A look at the schools that are overlooked by the ESPNs of the world.


Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Fall Preview: EMU

Fall Preview for the Eastern Michigan Eagles:

QB
#08 Alex Gillett QB 6-1 218 Sr. Green Springs, Ohio Clyde--12 games played, 12 starts. 169 carries for 736 yards and 3 TD. 109-198 passing for 1504 yards and 14 TD. 1 tackle.
#12 Tyler Benz QB 6-3 215 R-So. Park Ridge, Ill. Maine Township South--2 games played. 1-2 passing for 16 yards.
#14 Mark Iannotti QB 6-2 210 Rf. Schaumburg, Ill. Schaumburg--Redshirted in 2011.
#?? Michael Simpson QB 6-2 195 Trotwood, OH Trotwood-Madison--Incoming freshman.

Senior Alex Gillett leads the Eagles offense after a 2011 season that saw him lead the team in passing and rushing with over 1500 yards in the air and 736 on the ground. He was accountable for 17 touchdowns for the Eagle offense in 2011. Redshirt sophomore Tyler Benz only saw action in 2 games in 2011 completing 12 passes for 16 yards as a reserve. Benz looks to be the fulltime backup and may see more action in 2012. Redshirt freshman Mark Iannotti and true freshman Michael Simpson will battle for the #3 spot with Simpson most likely being redshirted this fall.

RB
#25 Dominique Sherrer RB 5-9 203 R-Sr. Cincinnati, Ohio Colerain--6 games played, 3 starts. 94 carries for 572 yards and 2 TD. 3 catches for 33 yards. 10 kickoff returns for 22.3 yard average.
#32 Javonti Greene RB 5-10 181 Jr. West Palm, Fla. Royal Palm--12 games played, 5 starts. 143 carries for 667 yards and 6 TD. 5 catches for 109 yards and 1 TD. 1 kickoff return for 13 yards.
#23 Joe Fleming RB 5-10 238 R-Jr. Southfield, Mich. Lathrup--11 games played, 4 starts. 4 carries for 3 yards. 4 catches for 48 yards and 1 TD. 2 tackles.
#22 Ryan Brumfield RB 5-10 183 So. Chester Springs, Pa. Owen J. Robert--7 games played. 14 carries for 36 yards. 1 catch for 22 yards. 9 kickoff returns for 18.4 yard average.
#11 Tyler Allen RB 5-8 177 So. Lansing, Mich. Eastern--9 games played.
#30 Bronson Hill RB 5-10 211 So. Grand Rapids, Mich. Catholic Central--8 games played. 5 tackles.
#29 Reo Allen RB 5-11 202 Sr. Detroit, Mich. Northwestern Wayne County Community College--No stats in 2011.
#?? Juwan Lewis RB 5-11 208 Muskegon, MI Muskegon--Incoming freshman.

The running back competition for Eastern Michigan will be down to senior Dominique Sherrer and junior Javonti Greene who combined for over 1200 yards and 8 touchdowns on the ground in 2011. They will get the large majority of the carries for the Eagle offense although junior Joe Fleming and sophomore Ryan Brumfield will get on the field in relief and carry the ball for the Eagles as well. Sophomores Allen and Hill look to contribute on special teams this fall.

FB
#45 Matt Boyd FB 6-0 235 Sr. Southfield, Mich. Lathrup--11 games played. 7 tackles. 1 blocked kick. 1 punt return for 5 yards.

Senior Matt Boyd will be the fullback called upon when needed for the Eastern Michigan offense for short yardage/goal line plays and is normally treated as a glorified extra offensive lineman. Boyd's impact will be much more on special teams as evidenced by his 7 tackles and 1 blocked kick last season.

TE
#85 Garrett Hoskins TE 6-2 253 Sr. Grand Rapids, Mich. Creston--12 games played, 12 starts. 22 catches for 328 yards and 3 TD. 2 tackles.
#81 Dylan Brooks TE 6-4 248 So. Stevensville, Mich. Lakeshore--12 games played, 3 starts. 
#88 Tyreese Russell TE 6-3 235 So. Chicago, Ill. Walther Lutheran--11 games played. 6 catches for 104 yards and 2 TD.
#86 L’Shane Bynum TE 6-0 219 Sr. Taylor, Mich. Truman--5 games played. 1 punt return for 19 yards. 1 blocked kick.
#?? Cole Gardner TE 6-6 240 Batavia, IL Batavia--Incoming freshman.
#?? Christian Menet TE 6-5 238 Reading, PA Exeter Township Senior--Incoming freshman.

Senior Garrett Hoskins will again be the starter at tight end after starting all 12 games in 2011 and making 22 catches with 3 of those catches going for touchdowns. He is a solid blocker and a good red zone target for Gillett and could catch 5 or 6 touchdowns in 2012 in the right situation. Backups Dylan Brooks and Tyreese Russell will be part of the rotation for the tight ends with senior L'Shane Bynum expected to contribute significantly on special teams for the Eagles again in 2012.

WR
#02 Demarius Reed WR 5-10 167 So. Chicago, Ill. Simeon Academy--11 games played, 2 starts. 1 carry for 12 yards. 0-1 passing. 11 catches for 118 yards and 2 TD. 13 punt returns for 12.8 yards average and 1 TD.
#15 Julius Shelby WR 6-4 202 R-So. Bellwood, Ill. Proviso West--7 games played. 3 catches for 42 yards.
#80 Nick Olds WR 6-2 203 R-Jr. Columbus, Ind. East--12 games played, 7 starts. 24 carries for 342 yards and 3 TD.
#17 Donald Scott WR 6-0 191 Jr. Apopka, Fla. Apopka--11 games played, 5 starts. 2 catches for 55 yards.
#19 Jay Jones WR 5-10 186 R-Fr. Palm Coast, Fla. Matanzas--Redshirted in 2011.
#18 Kevin Wheeler WR 6-0 180 Jr. Newport News, Va. C.D. Hylton Hargrave Academy--3 games played.
#87 Dustin Daniels WR 6-2 177 Jr. Flat Rock, Mich. Plainfield (Ill.)--No stats in 2011.
#49 Sean Walker WR 6-1 157 R-So. Ypsilanti, Mich. Ann Arbor Huron--No stats in 2011.
#83 David Gibson WR 5-11 166 Rf. Cleveland, Ohio Solon--Redshirted in 2011. 1 game played.
#?? Mitchell Dawkins WR 6-2 200 Winter Park, FL Lake Howell--Incoming freshman.
#?? Quincy Jones WR 6-3 185 Lakewood, OH St. Edward--Incoming freshman.

The Eagles return 4 wide receivers that have made catches in 2011 led by junior Nick Olds who caught 24 passes in 2011 making him the leading returning receiver for the Eagles. Sophomores Demarius Reed and Julius Shelby added 14 catches for the Eastern Michigan offense while backup Donald Scott added 2 catches for 55 yards last season. With no one else really having any game experience, the final two players in the receiver rotation are up for grabs and could be earned by either of the true freshmen (Dawkins and Jones) on the roster.

OL
#68 Korey Neal LT 6-3 316 Sr. Bowie, Md. St. John's--10 games played, 10 starts.
#70 Corey Watman LG 6-2 290 Sr. Queensville, Ontario, Canada Huron Heights--10 games played, 10 starts.      
#72 Andrew Sorgatz C 6-5 286 Sr. Wheaton, Ill. Wheaton North--12 games played, 12 starts.
#67 Campbell Allison RG 6-6 324 R-So. Ogdensburg, N.Y. Ogdensburg Free Academy--12 games played, 7 starts.
#75 Scott MacLeod RT 6-8 306 R-So. Sterling Heights, Mich. DeLaSalle--11 games played, 4 starts.
#74 Bobby McFadden LT 6-7 312 R-So. Flint, Mich. Carman-Ainsworth--9 games played.
#60 Josh Woods LG 6-4 309 R-So. Cocoa, Fla. Cocoa--No stats in 2011.
#79 Orlando McCord C 6-3 306 R-Jr. Detroit, Mich. Martin Luther King--12 games played, 5 starts.
#73 Garrett Parker RG 6-5 317 Rf. Tinley Park, Ill. Andrew--Redshirted in 2011.
#77 Lincoln Hansen RT 6-6 300 R-So. Omaha, Neb. Millard North--12 games played, 9 starts.
#69 Shawn Sinawe LG 6-3 300 R-Jr. Ann Arbor, Mich. Pioneer--2 games played.
#61 Jordan Erbes C 6-5 277 R-So. Kettering, Ohio Fairmont--2 games played.
#?? Mike Brown OL 6-3 294 Sandusky, OH Sandusky--Incoming freshman.
#?? Jake Hurcombe OL 6-3 280 Lincolnshire, IL Stevenson--Incoming freshman.
#?? Darien Terrell OL 6-4 340 Massillon, OH Jackson--Incoming freshman.
#?? Matthew Thornton OL 6-5 285 Owosso, MI Owosso--Incoming freshman.
#?? Andrew Wylie OL 6-5 274 Midland, MI Midland--Incoming freshman.

The Eagles return an experienced offensive line in 2012 with all 5 projected starters making at least 4 starts in 2011 led by senior center Andrew Sorgatz who started all 12 games in the middle for the Eagles. Seniors Korey Neal and Corey Watman both played and started 10 games in 2011 making the left side of the offensive line the most experienced side. Sophomores Campbell Allison and Scott MacLeod made a combined 11 starts although both played in at least 11 of the games with Allison making an appearance in every game in 2011. Surprisingly, sophomore Lincoln Hansen is currently the backup at right tackle to MacLeod after starting 9 games in 2011. Hansen will be in the mix and could even steal the starting job back by the opening of the season. Junior Orlando McCord also is quite experienced with 5 starts on the line in 2011 and is a candidate to earn significant playing time this fall.

DL
59 Matt Price DE 6-2 256 R-Jr. Saline, Mich. Saline--6 games played. 2 tackles.
93 Cy Maughmer NT 6-2 299 So. Glendale, Ariz. Apache Junction Glendale C.C.--No stats in 2011.
94 Devin Henderson DT 6-2 319 Sr. Northbrook, Ill. Glenbrook South Harper Junior College--No stats in 2011.
56 Andy Mulumba DE 6-4 262 Sr. Montreal, Quebec, Canada Vieux Montreal--12 games played, 12 starts. 51 tackles, 7.5 for loss. 3.5 sacks, 2 pbu, 2 pd, 2 forced fumbles.
92 Jacob Rich DE 6-2 239 R-So. Painesville, Ohio Riverside--No stats in 2011.
76 Travis Linser DT 6-4 276 So. Glendale, Ariz. Phoenix Northwest Christian Phoenix College--No stats in 2011.
95 Kalonji Kashama DE 6-4 273 R-Jr. Brampton, Ontario, Canada Brampton--12 games played, 4 starts. 28 tackles, 3.5 for loss. 1.5 sacks, 1 pbu, 1 pd.
54 Omar McFarlane DE 6-1 249 Rf. Miami, Fla. Norland--Redshirted in 2011.
99 Kevin Thomas DL 6-1 295 Jr. Avondale, Mich. Avondale Oakland C.C.--No stats in 2011.
#?? Pat O'Connor DE 6-5 245 Chicago, IL St. Rita--Incoming freshman.
#?? Mike Steals DE 6-5 250 North Braddock, PA Woodland Hills--Incoming freshman.
#?? Cy Maughmer DT 6-1 281 Glendale, AZ Glendale C.C.--JUCO Transfer.
#?? Arron Pipkins DT 6-1 280 Maple Heights, OH Maple Heights--Incoming freshman.

Senior defensive end Andy Mulumba is the only projected starter on the defensive line to have any real experience with 12 starts and 51 tackles in 2011. Junior Matt Price is the other defensive end but inexperienced with only 6 games played and 2 tackles in 2011. Senior Devin Henderson and sophomore Cy Maughmer man the middle of the defensive line although both are big question marks with no game experience on the college level. While the battle for backups to get in the rotation will be fierce, junior Kalonji Kashama will be at the top of the list after making 4 starts in 2011 and adding 28 tackles. Rich, Linser, McFarlane, and Thomas will be the ones fighting to see the field.


LB
#47 Justin Cudworth WLB 5-11 220 Sr. Monte Nido, Calif. Agoura College of the Canyons--12 games played, 12 starts. 83 tackles, 8.5 for loss. 1.5 sacks, 4 pbu, 4 pd, 3 forced fumbles.
#35 Colin Weingrad MLB 6-0 213 Jr. Woodlands, Texas College Park--12 games played, 5 starts. 3 kickoff returns for 9 yard average. 34 tackles, 2.5 for loss. 3 pbu, 3 pd, 1 fumble recovery.
#21 Bryan Pali SLB 6-0 209 Sr. Kihei, Hawai’i Kamehameha Orange Coast Community College--12 games played, 3 starts. 47 tackles, 1 for loss. 1 interception, 2 pbu, 3 pd, 1 forced fumble.
#50 Jake Pennese WLB 6-0 217 Rf. Toledo, Ohio St. John's Jesuit--Redshirted in 2011.
#36 Blake Poole SLB 6-3 229 Sr. Yorba Linda, Calif. Esperanza Santa Ana Community College--11 games played, 9 starts. 44 tackles, 3 for loss. 1 sack, 1 pbu, 1 pd, 1 fumble recovery.
#40 Sean Kurtz LB 5-11 231 R-Jr. Anaheim, Calif. Canyon Santa Ana Community College--No stats in 2011.
#41 Desdan Hester LB 6-2 235 R-So. Atlanta, Ga. McNair--3 games played. No stats in 2011.
#?? Tim Brown LB 6-0 235 San Jose, CA San Jose C.C.--JUCO Transfer.
#?? Hunter Matt LB 6-2 217 Wyandotte, MI Roosevelt--Incoming freshman.
#?? Ike Spearman LB 6-1 220 St. John, IN Lake Central--Incoming freshman.
#?? Anthony Zappone LB 6-2 220 Westlake, OH Westlake--Incoming freshman.

The Eastern Michigan linebacker corps is much more experienced than their front four with 20 starts combined among the three projected starters. Senior weak side linebacker Justin Cudworth made all 12 starts in 2011 and had an impressive 83 tackles including 8.5 for loss last season and will be flanked by junior middle linebacker Colin Weingrad (34 tackles) and senior strong side linebacker Bryan Pali (47 tackles). Senior Blake Poole will battle with Pali for the strong side starting spot after making 9 starts in 2011 and contributing 44 tackles for the Eagles. Pennese and Kurtz also look to be in the linebacker rotation as well for the Eagles.

DB
04 Marlon Pollard CB 6-0 173 R-Jr. Pomona, Calif. Cajon UCLA--11 games played, 11 starts. 15 punt returns for 5.3 yards. 54 tackles, 2 for loss. 1 interception, 7 pbu, 8 pd.
31 Marcell Rose CB 5-9 185 Sr. Orlando, Fla. Cypress Creek-- 12 games played, 12 starts. 56 tackles, 1 for loss. 1 interception, 4 pbu, 5 pd, 1 forced fumble.
20 Kevin Johnson FS 5-11 193 So. McKeesport, Pa. McKeesport--12 games played. 15 tackles. 1 fumble recovery, 1 forced fumble.
07 Pudge Cotton SS 6-1 214 So. Maywood, Ill. Walther Lutheran--5 games played.  No stats in 2011.
01 Darius Scott CB 5-8 165 So. Chicago, Ill. Simeon Academy--10 games played. 11 kickoff returns for 17.5 yard average. 2 tackles. 1 interception, 1 pbu, 2 pd.
09 Dominque Rouse CB 5-10 167 So. Apopka, Fla. Winter Park--5 games played. No stats in 2011.
33 Alex Bellfy FS 6-0 204 Sr. Brooklyn, Mich. Lumen Christi--12 games played. 10 tackles, 1 for loss.
16 Jerry Haymon SS 6-0 203 Rf. Clovis, Calif. Clovis East--Redshirted in 2011.
05 Ja'Ron Gillespie CB 5-11 179 Sr. Washington, D.C. Friendship Collegiate Academy--11 games played. 4 tackles.
08 Kris Strange  DB 5-11 180 Rf. Pickerington, Ohio Central--Redshirted in 2011.
10 Corey Manns DB 5-11 194 Sr. Kenton, Ohio Kenton--12 games played. 5 tackles, 1 pbu, 1 pd.
24 Michael Denson DB 5-11 195 So. Ann Arbor, Mich. Huron--No stats in 2011.
28 Joseph Smith DB 6-0 194 Rf. Clawson, Mich. Clawson--Redshirted in 2011.
29 Jalen Williams DB 5-11 192 Rf. Southfield, Mich. Lathrup--Redshirted in 2011.
32 Oliver Kathalay DB 5-11 182 R-So. Avondale, Ga. Avondale--No stats in 2011.
39 Kenyarda Bates DB 5-6 171 R-Jr. Detroit, Mich. Martin Luther King--No stats in 2011.
46 Matt Brown  DB 6-1 193 R-Jr. Detroit, Mich. Cass Tech--No stats in 2011.
#?? Kirkland Bryant DB 5-10 170 Lakewood, OH St. Edward--Incoming freshman.
#?? Amos Houston DB 6-2 210 Detroit, MI Loyola--Incoming freshman.
#?? Mycal Swaim DB Oroville, CA Butte C.C.--JUCO Transfer.

Cornerbacks Marlon Pollard and Marcell Rose are the only defensive backs on the roster with any starting experience making 23 combined starts in 2012 with 110 tackles combined among the two. Sophomore free safety Kevin Johnson played well as a true freshman in 2011 making 15 tackles and forcing and recovering a fumble on the season. Sophomore strong safety Pudge Cotton played in 5 games but did not accumulate any stats on the season. Sophomores Scott and Rouse are the backup cornerbacks and are slightly unknown quantities making sporadic contributions to the Eagle defense. Bellfy and Maymon are the backup safeties with Bellfy contributing 10 tackles in 2011.

LS
#53 Mike Zupancic LS 6-5 244 Sr. Trabuco Canyon, Calif. Trabuco Hills--12 games played. 1 tackle.
#58 Matt Bowman LS 6-0 219 Sr. West Bloomfield, Mich. West Bloomfield--No stats in 2011.

Senior Mike Zupancic had a solid season snapping the ball in 2011 playing in all 12 games and making a special teams tackle in 2011. He should improve slightly and be a solid yet understated player for the Eagles in 2012.

P
#37 Jay Karutz P 6-2 205 Sr. North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia Holy Cross College--12 games played. 1 kickoff with 0 touchbacks. 64 punts for a 38.8 yard average with 26 inside the 20 yard line and 12 over 50 yards.
#34 Kody Fulkerson PK 5-11 185 Jr. Zanesville, Ohio Maysville--12 games played.
#67 Owen Dubiel P 6-0 208 R-So. East Jackson, Mich. East Jackson--No stats in 2011.

Senior Jay Karutz returns for his senior year after punting 64 times in 2011 for a 38.8 yard average including 26 punts that landed inside the opponents 20 yard line. If he can improve his average punt to 40 yards, he could be a field position weapon for the Eagles.

K
#34 Kody Fulkerson PK 5-11 185 Jr. Zanesville, Ohio Maysville--12 games played. 14-21 field goals with a long of 48 yards and 1 blocked kick. 8 kickoffs with 0 touchbacks.
#66 Mike Yocum PK 5-10 193 R-So. Ann Arbor, Mich. Gabriel Richard--11 games played. 48 kickoffs with 5 touchbacks. 2 tackles.

Junior Kody Fulkerson returns after  a solid sophomore season in 2011 that saw him make 14-21 field goals with a long of 48 yards. Fulkerson also saw one of his kicks blocked. Sophomore Mike Yocum found his spot on the field in 2011 as the kickoff specialist. On 48 kickoffs, Yocum saw 5 end up as touchbacks which will improve significantly in 2012 with the new kickoff rules.

ATH
#?? Dustin Creel ATH 6-2 198 Industry, PA Western Beaver--Incoming freshman.
#?? Darius Jackson ATH 6-0 190 Sparta, IL Sparta--Incoming freshman.


2011 saw Eastern Michigan finally get back to .500 after several futile season preceding it. The Eagles missed out on a possible bowl berth by losing 3 of 4 to end the season including a disappointing loss to Kent State. 2012 sees the Eagles with a tougher out of conference slate including trips to Purdue and Michigan State in addition to home games versus Illinois State and Army. 2-2 would be very nice for the Eagles although that home game versus Army will be difficult. EMU gets Toledo, Northern Illinois and in state rival Central Michigan at home with a tough late season midweek game at Ohio. The Eagles should come close to equaling 2011's 6 wins but it will not be easy. Expect 5-7 and another close but not quite season from Eastern Michgan.

No comments:

Post a Comment