Scout unveiled a new set of rankings, but I’m not going to bother updating the stars for now, since I’m planning to switch to Rivals’ rankings son anyway.

Action since last rankings:
7-12-08 Michigan State gains commitment from Bennie Fowler. Penn state gains commitment from Nate Cadogan.
7-13-08 N0tre Dame gains commitment from Chris Watt. Michigan State gains commitment from Derek Hoebing.
7-14-08 Indiana gains commitment from Mitch Ewald. Indiana gains commitment from Pat McShane.
7-15-08 Purdue gains commitment from Kris Cooke.
7-16-08 Illinois gains commitment from Nathan Scheelhaase. Indiana gains commitment from Lawrence Barnett.
7-17-08 Indiana gains commitment from Dustin Kiel.
7-18-08 Indiana gains commitment from Charles Champan.

New Rankings:

Sam Longo commits. OSU probably has 3-4 slots left for people like Marcus Hall, Jaamal Berry, etc.

Michigan is waiting for more commits.

Nate Cadogan commitment is now official. Figueroa and Kuntz figure to be low three-star types, maybe dropping in twos.

Chris Watt commits, failing to realize that ND OL have underperformed horrifically in recent times. Turk and Tausch have a rating ceiling of high three-stars (standard for non-all-world kickers).

Wisconsin’s OL commits get a bonus half0star because of their inherent Wisconsin-ness. Borland will be a mid three-star, frederick a high three.

Bennie Fowler and Derek Hoebing commit. Reynolds will be a low three-star, as will Klatt and probably Fowler. Hoebing may end up a high two-star.

Keise, Rengel, and Michel probably low-3/high-2 guys. Orseske will end up a high two.

Thrash will be a mid three-star, Fuller a high two.

Dustin Kiel, Lawrence Barnett, Charles Chapman, Mitch Ewald, and Pat McShane commit. While the Hoosiers have a lot of commitments (which would rank them higher in many ranking systems) their abundance of 2-star guys really limits where this class can end up.

Trumpy and Battle will be low threes, Moulton a high two.

Aristide could end up a high three-star. He was on the verge of being a big prospect before a bad junior year injury. Bush will be a mid three-star. The Boilermakers pass Iowa.

Ferentz’s glory days in recruiting seem to be over. Rogers will end up a low two-star.

Posted under Recruiting

Added:
NC OL Travis Bond. Plans to visit Mich (info in header). Smart money is on MSU or Toledo weekends.
TN WR Marsalis Teague. There is some Michigan interest.
VA OL Morgan Moses. Virginia’s top OL plans a Michigan visit.
SC DB David Sims. He plans to take an official visit to Michigan, so it stands to reason that they are in his top 5.
AL DE William Ming. Mega-old article, but it mentions that Michigan is recruiting him.
IN LB Tyquan Hammock. Visited Michigan this week.

New Information:
MD DE Jason Ankrah. Extends his PSU visit. Is he feeling the Nittany Lions?
MD LB Jelani Jenkins. His teammate Caleb Porzel picks Maryland. The two had discussed being a package deal.

Removed:
MD RB Caleb Porzel. Committed to Maryland.

Posted under Recruiting

Penn State Offense:
QBs
After a couple of underachieving years as the starter, Anthony Morelli has graduated from Penn State, and Jay Paterno is looking for a new player to prevent from improving. Daryll Clark (notable to Michigan fans mostly for being the second QB knocked out by the 2006 Wolverine defense) and Pat Devlin, a true sophomore who had the trademark wasted redshirt year last year (one attempt) will battle for the starting position. Behind them is Paul Cianciolo (the only Nittany Lions QB not to be pwned by Alan Branch in ’06), who will serve in a backup capacity. Clark will probably start, as he is the most experienced and mobile signal-caller for the new “Spread HD” offense.

Statistics:

Analysis:
Clark has a little experience, and is quite mobile. However, it is easy to question whether he is half the leader that Michael Robinson was the last time Penn State went to a spread offense, in 2005 (answer: no). Devlin is a little-experienced but guru-approved backup who will get the experience to take over when Clark leaves. Quarterback will probably be a liability for the Nittany Lions, but that isn’t too different from Morelli’s days as a starter.

RBs
Rodney Kinlaw and Austin Scott (who missed much of last aseason after being accused and later acquitted of sexual assault) are both gone, and last year’s second-leading rusher, redshirt sophomore Evan Royster, will be the new starter. Taking carries from him will be redshirt freshman Stephfon Green, who was very impressive in the Penn State spring game. Royster is a between-the-tackles traditional Penn State running back, whereas Green is a speedy guy who will try to get to the corner. Other running backs will be Brandon Beachum and Brent Carter.

Statistics:

Analysis:
A bit of thunder-and-lightning should be a good complement to Penn State’s “spread” offense, as long as they can execute it well. Kinlaw doesn’t have starting experience, but he is not without some significant playing time in his career. While Green was impressive in the spring game, it remains to be seen whether he can do it in a real game. There isn’t a ton of depth behind the two, despite the fact that lots of different guys got carries last year. and they will have to avoid injuries for the Nittany Lions to have effective running from the tailbacks.

Receivers:
The vaunted trio of Derrick Williams, Jordan Norwood, and Deon Butler has reached maturation, and 2005’s freshman phenoms are in their last year at Penn State. Derrick Williams seems to be a bit of a Steve Breaston-type, with a great first year, then declining production each of the next two. Perhaps he can become an important roleplayer as a senior, much like Breaston did. Norwood is a local boy who earned a scholarship and has gone on to be a successful wideout himself. Deon Butler is the most consistent of the three, and should be the leading receiver for Penn State again this year. Behind the starters, there is almost nobody with either name recognition or playing time. At tight end, Andrew Quarless is perpetually suspended, and it is unclear at this point wwhether he will even be on the team come fall. If the junior is off the team, junior Mickey Shuler will take over the starting role.

Statistics:

Analysis:
Can the Penn State receivers match the production of their freshman season? They may need to exceed it with a less proven running game in 2008. If Williams can accept a role, and allow the other two seniors to be “the guy,” I think Penn State’s success at receiver is dependent only on the ability of the quarterback to get them the ball. One potential problem is a lack of size. Terrell Golden and Chris Bell were the only receivers standing greater than 6 feet, and both are no longer with the team. The Nittany Lions like to get the ball to their playmakers in the backfield as well, and opportunities may increase with a move to Spread HD.

Line:
Penn State returns its entire offensive line, and there is enough talent in the trenches to still have a position controversy of sorts. Senior left tackle Gerald Cadogan was honorable mention all-conference last year. Redshirt senior left guard Rich Ohrenberger started every single game, while getting second-team all-conference honors. Center AQ Shipley returns for his senior season after a junior campaign in which he was named 1st-team all-conference. At right guard, redshirt senior Matt Lucian, who started most of the season last year, will battle true sophomore Stefen Wisniewski for the starting position. At right tackle, redshirt junior Dennis Landolt started each game last year.

Analysis:
The left 3/5 of the offensive line returns with all-conference honors of some sort from 2007, while the remaining two linemen will be returning starters (or a true sophomore who beats out a returning starter). The line is very strong, particularly on the left side. I would expect the Nittany Lions to be able to create holes in the running game, as well as protect the quarterback from being sacked, especially on account of Daryl Clark being able to make plays with his feet.

Offensive Analysis:
Strengths: Line, WR.
Weaknesses: QB, RB.
The spread seems to be a good offensive fit for Penn State to make the most out of its talent, though they’d better not put too much pressure on Daryll Clark. I don’t think they’ll put up big numbers, but they should be able to do what it takes to win most of the time. Since the defense may be strong enough to get some wins on its own, look for a performance similar to 2005. The only concern I have is the lack of a true leader, unless one of the WRs can step up.

Penn State Defense:
Defensive Line:
Junior Maurice Evans was 1st-team all-conference last year, and returns at one of the defensive end spots. On the other side is senior Josh Gaines, who started every game last year. Backing up the defensive ends are highly-regarded redshirt freshman Devon Still and moderately-less-regarded sophomore Aaron Maybin. At defensive tackle, troubled Chris Baker is off the team for a variety of transgressions. Junior Phillip Taylor was suspended for the spring, and junior Jared Odrick missed much of last season with injury. Those two are expected to start, with Ollie Ogbu the first off the bench as a sophomore.

Statistics:

Analysis:
The turmoil along the front four (Baker’s removal from the team, Taylor’s spring suspension) could mean this unit lacks a bit of cohesion early in the year. Evans will be a pass-rush specialist, with the other three more of run-stuffers. This is an experienced defensive line that should be able to produce, especially by their 8th game. They didn’t lose much from last year, and should excel in ’08.

Linebackers:
Dan Connor is off to the NFL, while Sean Lee will spend all year in the training room. This means that Penn State must replace linebackers at two positions, while senior Tyrell Sales will return as the starter at one OLB spot. The other two positions will likely be filled by Bani Gbadyu, a sophomore who got playing time in every game last year, with true sophomore Chris Colasanti, who got little playing time in 2007, filling in at the all-important middle position. Jerome Hayes, Andrew Dailey, and Navorro Bowman are the primary backups.

Statistics:

Analysis:
It’s hard to imagine linebacker being a point of weakness at Penn State, but with the two top tacklers from last year’s team (and the entire conference) gone, this may be the case. Colasanti will have to step up big time to preserve the tradition of LB U, and Gbadyu should fill his outside spot well. With the Lee injury, depth should be a concern, but PSU stockpiles linebackers very well.

Defensive Backs:
Corner Justin King left early for the NFL, but he is the only key defensive back to be leaving the Nittany Lions. Senior safeties Anthony Scirotto and Tony Davis return, as does corner Lydell Sargent. Junior A.J. Wallace was the primary nickel last year, and he will be the only starter who isn’t a senior. The nickel will be assumed by junior Knowledge Timmons, also the first corner off the bench. Devin Fentress is the other backup at corner. The safeties are backed up by senior Mark Rubin (who got several starts last year) and redshirt freshman Nick Sukay.

Statistics:

Analysis:
King was a first-team all-conference performer, but Penn State fans largely believe that he underachieved in his junior year. The other three starters return, and Penn State should have some pretty good cohesion in the back. Scirotto was a pretty good playmaker last year, intercepting balls when he wasn’t busy rounding up a posse to regulate on somebody’s apartment party. The Nittany Lions look for him to continue this, and they should be successful this season. My one worry from last year was that a corner, not a safety, was the leading tackler in the secondary, but it can be partially explained by the fact that different free safeties started.

Defensive Analysis:
The secondary is very strong and the defensive line has a great playmaker in Maurice Evans. This definitely appears to be a Penn State team that should be able to stop teams from passing on them. With a bit of uncertainty along the defensive line, however, and the lack of the Big Ten’s top two tacklers from 2007, the vulnerabilities will definitely be in the run game. The Penn State OLBs are pretty quick, which should slow down the zone-read option game, but the MLB is completely green, so the inside run game may be able to have some success.

Special Teams:
Kevin Kelly returns for his senior campaign as the Nittany Lions’ kicker. Junior Jeremy Boone punted for Penn state last year, and despite uninspiring results, should return for 2008.

Statistics:

Analysis:
The kicking game will be a strong point for Penn State. In returns, AJ Wallace and Derrick Williams make up one of the most formidable units in the country.

Overall Analysis:
It’s easy to see why Penn State is projected near the top of the Big Ten. They return several players from one of the best recruiting classes in their recent history. However, there is also a lot of uncertainty for the Nittany Lions. The quarterback is relatively inexperienced, as are their running backs. The offensive line and receiving corps will have to help them out a lot. On defense, the linebackers appear to be the weak point – very odd in State College. If a few things break Penn State’s way, they can challenge for the BCS.

Posted under Analysis

It’s time to respond to a post that I find to be completely off-base regarding Kevin Newsome. You may remember the author from giving us an insight or two on Newsome and Jelani Jenkins a while back, but I’m not going to link the source article, since it was particularly dickish when all I’ve done is give the guy hits:

For any of the folks from the Varsity Blue web site that as still visiting, let me say, to quote the great poet Henry Rollins: “HA HA HA, sucker! Sucker!” Did you really think you were going to get Kevin Newsome out of the 757? You are a total idiot for doubting me. His brother, rising junior standout Keevon Newsome, wants to go to Vah-tech, and Kevin Newsome is already concerned that Michigan is going to present some problems. You don’t leave your native school to go to Hargrave because your grades are above the line, so he obviously has some academic problems. Nobody is as accomodating of academic and behavioral shortcomings as Frank Beamer, and none of Rich-Rod’s shady, illegal recruiting tactics are going to change that. A lot of people with optics into this one tell me it is already done and that Newsome will formally back out of his verbal to Michigan and commit to Vah-Tech before the season starts. For all you Varsity Blue dorks, my prediction remains unchanged: Kevin Newsome will be a Hokie, and Jim Tressel will bitch-slap the Wolverines for another five straight years (at least).

I highly doubt Kevin Newsome would be the president of his high school chapter of National Honor Society if he had grade issues. Thus, it must follow that he is going to Hargrave for other reasons. Could one of these reasons be to get away from the pressure within the 757 to go to VT? It certainly follows logically, especially when you take into account that Newsome’s new head coach at Hargrave is particularly fond of making his players remain true to verbal commitments.

Also, Keevon is a big VT fan, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he ended up there. However, if Kevin was going to do the same, wouldn’t he have taken the opportunity of the VT camp to take a visit (especially considering Keevon was there for the camp).

I won’t even bother to respond to the allegations of sady recruiting tactics (dumb) or the touting of Frank Beamer as a sketchy character. Both are laughable.

For more information on Michigan’s quarterback situation, check out the Free Press. Even if Newsome does back out of his verbal, Michigan has a couple slightly less-touted contingency plans.

Posted under Recruiting

Pretty much as expected, from what we’ve been hearing lately, the official Michigan jerseys for 2008 have been unveiled on MGoBlue:

Let the bitching commence. I find them to be entirely inoffensive.

Posted under Misc.

Much stuff from late last week snuck its way in here because of the JAM PACKED WITH CONTENT nature of Friday’s update.

Added:
FL WR Rontavious Wooten. Michigan is in his top 4, though LSU leads.
WA DT Deandre Coleman. I’m still convinced Michigan needs to take another DT in this class.
FL OL Andrew Carter. Apparently offered.

New Information:
Pahokee, FL prospects. Will play on ESPN August 30, where many of them also plan to announce college decisions. Also, they got in a huge brawl this weekend.
MD RB Tavon Austin. Wants to have freedom in his college offense. Seems a spread attack would be a good fit for him.
GA WR Braxton Lane. Baseball fluff. At this point, I expect him to be a top pick in next spring’s MLB Draft, and would be surprised if he went to college. Hell, we’d definitely take him for both sports.
FL TE Orson Charles. Decision Timeline.
OK RB David Oku. Talks officials (Michigan’s is for the MSU game). Video? Video:

Ladies, if you’re going to go visit him at work, don’t forget to sport some of this stuff.

Removed:
FL DT Antwan Lowery. Down to two (info in header). I’m betting neither is Mich, since he has visited several other schools.

Posted under Recruiting

Audio only this week. Enjoy.

Posted under Recruiting

Action since last rankings:
7-5-08 Ohio State gains commitment from Sam Longo.
7-7-08 Notre Dame gains commitment from Marlon Pollard. Purdue gains commitment from Gary Bush.
7-8-08 Michigan State gains commitment from Nate Klatt. Notre Dame gains commitment from Tyler Eifert.
7-10-08 Indiana gains commitment from Duwyce Wilson.

New Rankings:

Sam Longo commits. OSU probably has 3-4 slots left for people like Marcus Hall, Jaamal Berry, etc.

Michigan is waiting for more commits.

Adam Gress, Curtis Dukes, and Christian Kuntz commit.

The Irish grab two prospects, is big-timer Chris Watt on the horizon?

Wisconsin moves past Michigan State because I give slightly more value (up to a bonus star) to any offensive lineman that Wisconsin deems worthy (and they have 3 so far in this class).

Nate Klatt becomes a Spartan.

Keise, Rengel, and Michel probably low-3/high-2 guys. Kickers are rarely rated very well.

Steve Hull to the Illini.

Indiana gets a boatload of commits. Keyt will be a 2-star (he is being brought in as a greyshirt long-snapper), Gainer might end up a mid-to-high 3-star, and the rest will be in the low 3-star range.

Northwestern is still in on a couple of big-timers. Will they be able to land one?

Ferentz’s glory days in recruiting seem to be over.

Not sure where Aristide will be ranked, but it has to be a more important commit than a long-snapper. He was on the verge of becoming a big prospect before a junior year injury.

Posted under Recruiting

Mega-full week. Some stuff may be held until Monday’s update.

Added:
IN OL Kyle Koehne. Top 4 of UM, MSU, BC, UF. Wants to decide before his senior season.
VA DE Will Hill. Visiting this weekend.

New Information:
VA QB Commit Kevin Newsome. May camp at VT. :(
MI QB/S Thomas Gordon. Nearly guaranteed to commit if offered.
MS S Dennis Thames. Recruiting fluff, +visited this week and subsequently named Michigan his favorite.
IN OL Zach Martin. Top 5 of UM, ND, UVa, UK, Ill. Wants to decide before senior season (not set in stone). Visiting this weekend.
GA LB Devekeyan Lattimore. Likes Michigan and plans to visit this summer (info in header).
NV DE Keenan Graham. Michigan in his top 9.
OK CB Gabe Lynn. Michigan would let him run track in college.
CA WR Shaquelle Evans. Michigan “high on his list.” He is expected to visit Notre Dame for the Michigan game.
GA CB Darren Myles. He plans a visit to the northern schools on his list sometime this summer. Michigan is on his list but not explicitly mentioned as one of the visited.
NC WR Jheranie Boyd. Recruiting fluff.

Removed:
SC QB/S Stephon Gilmore. Michigan is out of his top group.
FL CB Brandon McGee. Has made decision plans, Michigan not among the schools considered.
IA WR Keenan Davis. Will not decide until signing day, no apparent M interest.
TN WR Marlon Brown. Trimmed list, no Michigan.
NC CB Terry Shankle. Michigan eliminated.

Etc.: TheWolverine’s Josh Helmholdt breaks down Michigan and MSU recruiting classes thus far.

Posted under Recruiting

Toledo Offense:
QBs
The Rockets had a ton of injury problems at the signal-caller position last year. Aaron Opelt, now a true junior, was the primary starter, but he missed time in several games. Backup Clint Cochran, now a 5th-year who is listed on the roster but not the depth chart, played until he was injured as well. DJ Lenehan had been expected to redshirt, but now enters the 2008 season with a few starts under his belt. Depth will be provided by JC transfer Alex Pettee.

Statistics:

Analysis:
If nothing else, the injuries to Toledo quarterbacks have prepared the backups to get some playing time in the future. Opelt is the main guy here, but the Rockets are prepared if he goes down. He is the most mobile threat of the bunch, and his passer rating wasn’t that much lower than the likes of Chad Henne in 2007 (albeit against much weaker competition). He should be able to sling it pretty well this year.

RBs
Toledo loses last year’s leading rusher in Jalen Parmele. Returning is their second leading rusher, redshirt junior DaJuane Collins. After QB Aaron Opelt, true sophomore Gordon Warner was next in rushing for the Rockets. Behind them, little-used redshirt sophomore Jason Washington and used-even-less-frequently true sophomore DeAndre Ware bring the depth. Adonis Thomas redshirted last year, and should be able to jump these two on the depth chart.

Statistics:

Analysis:
Parmele carried the vast majority of the load for Toledo last year, and losing a drafted player will certainly not help the ground game this year. Collins and Warner will likely get a more even share of the carries than the #1 and #2 have for the Rockets in the recent past, but it is unlikely that they will be able to perform to the level that Parmele did in the past couple years. Expect a big dropoff at the top, with some compensation in the form of better depth behind the top couple RBs.

Receivers:
The leading receiver for Toledo last year returns in the form of redshirt junior Stephen Williams, a second-team all-conference selection. Redshirt senior Nick Moore was directly behind him, followed by a host of now-departed players in TE Chris Hopkins, as well as WRs Andrew Hawkins and David Washington. Senior John Allen will now start at the TE position (backed up by redshirt junior Tom Burzine), and redshirt freshman Tom Cortazzo, who was second string last year but did not play, will man the third WR spot. RS junior Robin Bailey will be a backup at wideout, but several players who didn’t receive playing time last year will have to step up now.

Statistics:

Analysis:
Toledo didn’t spread the ball around as much as many teams do, with their top 2 receivers getting the vast, vast majority of the receptions. With the next three behind them (in addition to the leading receiver at RB) gone, they may take an even larger proportion. While most smaller
schools tend to have short, speedy guys, the Rockets have starters who are 6-1, 6-4, and 6-5. Michigan’s corners will have to use good technique and superior athleticism to keep toledo from going over the top.

Line:
Along the line, Toledo’s returners all come on the interior. True sophomore right guard Kevin Kowalski started most of the season at the position past year, as a true freshman. Center Buster Garrett is a redshirt junior, and he started several games at the position last year. Projected left guard Jared Dewalt is a true junior who gained starting time at right guard his freshman year, then started at right tackle most of last year. The tackles ar both new, with redshirt freshman Mike VanderMeulen taking over on the left side, and redshirt sophomore Chris Meenan, who got playing time in 8 games last year, on the right. The backups are generally inexperienced freshmen, except right guard Patrick Dawson, a senior who has been the primary backup for the past 3 years.

Analysis:
New tackles could mean that Aaron Opelt ends up on his back a lot. However, both of their new guys are good-sized, and the Rockets are hoping they can protect Opelt. With the new outside linemen and a new starting running back, I wouldn’t be surprised to see rush yards go down and sacks go up. Opelt’s escapability is the wildcard in that equation.

Offensive Analysis:
Losing your leading rusher, an NFL draft pick, has to hurt the Rockets. If Opelt can stay healthy this year, Toledo will probably toss the bal around a bit more than they did last year, though several of the top targets are no longer in blue and gold. This year should be a rebuilding one for the Toledo offense, but they should come on strong in 2009 with only 1 starter a senior this year. 2008 will also be a transition year to a new offensive coordinator, which bodes poorly for this campaign, but well for ’09.

Toledo Defense:
Defensive Line:
Sean Williamston returns to the Rockets after being injured for the entire 2007 season. The redshirt senior will start at one defensive end spot. At the other spot, a sophomore phenom-of-sorts in Alex Johnson, who led the DL in tackles last year, will start. This displaces former starter Doug Westbrook, but I can’t imagine Johnson not starting after the year he had (and neither is close to large enough to move inside). Art the tackle spots, junior Skylaar Constant will man one starting position. The true junior got 7 starts last year. At the other spot, true junior Maurice Hill and true senior Alfred Martin will duke it out for the starting nod.

Statistics:

Analysis:
With two positions not entirely settled going into the fall, Toledo should have a fair amount of depth. Their DL is very light, however (heaviest projected starter is 6-2, 282), and they may be pushed off the ball with relative ease by a team with the talent of Michigan. The inside run should be a vulnerability, and the ends are closer to pinebacker size than they are to true run-stuffers.

Linebackers:
The Rockets run a 4-2-5 defense, but for the sake of my sanity, the rover shall be considered a linebacker. Returning at that position is Toledo’s leading tackler from last year, now-junior Lester Richmond. At the linebacker positions (not sure of the nomenclature in a 4-2-5. Middle and weak?), Keith Forrestal will come back for his senior season, but the other starter from ’07, the Rockets’ second-leading tackler in Greg Hay, has graduated. Stepping in will probably be Archie Donald, a junior who started half the games his freshman year, but was out for last season with academic troubles. The backups at linebacker all have
some starting experience, and juniors Beau Brudzinski, Derrick Summers, and Joe Shuler (rover) should not be huge liabilities when they spell the starters.

Statistics:

Analysis:
The 4-2-5 defense is designed to stop spread attacks, replacing a true linebacker with a hybrid LB/safety. Toledo runs such a system, but it remains to be seen whether it is effective against high-talent spread teams. Behind the primary backups, Toledo returns virtually nobody, so they may try to get a bit more depth developed this year. The return of Archie Donald give Toledo a pretty athletic LB to counter Forrestal’s bigger size.

Defensive Backs:
Toledo returns four starters at defensive back, and has enough quality players that one of the returners wasn’t even able to hold onto his starting spot in the spring. At corner, junior Walter Atkins returns as a starter, and Desmond Marrow, who redshirted last year with a foot injury, wrested the starting spot away from true sophomore Myshan Pettis in the spring. This means the Rockets will have 3 quality corners. At the safety positions, junior Barry Church may be the most celebrated player on the team. The junior strong safety has been first team all-conference the past two years. At free, senior Tyrell Herbert, who started his freshman and sophomore years before being limited due to injury last year, gets the starting nod. His backup is the lanky (6-2, 166) junior Chris Murphy.

Statistics:

Analysis:
There is plenty of experience in the defensive backfield (despite not that many players, all of the top guys return plus Marrow), and surprisingly good size for a MAC team. The starting corners are 6-1 and 6-3, and both safeties are 6-2 and near 200 pounds. Church is the best of the bunch, and look for him to make most of the tackles. Toledo won’t be as susceptible to the passing game as you might expect, with their defensive style and experience in the secondary. However, the number of tackles Atkins made leads me to believe he’s far from a lockdown corner, as opposing quarterbacks neither feared throwing it his way nor failed to complete the passes they hurled in his direction.

Defensive Analysis:
The Toledo offense certainly doesn’t rely on the blitz game. Almost no sacks and very few tackles for loss came from the linebackers or secondary. For that matter, the linebackers didnt’ seem to do a ton in coverage either, registering no interceptions. Toledo instead relies on D-linemen to create pressure (both on the q
uarterback and for the opposing run game), linebackers to control the run game, and defensive secondary to take care of the pass. The latter should be the most successful this year, unless the d-line does nothing to get pressure on the QB.

Special Teams:
Kicker Alex Steigerwald returns after two solid years as the starter. Toledo loses punter Brett Kern, and he will be replaced by redshirt freshman Bill Claus. Return duties will have to be accounted for as Jalen Parmele handled them last year.

Statistics:

Analysis:
Kicking won’t be a liability, but the return game and punting could pose some problems for the Rockets.

Overall Analysis:
It’s so tough to do a final evaluation of teams like Toledo, because it’s so tempting to say “also, none of that mattered because their a MAC team and they played approximately nobody.” However, Toledo was really inconsistent last year, getting housed by Central Michigan, beating 1-AA Liberty by one point (better than Michigan could against a 1-AA team hur hur), and also doing things like hanging 70 on Northern Illinois and 52 on Eastern. It seems that Toledo should be a middle-of-the-pack MAC team, struggling against good compeition.

Posted under Analysis