All,

I know folks will probably call me crazy (Drinking EMU kool-Aid) but it was troubling to me that English 2013 recruiting class seems to be light on OL & DL help this year.. The focus seem to be on LB'er DB etc... This is okay, so I did a little research and wondering if English may had seen something in the kids that he currenlty has in-house.. So, I looked at the current 2013 year and this listing below does not include any transfer or incoming freshmen..
See Below..

# Player EXP Weight Year
52 Pat O’Connor * DL 230 So.
54 Omar McFarlane * DL 250 R-So.
59 Josh Peterson DL 220 Rf.
74 Matt Price ** DL 265 R-Sr.
76 Travis Linser * DL 276 Jr.
90 Alex Jones DL 225 Rf.
91 Tony Thomas DL 265 Rf.
92 Jacob Rich DL 239 R-Jr.
93 Cy Maughmer * DL 290 Jr.
96 Mike Brown * DL 241 So.
97 Kevin Thomas DL 295 R-Jr.
98 Bryce Hall DL 295 R-So.
99 Arron Pipkins * DL 260 So.
19 Ike Spearman * LB 215 So.
28 Amos Houston LB 210 Rf.
35 Colin Weingrad *** LB 230 Sr.
40 Sean Kurtz * LB 231 R-Sr.
43 Anthony Zappone LB 220 Rf.
44 Hunter Matt * LB 220 So.
48 Jake Haviland LB 215 Rf.
50 Jake Pennese * LB 217 So.
55 Tim Brown LB 235 R-Jr.
50 Jake Hurcombe OL 275 Rf.
57 Matt Thornton OL 290 Rf.
60 Josh Woods OL 285 R-Jr.
61 Jordan Erbes OL 277 R-Jr.
62 Oliver Holbrook OL 265 Rf.
67 Campbell Allison ** OL 324 R-Jr.
69 Shawn Sinawe OL 300 R-Sr.
71 Darien Terrell OL 340 Rf.
73 Garrett Parker OL 312 R-So.
75 Scott MacLeod *** OL 306 R-Sr.
77 Lincoln Hansen ** OL 303 R-Jr.
78 Bobby McFadden ** OL 312 R-Jr.
79 Orlando McCord ** OL 306 R-Sr.


This is where I think it get good.. This could be the starting/rotated lineup that English put on the field (barring injuries).. It's not too bad,

DL rotatiions (Not including DE, where we are return 3 guys who started last year)..
Pat O’Connor * DL 230 So.
Omar McFarlane * DL 250 R-So.
Travis Linser * DL 276 Jr.
Cy Maughmer * DL 290 Jr.
Mike Brown * DL 241 So.
Bryce Hall DL 295 R-So.
Arron Pipkins * DL 260 So.
AVG DL Weight 265

LB Rotation (We will have more speed and these guys should be bigger)
Ike Spearman * LB 215 So.
Amos Houston LB 210 Rf.
Colin Weingrad *** LB 230 Sr.
Sean Kurtz * LB 231 R-Sr.
Hunter Matt * LB 220 So.
Tim Brown LB 235 R-Jr.
AVG LB Weight 224

OL Rotation (We may have the biggest OL in the MAC, barring injuries)
Campbell Allison ** OL 324 R-Jr.
Scott MacLeod *** OL 306 R-Sr.
Lincoln Hansen ** OL 303 R-Jr.
Bobby McFadden ** OL 312 R-Jr.
Orlando McCord ** OL 306 R-Sr.
AVG OL Weight 310

The question that I have now is where will the leadership come from.. Who will be the team captains?

I'm not sure that recruiting is done for 2013. However I point out that many of the OL have started in the past year and the drop off from 2011 in the run production was not a positive. Losing guys like Sorgatz, Watman and Neal isn't going to help. I see the Collins JUCO as perhaps an immediate contributor here.

On defense on paper how does it get better? At the current time we have no impact incoming player to point to on the DL or LB. Blake Bean would have been helpful but he signed with Buffalo.

I think we addressed the future at QB with two solid recruits, we got a kicker and we added some DB backs that should help with depth.

You left Kashama and Steals off of the DL list.

Hard to judge the OL performance last year. Predictable play calling was working against them.

(01-23-2013 07:55 PM)TheWoodenNickle Wrote:  You left Kashama and Steals off of the DL list.

Hard to judge the OL performance last year. Predictable play calling was working against them.

You are right I forgot about Kashama and Steal. This makes the case even more I guess..

I think the line should be better this season with us having a new OC, for whatever the reason I don't think the guys cared for Karcher...

Anderson should really focus on getting his line together..

(01-23-2013 05:43 PM)emu79 Wrote:  I'm not sure that recruiting is done for 2013. However I point out that many of the OL have started in the past year and the drop off from 2011 in the run production was not a positive. Losing guys like Sorgatz, Watman and Neal isn't going to help. I see the Collins JUCO as perhaps an immediate contributor here.

On defense on paper how does it get better? At the current time we have no impact incoming player to point to on the DL or LB. Blake Bean would have been helpful but he signed with Buffalo.

I think we addressed the future at QB with two solid recruits, we got a kicker and we added some DB backs that should help with depth.

I think as a team will be more athletic & quicker at all positions.. One of the things English talked about when he was hired as the HC was the need to get kids who was big enough to play the position at the college level... He didn't want any more undersized players and I think he finally has it.. You would think each kid will probably gain 10 - 15 pounds before the start of the 2013 season..

Who is our current strength and conditioning coach and how good is he?

(01-23-2013 09:19 PM)emu79 Wrote:  Who is our current strength and conditioning coach and how good is he?

I searched the roster and couldn't find one but I am still checking..

FWIW we are not doing as poor in the recruiting game as I had thought, if comparing ourselves to other MAC schools in the conferences.. I am not saying its the best but we are not near the bottom either.

70. Toledo
72. Central Michigan
77. Miami (Oh)
80. Bowling Green
84. Ball State
87. Western Michigan
91. Eastern Michigan
100. Northern Illinois
101. Ohio
106. Kent State
114. Akron
115. Massachusetts
125. Buffalo

Give me a few more DT and I will sleep pretty good this season..

Give EMU 2 good DT and the MAC is our to win but I guess all teams can say that..

Why is English bringing in so many DB's? We only losing Roses to graduation..

Kevin Johnson & Pollard are coming back from injuries.. We have D. Scott & K.Bryant returning, along with Cotton and Coleman.. I know I am missing others.. Maybe English isn't happy with this returning group..

(01-29-2013 04:35 AM)NUPudge Wrote:  FWIW we are not doing as poor in the recruiting game as I had thought, if comparing ourselves to other MAC schools in the conferences.. I am not saying its the best but we are not near the bottom either.

70. Toledo
72. Central Michigan
77. Miami (Oh)
80. Bowling Green
84. Ball State
87. Western Michigan
91. Eastern Michigan
100. Northern Illinois
101. Ohio
106. Kent State
114. Akron
115. Massachusetts
125. Buffalo

Give me a few more DT and I will sleep pretty good this season..

Give EMU 2 good DT and the MAC is our to win but I guess all teams can say that..

Why is English bringing in so many DB's? We only losing Roses to graduation..

Kevin Johnson & Pollard are coming back from injuries.. We have D. Scott & K.Bryant returning, along with Cotton and Coleman.. I know I am missing others.. Maybe English isn't happy with this returning group..

Not actually NU Pudge we lost more than Rose don't forget Swaim which honestly I wish they would move to OLB to improve the speed at that position.

(01-29-2013 10:10 AM)emu79 Wrote:  

(01-29-2013 04:35 AM)NUPudge Wrote:  FWIW we are not doing as poor in the recruiting game as I had thought, if comparing ourselves to other MAC schools in the conferences.. I am not saying its the best but we are not near the bottom either.

70. Toledo
72. Central Michigan
77. Miami (Oh)
80. Bowling Green
84. Ball State
87. Western Michigan
91. Eastern Michigan
100. Northern Illinois
101. Ohio
106. Kent State
114. Akron
115. Massachusetts
125. Buffalo

Give me a few more DT and I will sleep pretty good this season..

Give EMU 2 good DT and the MAC is our to win but I guess all teams can say that..

Why is English bringing in so many DB's? We only losing Roses to graduation..

Kevin Johnson & Pollard are coming back from injuries.. We have D. Scott & K.Bryant returning, along with Cotton and Coleman.. I know I am missing others.. Maybe English isn't happy with this returning group..

Not actually NU Pudge we lost more than Rose don't forget Swaim which honestly I wish they would move to OLB to improve the speed at that position.

Yeah you are right. My Bad and I'd also wondered why they didnt move him or Cotton to the OLB spot...

(01-23-2013 09:19 PM)emu79 Wrote:  Who is our current strength and conditioning coach and how good is he?

Same guy and he is very good. The players respond well to him.
http://emueagles.com/sports/2012/6/18/GE...24716.aspx