We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

[RoundingThird]

Re: We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

What's even better is that my school's game next weekend has just been moved to The Rent!!! We're terrible, but it's not often you get a regular season game being played there, and it's under the lights. Usually just the state championships are in East Hartford.

Okay, let's shift gears back to you. Of course, what others say is important too. All I ask is that you play BC in a home and home at some point. I don't really care about the UMass games, the only draw there is playing at Gillette. If it were up to me, I would play BC on the road at Gillette, and then at home in East Hartford.

[thesportsguru11]

Re: We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

Rourke, Diaco suspended opening two games of 2019 after NCAA wraps up investigation

Probation forthcoming

The hits keep coming.

After announcing A.D. Warde Manuel was leaving for Michigan earlier in the week, the NCAA has suspended coach Bob Diaco and now-junior defensive end Sam Rourke for the opening two games of the 2019 season for providing "impermissible" benefits to Rourke during his recruitment in 2016.

NCAA reports say that Diaco gave Rourke $500 cash at several in-house visits, as did then-defensive coordinator Anthony Poindexter, who is now at Oklahoma. He has also been suspended for the opening two games of OU's season.

UConn has been placed on probation for one year, and will lose five scholarships for the 2019-2020 recruiting cycle.

Rourke nor Diaco could be reached for comment, but UConn president Susan Herbst is looking into appealing as soon as a new athletic director is hired. She indicated she may file the papers herself if the search is extended. Diaco cannot have contact with the NCAA at this time.

Rourke, a certain preseason All-American pick this fall, has started all 28 games in his college career. He tallied 11 sacks and 23 TFL's a year ago.

What's even better is that my school's game next weekend has just been moved to The Rent!!! We're terrible, but it's not often you get a regular season game being played there, and it's under the lights. Usually just the state championships are in East Hartford.

Okay, let's shift gears back to you. Of course, what others say is important too. All I ask is that you play BC in a home and home at some point. I don't really care about the UMass games, the only draw there is playing at Gillette. If it were up to me, I would play BC on the road at Gillette, and then at home in East Hartford.

That's awesome!! It sucks living in VT because there aren't any pro teams (or for that matter major college teams) within at least two hours from where I live.

But I mean, who needs pro sports when you have foliage. Yay?

Since last season's BC game was at Gillette, I will definitely look to set up the rematch at Gillette and figure out a second game. Maybe we could drag UMass to MetLife....

[WreckedKnees]

Re: We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

I have been a silent follower of this forever and I just made an account earlier today. Amazing job with the Guru, a very worthwhile dynasty to read!

[PowedermilkBiscuits]

Re: We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

This dynasty thread is easily the reason I'm gonna start my own, best on OS! Keep up the awesome stuff!

[Irreversible]

Re: We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

Love it so far Guru! Well worth reading it all

[thesportsguru11]

Re: We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

2019 Coaching Carousel

CAC alum James moves to Maryland, Pelini to NC State, former UConn assistants Marty English and Mike Denbrock to Tennessee, UCF

Another very busy coaching carousel wrapped up with some big names getting the boot, others hanging it up and more UConn assistants and CAC alums on the move.

Veterans at schools such as LSU (Les Miles), Kansas State (Bill Snyder), SMU (June Jones) and Hawai'i (Chuck Heater) decided to hang it up after long and successful careers. Meanwhile several new Power 5 schools, including Louisville, Indiana, NC State, South Carolina and Tennessee will be sporting new coaches this fall.

And the rise of UConn's best coordinators from the magical 2017 season, Marty English and Mike Denbrock continue their rise to the top of the college coaching landscape. English, after one rousing season at UCF, moves to replace Butch Jones at Tennessee, while Denbrock is slated to fill English's spot at UCF after one year at Western Michigan.

In the CAC field, we already chronicled UConn assistant Bob Trebell becoming the third CAC head coach accepting the job at Hawai'i. But additionally, coach Jordan James (UTSA) has been signed on to fill the offensive coordinator job at Maryland, joining Tyrone Coley (Rutgers) and Brennan Smith (Purdue) in the conference. Here's to Coach Trebell and Coach James!

CAC Preview below:

Team	Coach Out	Reason .. Departure	Coach In	Former Job
East Carolina	Tom Masella	Fired	Pete Lembo	UMass HC
Florida Atlantic	Charlie Partridge	Left..New Job	Randy Sanders	South Carolina HC
Georgia State	Trent Miles	Left...New Job	Charlie Partridge	Florida Atlantic HC
Hawai'i	Chuck Heater	Retired	Bob Trebell	UConn Assistant
Indiana	Sonny Dy.kes	Fired	Bob Shoop	Penn State DC
Kansas State	Bill Snyder	Retired..Again	Trent Miles	Georgia State HC
Kent State	Brian Rock	Left..New Job	Bobby Wilder	Old Dominion HC
LSU	Les Miles	Retired	Sterlin Gilbert	San Diego State HC
Louisville	Bobby Petrino	Fired	Brian Rock	Kent State HC
NC State	Dave Doeren	Fired	Bo Pelini	Wyoming HC
Old Dominion	Bobby Wilder	Left...New Job	Doug Meacham	TCU OC
SMU	June Jones	Retired	Robert Anae	Everywhere
San Diego State	Sterlin Gilbert	Left...New Job	Pat Narduzzi	USC DC
South Carolina	Randy Sanders	Fired	Tyson Summers	UCF DC
Tennessee	Butch Jones	Fired	Marty English	UCF HC
Troy	Keith Patterson	Left...New Job	Lance Leipold	Wisconsin-Whitewater HC
UCF	Marty English	Left...New Job	Mike Denbrock	Western Michigan HC
UMass	Pete Lembo	Left...New Job	Hank Hughes	Cincinnati DC
UNLV	Paul Wulff	Fired	Tyrone Nix	Auburn DC
UTEP	Sean Kugler	Fired	Buster Faulkner	Mid Tenn. St. OC
Utah State	Matt Wells	Fired	Keith Patterson	Troy HC
Western Michigan	Mike Denbrock	Left..New Job	Greg Davis	Iowa OC
Wyoming	Bo Pelini	Left..New Job	Rick Stockstill	USC OC

And now....let's meet all 20 of our OS Create-A-Coaches!

For new followers, each card shows which job each coach has, with screen names for anyone curious. Click on the spoiler for a brief team preview for each coach, with full team breakdowns for head coaches and a paragraph with a depth chart for coordinators. Coordinators will only see previews from the side of the ball they coach. I DO NOT PLAY FAVORITES. Thank you.

If anyone notices an error, please let me know. Could be saying Ohio depth chart in UAB's spoiler, a spelling error, a user name error, anything. I'm really tired, really frustrated with my table generator so I've likely made mistakes in places.

I really hope you guys don't mind with me going with the gigantic walls of text for head coaches and depth charts for OC's, along with no pictures. I wrote up the previews as I did last season for USC and Wazzu before thinking it'd be easier, and decided I'd keep it so I wouldn't have wasted my time.

If you would like to join this next season, stay tuned toward the end of season 6 and I'll set you up. I've got plenty of room, especially for defensive coordinators. I can set you up with a real nice DC gig.

Before we begin:

CAC Contract Extensions:

Quinn Shea
Matt King
Trent Davis
Laurence Gilbert
J.J. Mac
Brennan Smith

Spoiler

Preview a Year ago:

Shea has USC in a serious position to be a CFP team this year, and his energy and game planning are second to none. If the leap they made was quantum last year, I can only imagine what the young genius can do in 2018.

The Lodown:

Boy, did they ever. The 25 year old Coach Shea became the youngest coach ever to win a national title and one of the fastest to do so at one school. In his second season at the helm of USC, QB Jalen Greene and RB's Dontrell Marshall and Lamar Holycross, along with a fantastic defense, rolled over everyone and survived a challenge from Florida to take the program's 12th national title. With Greene and some offensive linemen the only major casualties from the offense, it's all on a young, talented defense. Either way, this team is stocked for a run at a repeat.


QB: With Jalen Greene gone, 5th year senior Brad Ewing becomes SC’s third different starting QB in the last three seasons. Ewing has only played sparingly in his college career and has never started a game, though he looked solid in various garbage time situations last season and reminds the staff of Greene. Junior Cam Miles is the next man up. Shea needs another QB in this year’s recruiting cycle though. I feel confident he doesn’t know what to do when Miles graduates after 2020.

RB: Dontrell Marshall and Lamar Holycross are the best running back duo at USC, and maybe the country, since Reggie Bush and LenDale White. The powerful Marshall (1599 yards, 19 TD’s) eased into the Heisman race late last season and is the frontrunner at the start of 2019, while Holycross (1346 yards, 13 TD’s), who drew comparisons to Bush out of high school, stepped in when ‘Trell went down hurt in the National Title Game and had a quietly stellar season of his own. The former top recruit will likely see split carries. Unfortunately, both are seniors, as is third string back Charles Leslie. Look for speedy redshirt sophomore Justin Lewis to get some carries -- he’s next in 2020.

WR: Marshall Dickerson, who came into last year as the third option at wideout, emerged at the end as the #1, racking up 100 yard receiving games in both playoff games for the Trojans. He, along with former 1,000 yard man Matt Jones and sophomore wideout Michael Skinner, return for the Trojans, meaning the top three receivers for USC are back. Junior Ray Beck and sophomores Max Barron and Brandon Long are the top backups. Pierre Russell had a splendid freshman season at TE, recording 57 catches and 10 TD’s.

OL: USC loses a lot off the line, but some young pieces look promising. Big sophomore James Colvin is the crucial left tackle, and fellow sophomore John Retonzes, both freshman All-Americans a year ago, return. Senior center Clay Wood and junior right guard J.B. Kirkpatrick will start. Senior Joe George and true freshman Ecanda Auland, though not guards, will battle for the last spot at left guard.

DL: Four seniors will start for the Trojans this season: A’Shean White and Jason Turner (4.5 sacks in 2018) at ends, with Simms McAfee (9 TFL, 3 sacks) and Logan Hamby (4 sacks) in the middle. Senior Matt Ruffin and junior Brian Luncy are the top backups. Keep an eye out for sophomore Nick Mitchell.

LB: 6-foot-4 Kenton Suber had an All-American worthy performance a year ago, tallying 111 tackles, 20 for loss, 8 sacks and an INT. He is the best linebacker in the nation and will anchor the unit in his senior season. Senior Heath Thomas has never started but has lots of reserve experience, as does junior Greg Williams. Young sophomore Eric Jamison is a future star, as is true freshman D.J. Rossland.

DB: USC loses a lot here, but they are still very deep. Senior free safety O.J. Hill is an All-American, and senior Chatman Cobbs can easily become one. Senior Cornell Covington is a plug and play guy anywhere, and Charles Young was a freshman All-America a year ago. Sophomore Shen Oliver is another to watch. Corner Jay Weaver is a veteran, and joining the group are stud true freshmen in Kavonte Dafontay, Cedric Moore and Brilionte Carland. All three are primed to be stars, very soon.

ST: Losing All-American kicker Carlos Caldwell hurts, but Coach Shea has confidence in freshman Jon Lilly. Punter Fred Wallace is back for his fourth year, but needs to improve after seeing his average dip last year.

Preview in a Sentence: The question could very well be by how much does USC win the playoff for back-to-back.

Spoiler

Preview a Year ago:

It will take a few years, but Willingham can recruit, and he knows he has lots of talent as a coach. He just better hope the Washington St. A.D. office is patient.

The Lodown: It was a rough go of it at times for Willingham last season, his team showing flashes of potential and struggles. Wazzu did end up 3-9 though, winning two conference games to avoid finishing in the basement of the Pac-12 North. With their starting QB returning, a lot of the defense back and some exciting young skill position players, it won’t be long before Wazzu is challenging for a bowl berth.

QB: Crest Hill had his good and bad last year in his first go-round as a starter (50.9 completion %, 3436 yards, 25 TD’s), but needs to improve on his 14 INT’s. His speed isn’t fantastic, so I expect Coach Willingham to integrate senior Tanner Coffey, a dual-threat, into the offense some more. Redshirt freshman J.C. Bullock has the size (6’5, 229), an accurate arm and some speed. The staff is in love with him and he gets a shot as early as next fall.

RB: Dunston DeLuca is gone, and speedy junior Elson Asa’sina figures to see the most touches. However, three freshman and a true sophomore back him up. Ouch.

FB: Sophomore Vai Takalana’ufu looks huge in his 249 pound frame, and runs like a bull. I expect him to be utilized a lot. Brian Pittman is a versatile true freshman, but may need a year.

WR: Junior Terence Gray is the leading receiver back (26 catches, 339 yards) and it’s unclear what he can do best. Brandon Sharpe had his moments last year and his speed is enticing. Sophomore Terry Seward is finally expected to contribute, as are the Cor(e)y’s, Gofane and Lorenton. Freshman Paul Mason is one to watch going forward. Massive senior tight end Sean Tucker (6’7) caught 25 balls last year and is back, as is equally slow Sanson Reyes. Blake Larson is an exciting prospect who played sparingly as a freshman, but can easily be worked into the rotation a lot more this year as a slotback.

OL: Left tackle Tommy Jean is an All-Pac-12 candidate, and will likely shift to right tackle for the left-handed Hill. Jeff Stewart is a seasoned junior, but three sophomores will make up the rest of the line. Welcome to the Pac-12, kids.

DL: 6’7 bulldozer Eltez Vakapuku is back for his senior season, and teams with Lamont Gray on the left side. While seniors Tyler McIntyre and Adam Clark back them up, watch out for true freshman J.T. Martin. Wazzu’s version of Derek Robinson is the nose tackle, and Tim Green is competing for a job also. Juniors Michael Booker and Justin Dixon provide excellent depth.

LB: 6’6 Justin Tayden (67 tackles, 8 TFL in 2018), returns for his senior season. His speed and instincts make for a potential NFL prospect. Fellow seniors Jamaal Neltren and Simi Akalana take the right and middle sides, respectively. Juniors C.J. Moore, Dennis Thompson and J.T. Smith are able backups. UCLA transfer Seth Timmons has three years of eligibility once he sits out this season. He is one to keep an eye on.

CB: Junior Cory Lester had 3 INT’s a year ago and is a physical cover corner, but struggled at times and might be overtaken by Ron Bowens and senior Jared Williams, who dealt with injuries last season. Sophomores Nate Arnold and Travis Grigsby are next in line. Sophomore safety Troy Dunn has the staff excited, and he finally gets to play while juniors Chance Fuqua and Garrett Patterson battle for the free safety spot.

ST: Travis Rawlson had a shaky freshman season, only converting 7 of his 15 field goal attempts, but he has looked strong in fall camp. Former JUCO transfer Terrance Grant managed a fair 41 yard average last fall.

Preview In a Sentence: Could still be a year away, but they are close.

Spoiler

Coach Preview a Year Ago: (UConn Super Assistant):

Trebell has a great shot to become the first CAC to win a national title. However, don’t be surprised to see Trebell take a bigger job next offseason.

The Lodown: While Trebell didn’t become the first CAC to win a national title (Shea accomplished that), Trebell still performed a lot of functions for UConn and provided an immense amount of value. As expected, someone picked up on that, and Trebell returns to Hawai’i, where he has ties. If Trebell can perform as a head coach as well as he has as an assistant, the Rainbow Warriors are in for some fun seasons ahead.

QB: Senior Ikaika Greer filled in the last six games when the Warriors’ starter went down hurt last year, and threw for 1662 and 9 TD’s, but 12 INT’s. The pocket passer is joined by senior Mike Bryant, dual threat sophomore Jason Kililoloka and true freshman Timi Funake. Trebell likes to have mobility in his QB’s, so don’t be surprised to see him turn to the sophomore Kililoloka. But don’t be surprised to see Bryant or Greer under center week 1.

RB: Though Hawai’i has never used much of a running back over the years, Trebell has been gifted into three good ones in seniors Falo Cantana (667 yards, 5 TD), Lance Austin (504 yards, TD), and Mike Coleman (22 yards). All three will see big carries in the offense switch. We’ll be hearing from sophomores C.J. Jones-Grice and Fili Lo’aka before long.

WR: UH has produced some good WR’s in the past, and electric quick senior Scott Cayden is one of them. He leads returnees with 45 catches and 505 yards. Though seniors Brad Lualolae and Sialohe Long have been with the program four years, neither have a catch to their name. Same goes with junior B.J. Pressley and sophomore Vick Hogan. Washington transfer Terrence McDaniel will have three years to play starting next fall and is an exciting prospect. Three very good tight ends in senior Steve Coley, junior Kealo Rega and senior Timo Funaki figure into the offense a lot.

OL: Junior Brian Stewart is now responsible for guarding the starting QB’s blind side, and he better perform because true freshman Adam Campbell is pushing hard. Juniors Male Po’oluku, Brad Newell, sophomore Simi Tamaloka and junior Tez Dukes (from left to right) are the starters on a largely new look line. Freshman Robert Hopkins, junior Laupepa Marriner and freshman Chris Morris are the top backups.

DL: Senior Tago Pola’Pele had a phenomenal junior year last fall, recording 94 tackles (25 for loss) with 7.5 sacks. Sophomore Michael Green looks just as promising as his new linemate, but he has no experience. Junior Mikante Alvarez and senior Adam Lau are the top backups on the edge. Even with Pola’Pele, it is senior Noke Alafaku could very well be the star of the unit. His season cut short with injuries, he racked up 40 tackles and 3.5 sacks a year ago. Brett Rivas and Adam Rhoden will compete for the fourth spot in Trebell’s projected 4-3.

LB: 6’5 Ryan Kidd will likely get the call to start at left ‘backer. Though he is really slow, he has a knack for getting in the backfield and has more experience than the pair of freshmen behind him. Seniors Brian Landrum (48 tackles, 1.5 sacks) and Tokeia Gouveia anchor the middle of the defense. UCLA transfer Vic Burgess is eligible to play next year with three years to do so. Keep an eye on freshman Keith Amamaiuke. Senior Darren Dixon gets the nod at the right ‘backer spot. A trio of true freshmen will compete for that job after this season.

DB: At corner, speedy senior Terry Lowe (17 tackles, INT) assumes command of the #1 position. Junior Maioke Siafole is of a similar mold and he is #2. Sophomores David Jones and Tyler Moore, more safety types, will back them up. Freshmen Patrick Burns and Lofa Raialume are worth watching. Junior Josh Wilson and senior Makaio Keliloke roam the back end of the D. Both have little experience. Senior Kio Carter and future star sophomore Po’okela Britton back them up.

ST: A pair of freshmen in Tony Martin and punter Josh Williams take over. This is going to be interesting.

Preview in a sentence: That offense looks fun and lethal, so as long as Trebell identifies a QB and forces that secondary to step up, Hawai’i can go really far, really soon.

Spoiler

Preview a year ago:

It’s boom or bust right now for Woodard and Ohio. Heisman candidate Duckworth is primed for a huge year with the right amount of supporting help. And without much for the future, if Ohio has a good year, don’t be surprised at all to see Woodard jet off for somewhere bigger and better at the close of 2018.

The Lodown: Unfortunately for Ohio, Duckworth was hurt for a short time towards the middle of the season, and as a result Ohio finished 7-6 with a loss to a ranked Temple team on the Smurf Turf in the Potato Bowl. The bright side of losing Duckworth though was that Rico Humphrey got some much needed PT, and with the guidance of the QB whisperer Woodard, he made the most of his opportunities. Ron Cox had a stellar year last fall, and he is back along with a deep stable of tailbacks. Ohio lost most of their receivers, but Cox can easily carry the Bobcats through the MAC as they seek out their first league title under headman Luke Fickell.

Preview in a Sentence: As Cox and Humphrey go, Ohio goes.

2019 Ohio Depth Chart

* - impact player

QB
#15 Rico Humphrey RJr 6’2 220 80 ovr. PP (23-48, 347 yds, TD)
#13 Andrew Carter RSo 6’2 252 77 ovr. PP
#17 Charles Darby RSo. 6’5 219 73 ovr. Scrambler

RB
#49 Ron Cox* RJr. 5’10 180 82 ovr. Balanced (602 yds, 9 TD)
#27 Brandon Harris* Sr. 6’0 209 81 ovr. Balanced (1028 yds, 8 TD)
#23 Kevin Lundy RJr. 6’1 207 77 ovr. Balanced
#35 David Simmons RJr. 6’0 203 75 ovr. Balanced

WR
#80 Jeremy Oliver RJr. 6’5 222 79 ovr. Balanced (23 rec., 193 yds, 2 TD)
#87 Justin Sutton RSo. 6’3 218 73 ovr. Poss.
#86 Marcus Davis So. 6’3 192 72 ovr. Balanced
#85 Steven Hoffman RFr. 6’2 190 71 ovr. Poss.
#84 Rasheed Cunningham RFr. 6’0 215 70 ovr. Speed
#83 Thomas Parsons RFr. 6’4 220 68 ovr. Balanced
#14 Bryan Sims Fr. 6’1 191 68 ovr. Poss.
#12 Joel Hardy Fr. 6’1 179 67 ovr. Balanced

TE
#82 Gerald Larson Jr. 6’6 243 77 ovr. Blocking (4, 97)
#81 Jamal Galloway RSo. 6’6 271 75 ovr. Balanced
#88 Joey Brown RFr. 6’5 250 75 ovr. Blocking
#89 Rico Howard RSo. 6’3 240 73 ovr. Blocking

LT
#66 David Ware RSo. 6’6 336 76 ovr. R.B.
#65 Alfred Brown So. 6’6 285 75 ovr. R.B.

LG
#60 Alex Jefferson RFr. 6’4 303 68 ovr. Balanced

C
#72 Brian Davis RJr. 6’3 306 85 ovr. R.B.
#77 Dedrick Miller Fr. 6’5 281 67 ovr. Balanced

RG
#71 Anthony Ross So. 6’4 277 71 ovr. Balanced
#70 Bobby Sherman RFr. 6’6 297 65 ovr. Balanced

RT
#79 Mike Thomas Jr. 6’4 289 77 ovr. Balanced
#76 Leon Meyers Fr. 6’7 306 68 ovr. Balanced

Spoiler

Preview a year ago:

CMU has lots of talent this year, and if the line can hold up, CMU can ride the skill players to a bowl game. But if either Wood or Weaver struggle, this may be the last we see of Coach Crenshaw in Michigan.

The Lodown: After a fantastic start with a win over Kansas and a near upset of Alabama, CMU once again inexplicably faded in MAC play after star QB Darius Wood went down hurt and missed significant time. Despite losing tailback Devon Spalding and wideouts Joe Johnson and Jon Carson, CMU returns Wood for his final season, former mega recruit Cam Stith and five senior receivers and tight ends. The O-Line took most of the blame for the mid/late-season struggles the team saw, and if they can improve and keep everyone healthy, a bowl can be well within reach.

Preview in a Sentence: With Coach Crenshaw is probably in a make or break situation for the third year in a row, he has to get everything he can out of Wood and Stith to make a bowl and perhaps save his job.

2019 CMU Depth Chart
* - impact player

QB
#3 Darius Wood* RSr 6’2 220 89 ovr. Balanced (93-183, 1167 yds, 7 TD, 84 rush 301 yds, 5 TD)
#15 Paul Weaver* RSr. 5’11 219 87 ovr. Scrambler (97-210, 1089 yds, 7 TD, 102 rush, 382 yds, 2 TD)
#17 Paul O’Toole RSo. 6’3 215 83 ovr. Balanced

RB
#27 Cam Stith Jr. 5’11 198 85 ovr. Speed (67 rush, 399 yds, 3 TD)
#29 Jeff Rooney RSo. 6’1 205 81 ovr. Power
#37 Jerry Bailey RSr. 6’1 198 81 ovr. Balanced (24 rush, 150 yds, 2 TD)
#20 Doug Hunter RJr. 6’0 211 73 ovr. Power

WR
#89 Matt Johnson Sr. 6’0 187 80 ovr. Speed (45 rec., 456 yds, 4 TD)
#88 Derek Grant Sr. 6’2 205 80 ovr. Balanced
#86 Mike Powers RSr. 6’0 199 78 ovr. Balanced (13 rec., 131 yds)
#84 Jacob Muhammad RSr. 6’1 202 77 ovr. Poss.
#10 Alex Richardson So. 6’5 201 76 ovr. Balanced
#85 Justin Schroeder RSo. 6’1 199 74 ovr. Balanced
#80 David Johnson RSo. 6’0 193 71 ovr. Balanced

TE
#87 Jeff Bennett RSr. 6’1 253 83 ovr. Balanced
#82 Tim Coleman Fr. 6’5 236 64 ovr. Blocking

LT
#73 Tyler Fuller RSr. 6’5 323 74 ovr. P.B.

LG
#63 Kevin Burton RSo. 6’4 318 78 ovr. P.B.

C
#71 Mark Roberts Fr. 6’4 289 69 ovr. P.B.
#75 Jason Davis So. 6’4 281 66 ovr. R.B.

RG
#68 Joey Lowery Jr. 6’7 293 77 ovr. P.B.
#72 Dominic Cross RSo. 6’3 333 76 ovr. R.B.

RT
#60 Walter Goins RSr. 6’5 326 79 ovr. P.B.
#65 Adam Britton RJr. 6’4 321 71 ovr. R.B.
#67 Patrick Daniels RFr. 6’2 322 69 ovr. Balanced

Spoiler

Preview One Year ago:

BG should have just enough diversity to get to 6-6 or 7-5. If Williams finds the curb and turns it in year 2 as the starter, BG can go far.

The Lodown: Despite getting off to a fantastic 5-2 start a year ago, BG caved down the stretch and finished 7-6, although they finished with a surprising victory over Florida State in their bowl. Williams returns for his third campaign starting, and the exciting Haley finally has the backfield to himself. With a decent O-Line and a deep receiving corps, head coach Noel Mazzone and Freday (again) have the pieces to make a run in the MAC. This time it’s all about finishing the job in MAC play.

Preview in a Sentence: BG has enough, it’s all about avoiding the late season slump in Freday and Mazzone’s fourth season together.

2019 BG Depth Chart * - impact player

QB
#19 Chris Williams* RSr. 6’1 230 84 ovr. Scrambler (161-350, 2199 yds., 14 TD, 166 rush, 612 yds ,8 TD)
#7 Tom Maynard Jr. 6’2 214 80 ovr. P.P.
#9 Calvin Hayes RSo. 6’3 220 76 ovr. P.P.
#15 Josh McCoy RJr. 6’5 226 74 ovr. Scrambler

RB
#42 Jasper Haley* RJr 6’1 211 91 ovr. Power (140 rush, 867 yds, 7 TD)
#46 Steve Morton RJr. 5’9 181 77 ovr. Speed

WR
#80 Matt Cooper RSr. 5’10 175 79 ovr. Balanced (69 rec, 971 yds, 5 TD)
#11 Mark Anderson Sr. 6’2 180 78 ovr. Balanced (13 rec., 167 yds)
#89 Chris Holly RJr. 6’1 185 77 ovr. Balanced
#10 Ryan Bell Sr. 6’3 197 76 ovr. Balanced
#81 Josh Williamson RJr. 6’3 214 75 ovr. Balanced
#12 Jeff Rankin So. 6’1 205 75 ovr. Balanced
#82 Scott Owen RSo. 6’2 206 71 ovr. Poss.

TE
#83 Darrin Thurman RSr. 6’3 242 79 ovr. Receiving
#87 Marquis Mason RJr. 6’4 250 71 ovr. Blocking

LT
#63 Ricky Church Fr. 6’1 319 74 ovr. P.B.
#77 Marcello Moore RFr. 6’4 312 69 ovr. P.B.

LG
#74 Shelton Jackson So. 6’5 288 75 ovr. P.B.
#70 Mike Wright So. 6’5 281 73 ovr. R.B.

C
#75 Dale Edwards So. 6’3 267 76 ovr. Balanced
#76 Matt James RFr. 6’4 287 64 ovr. Balanced

RG
#66 James Paul RSr. 6’1 313 85 ovr. Balanced
#69 Pat Tate Sr. 6’3 289 75 ovr. P.B.

RT
#60 Joe Scott RJr. 6’5 325 75 ovr. P.B.
#79 Greg Alston Jr. 6’2 333 73 ovr. Balanced
#67 Shane Williams RSo. 6’4 307 69 ovr. Balanced

Spoiler

Coach preview a Year ago: (OC, UTSA)

UTSA has a chance to get to 6-6, but the youth on the O-Line will have to grow up quickly and James and coach Kevin Kelly need to get Thomas’ 2nd half performance out for the entire season. There’s plenty of talent for the Runners to get bowl eligible for the first time ever.

The Lodown: UTSA did just that, finishing an impressive 7-5 before falling in the Birmingham Bowl to a much more talented Rutgers team. James got everything he could out of QB Josh Thomas and his deep group of receivers, the offense dominated in the pass-heavy C-USA and James was plucked away by Maryland in the offseason.

Preview in a Sentence: James led his offense to put up big numbers in San Antonio, and though the situation and talent levels are different, if James can find a QB, Maryland has the potential to finally get back to a bowl.

2019 Maryland Depth Chart

* - impact player

QB:
#18 Roshawn Adams Sr. 6’3 208 85 ovr. P.P. (85-158, 1396 yds, 10 TD)
#4 Eldrick Robinson RSo. 6’3 210 83 ovr. P.P.
#14 Nathan Jolly RJr. 6’0 204 80 ovr. Balanced
#2 David Justice RSr. 6’0 201 79 ovr. Scrambler (83-161, 873 yds, 9 TD)

RB
#31 Matt Kimbrough* RSr. 6’0 210 83 ovr. Speed (176 rush, 891 yds, 10 TD)
#45 Mario Washington RJr. 5’10 210 83 ovr. Power (22 rush, 134 yds, 1 TD)
#33 Michael Gaines RJr. 6’0 193 82 ovr. Power (81 rush, 478 yds, 2 TD)
#34 Rory Miller Jr. 5’9 176 80 ovr. Speed
#26 Marlon McCray RSo. 5’9 201 73 ovr. Speed

FB
#20 Seth Freeman RJr. 6’1 278 80 ovr. Balanced

WR
#83 George Bracken RSr. 6’0 211 84 ovr. Speed
#82 Matt Gibbs Jr. 6’2 215 79 ovr. Poss.
#89 Jeff Rodgers RSo. 6’1 216 75 ovr. Balanced
#85 David Elbert RJr. 6’0 199 73 ovr. Poss.
#11 Chad Flores RFr. 6’0 197 73 ovr. Speed
#87 Travis Graham RSo. 6’0 185 73 ovr. Speed
#84 Cory Arnold RSo. 6’4 204 73 ovr. Poss.
#86 Davontre’a Jones Fr. 6’0 180 67 ovr. Speed

TE
#88 Lawrence Denman Jr. 6’7 258 74 ovr. Rec.
#80 Sam Thomas RFr. 6’2 251 67 ovr. Rec.

LT
#77 Justin Stone Jr. 6’4 266 78 ovr. P.B.

LG
#62 Tony Lester RSr. 6’1 303 82 ovr. R.B.
#72 Alex Coker RFr. 6’2 319 69 ovr. R.B.

C
#69 Casey Johnson RFr. 6’5 270 73 ovr. Balanced
#78 Lawwrence Brink Fr. 6’1 286 71 ovr. Balanced
#76 Josh Ryan Fr. 6’5 256 69 ovr. P.B.

RG
#68 Alvin Mason Sr. 6’1 299 84 ovr. Balanced
#60 Joey Carroll RSr. 6’3 271 74 ovr. P.B.
#66 Robert Wilson RFr. 6’4 311 69 ovr. Balanced

RT
#75 Brian Davis RSr. 6’6 352 83 ovr. R.B.
#71 Matt Weeks RSo. 6’6 276 78 ovr. Balanced

Spoiler

Preview A Year Ago:

With powerful Marshall out of the C-USA, Southern Miss could potentially be the best team in the C-USA. If Davis plays to the strengths of this offense, the Golden Eagles can be the best Group of 5 team in the land.

The Lodown: As it turned out, Old Dominion got white-hot at the end of the year and seemingly played offense at will. Unfortunately, it cost Southern Miss a conference title in triple OT of a game with no defense. However, USM recovered and fended off Air Force in the Hawai’i Bowl 45-35 to finish a fantastic 10-4 and nationally ranked (18th) for the first time I believe since 1999. However with a lot of the key cogs gone in QB Gunner Roach, RB Ito Smith and WR’s Curtis Mikell and Korey Robertson, USM likely won’t reach the same success level they had a year ago.

Preview in a Sentence: Feed McGee. No, seriously.

2019 USM Depth Chart * - impact player

QB
#4 Ryan Davis RSr. 6’3 224 85 ovr. Scrambler (10-23, 201 yds, 2 TD)
#10 Reg Harris RSo. 6’4 205 72 ovr. Balanced
#11 Braylon Carter Fr. 6’2 215 68 ovr. Balanced

RB
#28 Kareem McGee* RSr. 6’1 195 92 ovr. Balanced (202 rush, 1168 yds, 12 TD)
#25 Mike Harper (T) So. 6’2 211 77 ovr. Balanced
#22 Zac Taylor Fr. 5’9 203 66 ovr. Speed
#26 Antwan James RFr. 5’10 214 66 ovr. Power
#27 Tony Summers RFr. 6’2 226 66 ovr. Balanced

FB
#30 Courtney Parks Jr. 5’10 224 72 ovr. Blocking
#29 Nic Hicks Fr. 5’10 220 69 ovr. Blocking

WR
#83 George Cody RJr. 6’4 199 84 ovr. Poss. (8 rec., 78 yds, 2 TD)
#88 Ryan Hayes RJr. 6’2 203 82 ovr. Poss. (29 rec., 427 yds, 2 TD)
#86 Anthony Marshall RSo. 5’10 190 75 ovr. Balanced
#12 Kris Williams Fr. 6’2 194 70 ovr. Poss.
#89 Nick Thomas Fr. 6’3 209 67 ovr. Speed
#85 Matt Lowery Fr. 6’5 217 67 over. Balanced

TE
#87 Michael Everett RSr. 6’5 243 83 ovr. Receiving
#84 Josh Jackson RSr. 6’3 254 80 ovr. Blocking

LT
#63 Joe Warren RSr. 6’7 306 82 ovr. R.B.
#71 Dallas Benjamin RFr. 6’7 317 72 ovr. P.B.

LG
#69 Terrnace Blair RSr. 6’1 301 89 ovr. R.B.
#78 Cedrick Hines Sr. 6’1 324 84 ovr. R.B.
#65 Marcus Thomas RSo. 6’1 320 78 ovr. Balanced
#75 Micah Collins RSo. 6’3 307 74 ovr. R.B.

C
#72 Charles Lumpkin RJr. 6’1 312 82 ovr. R.B.
#73 Jovon Griffin RSo. 6’4 292 79 ovr. Balanced
#61 Scott Allen RFr. 6’3 302 69 ovr. P.B.

RG
#70 Quinton Royal Jr. 6’6 273 87 ovr. R.B.
#64 Jake Richard RJr. 6’5 308 84 ovr. R.B.

RT
#74 Darryl Leak RFr. 6’8 329 72 ovr. P.B.

Spoiler

Preview a year ago:

There is no reason to believe New Mexico St. can’t continue their surprising run of success under Carpenter and Grant. Though Grant likes to run a little more than the talent may sustain this year, Jeanty is the best in the Sun Belt and it should show again this year. Another 9-10 win season is not out of reach.

The Lodown: NMSU had a largely disappointing season, falling from 10-2 to 5-7, including a gut-wrenching loss to 1-win Idaho in the last week of the season to prevent the Aggies from bowl eligibility. With Sun Belt player of the year Nick Jeanty graduated and top target Travis Potts graduated, you could reasonably assume that NMSU will stay near the middle of the pack this fall. Some very good recruiting, however, has head coach Demetrius Carpenter and OC Grant in a good position to bounce back and make a bowl, next year if not now. Arizona State transfer Jarred Jackson is ready to roll, as is sophomore tailback C.J. McNeil, who had a good true freshman campaign. Freshman wide receiver Corey James turned down Arizona, Nevada, UCLA and USC to come to Las Cruces, and his presence will be felt immediately. Despite losing NFL draft pick Dezmond Candelaria, NMSU has the best line in the Sun Belt.

Preview in a Sentence: Despite losing stars everywhere, if the Aggies offense can click there is no reason to believe a bowl game is out of reach.

2019 NMSU Depth Chart

* - impact player

QB
#3 Jarred Jackson RSo. 6’5 220 74 ovr. Scrambler
#15 Matt Johnss RSo. 6’3 232 67 ovr. Balanced

RB
#46 C.J. McNeil* So. 5’8 205 78 ovr. Balanced (103 rush, 456 yds, 2 TD)
#41 Andrew Ward Jr. 5’11 200 76 ovr. Speed (50 rush, 210 yds, 3 TD)
#32 D'Londre Doin Fr. 6’1 196 70 ovr. Balanced
#22 Patrick Parks RSo. 6’3 207 69 ovr. Balanced
#42 Jesse Dunn RFr. 6’3 217 68 ovr. Balanced

WR
#87 Torice Hudson RSr. 6’2 194 83 ovr. Poss. (11 rec., 144 yds, TD)
#82 Corey James Fr. 6’6 220 75 ovr. Poss.
#89 Willie Wilson RSr. 6’3 212 70 ovr. Poss.
#85 Ryan Montgomery RJr. 6’2 185 68 ovr. Balanced
#84 Andy Richardson RFr. 6’0 200 67 ovr. Poss.

TE
#88 Sean Davis* RSo. 6’1 243 74 ovr. Rec. (70 rec, 791 yds, 11 TD)

LT
#69 Jason Dotson RSo. 6’3 281 76 ovr. P.B.
#75 Serge Glover RSo. 6’5 279 69 ovr. Balanced

LG
#76 Jack Walker RSr. 6’2 314 83 ovr. R.B.

C
#60 Adam Larson Jr. 6’3 314 76 ovr. Balanced
#68 Dwayne Simmons Fr. 6’5 304 66 ovr. Balanced
#63 Spencer McCoy RSo. 6’2 272 66 ovr. Balanced

RG
#66 Martin McCormick RSr. 6’6 312 85 ovr. P.B.
#62 Andrew Barnes Sr. 6’2 308 83 ovr. R.B.
#71 Chris Young So. 6’3 292 79 ovr. P.B.
#61 Travis Williams RSr. 6’5 316 77 ovr. Balanced

RT
#77 Marcus Barnes So. 6’4 318 78 ovr. P.B.

Spoiler

Prediction a Year Ago:

The team is plenty talented enough to maybe make a New Year’s Six push, but replacing QB Chris Laviano is the key to success for the Knights in 2018.

The Lodown: At times last year, I felt as if Rutgers was trolling me. They started out with a bang, defeating UCLA soundly in the Rose Bowl, then hitting a wall when Big 10 play started. They finished 7-6 with a Birmingham Bowl win over UTSA, but there may have been a lot unfinished from last season. Lawrence Wilson is back for his senior year after an unspectacular year, as is Troy Wilson, who had good stats for splitting carries with an All-Big 10 tailback. With Hicks (900+ yards) being the only casualty of the skill positions, the QB, RB and WR units should improve greatly.

Prediction in a Sentence: Once the Knights can sort out who’s starting at QB, the pieces will be there to make another bowl appearance.

2019 Rutgers Depth Chart

* - impact player

QB
#14 Rian Scott RJr. 6’5 237 86 ovr. Scrambler
#2 Lawrence Wilson* RSr. 6’4 241 84 ovr. Balanced (165-342, 2538 yds, 22 TD, 92 rush, 221 yds, 4 TD)
#6 Stevie Parker RFr. 6’2 230 72 ovr. Scrambler

RB
#20 Troy Wilson* RSr. 6’1 221 92 ovr. Speed (126 rush, 737 yds, 6 TD, 818 yds. 2017)
#37 Tyler Cody RSr. 6’2 208 89 ovr. Power
#39 Randy Russell RJr. 6’1 218 81 ovr. Power

FB
#21 Sean McLaurin RJr. 5’11 237 89 ovr. Balanced

WR
#82 John Grant Sr. 6’5 208 94 ovr. Balanced (50 rec., 727 yds, 3 TD)
#83 Matt Mangum RSr. 6’5 228 85 ovr. Speed (23 rec., 424 yds., 2 TD)
#10 B.J. Corbett Sr. 6’1 192 82 ovr. Speed (7 rec., 105 yds)
#87 Larry Rogers RSr. 5’11 213 80 ovr. Poss.
#85 Steven Baker Jr. 6’1 196 78 ovr. Poss.
#86 Sean O’Neal Jr. 6’5 227 77 ovr. Poss.
#89 David Anderson RSo. 6’6 229 77 ovr. Speed

TE
#84 Ramon Griffith RSo. 6’4 281 82 ovr. Balanced (14 rec, 145 yds, 4 TD)

LT
#74 Brandon Schmidt RJr. 6’7 312 79 ovr. Run Block

LG
#66 Jon Matthews RSr. 6’6 310 89 ovr. Balanced
#67 Ricky Morse RFr. 6’5 269 77 ovr. Balanced

C
#62 Cedrick Mueller RJr. 6’3 276 82 ovr. R.B.

RG
#72 Lee Sapp RSr. 6’7 314 83 ovr. Balanced
#78 Kyle Collier RJr. 6’5 304 79 ovr. Balanced

RT
#69 Tony Edwards So. 6’4 323 79 ovr. R.B.
#63 Derrick Manning RSo. 6’2 289 76 ovr. P.B.

Spoiler

Prediction a year ago:

However, it will be a tough climb back to bowl season right now for the Boilers.

The Lodown: Yep.

Coach Bush, Coach Smith and the Boilers offense proved me very wrong by absolutely lighting up the Big 10, with QB Dave Blough proving to be among the nation’s best QB’s as Purdue rolled to a bowl game, fading to fall out of the Big 10 West lead in the last three weeks with a string of losses. The Boilers ended up finishing an impressive 9-4 with a Fidelity Bowl win over BYU. Coach Smith didn’t need to do a whole lot with his defense, but his team still did a very good job with his veteran laced unit.

Prediction in a sentence: With Purdue among the favorites to possibly win the Big 10 this year, the pressure is on Smith to turn his largely average unit into a dominating one, and the pieces are there for that to happen.

2019 Purdue Depth Chart

* - impact player

LE
#93 Jimmy Williams RJr. 6’1 291 82 ovr. Run Stopper (14 tckl, 6 TFL, 2 sck)
#98 Robert Parks RJr. 6’4 250 78 ovr. Balanced (sck)
#66 Wesley Everett RFr. 6’3 251 72 ovr. Balanced

RE
#91 Adrian Weisbecker RSr. 6’4 269 81 ovr. Pass Rusher (38 tckl, 6 TFL, 1.5) sck
#64 Tim Sanchez RFr. 6’3 246 69 ovr. P.R.

DT
#92 Roderick Tyson RJr. 6’1 309 83 ovr. Balanced (40 tckl, TFL)
#99 Erik West RJr. 6’0 278 82 ovr. Balanced (12 tckl, sck)
#62 Nick Moore Jr. 6’3 281 80 ovr. R.S.
#96 Cameron James RJr. 6’3 283 79 ovr. P.R.
#94 Josh Clayton RSo. 6’2 289 73 ovr. R.S.

LOLB
#58 Bryan Winston RSr. 6’0 216 79 ovr. R.S. (15 tckl, TFL)
#55 Chris Lee RSo. 6’4 229 73 ovr. R.S.

MLB
#52 Tyler Todd RSr. 5’11 232 82 ovr. Coverage (67 tckl, 8 TFL, 2.5 sck)
#51 Derrick Coleman RJr. 6’1 246 78 ovr.

ROLB
#56 John Upshaw* RSr. 6’1 248 86 ovr. Balanced (82 tckl, 13 TFL, 3.5 sck)
#54 Kenny Cox RSo. 6’3 224 68 ovr. R.S.

CB
#26 Grant Daniels* RJr. 6’4 218 87 ovr. Coverage (26 tckl, 3 INT)
#33 Jason Stewart RSr. 5’11 191 75 ovr. Balanced
#41 Aaron Pearson RJr. 6’0 171 74 ovr. Coverage
#27 Terrance Purcell RFr. 6’0 187 72 ovr. Balanced
#31 Robert Swain Fr. 5’11 174 69 ovr. Coverage
#21 Bryan Stewart Fr. 6’1 172 69 ovr. Balanced

FS
#36 Ahmad Malone So. 6’3 188 73 ovr. Coverage (33 tckl, INT)
#28 Justin Fisher RFr. 6’2 183 67 ovr. Coverage
#38 Caleb Lindsay Fr. 6’1 222 65 ovr. Coverage

SS
#20 Gabe Sowell RSr. 6’7 200 85 ovr. Balanced (48 tckl, 2 TFL, .5 sck)
#22 Johnny Gardner RSo. 6’2 191 79 ovr. H.H.
#30 Nick Johnson RFr. 6’0 207 69 ovr. H.H.

Spoiler

Preview a year ago:

It may take time, but Mac is very capable of being a good coach, and he has the components in place to make a surprise run for a bowl in 2018.

The Lodown: While UTEP did, as it turn out, struggle mightily, finishing only 2-10, a lot of their problems were laced on the defense, and the pleased Miners rewarded Mac with a contract extension. Losing star tailback Tony Irby (800+ yards) is a huge blow, but Samples has some good weapons and a decent line to protect him.

Preview in a Sentence: Mac got a lot out of a little last year, and I expect the same to happen this year with improved results, provided the defense improves with him.

2019 UTEP Depth Chart

* - impact player

QB
#14 Cafika Samples* RSr. 6’4 237 89 ovr. Scrambler (181-345, 2170 yds, 20 TD, 181 rush, 1043 yds, 11 TD)
#15 Mike Smith Jr. 6’2 208 78 ovr. Scrambler
#4 Zeke Palmer RSr. 6’5 223 75 ovr. Balanced
#2 Rodney Crowder RSo. 6’6 232 74 ovr. Balanced

RB
#33 Kevin Lewis Sr. 6’1 201 76 ovr. Balanced (4 rush, 21 yds, 1 TD)
#32 Ralph Mack RSr. 6’1 197 71 ovr. Balanced
#46 Terrence Roberts RJr. 6’0 235 71 ovr. Balanced
#26 Isaiah Langford Fr. 5’11 194 68 ovr. Balanced

WR
#82 Adam Hodges* RSr. 6’1 185 80 ovr. Speed (27 rec., 368 yds, 4 TD)
#11 Tim Davis Jr. 6’0 181 78 ovr. Poss. (11 rec, 104 yds)
#80 Drew Brady RJr. 6’1 194 77 ovr. Poss.
#87 Zack Miles Jr. 6’3 211 72 ovr. Balanced
#84 David Mayhew RJr. 6’2 187 68 ovr. Poss.

TE
#85 Jared Calhoun RJr. 6’5 271 83 ovr. Blocking (10 rec., 94 yds)
#89 Darius Williams So. 6’3 258 63 ovr. Blocking

LT
#60 Daniel Lewis RSr. 6’6 281 83 ovr. R.B.

LG
#71 Rob Richard RSr. 6’6 336 77 ovr. P.B.

C
#61 Justin Morris RJr. 6’0 328 69 ovr. R.B.

RG
#67 Marcus Smith RSo. 6’5 312 71 ovr. R.B.
#69 Doug Holycross RFr. 6’7 329 64 ovr. P.B.

RT
#77 Devon Franklin RJr. 6’5 311 78 ovr. Balanced
#64 Dylan Burns RJr. 6’6 276 75 ovr. Balanced
#72 Ben Richardson RJr. 6’7 294 69 ovr. R.B.

Spoiler

Preview a year ago: With some good coaching and enough luck, this Memphis team could win the revamped AAC. -------- Memphis is primed for one of their best seasons ever. Much like Rutgers, it’s all up to King to make sure that happens.

The Lodown: While Memphis had a terrible start last year, they did get red-hot at the end, winning something like 6 of their last 8 to get bowl eligible and defeat Syracuse in the Russell Athletic Bowl to finish 8-5. Jarvis Cooper led the nation in rushing for the Tigers, and QB Harvey (and when he got hurt, Clay Holgorsen), showed flashes of brilliance under center, demonstrating that Coach King knows what he is doing. However, with Cooper gone, King faces a bit of a challenge, as regardless of what happens he trots out a running back Week 1 that has zero career carries and a decimated receiving core with the losses of wideout Roderick Proctor and tight end Cole Cook.

Preview in a sentence: Memphis should be just fine as long as they get production out of someone in the backfield (likely from Mason) and find one receiver who can carry the load (likely Burton).

2019 Memphis Depth Chart

* - impact player

QB
#2 Erik Harvey RJr. 6’5 217 93 ovr. Scrambler (105-204, 1171 yds, 11 TD, 149 rush, 879 yds, 8 TD)
#14 Thad Wall RSo. 6’3 209 78 ovr. Scrambler

RB
#22 Napoleon Mason RSo. 5’11 211 72 ovr. Power
#36 Michael Kane RFr. 6’2 195 69 ovr. Balanced
#38 John Miller Fr. 6’0 223 68 ovr. Balanced

FB
#47 Kevin Redd RSr. 5’11 240 74 ovr. Blocking

WR
#88 Ryan Burton* RJr. 6’6 227 82 ovr. Poss. (27 rec, 287 yds, 5 TD)
#83 Matthew Davis RSo. 6’0 175 76 ovr. Speed (11 rec., 124 yds, TD)
#85 Kelly Anderson So. 6’1 195 72 ovr. Speed
#11 Lee Gordon Fr. 6’6 218 69 ovr. Poss.
#87 Akim Harris RFr. 6’5 209 69 ovr. Balanced

TE
#10 Jacques Kennedy Fr. 6’7 239 67 ovr. Blocking
#82 Larry Dailey Fr. 6’2 262 66 ovr. Blocking

LT
#68 David Holmes RJr. 6’6 342 83 ovr. R.B.
#79 Geoff Murphy RSr. 6’3 292 77 ovr. P.B.

LG
#67 Aaron Joseph RSr. 6’4 326 85 ovr. R.B.
#77 Taylor Smith Fr. 6’6 323 69 ovr. P.B.

C
#78 Isaac Owens RSr. 6’3 291 87 ovr. R.B.
#60 Jason Broussard RSo. 6’3 303 76 ovr. Balanced

RG
#61 Greg Harrison Jr. 6’2 315 77 ovr. P.B.
#72 Joe Lott RSo. 6’3 291 72 ovr. P.B.
#63 Joe Mangum RSo. 6’7 275 70 ovr. R.B.

RT
#62 Michael Brooks RJr. 6’6 307 78 ovr. R.B

Spoiler

Preview a year ago:

ULL has lots of work to do to get back to the top of the Sun Belt, but if Miller utilizes Jones’ talent properly -- and he should -- ULL may not face that steep a curve back to the top of the Sun Belt.

The Lodown: ULL had a horrible start to the season, but gained a lot of steam toward the end and finished 3-9, all wins coming in Sun Belt play. Neither QB emerged last year, and this leaves senior Julius Townsend and sophomore T.J. McPherson battling for the starting job now. Regardless of who is the QB, star RB Antoine Wilson needs to step up. His athletic talents are undeniable, but he hasn’t had the statistics to back that up. OC Miller is hoping that this is finally his year. Wide receiver Ben Randle is the only one with experience, but with the large quantity of freshman and sophomore receivers, the unit could be very good in a year or two. The O-Line looks outstanding compared to a year ago.

Preview in a Sentence: If ULL can find a QB and build on their late momentum a year ago, the Cajuns can finally challenge for the Sun Belt crown and a bowl berth again.

2019 ULL Depth Chart

* - impact player

QB
#1 Julius Townsend RSr. 6’1 215 85 ovr. Scrambler (19-49, 208 yds, 17 rush, 85 yds)
#9 T.J. McPherson RSo. 6’1 189 78 ovr. P.P.
#14 Brandon Jefferson RSo. 6’3 205 70 ovr. P.P.
#17 Nelson Hunter Fr. 6’0 197 67 ovr. P.P.

RB
#39 Antoine Wilson* Jr. 6’2 205 88 ovr. Power (153, 751, 11)
#36 Lawrence Gordon RSr. 5’8 197 75 ovr. Balanced
#25 Jamaal Huston RJr. 6’2 219 71 ovr. Power
#35 Stephen Williams Fr. 5’11 201 60 ovr. Power

FB
#27 Adam Lamb Sr. 6’0 257 74 ovr. Receiving

WR
#86 Ben Randle* RSr. 5’10 192 86 ovr. Poss. (60, 643, 7)
#85 Nick Ostrander So. 6’0 184 69 ovr. Poss.
#82 Ben Palmer So. 6’1 206 68 ovr. Balanced
#83 Youdlain Reid RFr. 5’11 184 68 ovr. Poss.
#87 Casey Bracken RSo. 6’3 208 68 ovr. Poss
#81 Devon Ashley RSo. 6’0 208 67 ovr. Poss.
#89 Ryan Lowe RFr. 6’6 230 66 ovr. Poss.
#80 Paris Freeman RFr. 6’2 213 66 ovr. Poss.
#84 Adam Mixon Fr. 6’0 202 64 ovr. Speed

TE
#11 David Reese So. 6’6 265 74 ovr. Rec. (16, 202, TD)
#88 Maurice Adams RFr. 6’3 251 72 ovr. Blocking

LT
#68 Eric Romero RJr. 6’5 290 73 ovr. R.B.
#79 Mike Martin RJr. 6’3 347 68 ovr. P.B.

LG
#67 Brian Scruggs RSr. 6’3 282 87 ovr. P.B.
#64 Dan Mason RSr. 6’5 316 80 ovr. P.B.
#61 Larry Rouse RFr. 6’5 317 67 ovr. P.B.

C
#76 Barry Williams RSr. 6’2 311 88 ovr. P.B.
#71 Chris Charles Sr. 6’1 282 83 ovr. Balanced

RG
#74 Terrell Kendrick Sr. 6’2 296 82 ovr. P.B.
#66 Melvin Williams RSr. 6’1 330 78 ovr. Balanced

RT
#65 Dan Anderson RJr. 6’5 310 72 ovr. P.B.

Spoiler

Preview a year ago: While Syracuse likely won’t win the ACC or stun the land coming off a 3-9 flop, a bowl game for the ‘Cuse is well within reach.

The Lodown:Yep. I like being wrong in this type of situation.

Syracuse finally had the revitalization they have been chasing since Donovan McNabb graduated 20 years ago in 2018, rallying from a rough start to finish 7-5, barely qualify for the ACC Title Game, and nearly knock Georgia Tech out of the CFP. The crazyman that is Skip Holtz and fiery offensive coordinator Laurence Gilbert proved everyone, especially me, wrong last season. While they lost their bowl game to a red-hot Memphis team to finish 7-7, and lose both QB’s (A.J. Long and Alin Edouard both played while one another was hurt at various points), Gus Martin can be very good.

To replace tailback Mike Black, Gilbert and Holtz will turn to a committee of seniors Terrell Moore and Eric Williams, with sophomore Joey Wilkerson close behind. The Orange also have a brand new receiver corps this year, and juniors Nick Sanders and Andre Wilson are the leading men. Mammoth redshirt freshman Ralph Duncan is the main newcomer to watch. The O-Line, as usual, remains good.

Preview in a Sentence: Syracuse can still easily qualify for a bowl if new starting QB Martin can play as well as Long and Edouard did a year ago.

2019 Syracuse Depth Chart

* - impact player

QB
#2 Gus Martin RJr. 6’4 208 NY 82 ovr. Scrambler
#19 Marcus Galloway RSo. 6’6 214 NY 78 ovr. P.P.

RB
#40 Terrell Moore RSr 5’11 203 84 ovr. Balanced (78, 429, 7)
#32 Eric Williams RSr. 5’11 193 82 ovr. Speed
#35 Joey Wilkerson RSo. 6’1 223 78 ovr. Speed
#33 Mike Gibson RFR. 5’11 213 70 ovr. Power

WR
#83 Nick Sanders RJr. 6’4 199 83 ovr. Balanced (28, 501, 3)
#80 Andre Wilson RJr. 6’1 203 81 ovr. Poss. (11, 115, 2)
#86 Clint Connor RJr. 6’3 208 76 ovr. Poss.
#84 Ralph Duncan RFr. 6’7 220 75 ovr. Poss.
#85 Jacob Woods RFr. 5’11 203 74 ovr. Poss.
#89 Cedric Grant RFr. 6’5 229 73 ovr. Balanced
#12 Marvin Daniel Fr. 6’4 211 72 ovr. Poss.

TE
#87 Marcus Long Jr. 6’4 248 77 ovr. Balanced (2, 36)
#88 Jeremy Scott RSo. 6’5 246 77 ovr. Rec.
#13 Chris Wood Fr. 6’3 253 72 ovr. Block
#11 Chris Nichols Fr. 6’2 232 69 ovr. Block

LT
#66 Mike Rogers Sr. 6’3 293 91 ovr. Balanced

LG
#63 Andre Wiggins RJr. 6’6 299 83 ovr. Balanced

C
#64 Keith Anderson RSr. 6’6 310 95 ovr. Pass Block
#79 Kevin Branch RSo. 6’4 289 73 ovr. R.B.
#65 Blake Hall RFr. 6’6 306 73 ovr. P.B.

RG
#70 Gerald Robinson RSo. 6’3 312 77 ovr. B
#76 Graham Patterson Fr. 6’5 251 75 ovr. Balanced
#71 Vincent McCloud Fr. 6’4 280 69 ovr. P.B.

RT
#73 Tyler Rollin Sr. 6’6 308 80 ovr. R.B.
#62 Jon Wilson RSo. 6’1 301 76 ovr. Balanced
#61 Ju Ramirez RSr. 6’6 265 74 ovr. Balanced

Spoiler

Preview a year ago: N/A

The Lodown: Ball State has slid to the basement of the MAC (1-11 in 2017 and 3-9 a year ago), and haven’t made a bowl game in ten years. The young Texan Baumann comes in with a lot to work with. It’s a matter of figuring out who is good enough to get back to 6-6.

QB Jason Lucas is the unquestioned star of the team, and he is among the MAC’s best. His only problem is the inexperience of the receivers. True freshmen John Dean and Josh Russell will push veterans Aaron Stover and David McMahan. Meanwhile, if Baumann elects to use a committee of tailbacks, his options are not limited. Chris Wheeler played a little last year, and is the assumed starter now after gaining 656 yards for 5 TD’s a year ago. The big wildcard is true freshman Brian Johnson. He is built to dominate in the MAC, but it is unknown if Baumann will save him for later or let him free now. The O-Line needs to be straightened out now.

Preview in a sentence: It may take another year, but if Baumann plays his cards right, Ball State can be competitive in no time.

2019 Ball State Depth Chart

* - impact player

QB
#2 Jason Lucas* RJr. 6’2 232 91 ovr. Balanced (2176 yards, 21 TD)
#3 Ken Walker RJr. 6’2 201 82 ovr. P.P.

RB
#30 Chris Wheeler* RSr. 6’2 205 86 ovr. Speed (656 yds, 5 TD)
#31 Steve Lundy RJr. 5’11 216 83 ovr. Speed
#39 Shaun Smith RSr. 6’0 202 79 ovr. Balanced
#21 Brian Johnson Fr. 5’8 195 78 ovr. Speed
#23 Albert Wagner RFr. 6’0 214 70 ovr. Balanced
#20 Eric Haynes RFr. 5’11 207 68 pvr. Speed

FB
#34 Quentin Rogers Fr. 6’1 225 67 ovr. Rec.
#47 Larry Jones RSr. 6’2 246 66 ovr. Blocking

WR
#82 Riy Wilson RJr. 6’3 215 74 ovr. Poss. (311, 8 TD)
#86 Aaron Stover RJr. 5’11 194 73 ovr. Poss.
#85 David McMahan RSo. 6’0 182 72 ovr. Balanced
#84 John Dean Fr. 6’0 198 67 ovr. Speed
#83 Josh Russell Fr. 6’1 188 66 ovr. Balanced

TE
#81 Johnny Barber Jr. 6’4 262 72 ovr. Rec.
#80 David Salas Sr. 6’4 231 70 ovr. Blocking

LT
#70 Ryan Leonard So. 6’5 324 66 ovr. P.B.
#66 Ivan Pettway RSo. 6’2 328 65 ovr. P.B.

LG
#73 Brian Merriman Sr. 6’4 329 76 ovr. P.B.

C
#68 Will Lawson RSr. 6’1 284 68 ovr. Balanced
#63 Jeff Jones Fr. 6’2 276 66 ovr. R.B.

RG
#69 Tim Patrick RJr. 6’4 300 70 ovr. R.B.
#77 Marcus Anderson So. 6’4 319 69 ovr. R.B.
#60 Ricky Lane RJr. 6’5 299 67 ovr. P.B.
#78 Ryan George RFR. 6’7 283 67 ovr. P.B.

RT
#71 Marcel Robinson Sr. 6’2 267 73 ovr. P.B.
#65 Kevin Jones Fr. 6’7 274 65 ovr. P.B.

Spoiler

Preview a year ago: N/A

The Lodown: Hard to believe this team ran the option two years ago. UConn had some battles with Cincy in their AAC days, but the Bearcats are on the rise again after a 5-7 debut season from Matt Limegrover. This year, the young Nama takes over at the offensive coordinator position, and there is a lot at his disposal.

QB Curry enters his third year as starter, and he reminds the staff of Russell Wilson. His height doesn’t trump any of his running ability. With Jason Roberts graduated, Ira Miller takes over the backfield, with Jason Massey and Chris Madison likely to challenge for carries. Curry has stud wideout Lance Mosley to throw to, and Damion Butler, T.J. Tucker and Devon Givens are all back as well. Tight ends Kyle Hall and Mike Barbour are huge targets. Jon Sears and Patrick Smith bookend one of the better lines in the AAC, but it’s up to center Shannon Howe and guard Joseph Williams to prove they can play at a consistent level.

2019 In a Sentence: If Curry keeps improving, it’d be foolish to leave these guys out of the bowl picture and the AAC Title race.

2019 Cincinnati Depth Chart

* - impact player

QB
#1 Will Curry* Jr. 5’11 206 86 vr. Scrambler (106-233, 18 TD, 164 rush, 949 yds, 8 TD)
#19 Joey Burgess RSr. 6’4 201 83 ovr. Scrambler
#8 Ernest Whitehead RSo. 6’0 207 77 ovr. Balanced
#3 Donald Howard RSo. 6’4 214 76 ovr. Scrambler

RB
#41 Ira Miller* Sr. 6’0 216 88 ovr. Balanced (158 rec., 802 yds, 4 TD)
#47 Jason Massey RSr. 5’11 217 84 ovr. Balanced
#22 Chris Madison RSo. 6’2 201 84 ovr. Balanced
#33 Luke WIlkerson RJr. 6’1 210 82 ovr. Balanced
#48 Neal McCarthy Fr. 6’1 198 68 ovr. Balanced

FB
#38 Joe Flowers So. 6’0 243 72 ovr. Blocking

WR
#83 Lance Mosley RSr. 6’1 194 94 ovr. Poss. (49 rec, 698 yds, 6 TD)
#88 Damion Butler Jr. 6’3 196 87 ovr. Balanced (30 rec, 403 yds, 7 TD)
#82 T.J. Tucker Sr. 6’0 187 82 ovr. Poss. (27 rec, 270 yds, TD in 2017)
#80 Devon Givens RJr. 6’2 195 80 ovr. Speed
#85 Willis Madison Sr. 6’2 222 79 ovr. Speed
#87 Bobby Newsome RJr. 6’1 216 79 ovr. Speed
#86 D.J. Brown RJr. 6’1 204 78 ovr. Poss.
#89 Tony Berg RFr. 6’1 216 72 ovr. Speed

TE
#84 Kyle Hall Jr. 6’5 269 78 ovr. Blocking (11 rec, 192 yds, 4 TD)
#81 Mike Barbour Jr. 6’6 240 77 ovr. Rec.
#10 Kelvin Lawson RFr. 6’3 251 76 ovr. Blocking

LT
#66 Jon Sears Sr. 6’4 316 87 ovr. P.B.

LG
#69 Josh Preston RSr. 6’3 297 85 ovr. R.B.
#73 George Anderson So. 6’5 286 73 ovr. R.B.

C
#70 Shannon Howe RSo. 6’2 315 73 ovr. P.B.
#71 Brett Black RFr. 6’0 305 69 ovr. Balanced

RG
#72 Joseph Williams RJr. 6’4 349 79 ovr. Balanced
#76 Steve Young RSo. 6’3 290 72 ovr. P.B.

RT
#62 Patrick Smith Sr. 6’5 347 91 ovr. Balanced
#68 Willie Livingston RSr. 6’4 306 74 ovr. P.B.

Spoiler

Preview A Year Ago: N/A

The Lodown: S/O to my man Marty English. My favorite coordinator ever (mastermind of the famous 2017 UConn defense), destroyed all pundit speculation and guided the Knights to a 12-1 record in 2018, a New Year’s Six bowl win and a #2 finish in the nation. While English is off to Tennessee, UCF brings in another former UConn assistant in Mike Denbrock with young gun Connor Turley at offensive coordinator.

While the Knights won’t be as good this year, there are lots of intriguing pieces around the offense for Turley. Grad student Steve Vincent finally gets the call under center, but he must play perfect or else former mega-freshman Aaron Houston is ready. A trio of sophomores will look to replace All-American C.J. Jones, with Willie Alexander the leading candidate to start Week 1, though this could change quickly. Kevin Coles is a consistent receiver, but Mark Cannon is your deep threat. Senior guard Ray Turner heads a good O-Line.

2019 In a sentence: It’s about laying the foundation this year, as there is lots of potential for UCF to develop into a perennial power in coming seasons.

2019 UCF Depth Chart

* - impact player

QB
#12 Steve Vincent RSr. 6’4 238 82 ovr. Balanced (7-19, 80 yds)
#4 Aaron Houston RFr. 6’2 216 77 ovr. Scrambler
#19 Cam Ryan RSo. 6’0 200 76 ovr. P.P.
#7 Kyle Fowler Fr. 6’2 216 69 ovr. P.P.

RB
#36 Willie Alexander* RSo. 6’0 213 78 ovr. Power (16 rush, 77 yds, 2 TD)
#20 Jason Rodriguez RSo. 6’0 209 75 ovr. Speed
#34 Mike Johnson RSo. 6’0 221 74 ovr. Power
#40 Adam Holt Fr. 6’4 210 68 ovr. Balanced

WR
#82 Kevin Coles RSr. 6’1 195 84 ovr. Poss.
#81 Mark Cannon* RJr. 5’11 174 82 ovr. Balanced (3 rec, 41 yds)
#84 Mark Massey RSr. 6’1 213 80 ovr. Poss.
#86 Marcus Rodriguez RSo. 6’1 181 76 ovr. Balanced
#87 Ed Sanders Jr. 6’0 174 69 ovr. Poss.
#88 Jared Edwards RFr. 6’5 211 68 ovr. Poss.

TE
#85 Frank Powers Jr. 6’3 228 75 ovr. Rec.
#11 Alan McDonald So. 6’6 261 72 ovr. Rec.

LT
#60 Martin Goss RJr. 6’7 289 81 ovr. P.B.
#77 Karl Horne Fr. 6’5 300 68 ovr. P.B.
#70 Justin Rose Fr. 6’3 287 68 ovr. Balanced

LG
#72 Allen Davidson RJr. 6’1 302 83 ovr. Balanced
#67 Sean Weber So. 6’4 313 76 ovr. R.B.
#65 Chris Davis RFr. 6’3 299 74 ovr. Balanced
#64 Kerry Slaughter So. 6’3 277 72 ovr. R.B.
#69 Jerome Davis Fr. 6’1 296 66 ovr. P.B.

C
#73 Ryan Little RSo. 6’1 316 82 ovr. Balanced
#66 Dan Miller So. 6’4 324 76 ovr. P.B.

RG
#68 Ray Turner Sr. 6’1 302 91 ovr. P.B.

RT
#63 Marvin Jackson RSr. 6’2 322 82 ovr. Balanced
#75 Will Cutler So. 6’5 300 72 ovr. P.B.

Spoiler

Preview A Year ago: N/A

The Lodown: MTSU has been the the victim of good competition lately, finishing last in the C-USA East a year ago despite going 5-7. St. Brown Sr. comes in with his cupboard stacked in his favor, no question.

Sophomore QB Johnson saw limited time as a true freshman, but the kid’s got a cannon of an arm. He will likely beat out junior Lance Rutledge despite being slower and less experienced. Brandon Kennedy is an exciting little tailback, and Adam Calhoun is an ideal scatback. Freshman Matt White is an exciting prospect. Charlie McDonald has the most returning experience, and he pairs with Walter Johnson on the outside. A young group of redshirt freshmen will look to play a bit this year and be ready for 2020. Junior center T.J. Hill will have to be the leader of a young and inexperienced line.

2019 In a Sentence: If St. Brown Sr. and coach ______ can utilize their, so to say, island of misfit toys, the Blue Raiders can have a bowl worthy season.

2019 MTSU Depth Chart

* - impact player

QB
#1 Warren Johnson So. 6’4 207 84 ovr. P.P. (10-21, 146, TD)
#11 Lance Rutledge RJr. 6’5 209 80 ovr. Scrambler
#3 Wallace Morris Fr. 6’4 227 64 ovr. P.P.

RB
#24 Brandon Kennedy* RSr. 5’9 183 86 ovr. Speed (563 yds, 6 TD)
#20 Adam Calhoun RJr. 6’0 201 83 ovr. Balanced
#22 Derek Hurst RSo. 6’0 197 76 ovr. Speed
#30 Matt White Fr. 6’3 186 74 ovr. Speed
#40 Cole Cain RSo. 6’3 202 72 ovr. Power

FB
#23 Adam Palmer Jr. 5’11 234 78 ovr. Blocking
#45 Lester Howard RJr. 5’9 240 74 ovr. Rec.

WR
#81 Walter Johnson RSr. 5’10 189 79 ovr. Balanced (246 yds, 2 TD)
#86 Charlie McDonald* RJr. 6’1 198 79 ovr. Poss. (30 rec, 440 yds, 5 TD)
#85 Ray Jordan RSo. 6’0 206 76 ovr. Poss.
#84 Keith Nelson RSr. 6’4 227 75 ovr. Poss.
#12 Stephen Tyson RFr. 6’3 202 69 ovr. Balanced
#88 Seth Lawson RFr. 6’3 208 66 ovr. Poss.
#82 Brandon Miller Fr. 5’10 175 61 ovr. Poss.

TE
#13 David Pitts Jr. 6’7 270 80 ovr. Blocking (26 rec, 326 yds, 2 TD)
#89 Jon Wall RSo. 6’6 249 76 ovr. Blocking
#80 Clayton Scott RJr. 6’2 242 74 ovr. Blocking

LT
#75 Paul McKinney RFr. 6’5 304 76 ovr. Balanced
#60 Ronnie Riley RSo. 6’6 313 75 ovr. R.B.
#66 Brett Kirkpatrick Jr. 6’5 296 74 ovr. P.B.

LG
#73 Jerome Whitworth RSr. 6’2 288 73 ovr. P.B.
#76 Lee Davis Fr. 6’3 312 68 ovr. R.B.

C
#69 T.J. Hill RJr. 6’1 299 85 ovr. R.B.
#61 Blake Davis Fr. 6’6 285 64 ovr. R.B.

RG
#63 Trevor Hicks Jr. 6’4 320 72 ovr. R.B.

RT
#71 Mike Brink RJr. 6’7 292 79 ovr. P.B.
#62 Casey Covington Sr. 6’3 315 70 ovr. Balanced

Spoiler

Preview a Year Ago: N/A

The Lodown: UAB had another terrible 1-11 season a year ago, but got their biggest win of all in firing corrupt university president Ray Watts and saving the program. Coach Larry Leonard hired on Arkansas native Spanky Westside for his dose of big time college coaching, and their work is cut out for both of these young men.

Charrod Stovall has some potential, and the top wideouts from a year ago return in Sha’Jon Simpson and Andrew Singletary. While there aren’t any noteworthy running backs, UAB has a trio of good fullbacks who could see split carries out of the backfield. Rocky Taylor is a fringe NFL prospect, and his leadership skills will be tested this year. Otherwise, it’s going to be a tough year for the Blazers.

Season in a sentence: It’s going to be a long road to mediocrity for the Blazers, so two wins will likely make everyone happy. It’s just a matter of recruiting well and building for the future.

2019 UAB Depth Chart

* - impact player

QB
#4 Charrod Stovall RJr. 6’3 197 75 ovr. Scrambler (6-13, 84 yds, TD)
#16 Garin Brooks Fr. 6’0 191 62 ovr. Scrambler
#5 Ty Ward RFr. 6’4 217 58 ovr. P.P.
#3 Matt Lane RFr. 6’3 202 57 ovr. Balanced

RB
#42 David Clark Jr. 5’9 181 76 ovr. Speed (48 rush, 209 yds)
#21 Randall Wilcox RSo. 6’0 202 70 ovr. Power
#27 DeShawn Murphy RFr. 6’1 203 68 ovr. Power
#39 John Brooks RSo. 6’2 210 64 ovr. Power

FB
#49 Collin Long Jr. 6’1 247 78 ovr. Rec.
#48 Corwell Smith RSr. 5’11 271 75 ovr. Blocking
#35 Hank Williams RSo. 6’0 259 74 ovr. Balanced

WR
#84 Sha’Jon Simpson* RSr. 6’4 218 83 ovr. Poss. (49 rec, 664 yds, 10 TD)
#83 Andrew Singletary* RJr. 6’2 196 75 ovr. Poss. (46 yds, 500 yds, 5 TD)
#88 Marcus Walden RSr. 6’4 194 74 ovr. Balanced
#80 Cary Rosario So. 6’0 208 72 ovr. Balanced
#82 Dennis Godfrey RFr. 6’0 197 69 ovr. Speed

TE
#89 Kenneth Pressley RSr. 6’2 224 77 ovr. Blocking (22 rec, 306 yds, 1 TD)
#81 Ira Fitch So. 6’3 246 65 ovr. Rec.
#85 Nick McNamara RFr. 6’7 234 63 ovr. Blocking

LT
#62 Nicholas Tucker RSr. 6’5 282 75 ovr. Balanced
#63 Erik Young So. 6’4 275 69 ovr. P.B.

LG
#64 Rocky Taylor RSr. 6’1 308 84 ovr. R.B.
#78 Art James RJr. 6’2 295 66 ovr. P.B.
#79 Shawn Garrett Fr. 6’4 308 62 over. R.B.

C
#68 Sean Jones So. 6’3 279 70 ovr. P.B.
#69 Troy Owens RSr. 6’4 311 69 ovr. Balanced

RG
#66 George Brooks Fr. 6’4 303 69 ovr. R.B.

RT
#67 Nic White Jr. 6’5 305 72 ovr. R.B.
#76 Steve Morgan RSo. 6’6 307 70 ovr. Balanced
#71 Josh Harris Jr. 6’6 298 64 ovr. R.B.

I have been a silent follower of this forever and I just made an account earlier today. Amazing job with the Guru, a very worthwhile dynasty to read!

This dynasty thread is easily the reason I'm gonna start my own, best on OS! Keep up the awesome stuff!

Thanks to the all of you (Irreversible, I see ya, too), I think it's the best here also! (Very biased. :P) Though it's a shame the former got banned. Been seeing a lot of new guys get the boot for some reason lately, not my problem but hope there's a legit reason behind it. It'd look bad if we're discouraging new members away from the community.

[RoundingThird]

Re: We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

I really née a better job. This has got to be our year. Come on Mazzone!

[whughes]

Re: We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

Awesome, awesome, awesome previews and write ups Guru. I really appreciate the time and effort you put into this dynasty thread as a whole, but even more so with the CAC's. Here's to hoping Diaco can get UConn back in the playoffs in what may be his last season in East Hartford #RiseUpTogether

I'm so happy that I didn't get canned at CMU. We have some talent at the skill positions, but that line is atrocious. Might have to think about running an up tempo screen game offense to take some pressure off those lineman, or maybe an option offense of some sort. I'm going to play around with the default playbooks in game, if I'm still at CMU next season I might be running a new offense going forward

[ThaBoss18]

Re: We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

Wow I could really struggle this year with all that talent gone

But maybe that new running back can do some damage

[thesportsguru11]

Re: We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

I really née a better job. This has got to be our year. Come on Mazzone!

Jasper Haley is the real deal. You guys just need Williams to play well, and prevent another second half collapse. You can easily get to another bowl and move up. A lot of people are in this position with you.

And happy belated B-Day, BTW.

Awesome, awesome, awesome previews and write ups Guru. I really appreciate the time and effort you put into this dynasty thread as a whole, but even more so with the CAC's. Here's to hoping Diaco can get UConn back in the playoffs in what may be his last season in East Hartford #RiseUpTogether

I'm so happy that I didn't get canned at CMU. We have some talent at the skill positions, but that line is atrocious. Might have to think about running an up tempo screen game offense to take some pressure off those lineman, or maybe an option offense of some sort. I'm going to play around with the default playbooks in game, if I'm still at CMU next season I might be running a new offense going forward

I feel as if I owe it to you guys to put that much effort into the CAC's. You all come to my random little corner of the internet and show amazing support and are generally interested in my work. You guys helped evolve this crazy idea I had back in season 2 and shaped it to become (what I consider) a pioneer concept for 'chising with NCAA. This is my thank you to you guys.

I don't think you are in a good spot to run the option this season. Wood is your best all-around QB but not a fantastic runner. Weaver and O'Toole are faster, but both, especially Weaver, have below average arms. It's kind of a weird spot, but I could see a two-QB system with Wood throwing and Weaver passing. There is a lot there for you guys, but you have a tough out of conference schedule once again. We'll see how what happens for you guys this year!

Wow I could really struggle this year with all that talent gone

But maybe that new running back can do some damage

Harvey played really well for you guys when healthy last year, but with a power run game in focus for you guys, even a low rated back like Mason should find success. Your O-Line is very good as well, and that always helps.

You are one of those guys in the position to make a move up depending on your success this season. Hope all goes well!

[HARLEE23]

Re: We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

Woo! I'm so glad to move up the coaching ranks, and my side of the ball looks good to make a run at a bowl this year! Congrats to all the other people on moving up!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[whughes]

Re: We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

Just looked over the coaching changes table again, and noticed that you gave Lance Leipold a job at the FBS level. It's the little things that make this dynasty so great

[thesportsguru11]

Re: We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

Woo! I'm so glad to move up the coaching ranks, and my side of the ball looks good to make a run at a bowl this year! Congrats to all the other people on moving up!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Even if it's not a big move to a head coaching spot, any move up is still significant progress and can help you gain exposure from a variety of teams for head coaching spots should they open up. You're in a real good spot because of that.

I know they say having two (or in your case, four) QB's means you have none, but I'm anxious to see how you guys can do being a new team and all.

I've already played the first four weeks of the season (just need to get caught up), and I think you ended up going with Adams (don't quote me on that offhand). Obviously I won't reveal how you're doing, but I'm rooting for you, no doubt!

Just looked over the coaching changes table again, and noticed that you gave Lance Leipold a job at the FBS level. It's the little things that make this dynasty so great

Thanks as always, whughes. It's fantastic you're seeing my attention to detail (most of the time). I pride myself on that.

I know I have (at least) two fake coaches who have head jobs at schools (Demetrius Carpenter at New Mexico State and Larry Leonard at UAB), but I was thinking about our 2015 rosters and how to get Leipold on this dynasty for a long time now that he's at Buffalo. Finally thought to add him, and I'm glad I did.

At some point I'd like to add Jim Harbaugh back to the college ranks as well (keep in mind I started with 2014 rosters, so he is still technically with the 49ers.), and other big time small school coaches -- Montana's Bob Stitt is the big one I have in mind, dude's a genius. I also know Willie Fritz (and Georgia Southern) got left out in order to run the playoff, as did Appalachian State's Scott Satterfield, Charlotte's Brad Lambert....it's something I'll think about if any more fake coaches pop up at head coaching spots, as I don't give out head coaching jobs to CAC's off the bat. I'm sure there are other small school coaches I can't think of right now.

And also, thanks to you and RT, I've got an idea floating around....it's a long way from seeing it come to action, but it could work with your help...and probably four or five others. We'll see what happens.

[RoundingThird]

Re: We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

I think I know what it is, because I might have wanted to do it wayyyyy down the road in my BG dynasty, before I moved to next gen.

[whughes]

Re: We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

I sometimes miss obvious things. Not just in your posts though, it happens to me IRL more than I'd like to admit haha. One request if I may, I'd love to see Harbaugh in this dynasty, but only at Michigan. Please, please, do not create him anywhere else. Anything you need help with I'd love to help!

This is completely optional and makes no difference whatsoever. But if you leave these fake coaches alone maybe switch one of them so they run the flexbone. I love that offense. It's so simple, but yet can be so effective. Which I guess if you bring Willie Fritz into the fold at some point those two things go hand in hand