Depth Chart Guessing – Fall 2010 August 30, 2010
Before the official depth chart comes out this week, I thought I’d take a stab at the starters and backups (just in case Zook is looking for suggestions). This year I’m going to correctly name every player on offense… and get maybe 2 of the 8 members of the secondary correct. There’s a chance that before I’m done typing this, we’ll have moved Scheelhaase to safety and Jeff Allen to cornerback.
QB: Nathan Scheelhaase / Chandler Whitmer
RB: Mikel Leshoure / Jason Ford / Troy Pollard
FB: Chris Willett / Jay Prosch
TE: Evan Wilson / Justin Lattimore OR Eddie Viliunas
WR1: AJ Jenkins / Chris James
WR2: Jarred Fayson / Darius Millines
WR3: Eddie McGee / Fred Sykes
Weakside Tackle: Jeff Allen / Michael Heitz
Weakside Guard: Hugh Thornton / Anterio Jackson
Center: Graham Pocic / Tyler Sands
Strongside Guard: Randall Hunt / Jack Cornell
Strongside Tackle: Ryan Palmer / Craig Wilson
DE: Clay Nurse / Whitney Mercilus
DT: Corey Liuget / Glenn Foster
DT: Akeem Spence / Daryle Ballew
Bandit: Michael Buchanan / Nate Palmer
SLB: Nate Bussey / Ashante Williams OR Earnest Thomas
MLB: Martez Wilson / Evan Frierson
WLB: Ian Thomas / Aaron Gress
CB: Justin Green / Miami Thomas
CB: Travon Bellamy / Patrick Nixon-Youman
FS: Tavon Wilson / Joelil Thrash
SS: Trulon Henry / Fritz Rock
K: Derek Dimke / Matt Eller
P: Anthony Santella / Brad Janitz
+ Taking a wild guess that Craig Wilson will be listed as Ryan Palmer’s backup instead of Jeff Allen’s backup. If either Allen or Palmer goes down with an injury (Dear God Please No), I think Wilson is the backup. It was a camp battle between Michael Heitz, Simon Cvijanovic, and Nate Swanson for the fourth tackle spot. I’m guessing that Heitz gets the nod. And that he’s listed behind Allen.
+ I listed different backups at each OL position, but I really think it will go like this: Jack Cornell is the replacement at either guard (I think they’re more comfortable with him at strongside guard, so if he replaces Hunt, Cornell is strongside; if he replaces Thornton, Hunt goes to Thornton’s spot on the weak side and Cornell is strongside). If either tackle comes out for a breather, it’s Craig Wilson. And if Pocic comes out, it’s Tyler Sands (or possibly Jake Feldmeyer).
+ With the WR rotation upside down because of all the position switching, here’s my new catches chart. The top 7, in order of receptions:
AJ Jenkins
Jarred Fayson
Eddie McGee
Darius Millines
Fred Sykes
Chris James
Ryan Lankford
+ I’m very worried about twin tight end sets with Zach Becker injured and London Davis gone. That was probably your two-deep at blocking tight end, while Wilson/Lattimore was probably your two deep at receiving tight end. They would mix and match them all (including the fullbacks), so it’s not like there’s no one to play that specific position, but I’m worried that when we go to the twin TE set, we’re heavy on the catching and light on the blocking. Walkon QB turned TE Eddie Viliunas might have found a role here. Or maybe Russell Ellington (once he returns from injury).
+ I really need to find a spot for Justin Staples. I saw him working out at both rush end and Bandit in Rantoul. Whitney Mercilus is probably the true backup for Clay Nurse, and Nate Palmer is probably the true backup for Michael Buchanan, but Staples might get on the field at both positions. He still needs to add size and strength, but I think he can be a nice defensive freak for us in a few years.
+ As I said in the mini-podcast, I have no clue what we’ll do in the secondary. Justin Green starts at corner after only a week and a half playing defense? Travon Bellamy is the other corner, or is Patrick Nixon-Youman ready? How soon can STEVEHULL make an impact at safety? If the answer to that is “soon”, does Tavon Wilson go back to corner? Last question: we’ve heard for a long time that Joelil Thrash is a natural corner that we’re trying to shoehorn in at safety. So… maybe… now… switch him back?
+ Some freshman surprises I could see: Darius Millines getting the second most receptions against Mizzou. Evan Wilson getting the most receptions against Mizzou. Brandon Denmark pulling off the redshirt and finding his way on the field at Bandit. Earnest Thomas pushing Ashante Williams for playing time at backup Sam. And Fritz Rock playing sooner rather than later.
+ One last thing: Totally forgot to hand out my two Camp Rantoul awards. I know how devastated you all must feel over this – all I can offer is my deepest apology. And the award history for the 13th time:
Spring 2009 – Spring Ball Crush: Mikel LeShoure; Eye Opening Player: Jerry Brown (*snif*)
Camp Rantoul 2009 – Camp Crush: Juice Williams (*sigh*); Eye Opening Player: Joelil Thrash
Spring 2010 – Spring Ball Crush: Nathan Scheelhaase; Eye Opening Player: Justin Staples
The envelope please…
Camp Rantoul 2010 – Camp Crush: Corey Liuget; Eye Opening Player: Evan Wilson
The leaner, meaner Corey Liuget was an easy pick for Camp Crush. Eye Opening Player was a little harder. The first two days, STEVEHULL jumped out to a huge lead. He looked great in the 7 on 7 drills. But the moment that Evan Wilson caught two redzone balls in the Rantoul Scrimmage (one for a touchdown with the first string, one for first-and-goal-at-the-two with the second string on the very next play), Hull was out and Wilson was in. Sorry, STEVEHULL. We’ll always have Camp Rantoul Practice #5.
First Lineman in reserve will be Cornell and if it is for a tackle, Thorton will move to the tackle spot. We really only go 6 deep, maybe 7 if you count Sands.
Really concerned about Palmer and Hunt. as a strongside OL. Both played inconsistent and awful last year. Palmer without a TE helping him out on the pass rush is a sack waiting to happen.
The big question I have about our line is our ability to generate rushing lanes for LeShoure. We ran the ball well in 2009, but that was from the spread.
Can we run the ball from the proset, with 7 or 8 guys in the box? (versus the spread, we ran the ball when the number of guys in the box was 5 or less, threw the ball 6 or more -).
What will our line splits look like?
Will this line be physical or just be an engage and turn blocking scheme?
You might be right about Thornton. But it seemed like the coaches really liked the offseason that Craig Wilson had, so he might get into the regular rotation very soon.
As for running lanes, you have a great point. Leshoure and Ford will need to be patient at times, waiting for the pulling guard and h-back to clear the corner That’s something they really didn’t have to do the last two years.
For defense, VK wants to run a 4-2-5, but I dont see that we have the personnel to run that or the current depth in the secondary.
I am curious to see if we run base 4-3 vs Missouri or if we are in nickel. If Nickel, do we take out Thomas and put in A. Williams?
My concern is that we are light on the DL and not that phsyical in the LB corp. So if we remove our most physical player, I Thomas to go 4-2-5 or nickel then we are a very light defense.
Anpther note: I have watched a lot of practice tape and have seen that the DL stunts almost on every play. That is a conern of mine. I see where VK is coming from because I don’t think he believes that a straight rush of 4 can pressure the QB. Look at the pass 2 years to see how little pressure our front four genrates. However, too much stunting and lack of discipline gap control will allow Gabbert to have huge running lanes, or large gains on the draw.
The defense is a 4-2-5 by design. It might say “Strongside Linebacker” next to Nate Bussey on the official depth chart, but the position is really more like a safety. That’s why Ashante Williams (a safety) and Earnest Thomas (a safety) are his backups. It even looks like a 4-2-5. Martez and Ian Thomas will be spaced evenly at linebacker – Martez on the strongside and Ian on the weakside – and Bussey will be 7 different spots on the first 7 plays.
Against Mizzou and their love of the TE, I can see Bussey lining up over the TE the majority of the snaps. TEZ (the Chaser) and Thomas inside over the OG.
Remember Bussey at safety 2 years ago. Brutal.
I just want this defense to hit somebody when it matters (when the score matters and not 15 yards down field).
Until I see otherwise, this might be a pursuit defense, rather than an attack defense.
Since I doubt that we can generate a pass rush with only our DL, who will be the primary blitz LB? Most teams do no blitz their MLB too much.
On IlliniHQ’s “First Word with Ron Zook” this AM, he stated that they go 8 deep on the OL. Cornell is the backup guard, Wilson is the backup tackle, and Sands will sub for Pocic.
Yes, I had heard that as well. But I think Gilbert would be more comfortable putting Thornton at tackle rather than using Wilson, especially since we do not have a blocking TE to help out any of our tackles. If Pocic goes down, Sands is in as our backup center.
Hopefully, we won’t have to see any of the backups and our OL can gel and play as one.
Official depth chart is out. 8th page of this PDF: http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/ill/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/GM1-ILL-MIZ-Notes.pdf
The one thing that stuck out to me… Jack Cornell is the second string TACKLE? Say what now?
Also, Green-Bellamy starting at the corners, with Miami/Ramsey backing them up.
Not to many surpirses. Yes, Cornell at Tackle and Sands not the backup cener. But we all know that these depth charts are not the depth charts of the position coach.
Ramsey at number 2 corner over PNY…that says a lot….Ramsey just said in an interview that he has not tackled anyone in over 3 years.
Fayson not the primary KR/PR. All hype, no production.
For the OL depth chart, they just wanted to list 10 guys which required some funny 2nd string listings. I guess Feldmeyer and Anterio Jackson are No 9. and 10 on the depth chart… but they really don’t want to go more than 8 deep in the rotation.