We're Going to Be Good.
Don't tell anyone but we're going to have a 3-deep next year. I admit that a lot of this is conjecture, especially on defense, which yeah I have no idea what kind of scheme we'll be running, but no matter how you slice it, we're going to have good options at just about every position. Note: I expect some of the positions (like Nose Tackle and Offensive Guard) will add a bit of depth through recruiting. Notice how there's actual defensive depth now that Rich Rod's recruits are starting to become Sophmores and Juniors? Weird.
Also note: no freshmen, redshirt or otherwise, in this projected starting lineup and only 3 in the two-deep.
Position | Ones | Year | Twos | Year | Threes | Year |
DE | Ryan Van Bergan | Sr# | Jibreel Black | So | Jordan Paskorz | Fr# |
NT | Quinton Washington | So# | Richard Ash | Fr# | ||
DT/DE | Mike Martin | Sr | Terry Talbot | Fr# | Chris Rock | Fr |
DE/LB | Craig Roh | Jr | JB Fitzgerald | Sr | Ken Wilkins | Fr# |
MLB | Kenny Demens | JR# | Isaiah Bell | So# | Kellen Jones | Fr# |
WLB | Brandon Herron | Sr# | Mike Jones | So# | Jake Ryan | Fr# |
Spur/LTS* | Cam Gordon | So# | Thomas Gordon | So# | Antonio Kinard | Fr |
Bandit/STS** | Jordan Kovacs | Jr | Marvin Robinson | So | Brandon Hawthorn | Jr# |
FS | Ray Vinopal | So | Carvin Johnson | So | Josh Furman | Fr# |
CB | Troy Woolfolk | Sr# | Courtney Avery | So | Cullen Christian | So |
CB | JT Floyd | Jr# | Terrence Talbott | So | Dallas Crawford | Fr |
QB | Denard Robinson | Jr | Tate Forcier | Jr | Devin Gardner | Fr# |
RB | Vincent Smith | Jr | Mike Shaw | Sr | Dee Hart | Fr |
WR | Darryl Stonum | Sr | Jeron Stokes | Jr | Ricardo Miller | Fr# |
WR | Jr. Hemmingway | Sr# | Jeremy Jackson | So | Shawn Conway | Fr |
Slot | Roy Roundtree | Jr# | Martavious Odoms | Sr | Kelvin Grady | Sr# |
TE | Kevin Koger | Sr | Brandon Moore | Jr# | ||
LT | Taylor Lewan | So# | Mike Schofield | So# | Jake Fisher | Fr |
LG | Ricky Barnum | Jr# | Will Campbell | Jr | ||
C | David Molk | Sr# | Rocky Khoury | Jr# | Christian Pace | So# |
RG | Patrick Omameh | Jr# | Elliot Mealer | Jr# | ||
RT | Mark Huyge | Sr# | Tony Posada | Fr |
*Linebacker type substance
**Safety type substance
#Redshirt
November 30th, 2010 at 7:30 PM ^
You spelled Jordan Kovacs# incorrectly.
November 30th, 2010 at 7:33 PM ^
Since when is Kovacs spelled with a #?
November 30th, 2010 at 7:36 PM ^
# next to a player's name usually signifies they are a walk-on.
November 30th, 2010 at 7:39 PM ^
Right it was a joke. Kovacs has a scholarship so he's not a walk-on.
November 30th, 2010 at 7:42 PM ^
Yeah, you're right. I screwed up.
November 30th, 2010 at 10:16 PM ^
Swap # for !
# means walk on
! means future captain (2012) - Raback it!
November 30th, 2010 at 7:38 PM ^
Correct spelling: Jordan Kovacs#502....His amazing number of tackles goes right in his name. As it should.
November 30th, 2010 at 7:31 PM ^
But I still think we shouldn't take it to the bank - attrition and injuries killed our decent looking offseason lineup last year.
Also - that D is still ARGH!-inducingly young.
Thanks for this - it does make me feel better about the on-field product. And these young guys are battle tested too - and never quit. I'm really proud of them.
November 30th, 2010 at 7:33 PM ^
At least it's a majority upper classmen though.
November 30th, 2010 at 8:16 PM ^
holy SH@T
junior denard o.O
November 30th, 2010 at 10:48 PM ^
You spelled shit incorrectly.
Satire.
November 30th, 2010 at 7:32 PM ^
Even though the tough defeat to OSU is fresh on my mind, it does give me a lot of hope to think about our healthy roster with a full year more experience. Particularly on D, which should be much improved. Whoever coaches this team next year will have 9 wins, hopefully more.
November 30th, 2010 at 7:33 PM ^
-Mike Jones as MLB? Don't think so. Not nearly sizeable enough and his skill set is more along the lines of Mouton. WLB for sure. Switch Jones and Bell.
-Josh Furman at FS? Thought he was more of a hybrid type.
-I really, really hope someone can displace Vincent Smith from the starting spot. He's a likeable player, but we really could use a more dynamic runner.
-Here's hoping neither Kovacs nor Vinopal starts...because other players beat them out, not because they lose the job.
November 30th, 2010 at 7:37 PM ^
You're right about Jones.
Not sure what Furman will do when he actually starts playing, but I'm not sure who else would play FS on the third team. Really I just wanted to fill out the 3-deep.
I'd be pretty surprised if anyone displaced Vincent by the begining of next year unless Dee is as awesome as I hope. I kinda agree with you, but this is what I think will be.
Kovacs is starting so don't get your hopes up. Who on the roster is going to displace Vinopal? Maybe Courntey Avery?
November 30th, 2010 at 7:51 PM ^
Avery is too small to play FS, then again Vinopal is far from ideal in terms of size. Either way, though, I think that Avery has shown he has the ability to play CB and wouldn't be surprised to see him in the starting lineup opposite Woolfolk next season.
November 30th, 2010 at 8:37 PM ^
I think you are right about Avery. I think we could see Woolfolk and Avery with Floyd at FS.
November 30th, 2010 at 8:09 PM ^
Id like to see what a healthy toussaint can do personally.. From what i saw in the OSU game, he didn't go down instantly when he was arm tackled at the line like V smith did over and over again.
He had some nice runs, id just like to see healthy toussaint get going to start the season in the non conference. Either way should be a fun year.
November 30th, 2010 at 7:40 PM ^
Here's hoping that neither Denard Robinson nor Mike Martin starts.... because other players beat them out, not because they lose their job.
November 30th, 2010 at 7:46 PM ^
Regardless of how good Kovacs and Vinopal are at football, they are both very physically limited. It would benefit the team for players with serious strength and speed upgrades to be good enough at football to displace them.
November 30th, 2010 at 7:51 PM ^
I think it was a joke, but I can't be sure.
November 30th, 2010 at 7:44 PM ^
I agree with that, a couple of my own critiques:
Kenny Wilkins is huge, he will be a full DE for sure, maybe even a DT/DE in the future. Craig Roh will also be too big to play a hybrid spot next year, he'll be a full-time DE.
Jake Ryan is a MLB, or the Craig Roh spot if we still have it. I see him playing similarly to how JB Fitz did at the end of this year. Same thing with Kinard, way too big to be a spur.
One of Terrence Talbott and Cullen Christian will move to safety, probably FS. We will have a lot of corners next fall with Floyd and Woolfolk back and so many in the recruiting class. I'm thinking CC because he's bigger, but I heard maybe TT instead.
Furman is for sure not a FS, probably not a safety at all. Him and Cam are likely linebackers, WILLs, probably. Marvin might be a linebacker as well, but might stay at SS.
I'm hoping for a 4-3 next fall, that would be ideal, I think. Maybe run a 3-4 sometimes with all the WLB types we have.
November 30th, 2010 at 7:46 PM ^
Talbott is not nearly big enough to be a FS
November 30th, 2010 at 7:54 PM ^
I agree with you, but that's what I had heard. He's the same height as Vinopal, but obviously much lighter.
Plus Talbott is very fast. Crazier things have happened.
Maybe JT Floyd goes to FS when he comes back?
November 30th, 2010 at 7:57 PM ^
Floyd could happen. But his coverage skills are a major question mark. And Vinopal is BUILT. I just don't think Talbott has the frame to put on the weight that Vinopal has.
November 30th, 2010 at 8:05 PM ^
Well, if Floyd's coverage skills are a major question mark, then CB's not the place for him either. And I like Vinopal, I'm not suggesting any of these guys take over for Ray Ray, but we're going to have about a dozen CBs next fall and one or two free safeties. If we don't move a CB to FS, who backs up Vinopal? Carvin? He's more of a SS. A true freshman? Maybe if it's Avery Walls, but I don't want to bank on that. We were banking on Cullen coming in and starting at CB, but it doesn't always work that way.
Woolfolk, Floyd, Avery, Talbott and CC are not all going to see time at CB next fall, especially if even one of the true frosh CBs end up looking good. Moving any one of them to FS for the year would be a good idea, IMO.
November 30th, 2010 at 8:11 PM ^
I should have been clearer. I meant covering in space. It's something that's necessary at corner, sure, but can be really taken advantage of at FS. If he's playing a short underneath zone, or even just one deep third, I think he can be efficient, although nowhere near superb. I do agree that SOMEONE's going to need to go to FS this offseason, even if Carvin stays (maybe, maybe not). Cullen could be a possibility, Troy, Avery Walls, maybe even Crawford. I'm assuming the coaches will surprise us all someone we didn't see coming.
November 30th, 2010 at 9:13 PM ^
CC isn't fast enough to play CB. He may very well end up at SS which is what we cureently call or FS.
November 30th, 2010 at 7:48 PM ^
With one of the linebackers rushing basically all the time.
November 30th, 2010 at 8:35 PM ^
Assuming a team has an appropriate NT and DT to play this alignment, four LBs' with one rushing the passer as basically a quick, agile DE puts a ton of pressure on the pocket passing QB's. We may be better suited though for an Indy-style 4-3 where our DE's are pass rushing monsters. Either way, there should be no reason for the team to ever employ a 3-3-5 setup.
November 30th, 2010 at 8:16 PM ^
"Craig Roh will also be too big to play a hybrid spot next year, he'll be a full-time DE."
Craig Roh at fulltime DE is gunna be a key to our success next year. That will greatly benefit the D-Line and give the future DC a chance to run an explosive 4-3.
Plus Kenny Demens seems to have plenty of potential to be a future star.
December 1st, 2010 at 8:46 AM ^
I think he'll be moved back to safety next year.
November 30th, 2010 at 10:51 PM ^
Either CC or TT, either way.
November 30th, 2010 at 8:30 PM ^
I love the guy's heart and football instincts, but he just isn't there athletically and never will be. I am hoping Marvin Robinson can displace him in the starting role because if that happens, it means an immediate upgrade at that spot.
November 30th, 2010 at 7:35 PM ^
we're going to be REAL good.
November 30th, 2010 at 8:12 PM ^
So your saying there's a chance
November 30th, 2010 at 7:35 PM ^
I personally would rather see Avery playing opposite Woolfolk. I think he has more upside and has already made a lot of strides since being forced into the starting lineup.
I also wouldn't be surprised to see Big Will return to the D after the season.
Lastly, I believe that Schofield has always been listed at RT on the depth charts throughout the season.
November 30th, 2010 at 7:42 PM ^
I like Avery at CB and Woolfolk at FS.
I doubt BWC moves back to D, because I don't see the quality depth at DT changing.
November 30th, 2010 at 7:47 PM ^
Schofield is a much better fit at RT.
November 30th, 2010 at 7:49 PM ^
Schofield will be the back-up at both tackle spots next year, as he's the only non-freshman backup.
November 30th, 2010 at 8:03 PM ^
Only a RS JR.
November 30th, 2010 at 8:08 PM ^
I'm assuming Huyge will start. If Lewan and Huyge are the starters, that leaves Schofield as the only other OT on the roster who's not a true frosh. If either OT goes out, I'm hoping they play Schofield over either true frosh, who would then have to burn a redshirt.
November 30th, 2010 at 8:14 PM ^
My bad, I didn't even think of that.
November 30th, 2010 at 7:35 PM ^
...he showed me nothing good this year and backed up why his only other offers where from MAC schools. Considering the sheer number of safety's on the roster, surely one of the higher recruited guys distinguishes themselves.
November 30th, 2010 at 7:40 PM ^
I guess we weren't watching the same games then.
November 30th, 2010 at 7:45 PM ^
I thought Vinopal made excellent reads and often made first contact. If he had Shazor's size he would be feared by opposing receivers and backs alike ! Unfortunately size matters .... in everything !
Go Blue !
November 30th, 2010 at 8:12 PM ^
Was vinopal in charge of the coverage of the wide open guys in the middle of the field against Wisc and OSU? Pryor and Tolzien threw it dead center every time and Vinopal was way late on the spot everytime
November 30th, 2010 at 7:40 PM ^
How dare he not morph into an All-Big Ten player as a freshman, and in the process fail to meet the lofty expectations of Random Message Board Guy.
How dare he!
November 30th, 2010 at 7:41 PM ^
The biggest problem with Vinopal is his tiny-ness. Did you watch a single game? He made freshman errors, but he's definitely a better free safety than Cam Gordon and could end up being a solid player. I hope someone else beats him out, too, but he definitely showed more than "nothing good."
November 30th, 2010 at 7:42 PM ^
He was a true freshman. Who vastly improved coverage over Cam Gordon. If you're expectations/hopes were any higher, you need help.