would be, has been a train wreck. Beaty got a bonus year from his bosses in 2018, but in all reality, there is no way that this program can realistically vault itself into a position to do what they would need to do to save him in just one season, and expectations have clearly been laid out by the new AD. In short, it does not look good for the Jayhawks or Beaty this fall.
Breakdown Offense: Carter Stanley and Peyton Bender both return to the roster at QB, but someone has to step up and take the job and be the guy. Stanley looks like he has the edge, passed for just 1108 yards with 4 TDs and 7 INTs, while completing 54.6% of his passes last fall. Bender passed for 1609 yards with 10 scores and 10 picks, while completing just 54.2% of his passes. In truth, it would benefit the Jayhawks to find a newcomer to push both of them, but that person is not apparent at this time.
The top 3 backs returns from last season, but Kansas rushed for just 102.58 yards per game, and ranked 125th in the nation in total rushing yards per game. Kahlil Herbert was the leader last fall, rushing for 663 yards and 4 scores, and he could use some help, as he has some break away talent, averaging 5.53 yards per carry last season. Taylor Martin and Dom Williams also return, but did not show much. Deron Thompson returns for his senior season, but carried just 28 times last fall. Reese Randall is the only other returning back that had game experience last fall.
Steven Sims gives Kansas a bit more stability on offense at WR, as he returns for his senior season after posting a line of 59-839-6. There is a pretty big drop in production after Sims. Evan Fairs caught just 24 passes last season, and is the next best returning receiver. Jeremiah Booker returns after catching 22 passes, and Ryan Schadler and Quan Hampton return as the only other returning options who caught at least 20 passes last fall. Kwamie Lassiter II and Kameron McQueen will try to provide some depth.
The TE job is wide open, as the four players on the roster at this position have not caught a pass as a college TE.
The line took a major blow this spring when starting C Mesa Ribordy left the team due to a medical condition. His two missed games last fall were the worst games Kansas played offensively. Hakeem Adeniji (LT), Andru Tovi (LG), Chris Hughes (RG), and Clyde McCauley III (RT) project as starters on the line. Hunter Saulsbury could slide into the C job, but expect some competition in fall camp. Antione Frazier will back up at Tackle, while Larry Hughes backs up at the OG spots.
Breakdown Defense: Dorance Armstrong moved on to the NFL after a huge individual season for him last season, leaving a spot open at DE as we headed into spring football. That spot took another huge blow when Kansas lost Isaiah Bean, the likely replacement for Armstrong, to yet another medical retirement. Those two losses will leave a sizeable void on the right side of the defensive line. Josh Ehambe will likely start at LDE, and finished with 6.5 TFLs last fall. Keyshawn Simmons, who was likely to be a backup on the left side, will likely now shift to the open position until the staff figures things out.
Daniel Wise will start at NT, and is a one man wrecking crew. The senior finished with 16 TFLs a year ago, which was 2nd on the team. He led the team with 7 sacks, and finished with 53 tackles. JJ Holmes, another senior, will start at DT. He totaled 2 TFLs last fall. There is little depth on the interior, which is an issue that will have to be ironed out in camp.
Joe Dineen returns for his senior season, and was one of the best LBs in the nation last season. He was one of the national leaders with 25 TFLs last season, and finished with 137 tackles to land on my All-Bilo National Team last postseason. Keith Loneker also returns to start, and finished with 46 tackles last season. He added 3.5 TFLs. Osaze Ogbebor and Dru Prox are the primary backups heading into fall camp.
Hasan Defense and Kyle Mayberry are the starting CBs this fall. Defense finished with 9 PBUs on the season and totaled 42 tackles. Mayberry added 30 tackles and and 3 PBUs. Julian Chandler provides work as the 3rd corner, but overall, depth is limited.
Mike Lee and Tyrone Miller are the starters at Safety. The combined for 4 PBUs last fall, and also combined for 117 tackles, with Lee adding 70 of those. Shaquille Richmond and Emmanuel Moore are the backups.
Bryce Torneden is the Nickel. He finished 4th on the team last fall with 61 tackles. DeAnte Ford is the backup, and will play in Dime packages as well.
Breakdown Special Teams: Gabriel Hui is back at PK, and had a solid season in 2017, hitting on 17/20 FG attempts, while hitting all 23 of his PATs.
Kyle Thompson returns at Punter to replace Cole Moos, but struggled badly, as did Moos. He averaged just 36.75 yards per punt on 4 punts last fall. They could use some help here.
Schadler and Sims will once again be the primary KR guys, while Sims will return punts.
Final Analysis: Offensively speaking, the only real star the Jayhawks have is Sims, and he gets buried by bad play around him. The QBs are a mess, and Herbert could be a star at RB, but bad line play and the loss of Ribordy at C will make it tough for him to shine.
The defense has some very special parts, as Dineen is one of the best college LBs in the nation, and Defense can play for anyone at CB. Lee is a rock solid Safety as well, but they cannot put it all together and make it work, as this unit gave up 43.4 points per game last season, as they crumbled under the weight of trying to carry a putrid offense that put up only 18.7 points per game. Kansas finished 0-2 against the MAC last season, and will have to fight to stay in games against Central Michigan and Rutgers this fall, with Nicholls State, an improving FCS program, will be the latest FCS team to take a shot at them. While there are pieces on the roster, there is no whole, and that is and has been the primary issue for Kansas for years now, and it is not getting any better under Beaty. I predict that Kansas will have another new football coach in 2019.
Opening Statement: It is impossible to imagine any sane person having any idea of how Kansas football gets out of the tailspin that they have been in, mostly since Mangino left as head coach some years ago. This program has been adrift, and the coaching tenure of David Beaty, much as I predicted it would be, has been a train wreck. Beaty got a bonus year from his bosses in 2018, but in all reality, there is no way that this program can realistically vault itself into a position to do what they would need to do to save him in just one season, and expectations have clearly been laid out by the new AD. In short, it does not look good for the Jayhawks or Beaty this fall.
Breakdown Offense: Carter Stanley and Peyton Bender both return to the roster at QB, but someone has to step up and take the job and be the guy. Stanley looks like he has the edge, passed for just 1108 yards with 4 TDs and 7 INTs, while completing 54.6% of his passes last fall. Bender passed for 1609 yards with 10 scores and 10 picks, while completing just 54.2% of his passes. In truth, it would benefit the Jayhawks to find a newcomer to push both of them, but that person is not apparent at this time.
The top 3 backs returns from last season, but Kansas rushed for just 102.58 yards per game, and ranked 125th in the nation in total rushing yards per game. Kahlil Herbert was the leader last fall, rushing for 663 yards and 4 scores, and he could use some help, as he has some break away talent, averaging 5.53 yards per carry last season. Taylor Martin and Dom Williams also return, but did not show much. Deron Thompson returns for his senior season, but carried just 28 times last fall. Reese Randall is the only other returning back that had game experience last fall.
Steven Sims gives Kansas a bit more stability on offense at WR, as he returns for his senior season after posting a line of 59-839-6. There is a pretty big drop in production after Sims. Evan Fairs caught just 24 passes last season, and is the next best returning receiver. Jeremiah Booker returns after catching 22 passes, and Ryan Schadler and Quan Hampton return as the only other returning options who caught at least 20 passes last fall. Kwamie Lassiter II and Kameron McQueen will try to provide some depth.
The TE job is wide open, as the four players on the roster at this position have not caught a pass as a college TE.
The line took a major blow this spring when starting C Mesa Ribordy left the team due to a medical condition. His two missed games last fall were the worst games Kansas played offensively. Hakeem Adeniji (LT), Andru Tovi (LG), Chris Hughes (RG), and Clyde McCauley III (RT) project as starters on the line. Hunter Saulsbury could slide into the C job, but expect some competition in fall camp. Antione Frazier will back up at Tackle, while Larry Hughes backs up at the OG spots.
Breakdown Defense: Dorance Armstrong moved on to the NFL after a huge individual season for him last season, leaving a spot open at DE as we headed into spring football. That spot took another huge blow when Kansas lost Isaiah Bean, the likely replacement for Armstrong, to yet another medical retirement. Those two losses will leave a sizeable void on the right side of the defensive line. Josh Ehambe will likely start at LDE, and finished with 6.5 TFLs last fall. Keyshawn Simmons, who was likely to be a backup on the left side, will likely now shift to the open position until the staff figures things out.
Daniel Wise will start at NT, and is a one man wrecking crew. The senior finished with 16 TFLs a year ago, which was 2nd on the team. He led the team with 7 sacks, and finished with 53 tackles. JJ Holmes, another senior, will start at DT. He totaled 2 TFLs last fall. There is little depth on the interior, which is an issue that will have to be ironed out in camp.
Joe Dineen returns for his senior season, and was one of the best LBs in the nation last season. He was one of the national leaders with 25 TFLs last season, and finished with 137 tackles to land on my All-Bilo National Team last postseason. Keith Loneker also returns to start, and finished with 46 tackles last season. He added 3.5 TFLs. Osaze Ogbebor and Dru Prox are the primary backups heading into fall camp.
Hasan Defense and Kyle Mayberry are the starting CBs this fall. Defense finished with 9 PBUs on the season and totaled 42 tackles. Mayberry added 30 tackles and and 3 PBUs. Julian Chandler provides work as the 3rd corner, but overall, depth is limited.
Mike Lee and Tyrone Miller are the starters at Safety. The combined for 4 PBUs last fall, and also combined for 117 tackles, with Lee adding 70 of those. Shaquille Richmond and Emmanuel Moore are the backups.
Bryce Torneden is the Nickel. He finished 4th on the team last fall with 61 tackles. DeAnte Ford is the backup, and will play in Dime packages as well.
Breakdown Special Teams: Gabriel Hui is back at PK, and had a solid season in 2017, hitting on 17/20 FG attempts, while hitting all 23 of his PATs.
Kyle Thompson returns at Punter to replace Cole Moos, but struggled badly, as did Moos. He averaged just 36.75 yards per punt on 4 punts last fall. They could use some help here.
Schadler and Sims will once again be the primary KR guys, while Sims will return punts.
Final Analysis: Offensively speaking, the only real star the Jayhawks have is Sims, and he gets buried by bad play around him. The QBs are a mess, and Herbert could be a star at RB, but bad line play and the loss of Ribordy at C will make it tough for him to shine.
The defense has some very special parts, as Dineen is one of the best college LBs in the nation, and Defense can play for anyone at CB. Lee is a rock solid Safety as well, but they cannot put it all together and make it work, as this unit gave up 43.4 points per game last season, as they crumbled under the weight of trying to carry a putrid offense that put up only 18.7 points per game. Kansas finished 0-2 against the MAC last season, and will have to fight to stay in games against Central Michigan and Rutgers this fall, with Nicholls State, an improving FCS program, will be the latest FCS team to take a shot at them. While there are pieces on the roster, there is no whole, and that is and has been the primary issue for Kansas for years now, and it is not getting any better under Beaty. I predict that Kansas will have another new football coach in 2019.
Iowa State Cyclones 2018 Football Preview
Iowa State Cyclones 2018 Football Preview
Opening Statement: There were few stories as fun to watch as the Iowa State football story of 2017. The Cyclones managed to knock off Oklahoma and TCU, and did not lose a game by more than 10 points all of last season. An 8 win season in Ames is something to celebrate, and beating 2 ranked conference favorites made the pot even sweeter. The Cyclones only lost to arch rival Iowa by 3, and lost to Texas, West Virginia, Oklahoma State, and Kansas State by a combined average of just 5.5 points per loss. Add the loss to Iowa, and their losses averaged 5 points per contest. Yes, the Cyclones were that close to being in a position to play for a Big 12 title. That is the result of hiring Matt Campbell away from Toledo. He can flat out coach, and making Iowa State relevant makes him one of the best football coaches in the nation.
Breakdown Offense: The Cyclones got great news this winter when QB Kyle Kempt was granted a 6th season of eligibility. Kempt was brilliant at times last season, passing for 1787 yards and 15 TDs to just 3 INTs, and he completed 66.3% of his passes. He played in only 9 games last fall, but if healthy, he gives the Cyclones one of the better returning QBs in the nation this fall. Joel Lanning, the 2-way supreme commander, has moved on, and Jacob Park transferred, so the backup role is a bit unclear. Zeb Noland looks like the favorite to be the primary backup, while Devon Moore looks good coming back from an ACL tear. Noland played against Oklahoma State last season, and beat Baylor as the starter, and passed for 533 yards on the season. Re-Al Mithcell, a freshman, was an early enrollee.
David Montgomery stepped up as a freshman at RB and blew the doors off the building. He rushed for 1146 yards and 11 scores, but what the staff will want to see is an improved YPC average, which was just 4.44 last season. Mike Warren and Kene Nwangwu are in a battle for the backup job, while Sheldon Croney and Johnnie Lang provide additional depth.
Deshaunte Jones and Tarique Milton are projected as the options at the M receiver spot. Carson Schlecker, a true freshman, will arrive in the fall, and could start as well. The Cyclones lose 3 of their top 4 receivers, including team star and receiving leader Allen Lazard, so this is a position that will be searching for depth as well as starting quality players.
Hakeem Butler will be the X receiver as we head into fall, and will be the primary replacement for Lazard. He caught 41 passes last fall. Jalen Martin backs him up.
Matt Eaton figures in at the Z receiver slot, and he caught 4 TD passes last fall. There is no current depth behind him, but RS freshman Josh Johnson could figure in at some point.
Chase Allen caught just 4 passes at TE last fall, and was primarily a blocker, but will have his role expanded this season as a pass catcher as well. Dylan Soehner projects as the TE2, while Charlie Kolar looks to lock up the 3rd TE spot. Sam Seonbuchner also returns.
The entire left side of the line must be replaced, but there is some experience returning. Sean Foster (LT) and Bryce Meeker (LG) looked to down those jobs in spring ball. Alex Kleinow and Robert Hudson were the projected backups on the left side. Julian Good-Jones was projected to be the Center, while Josh Knipfel (RG) and Jacob Bolton (RT) projected to win starting jobs from Center to Right. Will Windham looks like tha backup at C, while Josh Mueller projected as the backup at RG.
Breakdown Defense: JaQuan Bailey is closing in on the career sacks record at Iowa State, and finished with 11.5 TFLs and 7 sacks last season. He returns to start at the LDE spot. The right side is an open competition heading into fall camp between Matt Leo and Enyi Uwazurike. Uwazurike had 4 TFLs last season as a freshman, while Leo was redshirting last fall. He will be a junior this season. Carson Lensing and Spencer Benton add some depth there.
Ray Lima appears set at NG, with Kamilo Tongamoa backing him up there. They combined for 5.5 TFLs last fall.
Junior Jamahl Johnson played in 9 games as a sophomore, but was projecting as a starter out of spring camp at DT. Josh Bailey, a RS sophomore, looks to be his backup.
Losing Lanning is huge for the Cyclones, but there is talent coming back at LB this fall. Marcel Spears does return, and he finished with 107 tackles last fall, which fell 2nd on the team to Lanning. Willie Harvey also returns at OLB, and finished with 76 tackles last fall. Replacing Lanning in the middle should be O'Rien Vance or Jake Hummel, and that battle will likely carry over into the fall. Reggan Northrup and Tymar Sutton are the key reserves.
D'Andre Payne and Brian Peavey will return to start at CB this fall. Peavy is a lock down corner who finished with 9 PBUs last fall. Payne finished with 2 PBUs. Arnold Azunna, OJ Tucker, and Richard Bowens III provide depth behind Payne, while De'Monte Ruth and Datrone Young provide support to Peavey.
Greg Eisworth (FS) and Lawrence White (SS) were the projected starters at S, and both replace departing seniors. Braxton Lewis could push Eisworth in fall camp for the job, and started in the Liberty Bowl. Eisworth was a JC transfer who enrolled in the spring. Jataris Grant backs up at SS. Keontae Jones will project as the starter at the STAR position, but played sparingly a a year ago, and will likely have to hold off challengers in fall camp.
Breakdown Special Teams: Garrett Owens is gone at PK. Brayden Narveson is projecting as the starter there, while 4 total PKs were in spring camp.
Colin Dowling is gone at Punter as well, and Corey Dunn is expected to win that job, with Joe Rivera competing with him.
Landen Aken and Mike Warren are likely back on KR duty, while D'Andre Payne is likely taking over on punt returns.
Final Analysis: The Cyclones are in good shape at QB, RB, and the line this fall, while they still will seek some answers at WR and TE. The line has some holes to fill, but experience is solid, and the unit is deep. Defensively, losing Lanning will hurt on some level, but again, the talent level is much higher than it was a few years ago, and the CBs are loaded with talent.
Iowa State should have the tools to push their way up in the Big 12 this fall, but nobody will be taking them for granted this time around. This football team is solid, and they have a top shelf coach in Campbell. If they push through 8 wins again, it would not be shocking. Prepare to go bowling once again.
Opening Statement: There were few stories as fun to watch as the Iowa State football story of 2017. The Cyclones managed to knock off Oklahoma and TCU, and did not lose a game by more than 10 points all of last season. An 8 win season in Ames is something to celebrate, and beating 2 ranked conference favorites made the pot even sweeter. The Cyclones only lost to arch rival Iowa by 3, and lost to Texas, West Virginia, Oklahoma State, and Kansas State by a combined average of just 5.5 points per loss. Add the loss to Iowa, and their losses averaged 5 points per contest. Yes, the Cyclones were that close to being in a position to play for a Big 12 title. That is the result of hiring Matt Campbell away from Toledo. He can flat out coach, and making Iowa State relevant makes him one of the best football coaches in the nation.
Breakdown Offense: The Cyclones got great news this winter when QB Kyle Kempt was granted a 6th season of eligibility. Kempt was brilliant at times last season, passing for 1787 yards and 15 TDs to just 3 INTs, and he completed 66.3% of his passes. He played in only 9 games last fall, but if healthy, he gives the Cyclones one of the better returning QBs in the nation this fall. Joel Lanning, the 2-way supreme commander, has moved on, and Jacob Park transferred, so the backup role is a bit unclear. Zeb Noland looks like the favorite to be the primary backup, while Devon Moore looks good coming back from an ACL tear. Noland played against Oklahoma State last season, and beat Baylor as the starter, and passed for 533 yards on the season. Re-Al Mithcell, a freshman, was an early enrollee.
David Montgomery stepped up as a freshman at RB and blew the doors off the building. He rushed for 1146 yards and 11 scores, but what the staff will want to see is an improved YPC average, which was just 4.44 last season. Mike Warren and Kene Nwangwu are in a battle for the backup job, while Sheldon Croney and Johnnie Lang provide additional depth.
Deshaunte Jones and Tarique Milton are projected as the options at the M receiver spot. Carson Schlecker, a true freshman, will arrive in the fall, and could start as well. The Cyclones lose 3 of their top 4 receivers, including team star and receiving leader Allen Lazard, so this is a position that will be searching for depth as well as starting quality players.
Hakeem Butler will be the X receiver as we head into fall, and will be the primary replacement for Lazard. He caught 41 passes last fall. Jalen Martin backs him up.
Matt Eaton figures in at the Z receiver slot, and he caught 4 TD passes last fall. There is no current depth behind him, but RS freshman Josh Johnson could figure in at some point.
Chase Allen caught just 4 passes at TE last fall, and was primarily a blocker, but will have his role expanded this season as a pass catcher as well. Dylan Soehner projects as the TE2, while Charlie Kolar looks to lock up the 3rd TE spot. Sam Seonbuchner also returns.
The entire left side of the line must be replaced, but there is some experience returning. Sean Foster (LT) and Bryce Meeker (LG) looked to down those jobs in spring ball. Alex Kleinow and Robert Hudson were the projected backups on the left side. Julian Good-Jones was projected to be the Center, while Josh Knipfel (RG) and Jacob Bolton (RT) projected to win starting jobs from Center to Right. Will Windham looks like tha backup at C, while Josh Mueller projected as the backup at RG.
Breakdown Defense: JaQuan Bailey is closing in on the career sacks record at Iowa State, and finished with 11.5 TFLs and 7 sacks last season. He returns to start at the LDE spot. The right side is an open competition heading into fall camp between Matt Leo and Enyi Uwazurike. Uwazurike had 4 TFLs last season as a freshman, while Leo was redshirting last fall. He will be a junior this season. Carson Lensing and Spencer Benton add some depth there.
Ray Lima appears set at NG, with Kamilo Tongamoa backing him up there. They combined for 5.5 TFLs last fall.
Junior Jamahl Johnson played in 9 games as a sophomore, but was projecting as a starter out of spring camp at DT. Josh Bailey, a RS sophomore, looks to be his backup.
Losing Lanning is huge for the Cyclones, but there is talent coming back at LB this fall. Marcel Spears does return, and he finished with 107 tackles last fall, which fell 2nd on the team to Lanning. Willie Harvey also returns at OLB, and finished with 76 tackles last fall. Replacing Lanning in the middle should be O'Rien Vance or Jake Hummel, and that battle will likely carry over into the fall. Reggan Northrup and Tymar Sutton are the key reserves.
D'Andre Payne and Brian Peavey will return to start at CB this fall. Peavy is a lock down corner who finished with 9 PBUs last fall. Payne finished with 2 PBUs. Arnold Azunna, OJ Tucker, and Richard Bowens III provide depth behind Payne, while De'Monte Ruth and Datrone Young provide support to Peavey.
Greg Eisworth (FS) and Lawrence White (SS) were the projected starters at S, and both replace departing seniors. Braxton Lewis could push Eisworth in fall camp for the job, and started in the Liberty Bowl. Eisworth was a JC transfer who enrolled in the spring. Jataris Grant backs up at SS. Keontae Jones will project as the starter at the STAR position, but played sparingly a a year ago, and will likely have to hold off challengers in fall camp.
Breakdown Special Teams: Garrett Owens is gone at PK. Brayden Narveson is projecting as the starter there, while 4 total PKs were in spring camp.
Colin Dowling is gone at Punter as well, and Corey Dunn is expected to win that job, with Joe Rivera competing with him.
Landen Aken and Mike Warren are likely back on KR duty, while D'Andre Payne is likely taking over on punt returns.
Final Analysis: The Cyclones are in good shape at QB, RB, and the line this fall, while they still will seek some answers at WR and TE. The line has some holes to fill, but experience is solid, and the unit is deep. Defensively, losing Lanning will hurt on some level, but again, the talent level is much higher than it was a few years ago, and the CBs are loaded with talent.
Iowa State should have the tools to push their way up in the Big 12 this fall, but nobody will be taking them for granted this time around. This football team is solid, and they have a top shelf coach in Campbell. If they push through 8 wins again, it would not be shocking. Prepare to go bowling once again.
Indiana Hoosiers 2018 Football Preview
Indiana Hoosiers 2018 Football Preview
Opening Statement: Few programs have languished in mediocrity, or worse, as Indiana has in the last 40 years. The Hoosiers are such a rarity on the bowl circuit, that any appearance, or as many as 7 wins, are cause for celebration. With Kevin Wilson as coach, it appeared that the needle was turning in the right direction, finally, until he was unceremoniously fired after accusations of player abuse before last season. He immediately moved on to the Ohio State staff, and Tom Allen was elevated to the head coaching job in a move that wreaked of desperate hire. It did not pay off. The Hoosiers fell back to just 5 wins, which included a 4 game losing streak in the middle of the season, another blowout loss to Ohio State to start the season, and eventual season ending loss to Purdue. With the Hoosiers needing to replace 2 of their top 3 receivers, and 3 of the top 4 tacklers on defense, we could be looking at yet another down year in Bloomington.
Breakdown Offense: Indiana scored 26.8 points per game last fall, while passing for 265.7 yards per game, and rushing for another 130.08 yards with what was largely a committee approach. Finding that passing mark once again will be tough if new receivers don't step up, and especially if they cannot find some serious play makers in the run game.
Richard Legow finally ran out of juice at QB, and Peyton Ramsey stepped in as a freshman. Ramsey looked solid at times in 9 games, and showed marked improvement over what Legow had done, and more will be expected as a sophomore, especially with Legow out of the way. Ramsey passed for 1252 yards in 9 games, with 10 TDs and just 5 INTs. He completed 65.4% of his passes, which was the area that really encouraged people. The position, however, may not be entirely locked up for Ramsey, even if he may be a favorite based on what he did last fall. Arizona transfer Brandon Dawkins will arrive for fall camp, and that changes things. The issue with Dawkins is that asking him to be a passer is like asking a fish to recite poetry. He is simply a running QB that has the passing ability of a goat. Michael Penix may be the future of the position, and enrolled early.
Morgan Ellison rushed for 704 yards as a freshman, and scored 6 times, and is the favorite to win the job. He lacks big play explosiveness, and averaged 4.92 yards per carry last fall. Cole Gest rushed for 428 yards, and returns to the rotation, as does Mike Majette, who showed nothing, rushing for just 1 yard per carry. Majette could also be used at slot receiver and scat back, and was used as a more versatile back in spring ball. Ellison was banged up in camp, but should be healthy. All of these backs were beat up last season at some point.
Nick Westbrook, Luke Timian, and Donovan Hale were listed as the starting WRs out of spring ball. Simmie Cobbs is gone, so someone not named Timian (68 catches) needs to step up and play bigger than a year ago. Hale had just 7 receptions, and Westbrook did not get in on the action. Both lost huge pieces of last fall to injury, so their health here is paramount, as depth is not gleaming. Chris Cajcak, Whop Philyor, Ty Fryfogle, and Jacolby Hewitt will be fighting for playing time, and if injuries set in once again, they may be asked for more.
There is an open battle at TE as we head to fall camp. Ryan Watercutter and Austin Dorris are engaged in an open battle currently, and are looking to replace Ian Thomas,who caught 25 passes last fall. Peyton Hendershot is expected to step into that battle as well.
Coy Cronk (LT), Wes Martin (LG), Nick Linder (C), and Brandon Knight (RT) left spring with starting jobs locked up. The RG spot was still open as we headed into the summer season, with Mackenzie Nworah and Simon Stepaniak locked in battle there, but both have adequate experience, so this is actually a good problem to have. Delroy Baker is the backup at the OT spots, while Harry Crider and the loser of the battle at RG will provide depth at both Guard spots. Hunter Littlejohn is the backup at Center. This may be the deepest, most experienced unit on the club.
Breakdown Defense: Losing Robert McCray III and Greg Gooch will hurt up front for the Hoosiers, and Nate Hoff is gone as well. Finding depth will be a major project in fall camp on the line, even if starters were pretty much named coming out of spring camp.
Allen Stallings and Nick Sykes are the starters at DE. Stallings finished with 5.5 TFLs, and may be the most experienced lineman coming back on defense. Michael Ziemba and Gavin Everett are the backups. Everett played in 9 games as a sophomore last season.
Senior Jacob Robinson won a starting DT spot, but the other spot is open heading into fall camp, with a battle coming between Ja'Merez Bowen and Mike Barwick. Barwick played in 12 games, and finished with 3 TFLs. Bowen played in 10 games. I would expect both to get plenty of reps into the season. Jerome Johnson is the backup to Robinson.
With Tegray Scales and Chris Covington both gone, the Hoosiers lose 24.5 TFLs, and 174 tackles. That is a ton of production to have to replace in the middle of your defense. Michael McGinnis, a RS senior, and Reakwon Jones, a RS junior, are expected to be the replacements. Jones has just 9 career tackles. Thomas Allen and Mo Burnham, both RS freshmen, are the backups, and Dameon Willis did not return for his senior season.
Marcelino Ball is the HUSKY, but played in just 3 games last fall. He has had health issues, but the staff is hoping for the best with him, because he can be an incredible asset at the position. Bryant Fitzgerald finally gets his shot there as the backup after having to redshirt last fall due to academic issues.
A'Shon Riggins and Andre Brown are experienced CBs and will start. The secondary was exceptionally strong last fall, as they allowed under 180 yards passing per game. Riggins and Brown combined for 6 PBUs last fall, and with another year under their belts, this unit could actually get better. LaDamion Hunt and Raheem Layne are the backups, and both are just sophomores.
Jonathon Crawford and Khalil Bryant are the starting Safeties. Crawford finished 2nd on the team with 8 PBUs last fall, while Bryant replaces the departed Rashard Fant. Isaac James backs up Crawford, and has some experience, while Juwann Burgess, a RS freshman, backs up Bryant. Fitzgerald could also slide over from HUSKY if needed.
Breakdown Special Teams: Replacing Griffin Oakes at PK will be very hard to do, as he hit on 16/17 FG attempts last season, and hit 38/39 on PATs. Jared Smolar and Logan Justus are battling into the fall to win the job. Charles Campbell, an Army All-American, will join the fray in the fall.
Hayden Whitehead was decent at Punter, and averaged 40.69 yards per punt, and will return.
Devonte Williams joins Philyor as the primary KR men, while J-Shun Harris II was excellent on PR duty, averaging 19 yards per return with 2 TDs.
Final Analysis: There are severe questions on defense in the front seven, and getting those situations ironed out in fall camp will tell a lot about which direction this team goes in for the 2018 season. Finding out which QB will be taking snaps will be an issue as well. The Hoosiers need to find a home run back, and replacing Simmie Cobbs at WR is another issue, as is replacing Thomas at TE. The line should be good offensively, and that is a start to finding stability elsewhere. Indiana will be hard pressed to find their way to a bowl game yet again, but anything is possible with a few bounces for this club. If they can avoid a mid-season slump like they had last season, that would help. The non conference schedule is manageable, and that helps as well.
Opening Statement: Few programs have languished in mediocrity, or worse, as Indiana has in the last 40 years. The Hoosiers are such a rarity on the bowl circuit, that any appearance, or as many as 7 wins, are cause for celebration. With Kevin Wilson as coach, it appeared that the needle was turning in the right direction, finally, until he was unceremoniously fired after accusations of player abuse before last season. He immediately moved on to the Ohio State staff, and Tom Allen was elevated to the head coaching job in a move that wreaked of desperate hire. It did not pay off. The Hoosiers fell back to just 5 wins, which included a 4 game losing streak in the middle of the season, another blowout loss to Ohio State to start the season, and eventual season ending loss to Purdue. With the Hoosiers needing to replace 2 of their top 3 receivers, and 3 of the top 4 tacklers on defense, we could be looking at yet another down year in Bloomington.
Breakdown Offense: Indiana scored 26.8 points per game last fall, while passing for 265.7 yards per game, and rushing for another 130.08 yards with what was largely a committee approach. Finding that passing mark once again will be tough if new receivers don't step up, and especially if they cannot find some serious play makers in the run game.
Richard Legow finally ran out of juice at QB, and Peyton Ramsey stepped in as a freshman. Ramsey looked solid at times in 9 games, and showed marked improvement over what Legow had done, and more will be expected as a sophomore, especially with Legow out of the way. Ramsey passed for 1252 yards in 9 games, with 10 TDs and just 5 INTs. He completed 65.4% of his passes, which was the area that really encouraged people. The position, however, may not be entirely locked up for Ramsey, even if he may be a favorite based on what he did last fall. Arizona transfer Brandon Dawkins will arrive for fall camp, and that changes things. The issue with Dawkins is that asking him to be a passer is like asking a fish to recite poetry. He is simply a running QB that has the passing ability of a goat. Michael Penix may be the future of the position, and enrolled early.
Morgan Ellison rushed for 704 yards as a freshman, and scored 6 times, and is the favorite to win the job. He lacks big play explosiveness, and averaged 4.92 yards per carry last fall. Cole Gest rushed for 428 yards, and returns to the rotation, as does Mike Majette, who showed nothing, rushing for just 1 yard per carry. Majette could also be used at slot receiver and scat back, and was used as a more versatile back in spring ball. Ellison was banged up in camp, but should be healthy. All of these backs were beat up last season at some point.
Nick Westbrook, Luke Timian, and Donovan Hale were listed as the starting WRs out of spring ball. Simmie Cobbs is gone, so someone not named Timian (68 catches) needs to step up and play bigger than a year ago. Hale had just 7 receptions, and Westbrook did not get in on the action. Both lost huge pieces of last fall to injury, so their health here is paramount, as depth is not gleaming. Chris Cajcak, Whop Philyor, Ty Fryfogle, and Jacolby Hewitt will be fighting for playing time, and if injuries set in once again, they may be asked for more.
There is an open battle at TE as we head to fall camp. Ryan Watercutter and Austin Dorris are engaged in an open battle currently, and are looking to replace Ian Thomas,who caught 25 passes last fall. Peyton Hendershot is expected to step into that battle as well.
Coy Cronk (LT), Wes Martin (LG), Nick Linder (C), and Brandon Knight (RT) left spring with starting jobs locked up. The RG spot was still open as we headed into the summer season, with Mackenzie Nworah and Simon Stepaniak locked in battle there, but both have adequate experience, so this is actually a good problem to have. Delroy Baker is the backup at the OT spots, while Harry Crider and the loser of the battle at RG will provide depth at both Guard spots. Hunter Littlejohn is the backup at Center. This may be the deepest, most experienced unit on the club.
Breakdown Defense: Losing Robert McCray III and Greg Gooch will hurt up front for the Hoosiers, and Nate Hoff is gone as well. Finding depth will be a major project in fall camp on the line, even if starters were pretty much named coming out of spring camp.
Allen Stallings and Nick Sykes are the starters at DE. Stallings finished with 5.5 TFLs, and may be the most experienced lineman coming back on defense. Michael Ziemba and Gavin Everett are the backups. Everett played in 9 games as a sophomore last season.
Senior Jacob Robinson won a starting DT spot, but the other spot is open heading into fall camp, with a battle coming between Ja'Merez Bowen and Mike Barwick. Barwick played in 12 games, and finished with 3 TFLs. Bowen played in 10 games. I would expect both to get plenty of reps into the season. Jerome Johnson is the backup to Robinson.
With Tegray Scales and Chris Covington both gone, the Hoosiers lose 24.5 TFLs, and 174 tackles. That is a ton of production to have to replace in the middle of your defense. Michael McGinnis, a RS senior, and Reakwon Jones, a RS junior, are expected to be the replacements. Jones has just 9 career tackles. Thomas Allen and Mo Burnham, both RS freshmen, are the backups, and Dameon Willis did not return for his senior season.
Marcelino Ball is the HUSKY, but played in just 3 games last fall. He has had health issues, but the staff is hoping for the best with him, because he can be an incredible asset at the position. Bryant Fitzgerald finally gets his shot there as the backup after having to redshirt last fall due to academic issues.
A'Shon Riggins and Andre Brown are experienced CBs and will start. The secondary was exceptionally strong last fall, as they allowed under 180 yards passing per game. Riggins and Brown combined for 6 PBUs last fall, and with another year under their belts, this unit could actually get better. LaDamion Hunt and Raheem Layne are the backups, and both are just sophomores.
Jonathon Crawford and Khalil Bryant are the starting Safeties. Crawford finished 2nd on the team with 8 PBUs last fall, while Bryant replaces the departed Rashard Fant. Isaac James backs up Crawford, and has some experience, while Juwann Burgess, a RS freshman, backs up Bryant. Fitzgerald could also slide over from HUSKY if needed.
Breakdown Special Teams: Replacing Griffin Oakes at PK will be very hard to do, as he hit on 16/17 FG attempts last season, and hit 38/39 on PATs. Jared Smolar and Logan Justus are battling into the fall to win the job. Charles Campbell, an Army All-American, will join the fray in the fall.
Hayden Whitehead was decent at Punter, and averaged 40.69 yards per punt, and will return.
Devonte Williams joins Philyor as the primary KR men, while J-Shun Harris II was excellent on PR duty, averaging 19 yards per return with 2 TDs.
Final Analysis: There are severe questions on defense in the front seven, and getting those situations ironed out in fall camp will tell a lot about which direction this team goes in for the 2018 season. Finding out which QB will be taking snaps will be an issue as well. The Hoosiers need to find a home run back, and replacing Simmie Cobbs at WR is another issue, as is replacing Thomas at TE. The line should be good offensively, and that is a start to finding stability elsewhere. Indiana will be hard pressed to find their way to a bowl game yet again, but anything is possible with a few bounces for this club. If they can avoid a mid-season slump like they had last season, that would help. The non conference schedule is manageable, and that helps as well.
Wednesday, June 6, 2018
Illinois Fighting Illini 2018 Football Preview
Illinois Fighting Illini 2018 Football Preview
Opening Statement: The Lovie Smith era at Illinois has been an absolute disaster to date. The Illini are coming off of a 2-10 finish last fall, with the lone wins coming against Ball State and Western Kentucky. That is hardly Big 10 material, and this program has largely become a laughing stock in the conference, maybe even more so than Rutgers. At the very least, Rutgers has shown signs of improvement. Illinois football is going nowhere fast, and actually got worse in 2017 than they were during a major disaster season of 2016. The boat is sinking fast, fan apathy is at its worst, and something has got to give.
Breakdown Offense: Illinois was an embarrassment on offense in 2017. They averaged just 15.4 points per game, which was worse than in 2016, when they scores just over 19 points per game. They passed for a miserable 174.8 yards per game, and rushed for just 105.58 yards per contest. Illinois ranked ahead of only Charlotte, Kent State, and UTEP in total scoring, or 127th nationally. They ranked 107th in passing yardage per game, and 123rd in rushing. This is truly what the abyss looks like, folks.
Cam Thomas is projected as the starter at QB, as he attempted 66 passes last fall as a freshman in 4 games. He completed just 42.4% of his passes and tossed 5 INTs, with zero TD passes. Cam Miller and Charlie Reinkenmeyer were the only other QBs on the spring roster. Three Dual threat QBs are listed for the 2018 recruiting class, none rated higher than a 3 star.
Ra'Von Bonner leads the way at RB after spring ball, and could be joined by Austin Roberts at FB. Bonner played in just 6 games as a freshman last season, but did enough in the spring to come out with the starting job...for now. Mike Epstein led the team in rushing last season in just 5 games of work with 346 yards. Reggie Corbin rushed just 18 times last season, and is in the mix as well, as is Dre Brown. Epstein is probably the best option available heading into the season, but nobody has taken this job by the horns.
Ricky Smalling returns, and led the team with 31 receptions last fall. He averaged 16.45 yards per catch, and is one of the few bright spots on offense. Mike Dudek played in just 7 games as a junior, and is back to start. Carmoni Green is in the mix for a starting spot, as is Trenard Davis. Caleb Reams is the only other experienced receiver on the roster.
Larry Boyd (LT), Alex Palcczewski (LG), Doug Kramer (C), Nick Allegretti (RG), and Vederian Lowe (RT) are the projected starters on the line. Adam Solomon, Jake Cerny, and Andrew Trainer are backup options at the OT spots, while Jake Stover is the reserve at OG. Kurt Gavin backs up at Center.
Breakdown Defense: Illinois allowed 31.5 points per game on defense last fall, and allowed a respectable 199.9 yards passing, but they got hammered against the run to a tune of 218.5 yards per game rushing.
Bobby Roundtree and Isaiah Gay are the staring DEs as we head into the summer. They combined for 8 TFLs last fall, but the staff will be needing more production from each player this fall. Roundtree had 50 total tackles last season, while Gay had just 20 in 12 games. Owen Carney is the backup at DE.
Jamal Milan and Tymir Oliver are the starting DTs heading out of spring. They combined for just 5.5 TFLs last fall. They combined for 56 total tackles. Jamal Woods and Kenyon Jackson provide options off the bench.
Del'Shawn Phillips is back at LB after leading the team with 85 tackles last season. He totaled just 4 TFLs, and really did not have a ton of action behind the line, or in pass defense. Dele Harding returns after recording 32 tackles in 8 games. James Knight steps into a starting role after a solid spring, but finished last fall as a freshman with just 3 tackles. Jimmy Marchese and Marc Mondesir are the key backups.
Cameron Watkins and Nate Hobbs are the projected starters at CB, but combined for just 5 PBUs last fall. Bennett Williams is the starter at SS, and recorded 64 tackles last season. Stanley Green is the FS, and finished with 70 tackles. Dawson DeGroot is the 3rd Safety, but did not have any real production last fall. Dpeth is thin at CB as well.
Breakdown Special Teams: Chase McLaughlin is back at PK after hitting just 12/17 FG attempts last fall. He was perfect on all 17 PATs he tried last fall, which was one of the lowest PAT attempt numbers for any full time kicker in the nation last season.
Blake Hayes showed a bit of promise at Punter last fall as a freshman, as he averaged 41.96 yards per punt.
Hobbs is the kick return man after averaging 23 yards per return last fall, while Dudek returns punts.
Final Analysis: Illinois could absolutely be a bottom ten team in the nation, and maybe could be as low as bottom five. The roster is fairly terrible, the coaching staff is lost in space, and the administration made a knee jerk move in hiring Lovie Smith in the first place. He almost left the program after year one, and his disinterest is palpable. The recruiting class had just one 4 star, and is recruiting like a mid-major program. There is absolutely no buzz around this football team, and if Lovie Smith is back after what should be another fairly terrible season, the entire athletic department should be wiped out and fired. Expect nothing but empty stadiums in Champaign-Urbana this fall.
Opening Statement: The Lovie Smith era at Illinois has been an absolute disaster to date. The Illini are coming off of a 2-10 finish last fall, with the lone wins coming against Ball State and Western Kentucky. That is hardly Big 10 material, and this program has largely become a laughing stock in the conference, maybe even more so than Rutgers. At the very least, Rutgers has shown signs of improvement. Illinois football is going nowhere fast, and actually got worse in 2017 than they were during a major disaster season of 2016. The boat is sinking fast, fan apathy is at its worst, and something has got to give.
Breakdown Offense: Illinois was an embarrassment on offense in 2017. They averaged just 15.4 points per game, which was worse than in 2016, when they scores just over 19 points per game. They passed for a miserable 174.8 yards per game, and rushed for just 105.58 yards per contest. Illinois ranked ahead of only Charlotte, Kent State, and UTEP in total scoring, or 127th nationally. They ranked 107th in passing yardage per game, and 123rd in rushing. This is truly what the abyss looks like, folks.
Cam Thomas is projected as the starter at QB, as he attempted 66 passes last fall as a freshman in 4 games. He completed just 42.4% of his passes and tossed 5 INTs, with zero TD passes. Cam Miller and Charlie Reinkenmeyer were the only other QBs on the spring roster. Three Dual threat QBs are listed for the 2018 recruiting class, none rated higher than a 3 star.
Ra'Von Bonner leads the way at RB after spring ball, and could be joined by Austin Roberts at FB. Bonner played in just 6 games as a freshman last season, but did enough in the spring to come out with the starting job...for now. Mike Epstein led the team in rushing last season in just 5 games of work with 346 yards. Reggie Corbin rushed just 18 times last season, and is in the mix as well, as is Dre Brown. Epstein is probably the best option available heading into the season, but nobody has taken this job by the horns.
Ricky Smalling returns, and led the team with 31 receptions last fall. He averaged 16.45 yards per catch, and is one of the few bright spots on offense. Mike Dudek played in just 7 games as a junior, and is back to start. Carmoni Green is in the mix for a starting spot, as is Trenard Davis. Caleb Reams is the only other experienced receiver on the roster.
Larry Boyd (LT), Alex Palcczewski (LG), Doug Kramer (C), Nick Allegretti (RG), and Vederian Lowe (RT) are the projected starters on the line. Adam Solomon, Jake Cerny, and Andrew Trainer are backup options at the OT spots, while Jake Stover is the reserve at OG. Kurt Gavin backs up at Center.
Breakdown Defense: Illinois allowed 31.5 points per game on defense last fall, and allowed a respectable 199.9 yards passing, but they got hammered against the run to a tune of 218.5 yards per game rushing.
Bobby Roundtree and Isaiah Gay are the staring DEs as we head into the summer. They combined for 8 TFLs last fall, but the staff will be needing more production from each player this fall. Roundtree had 50 total tackles last season, while Gay had just 20 in 12 games. Owen Carney is the backup at DE.
Jamal Milan and Tymir Oliver are the starting DTs heading out of spring. They combined for just 5.5 TFLs last fall. They combined for 56 total tackles. Jamal Woods and Kenyon Jackson provide options off the bench.
Del'Shawn Phillips is back at LB after leading the team with 85 tackles last season. He totaled just 4 TFLs, and really did not have a ton of action behind the line, or in pass defense. Dele Harding returns after recording 32 tackles in 8 games. James Knight steps into a starting role after a solid spring, but finished last fall as a freshman with just 3 tackles. Jimmy Marchese and Marc Mondesir are the key backups.
Cameron Watkins and Nate Hobbs are the projected starters at CB, but combined for just 5 PBUs last fall. Bennett Williams is the starter at SS, and recorded 64 tackles last season. Stanley Green is the FS, and finished with 70 tackles. Dawson DeGroot is the 3rd Safety, but did not have any real production last fall. Dpeth is thin at CB as well.
Breakdown Special Teams: Chase McLaughlin is back at PK after hitting just 12/17 FG attempts last fall. He was perfect on all 17 PATs he tried last fall, which was one of the lowest PAT attempt numbers for any full time kicker in the nation last season.
Blake Hayes showed a bit of promise at Punter last fall as a freshman, as he averaged 41.96 yards per punt.
Hobbs is the kick return man after averaging 23 yards per return last fall, while Dudek returns punts.
Final Analysis: Illinois could absolutely be a bottom ten team in the nation, and maybe could be as low as bottom five. The roster is fairly terrible, the coaching staff is lost in space, and the administration made a knee jerk move in hiring Lovie Smith in the first place. He almost left the program after year one, and his disinterest is palpable. The recruiting class had just one 4 star, and is recruiting like a mid-major program. There is absolutely no buzz around this football team, and if Lovie Smith is back after what should be another fairly terrible season, the entire athletic department should be wiped out and fired. Expect nothing but empty stadiums in Champaign-Urbana this fall.
Houston Cougars 2018 Football Preview
Houston Cougars 2018 Football Preview
Opening Statement: The first season of the Major Applewhite era did not go entirely as planned, as the Cougars struggled to a 7 win season that culminated with a second consecutive bowl loss, this time to Fresno State. Houston is now 0-2 in their last 2 bowl games against Mountain West opponents. The Cougars could have a few struggles, as they are limited in depth at , RB, WR and LB, but if they can get some chips to fall, winning more than 7 games could be in the cards.
Breakdown Offense: The cougars dropped by 7 points per game last fall, as they came in with an average of 28.3 points per game, down from over 35 the season before in Tom Herman's final go as head coach. They passed for 261.3 yards per game, while they rushed for 166.83 yards per game.
The QB situation got a little bit of good news when Quentin Dormady transferred in from Tennessee, and was made eligible immediately. D'Eriq King, the currant starter, could use a good push at the position. King is the only other player on the roster who has taken a collegiate snap, and passed for 1260 yards in 10 games last season, with 7 TDs and 2 INTs. He rushed for another 379 yards and 8 scores, but Houston is better when they have a clear line pocket passer who happens to be able to run, and King does not fit that bill. This should be an interesting developing situation in fall camp.
Mulbah Car rushed 80 times as the backup last fall, and averaged 4.85 yards per carry, but lacks explosiveness and big play ability. Houston needs a home run hitter in this RB group, and right now, none have been identified. Davion Mitchell and Patrick Carr are the only depth left at the RB position, and they carried a combined 18 times last season.
Steven Dunbar and Linell Bonner are gone, meaning that Houston loses their two best receivers from last fall. They combined for 156 receptions and 1979 yards, along with 8 scores, and 170 yards receiving per game. That leaves a massive void in the passing game. Courtney Lark becomes their most experienced receiver returning, and he caught just 13 passes as a sophomore last fall. Keith Corbin caught 10 passes, and is looking to start as well. Houston lost 5 total receivers who caught passes last season, leaving this group as a red flag unit to watch.
The line appears to be sorted out, as Josh Jones (LT), Braylen Jones (LG), Will Noble (C), Mason Denley (RG), and Dennis Bardwell (RT) are all heading into fall camp with starting jobs. Jarrid Williams provides depth at the OT spots, while Keenan Murphy is the key reserve at OG. Ryan Deshotel enters fall as the backup C.
Breakdown Defense: DT Ed Oliver is one of the best defensive players in college football, and he returns for what should be his final season in a Houston uniform. He finished last season with 16.5 TFLs, 5.5 sacks, 73 tackles, 3 PBUs, 7 QB hurries, 2 forced fumbles, and a blocked kick. He can line up basically anywhere on the line, and does nothing but create havoc. He officially starts at DT, while Payton Turner and Jerard Carter are the starters at DE. They combined for 7.5 TFLs last fall, and should have more benefit of the disruption that is Oliver this fall. Zach Vaughan brings some depth at DE, and Aymiel Fleming is the key reserve at DT.
LB is going to be a problem for Houston, as they lose both D'Juan Hines and Matt Adams right off the top. They accounted for 198 tackles last season. Emeke Agbule is the lone returning starter, and he totaled 62 tackles last fall, with 6.5 TFLs. Roman Brown played in just 3 games as a junior last fall, and pencils in to start at ILB. There is an ongoing battle at one OLB and one ILB starting spot, and those battles will rage into the fall. Leroy Godfrey figures in at the OLB spot, while David Anenih could figure in at ILB. Elijah Gooden also returns after playing in 10 games as a freshman. Jordan Milburn played in one game as a freshman.
Isaiah Johnson is back starting at CB this fall, and led the team with 7 PBUs last fall. Jeremy Winchester is gone on the other side, leaving the job open for Ka'Darian Smith. Smith is raw, and is an unknown quantity there, so expect a competition in the fall. Garrett Davis and Khari Dotson will start at Safety. Davis broke up 4 passes last season and totaled 51 tackles. Dotson, like Smith, is new to the job, and could get pushed in the fall.
Breakdown Special Teams: Caden Novikoff is back at PK, and hit 12/15 FG tries last fall as a junior, and converted on all 43 of his PATs.
Dane Roy had a decent season at Punter, and returns after averaging 41.78 yards per punt.
The Cougars lose all of their primary kick and punt return men from last season, and must reboot both positions in fall camp.
Final Analysis: The Cougars have some issues. It's unfair to blame Applewhite for said issues, but it would be more in line to blame Tom Herman for another year for not establishing a better foundation for Applewhite to work with when he took the torch. Herman was likely always looking with one eye out the door when he took the Houston job, and it shows. The Cougars have severely limited depth at QB, RB, and WR on offense, and they have severe issues at CB and S as well as at LB on defense. The return game has to start all over as well. To expect Houston to push for the AAC West title this fall may be a crazy thought, as upon further review, Houston appears worse off than thought originally. Still, Applewhite has waited a long time for this opportunity, and he and his staff have a plan to get this thing rolling again. Anything more than 7 wins would be a shock, and I believe that Houston may struggle to get there in 2018.
Opening Statement: The first season of the Major Applewhite era did not go entirely as planned, as the Cougars struggled to a 7 win season that culminated with a second consecutive bowl loss, this time to Fresno State. Houston is now 0-2 in their last 2 bowl games against Mountain West opponents. The Cougars could have a few struggles, as they are limited in depth at , RB, WR and LB, but if they can get some chips to fall, winning more than 7 games could be in the cards.
Breakdown Offense: The cougars dropped by 7 points per game last fall, as they came in with an average of 28.3 points per game, down from over 35 the season before in Tom Herman's final go as head coach. They passed for 261.3 yards per game, while they rushed for 166.83 yards per game.
The QB situation got a little bit of good news when Quentin Dormady transferred in from Tennessee, and was made eligible immediately. D'Eriq King, the currant starter, could use a good push at the position. King is the only other player on the roster who has taken a collegiate snap, and passed for 1260 yards in 10 games last season, with 7 TDs and 2 INTs. He rushed for another 379 yards and 8 scores, but Houston is better when they have a clear line pocket passer who happens to be able to run, and King does not fit that bill. This should be an interesting developing situation in fall camp.
Mulbah Car rushed 80 times as the backup last fall, and averaged 4.85 yards per carry, but lacks explosiveness and big play ability. Houston needs a home run hitter in this RB group, and right now, none have been identified. Davion Mitchell and Patrick Carr are the only depth left at the RB position, and they carried a combined 18 times last season.
Steven Dunbar and Linell Bonner are gone, meaning that Houston loses their two best receivers from last fall. They combined for 156 receptions and 1979 yards, along with 8 scores, and 170 yards receiving per game. That leaves a massive void in the passing game. Courtney Lark becomes their most experienced receiver returning, and he caught just 13 passes as a sophomore last fall. Keith Corbin caught 10 passes, and is looking to start as well. Houston lost 5 total receivers who caught passes last season, leaving this group as a red flag unit to watch.
The line appears to be sorted out, as Josh Jones (LT), Braylen Jones (LG), Will Noble (C), Mason Denley (RG), and Dennis Bardwell (RT) are all heading into fall camp with starting jobs. Jarrid Williams provides depth at the OT spots, while Keenan Murphy is the key reserve at OG. Ryan Deshotel enters fall as the backup C.
Breakdown Defense: DT Ed Oliver is one of the best defensive players in college football, and he returns for what should be his final season in a Houston uniform. He finished last season with 16.5 TFLs, 5.5 sacks, 73 tackles, 3 PBUs, 7 QB hurries, 2 forced fumbles, and a blocked kick. He can line up basically anywhere on the line, and does nothing but create havoc. He officially starts at DT, while Payton Turner and Jerard Carter are the starters at DE. They combined for 7.5 TFLs last fall, and should have more benefit of the disruption that is Oliver this fall. Zach Vaughan brings some depth at DE, and Aymiel Fleming is the key reserve at DT.
LB is going to be a problem for Houston, as they lose both D'Juan Hines and Matt Adams right off the top. They accounted for 198 tackles last season. Emeke Agbule is the lone returning starter, and he totaled 62 tackles last fall, with 6.5 TFLs. Roman Brown played in just 3 games as a junior last fall, and pencils in to start at ILB. There is an ongoing battle at one OLB and one ILB starting spot, and those battles will rage into the fall. Leroy Godfrey figures in at the OLB spot, while David Anenih could figure in at ILB. Elijah Gooden also returns after playing in 10 games as a freshman. Jordan Milburn played in one game as a freshman.
Isaiah Johnson is back starting at CB this fall, and led the team with 7 PBUs last fall. Jeremy Winchester is gone on the other side, leaving the job open for Ka'Darian Smith. Smith is raw, and is an unknown quantity there, so expect a competition in the fall. Garrett Davis and Khari Dotson will start at Safety. Davis broke up 4 passes last season and totaled 51 tackles. Dotson, like Smith, is new to the job, and could get pushed in the fall.
Breakdown Special Teams: Caden Novikoff is back at PK, and hit 12/15 FG tries last fall as a junior, and converted on all 43 of his PATs.
Dane Roy had a decent season at Punter, and returns after averaging 41.78 yards per punt.
The Cougars lose all of their primary kick and punt return men from last season, and must reboot both positions in fall camp.
Final Analysis: The Cougars have some issues. It's unfair to blame Applewhite for said issues, but it would be more in line to blame Tom Herman for another year for not establishing a better foundation for Applewhite to work with when he took the torch. Herman was likely always looking with one eye out the door when he took the Houston job, and it shows. The Cougars have severely limited depth at QB, RB, and WR on offense, and they have severe issues at CB and S as well as at LB on defense. The return game has to start all over as well. To expect Houston to push for the AAC West title this fall may be a crazy thought, as upon further review, Houston appears worse off than thought originally. Still, Applewhite has waited a long time for this opportunity, and he and his staff have a plan to get this thing rolling again. Anything more than 7 wins would be a shock, and I believe that Houston may struggle to get there in 2018.
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors 2018 Football Preview
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors 2018 Football Preview
Opening Statement: As Nick Rolovich himself stated, last year was a "dose of reality" for the Hawaii football program. The Warriors dropped from 7 wins to 3, when better things were expected, and this year does not look any easier. Extreme loss on both sides of the ball will lead to a philosophical change on offense to a Run and Shoot based offensive system. Defensively, Hawaii is on their 3rd DC in 3 years. If last season could be described as choppy, this season could be downright turbulent.
Breakdown Offense: Hawaii, simply put, struggled to score, especially after talented receiver John Ursua went down with a knee injury, Hawaii scored just 22.8 points per game, passed for 234 yards per game, and rushed for 168.17 yards per game. Many of those numbers were effected when Ursua went down, and the news is bleak as several key pieces have moved on.
Dru Brown, who passed for 2785 yards and 18 TDs last season, took a transfer to Oklahoma State after the season, and must be replaced. Cole McDonald, the backup who attempted just 9 passes last fall (completing 5 of them), is likely to win the job, but he has some competition in camp this fall from a transfer from Marshall in Kyle Gallup. Jeremy Moussa and Chevan Cordeiro are both freshman, and volleyball player Larry Tuileta are also in the mix, as is Sacramento State and SMU transfer Kolney Cassel.
Diocemy Saint-Juste will go down as one of the all-time great Hawaii RBs, but he has moved on, as has his primary backup in Ryan Tuiasoa. That is a huge blow, and a primary reason for the mental shift towards the Run and Shoot. Freddie Holley III is the most experienced back returning, and he carried just 9 times for 27 yards last fall. This is a huge red flag area.
Dylan Collie was supposed to provide some receiving depth as the H receiver, but he has transferred to BYU, leaving the Warriors with just one of their top 4 receivers returning, which would be Ursua, who is expected to be completely healthy by the fall. He caught 47 passes in just 6 games for 667 yards and 5 scores, while averaging 14.19 yards per catch and 111.2 yards per game. The staff and OC Brian Smith are looking for more from Kumoku Noa and Marcus Armstrong Brown out of the slot, but they have yet to see what they need. Devan Stubblefield is also an option in the passing game, but had a forgettable 2017 season. JC transfer Cedric Byrd could shove him aside, and there is also the presence of Drake Stallworth, or a pair of incoming freshmen in Michael Washington and Jonah Panoke. Kalakaua Timoteo is also looking for extended reps in the new offense.
Asotui Eli was projected originally to start at C, but now appears to be moving to a tackle spot, probably on the right side. In short, the line could be a patchwork of new faces, as several faces are changing spots, while some have moved on. Rolovich recruited heavily along the line, but the pieces are just coming together as we head into fall. Again, this is another major red flag unit.
Breakdown Defense: Corey Batoon, who was on staff at Arkansas State, Ole Miss, and FAU, is the new DC, the 3rd in three seasons. Batoon is a Hawaii native, and should be a draw from the local resources. He has quite a task at hand, as the Rainbows did not exactly get the job done defensively last season. They allowed 33.9 points per game, and allowed 248.6 yards passing per game. They were hammered on the ground to a tune of 210.17 yards per game rushing.
Hawaii loses their top 3 D linemen from a season ago, and that is not a good sign for a team now languishing for help in both ends of the trench. Tevarua Eldridge and Zeno Choi, both seniors, project as starters at DE. Eldridge played in just 9 games as a junior last fall, recording just one TFL, while Choi recorded 2.5 TFLs in 12 games. There will be major challenges in filling the DT spots, as both are wide open for battle in fall camp. There were 15 total defensive linemen in spring practice, so the hope is that someone from that group will step up from the shadows to get something done in the fall. Kaimana Padello will be in competition with Eldridge, which is a good thing. Look for Justus Tavai to get some good looks at DT, while Blessman Ta'Ala and Doug Russell join him in trying to form a deep rotation there. Zah Ritner is another young player that could see time at DE. Samiuela Akoteu is trying not to get lost in the mix in the middle as well.
There is some good news at LB, as team leader Jahlani Tavai is back at MLB. His loss with the others, would have been catastrophic. He is a senior, and will be the leader of the defense, and one of the team overall leaders as well. He recorded 124 tackles last season, and also led the team with 11 TFLs. He also led the team with 5.5 sacks, and recorded 5 QB hurries as well. Solomon Matautia is back as well after recording 84 tackles, and will start on the strong side. Dany Mulanga was slated to start at WLB, but will be playing in the secondary this season. Jeremiah Pritchard should start in his place. He recorded 31 tackles last season, and is a better overall option for the weak side spot anyway. Penei Pavihi is back as a sophomore, and is looking to work his way up. Malachi Mageo is another candidate for playing time, and incoming freshmen Paul Scott and Khoury Bethley could be good ones down the road.
The secondary was brutalized, as the top 3 safeties from last season are now gone. Eugene Ford and Rojesterman Farris II are slated to start at CB, but neither had much to give last fall. Ford was a freshman last fall, and provided all of 2 PBUs. Manu Hudson-Rasmussen finished with 4 PBUs and is in the mix as well. All in all, the staff needs some serious upgraded play out of this unit, as they got knocked around pretty good a year ago. Zach Wilson will also try to up his play from last fall.
Kalen Hicks will start a tone Safety spot, but the other spot needs filling in camp. Hicks is a new starter and will need to pick up the process in a hurry. Jay Dominique is in the mix, but Mykal Tolliver, Manase Time, Donovan Dalton will all be looking to win the job as well.
Breakdown Special Teams: The Warriors need to settle out their situation at PK, as two kickers struggled to lock down the job a year ago in Alex Trifonovitch and Ryan Meskell. They combined to hit just 4/9 FGs last fall. Michael Boyle, a RS freshman, could have a shot to be the answer.
Stan Gaudion brings some good news to the Punting game, as he averaged 42.07 yards per punt last fall.
Hawaii struggled on kick returns last fall, and will be looking for a new return man. Hudson-Rasmussen will be given the chance to win the job in the fall.
Ursua could return to PR duty in the fall, unless they want to protect him from further injury chances.
Final Analysis: It could be another rough go for the Rainbow Warriors in 2018, as with so many new faces, an offensive shift in philosophy, and a schedule that shows them as maybe being favorites in 3 games, it would be difficult to project this football team being much better this year than last. Nick Rolovich is a realist as head coach, and he will work hard to move the needle up, but baby steps must be gained before this team can get up and run. The staff has recruited well, and with some time and development, I would expect more improvement, but maybe in 2019.
Opening Statement: As Nick Rolovich himself stated, last year was a "dose of reality" for the Hawaii football program. The Warriors dropped from 7 wins to 3, when better things were expected, and this year does not look any easier. Extreme loss on both sides of the ball will lead to a philosophical change on offense to a Run and Shoot based offensive system. Defensively, Hawaii is on their 3rd DC in 3 years. If last season could be described as choppy, this season could be downright turbulent.
Breakdown Offense: Hawaii, simply put, struggled to score, especially after talented receiver John Ursua went down with a knee injury, Hawaii scored just 22.8 points per game, passed for 234 yards per game, and rushed for 168.17 yards per game. Many of those numbers were effected when Ursua went down, and the news is bleak as several key pieces have moved on.
Dru Brown, who passed for 2785 yards and 18 TDs last season, took a transfer to Oklahoma State after the season, and must be replaced. Cole McDonald, the backup who attempted just 9 passes last fall (completing 5 of them), is likely to win the job, but he has some competition in camp this fall from a transfer from Marshall in Kyle Gallup. Jeremy Moussa and Chevan Cordeiro are both freshman, and volleyball player Larry Tuileta are also in the mix, as is Sacramento State and SMU transfer Kolney Cassel.
Diocemy Saint-Juste will go down as one of the all-time great Hawaii RBs, but he has moved on, as has his primary backup in Ryan Tuiasoa. That is a huge blow, and a primary reason for the mental shift towards the Run and Shoot. Freddie Holley III is the most experienced back returning, and he carried just 9 times for 27 yards last fall. This is a huge red flag area.
Dylan Collie was supposed to provide some receiving depth as the H receiver, but he has transferred to BYU, leaving the Warriors with just one of their top 4 receivers returning, which would be Ursua, who is expected to be completely healthy by the fall. He caught 47 passes in just 6 games for 667 yards and 5 scores, while averaging 14.19 yards per catch and 111.2 yards per game. The staff and OC Brian Smith are looking for more from Kumoku Noa and Marcus Armstrong Brown out of the slot, but they have yet to see what they need. Devan Stubblefield is also an option in the passing game, but had a forgettable 2017 season. JC transfer Cedric Byrd could shove him aside, and there is also the presence of Drake Stallworth, or a pair of incoming freshmen in Michael Washington and Jonah Panoke. Kalakaua Timoteo is also looking for extended reps in the new offense.
Asotui Eli was projected originally to start at C, but now appears to be moving to a tackle spot, probably on the right side. In short, the line could be a patchwork of new faces, as several faces are changing spots, while some have moved on. Rolovich recruited heavily along the line, but the pieces are just coming together as we head into fall. Again, this is another major red flag unit.
Breakdown Defense: Corey Batoon, who was on staff at Arkansas State, Ole Miss, and FAU, is the new DC, the 3rd in three seasons. Batoon is a Hawaii native, and should be a draw from the local resources. He has quite a task at hand, as the Rainbows did not exactly get the job done defensively last season. They allowed 33.9 points per game, and allowed 248.6 yards passing per game. They were hammered on the ground to a tune of 210.17 yards per game rushing.
Hawaii loses their top 3 D linemen from a season ago, and that is not a good sign for a team now languishing for help in both ends of the trench. Tevarua Eldridge and Zeno Choi, both seniors, project as starters at DE. Eldridge played in just 9 games as a junior last fall, recording just one TFL, while Choi recorded 2.5 TFLs in 12 games. There will be major challenges in filling the DT spots, as both are wide open for battle in fall camp. There were 15 total defensive linemen in spring practice, so the hope is that someone from that group will step up from the shadows to get something done in the fall. Kaimana Padello will be in competition with Eldridge, which is a good thing. Look for Justus Tavai to get some good looks at DT, while Blessman Ta'Ala and Doug Russell join him in trying to form a deep rotation there. Zah Ritner is another young player that could see time at DE. Samiuela Akoteu is trying not to get lost in the mix in the middle as well.
There is some good news at LB, as team leader Jahlani Tavai is back at MLB. His loss with the others, would have been catastrophic. He is a senior, and will be the leader of the defense, and one of the team overall leaders as well. He recorded 124 tackles last season, and also led the team with 11 TFLs. He also led the team with 5.5 sacks, and recorded 5 QB hurries as well. Solomon Matautia is back as well after recording 84 tackles, and will start on the strong side. Dany Mulanga was slated to start at WLB, but will be playing in the secondary this season. Jeremiah Pritchard should start in his place. He recorded 31 tackles last season, and is a better overall option for the weak side spot anyway. Penei Pavihi is back as a sophomore, and is looking to work his way up. Malachi Mageo is another candidate for playing time, and incoming freshmen Paul Scott and Khoury Bethley could be good ones down the road.
The secondary was brutalized, as the top 3 safeties from last season are now gone. Eugene Ford and Rojesterman Farris II are slated to start at CB, but neither had much to give last fall. Ford was a freshman last fall, and provided all of 2 PBUs. Manu Hudson-Rasmussen finished with 4 PBUs and is in the mix as well. All in all, the staff needs some serious upgraded play out of this unit, as they got knocked around pretty good a year ago. Zach Wilson will also try to up his play from last fall.
Kalen Hicks will start a tone Safety spot, but the other spot needs filling in camp. Hicks is a new starter and will need to pick up the process in a hurry. Jay Dominique is in the mix, but Mykal Tolliver, Manase Time, Donovan Dalton will all be looking to win the job as well.
Breakdown Special Teams: The Warriors need to settle out their situation at PK, as two kickers struggled to lock down the job a year ago in Alex Trifonovitch and Ryan Meskell. They combined to hit just 4/9 FGs last fall. Michael Boyle, a RS freshman, could have a shot to be the answer.
Stan Gaudion brings some good news to the Punting game, as he averaged 42.07 yards per punt last fall.
Hawaii struggled on kick returns last fall, and will be looking for a new return man. Hudson-Rasmussen will be given the chance to win the job in the fall.
Ursua could return to PR duty in the fall, unless they want to protect him from further injury chances.
Final Analysis: It could be another rough go for the Rainbow Warriors in 2018, as with so many new faces, an offensive shift in philosophy, and a schedule that shows them as maybe being favorites in 3 games, it would be difficult to project this football team being much better this year than last. Nick Rolovich is a realist as head coach, and he will work hard to move the needle up, but baby steps must be gained before this team can get up and run. The staff has recruited well, and with some time and development, I would expect more improvement, but maybe in 2019.
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