Spring Depth Chart is out

[johnny2x2x]

http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools...15-16/misc_non_event/2016SpringDepthChart.pdf

A few notes:
Kyonta Stallworth to DT. He has the athleticism to be great there, but I thought his feet were NFL quality on the O line, just didn't put on enough weight I guess.

Delton Williams to FB, makes perfect sense.

Darrell Stewart listed at 6-1. 208 as the starting F receiver. Kid could be great.

Drake Martinez at RB, fastest guy on the team, looks like he's on O now.

The depth on the back 7 for the D is insane. 18 kids who have played meaningful snaps in the back 7.

Raquan Willams was a beast as a RS last season, look for him to make an immediate impact at DT. Robert Bowers was the DE that made the most noise in practice last season. He Sweat, Cooper, and Jones are the key to the defense being just very good or being elite. Enoch SMith Jr. is also going to make a splash. Evans, McDowell, Williams, Smith, and Knox is potentially one of the best DT rotations in the country.

The O Line is being retooled, but even so it's nice to see 7 players with starting experience competing there. If Finley is healthy enough he will be our LT from day 1. Finly, Allen McGowan, Clemens, Kieler is how it likely shakes out. Beedle, Salmon, Higby rotate.

 

[Sbee]

I'd like to see Martinez used in the return game, that was a huge weakness last year. Did we even have a big punt return last year?

 

[johnny2x2x]

Coach D also said that Sweat and Evans are in good standing.

 

[Sbee]

Coach D also said that Sweat and Evans are in good standing.

That's huge, I think our defense will be back at 2012 and 2013 levels.

 

[johnny2x2x]

That's huge, I think our defense will be back at 2012 and 2013 levels.

Certainly looks as deep as it has ever been, we just need one of the talented DEs to become an impact player and we can be a top 5 defense again.

Coach D said Reschke or Davis will get a look at the STAR. Personally I think Davis is too good of a pass rusher, you want him staying where he's played. Reschke certainly has the range to play the STAR and he was a monster by the end of last season. To think that Riley Bullough should be our 3rd best LB this year is crazy. Fry, Shane Jones, and A. Dowell all made some big plays at LB last year too. and there's more behind them. We have 7-10 LBs ready to be impact players. We have just as many DBs who have played important snaps. We are loaded at DT, it's just DE we need a couple players to progress. Cooper and Sweat have both shown flashes of being elite pass rushers, but both need to do it consistently. Evan Jones has been nothing more than solid against the run. With our depth at DT, Malik McDowell will get some time at DE this season. Cooper, Knox, Evans, McDowell is as talented of a front 4 as we've ever had here.

 

[boogerlovejoy]

I'd like to see Martinez used in the return game, that was a huge weakness last year. Did we even have a big punt return last year?

That one against Michigan at the end of the game was decent!

 

[Spartanmack]

Certainly looks as deep as it has ever been, we just need one of the talented DEs to become an impact player and we can be a top 5 defense again.

Coach D said Reschke or Davis will get a look at the STAR. Personally I think Davis is too good of a pass rusher, you want him staying where he's played. Reschke certainly has the range to play the STAR and he was a monster by the end of last season. To think that Riley Bullough should be our 3rd best LB this year is crazy. Fry, Shane Jones, and A. Dowell all made some big plays at LB last year too. and there's more behind them. We have 7-10 LBs ready to be impact players. We have just as many DBs who have played important snaps. We are loaded at DT, it's just DE we need a couple players to progress. Cooper and Sweat have both shown flashes of being elite pass rushers, but both need to do it consistently. Evan Jones has been nothing more than solid against the run. With our depth at DT, Malik McDowell will get some time at DE this season. Cooper, Knox, Evans, McDowell is as talented of a front 4 as we've ever had here.

If we're as talented at DT as you say, I think DE is less important. If we dominate the middle and have serviceable DEs, they're going to see 1 on 1 blocking all day every day. I think gholston and calhoun were great players but I think a big part of why they were great (gholston in particular) was because of the DTs dominating and controlling the line of scrimmage. DE is a glory position, sort of like linebacker. They make the tackles and get all the credit, but without solid interior play many of them wouldn't be the big name players they are.

 

[johnny2x2x]

If we're as talented at DT as you say, I think DE is less important. If we dominate the middle and have serviceable DEs, they're going to see 1 on 1 blocking all day every day. I think gholston and calhoun were great players but I think a big part of why they were great (gholston in particular) was because of the DTs dominating and controlling the line of scrimmage. DE is a glory position, sort of like linebacker. They make the tackles and get all the credit, but without solid interior play many of them wouldn't be the big name players they are.

Malik McDowell will be an All American this year at NT, Craig Evans was clearly our 2nd best DT after McDowell in the second half of the year, he is a load and beats his man regularly. Knox is a solid rotation guy. Williams and Smith Jr. will contribute, Williams is going to be special.

And people forget that Cooper had 5 sacks and 6.5 TFLs last season, he's already been a contributor and he missed some time being banged up. Cooper could easily get to 9 or 10 sacks next season, it's in run support he needs to be more consistent. Cooper is a more physically gifted Calhoun, but he needs to have the same motor Calhoun had and the same discipline. Sweat showed he is a freak athlete, but he missed last year because he had off the field issues. You really want 4 DEs who can step up, I think we have 2 that are solid, one that is a support type guy, and a couple others who have to step up. Would not surprise me if Josh King sees the field this Fall.

 

[LuciousGameWinner]

I can't wait to see Ed Davis back on the field again. His motor never stops. That defense could be really nasty, especially the linebackers! Malik McDowell should be an All American, I highly doubt he comes back for his senior year so we better enjoy him while we have him.

 

[Spartanmack]

Malik McDowell will be an All American this year at NT, Craig Evans was clearly our 2nd best DT after McDowell in the second half of the year, he is a load and beats his man regularly. Knox is a solid rotation guy. Williams and Smith Jr. will contribute, Williams is going to be special.

And people forget that Cooper had 5 sacks and 6.5 TFLs last season, he's already been a contributor and he missed some time being banged up. Cooper could easily get to 9 or 10 sacks next season, it's in run support he needs to be more consistent. Cooper is a more physically gifted Calhoun, but he needs to have the same motor Calhoun had and the same discipline. Sweat showed he is a freak athlete, but he missed last year because he had off the field issues. You really want 4 DEs who can step up, I think we have 2 that are solid, one that is a support type guy, and a couple others who have to step up. Would not surprise me if Josh King sees the field this Fall.

I think Gholston and Calhoun were both a bit overrated - Gholston moreso. Not that they weren't both very good football players, just that they weren't as good as their press and it's because they got a lot of credit for the work the guys in the middle did. Off the top of my head, I think Jerel Worthy was the best front 7 player we've had in the Dantonio era and after that I'd say Jones and possibly Max Bullough would be on my list before Calhoun or Gholston.

 

[johnny2x2x]

I think Gholston and Calhoun were both a bit overrated - Gholston moreso. Not that they weren't both very good football players, just that they weren't as good as their press and it's because they got a lot of credit for the work the guys in the middle did. Off the top of my head, I think Jerel Worthy was the best front 7 player we've had in the Dantonio era and after that I'd say Jones and possibly Max Bullough would be on my list before Calhoun or Gholston.

Gholston is having a very good career in Tampa, really is becoming a force there. I think Calhoun's value was in his motor, never took a play off in a game or in practice, I think he'll be a pretty good pro.

Can't forget Denicos Allen, guy didn't have the body to play in the NFL, but he was a monster at Rush LB for us.

Ron Burton is a great DL coach and I bet he moves on soon as he'll be getting offers from the pros. Interested to see what he can do with the types of recruits we've been able to bring in the last few years, top 150 types like Williams, King, Jones, Evans, and maybe Robertson (who I think still ends up a Spartan). There's more talent in the front 7 than we've ever had here from a recruiting star stand point. And guys like Williams and King measure out like high end NFL D linemen. Should be fun to watch.

 

[Sbee]

I know people group Gholston and Calhoun together since they are both good DE's that are playing/will play in the NFL but keep in mind that Gholston left after his JR year with no redshirt and Calhoun was here for 5 years. I'd assume that Gholston would have been a beast if he stayed 5yrs

 

[Spartanmack]

I know people group Gholston and Calhoun together since they are both good DE's that are playing/will play in the NFL but keep in mind that Gholston left after his JR year with no redshirt and Calhoun was here for 5 years. I'd assume that Gholston would have been a beast if he stayed 5yrs

possibly, but don't forget Gholston's productivity dropped off a bit without Worthy in the middle. He put up similar sack numbers but wasn't the impact player he was the year before because he could get double-teamed more. Some of that may have been because of his sophomore performance but if Worthy stuck around, teams would have had a much harder time double teaming him. And Gholston has some attitude/maturity issues. Worthy may have gotten his share of offsides calls but he didn't get many stupid PFs.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not bagging on either of them. I just think it starts in the middle and if you can control the line from there, DEs and linebackers can be let loose to go after QBs and make tackles. Look at Katzenmoyer's sophomore year when he didn't have 3 all-Americans on the line. His production was a fraction of his freshman campaign. DE and LB are more of glory positions - important, but I think the controlling the middle is more important. Obviously you want the best players you can get at each position but I'd rather get great DTs like Worthy, McDowell, etc and solid DEs than the other way around.

 

[johnny2x2x]

Drake Martinez at RB is intriguing, we need a true speed back and Martinez is supposed to be the fastest guy on the team and runs a legit sub 4.4 forty. Madre London is faster than people realize, but we need a burner.

We always have a very fast defense, but speedy play makers have been lacking since Keshawn Martin. I think Shelton is a sub 4.5 guy, but Kings and Burbridge were slower guys, Kings ran like a 4.7 recently. I think the groups of WRs we've brought in the last couple years have been a lot faster. Chambers, Layne, Jackson, Davis III, and Stewart are all accomplished track athletes.

Felton Davis II is intriguing, he made a few big plays for us as a true freshman, he is 6-4 and was the top 55 meter hurdler in Virginia high schools. He can jump and has run a 4.46 forty. He's long jumped 22 feet, runs a 7.5 55m Hurdles, and has high jumped over 6 feet, he's a plus athlete at 6-4 and he's got a chance to be great.