Spartan Spring Game Draft

[johnny2x2x]

The draft happened a couple days ago, they've really turned this into a cool event. This is a very deep team again and we fielded 2 pretty good teams. The draft also showed that much of what we've been hearing in Spring wasn't just hype, the players have pride and a steak dinner on the line and they want to win.

Some notes, Demetrius Cooper was the 1nd DE off the board after Calhoun (Rush is a senior so he was drafting). He's been the most mentioned player this spring on either side of the ball. Joel Heath was the 1st DT taken is is going to start. Clemens and Knox have both bee impressive and will compete for the other DT starting spot with Kittridge being in the mix too. The big surprise was Jalyn Powell getting picked at S over both RJ Williamson and D Cox, kid is an Isaiah Lewis clone with a little more speed, we've been hearing great things about him all spring. Also heard great things about Gerald Holmes and he was the 1st RB taken. Jamal Lyles is another guy that has been getting talked about and he was the 1st TE off the board, ahead of Price who had a pretty good freshman year last year. Jon Reschke was the 1st LB taken. Arnett also was drafted high, confirming all the good things we've been hearing.

In my mind the key player on our defense is Ed Davis who is hurt this Spring. Really think we're going to have a dominant D line, better than last year. Our secondary is also loaded and should be great again. We always seem to have a great MLB step up. Replacing Denicos Allen is our biggest challenge IMO, he was such a unique talent, so fast and strong, almost unblockable at times. He made so many big plays in the back field for us. Ed Davis showed he's got all the talent in the world, really stood out vs Mich and OSU, but can he do it consistently. If Davis has 6+ sacks and 12+ TFLs this defense has a chance to be incredible again, maybe another top 5 unit.

Offensively, we are stacked, we bring back basically everything including 5 O linemen with starting experience who each played big time snaps last season. We'll rotate 7 or 8 linemen this season every game, we know who 6 are, just need the other 2 to step up.

Could be another very special season if we continue to work hard. And by all accounts this has been the most intense and toughest spring under the MD regime. We've help a total of 4 full scrimmages and now we're having a full spring game with two full teams. Winter conditioning was brutal and Coach Mannie had them in at 4:30 am every day instead of 5:30 like in the past. Team worked harder than ever before, hope they can handle being the favorites all season.

 

[johnny2x2x]

Here's the starting lineups. Missing a few guys to injury. That's 2 full squads that would each win some B1G games IMO.

WHITE:

QB: Cook/Terry
RB: Hill/Holmes
FB: Chmura
WR: Burbridge
WR: Arnett/Jakubik
WR: Barksdale/Kilgore
TE: Price/Sokol
LT: Conklin
LG: McGowan
C: Jackson
RG: Brown
RT: Kieler
K: Kronin

DE: Rush
DT: Heath
DT: Clemons/Fennell
DE: Cooper/E.Jones
LB: M.Hicks/Harrington
LB: Reschke
LB: Bullough
CB: Hicks
FS: Williamson
SS: Drummond
CB: Edmondson
P:

GREEN:

QB: O'Connor/Terry
RB: Langford/Thompkins
FB: Pendelton
WR: Lippett
WR: Mumphrey/Madaris
WR: Shelton/Sims
TE: Gleichert/Lyles/Lang
LT: Clark
LG:Salmon
C: Allen
RG: Kruse
RT: Finley/Bodanis
K: Geiger

DE: Calhoun
DT: Knox
DT: Kittridge/N.Jones
DE: L.Thomas
LB: Harris
LB: T.Jones
LB: Frey/S.Jones
CB: Waynes
FS: Cox
SS: Powell
CB: Robinson/J.Williams
P:

 

[Sbee]

I think Powell was a big reach, having Williamson and Drummond will be big for the green team.

I like to see cooper go early, he put on almost 50 pounds in a year, he's just jacked now.

I also was surprised but happy to see Lyles got first for tight end

 

[johnny2x2x]

Really think Conklin and Jack Allen are underrated. Allen is one of the best centers in the country IMO, and Conklin gave up zero sacks as a 6-6, 325lb freshman last year according the coach Staten. Really think we could have a dominant O line with 3 former freshmen all Americans if you add Jackson. Conner Kruse was also very good late in games last year and I think Clark is good too. Kieler will be the 6th guy and can play several positions, if Jackson takes a rest and Kieler plays LG for him, we'll have one of the largest O lines in team history on the field averaging over 310 lbs.

Also excited to see us use the TEs more this year. I think Price, Gleichart, and Price make up a very good trio. I think Bodanis might take that blocking TE position when we go jumbo.