After all the transfer news I thought I would put a thread together where we can discuss the 2020 depth chart. I am basing this off of the weekly depth charts released each week for the 2019 season. A few of these guys played in multiple spots this season. Obviously a lot of this will change by the spring.

Offense

QB:
Ross Bowers
Dustin Fletcher
Andrew Haidet

RB:
Jordan Nettles
Erin Collins
Rondarius Gregory

FB:
Brett Bostad

TE:
Daniel Crawford
Corey Lersch

WR 1:
Tyrice Richie
Michael Love
Mohamed Toure

WR 2:
Cole Tucker
Fabian McCray

WR 3:
Dennis Robinson

LT:
Marques Cox

LG:
Benn Olson
Leif Engstrand

C:
Austin Warner

RG:
Brayden Patton
Logan Zschernitz

RT:
Nolan Potter


Defense

DE:
Matt Lorbeck
Cam Mattox

DT:
Weston Kramer
Jeffrey Griffin Jr.
James Ester

DT:
Demond Taylor

DE:
Michael Kennedy

OLB:
Lance Deveaux
Nick Rattin
Kewan Parker
Tristen Tewes

MLB:
Kyle Pugh
Vinny Labus
Nathan Harman

OLB:
Jordan Cole
Rayshawn Gay
Walter Riley

CB:
Antwain Walker
J.D. Harris

S:
Joshua Earl

S:
Woodly Appolon

CB:
Mark Aitken
Dillon Thomas


Updated 5/12/20

No to Robinson. Im putting Love there. He struggled some this year but the staff must like what they see.

(12-02-2019 08:24 PM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  No to Robinson. Im putting Love there. He struggled some this year but the staff must like what they see.

Sadly Robinson is our only WR with any size and he showed no improvement.

I would argue a WR of size is our greatest offensive need.

Robinson looks the part but sadly that was it. This is harsh, seems like a super kid, but he needs to spend the off season in front of the Jugs machine and get one of these from Santa.

Isn't Logan Zschernitz a favorite at guard spot? He was solid.

(12-02-2019 08:47 PM)thxjoenovak Wrote:  

(12-02-2019 08:24 PM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  No to Robinson. Im putting Love there. He struggled some this year but the staff must like what they see.

Sadly Robinson is our only WR with any size and he showed no improvement.

I would argue a WR of size is our greatest offensive need.

I know you're referring to height when you say size, but Hall is a big body. 6'2", 220. He cant possibly have worse hands than robinson and hes dangerous when he has the ball. I'd be willing to give hime a shot.

We may need a transfer(the answer to every problem these days). Only 1 WR in the 2020 class. MAybe Toure or Mitchell hits from '19. I liked what I saw from Mitchell in practice.

(12-02-2019 09:03 PM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  

(12-02-2019 08:47 PM)thxjoenovak Wrote:  

(12-02-2019 08:24 PM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  No to Robinson. Im putting Love there. He struggled some this year but the staff must like what they see.

Sadly Robinson is our only WR with any size and he showed no improvement.

I would argue a WR of size is our greatest offensive need.

I know you're referring to height when you say size, but Hall is a big body. 6'2", 220. He cant possibly have worse hands than robinson and hes dangerous when he has the ball. I'd be willing to give hime a shot.

We may need a transfer(the answer to every problem these days). Only 1 WR in the 2020 class. MAybe Toure or Mitchell hits from '19. I liked what I saw from Mitchell in practice.

Alas, Rodney Hall is leaving.

Logan Z is starting at one of the G spots. Leif will compete with Potter ar Rt....May see another transfer on OLine. Howard or Waylee true Fr will see significant time. Bostad,
I want to see more of him. Some pro running plays with him leading. Damn, wish we had more TEs. True fr Drucker will play as true Fr. Back up Qbs... are probably gone. Need LBs ..transfers???

You have to think they bring a transfer at receiver. Unless Toure takes a big step up. Did Fabian McCray see the field this year?

My thoughts:

Safeties-
Having five senior safeties didn't leave much room for the young guys. Joshua Earl's name showed up on the depth chart for one or two games, but that's it. There could be another guy that showed some flashes in practice but just never got a chance to play since there were too many guys ahead of him. A grad transfer could really help here for 2020.

RB-
Hopefully one of the incoming freshman RBs is ready to play right away. Jevyon Ducker looks good on tape, so let's hope he is the real deal. Nettles was alright this season, but I don't think he can handle an every down role. Rondarius Gregory was solid against WMU, but was only playing due to circumstance. I'd be fine with him as the third guy on the depth chart.

LB-
If Pugh and Deveaux return that would be huge, but as of right now I wouldn't count on it. A lot of names made their way to the depth chart in 2019 at LB due to injury. I thought Joseph Bonds would get some playing time, but he was nowhere to be seen. The 2020 starters could easily be Rattin, Labus, and Cole with who knows who behind them.

OL-
Rumor is CJ Perez could be back for 2020, which would be great. Losing Isaac Hawn is a real shame, so it looks like Nolan Potter will be the guy. The interior guys all moved around a lot this season, so it's hard to predict to who will be where. Cox at LT seems like the only one we can be sure about.

WR-
Three of the top four guys in receptions are back. Tyrice Richie is by far the best receiver on the team and I look forward to watching him for another year. Cole Tucker is a reliable possession receiver, but doesn't quite have the speed to be a star. Dennis Robinson has been a bust. The team really needs to find a reliable guy who can play opposite of Richie.

CB-
Haney and McKie leaving is a real gut punch, especially with the safety position being such a big question mark. Antwain Walker and Mark Aitken are my predictions for the starting CBs next year with Dillon Thomas as the third guy.

DL-
Both DT and DE are set for 2020, barring any injuries.

QB-
Bowers coming back is great news. He wasn't great, but it was looking like the Huskies were going to lose their top 3 QBs for a moment. If Childers returns too, I wouldn't mind a two QB offense if there isn't one guy who can do it both. I have Valenti penciled in at the third spot but that could easily change.

I have to think Ducker is going to be a major factor at RB. I don't think expect Childers back, so I also wouldn't be surprised if Dustin Fletcher is Bowers' primary backup. Even if Childers is back, I would give him a look at WR/wild cat QB.

NIU has 5 commitments from safetys (including 4 3 stars), so you have to think a few of them will be in the mix.

Assuming Pugh and Deveaux come back, the front 7 on defense should easily be the strength of the team. DB's are a huge concern.

Great thread.

Looks like big holes at safety.

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There are already so many transfers available. With how hammock went and got bowers and terry, you gotta think he’s going to land a few more

I hope he aims real high for a WR and safety transfer

(12-02-2019 10:06 PM)7 Wrote:  I have to think Ducker is going to be a major factor at RB. I don't think expect Childers back, so I also wouldn't be surprised if Dustin Fletcher is Bowers' primary backup. Even if Childers is back, I would give him a look at WR/wild cat QB.

NIU has 5 commitments from safetys (including 4 3 stars), so you have to think a few of them will be in the mix.

Assuming Pugh and Deveaux come back, the front 7 on defense should easily be the strength of the team. DB's are a huge concern.

If Childers doesn't come back, it will be interesting to see how they handle the backup QB position. Unless Fletcher is a real stud, he isn't going to start over Bowers. I wouldn't be surprised if Fletcher is the second best QB on the team, but would they burn his RS just so he can be a backup. I wouldn't mind having the third best guy as the number two, just so Fletcher can keep his RS. Bowers has trouble staying healthy though, so who knows.

I'm not so worried about the CBs since there are guys who have real game experience. I am very worried about the safeties though. Unless they move Dillon Thomas back to safety, Joshua Earl is the only safety on the roster who has any game time. All three remaining safeties are walk-ons, which isn't ideal. Five incoming freshman is nice, but how many will be ready to play let alone start. I bet we see at least one CB move to safety. I'm hoping for a grad transfer.

It may be wishful thinking but I believe the offense has a chance to be a lot better next year. To wit:

-Bowers should be better with a year under his belt in this system. The coaches now know what he does well and less well. He has more time over the spring and summer to develop rapport with his receivers.

-Hopefully Childers is back as well to do what he does best. Marcus, if you're trying to decide whether or not to play you already have your answer: you need to play. Because you have 12 more months to do this and the rest of your life to drag your sorry ass to work every day like the rest of us. What's the rush, let's get back to Detroit and go out in style.

-We'll have two or three backs who can bounce it outside and pick up chunk yards. I think that will have a big impact on the offense as a whole. Really appreciated Harbison but the three yards and a cloud of rubber pellets was stale. We need someone to take it to the house once in a while.

-Our tight ends are awesome. Don't forget Daniel Crawford who is supposed to be back along with Brinkman, Lersch and Soraghan. Lots of weapons there.

-If Perez is back the O line is not nearly as thin as I feared. Some combination of Cox, Patton, Perez, Olson, Warner, Zschernitz and Potter equals a lot of guys who have played. Maybe some younger guys will knock on the door. Cox really improved over the course of this season and should be a monster. Coach Agpalsa is a terrific O line coach, he improved them over the course of this season and will have them better for 2020.

-At receiver Richie is a weapon and Cole Tucker made the leap this year. Mike Love got a year of experience under his belt, painful as it was. He has a chance to be dynamic and should be a lot better as the game slows down for him. Toure and McCray looked great in fall camp this year and should be ready to contribute. Maybe the light will go on for Robinson. I haven't given up on Leon Payne and Jyran Mitchell either, and some incoming freshmen could contribute. The receiver corps has to take a turn for the better one of these times. Some of this young talent will grow up.

-Coach Eidsness has a year under his belt with this personnel. He's a good coach who will figure it out.

Is Crawford coming back? I though he was a RS Sr this year. That would be great.

Really good thread; thanks for putting this together and good comments. Here are my 2 cents:

QB:
Ross Bowers
Marcus Childers
Mario Valenti

I agree with that order, absent Valent progressing enough to jump Childers for next year, which I doubt. I have not heard anything to make me think that, but you never know.

Then we have the commit Dustin Fletcher (hopefully we hold onto him since MSU still has not made him an offer). He has good size at 6’3” 205, and it sounds like he really can pass very well and is a good runner; he seems to be a pass first dual-threat from what I’ve seen, which I like (unless his name is Jordan Lynch!). I have a “thing” with true FR QBs. Yes, I know there has been success stories, and then disasters, the most recent of which is the true FR at Rutgers (who had tons of offers) and he is in the running for the worst seasons by a QB in history! BTW, he is in the transfer portal. Maybe Fletcher will catch on and progress very quickly and all and jumps Valenti and maybe even Childers. I don’t see him jumping Bowers, and I would not want to see a true FR QB starter! Really, what I see is a mostly Bowers O with Childers coming in situationally as the coaches figured out this season. The next season right now looks like Fletcher with a run by Valenti, but likely that order.

RB:
Jordan Nettles
Rondarius Gregory

The wild card is our 2020 commit Jevyon Ducker. He has got the numbers and he really is an APB. RB is one of the easier positions for a true FR to start. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him become the number 1 RB or at least a lot of touches (running and receiving) and we burn his RS. He seems to fit in the stated vision the OC has for the O.

WR 2:
Cole Tucker
Fabian McCray

WR 3:
Dennis Robinson

I would like to see McCay at WR 3 and Robinson at WR 2 behind Tucker. McCay is suppose to have all the necessary skills. Of course, many things prevent a player from excelling in FBS or at lease takes him time. I am just so tired of seeing Robinson drop catchable passes. Yes, I know he has the size, but that is not enough if we can’t rely on him to make catches.

S:
Joshua Earl

S:

Ouch, safety has major holes! Absent JUCO or immediately eligible transfers, we are going to need a few of the 2020 S commits to step it up.
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Childers is quitting football focusing on his degree!!!
Safety’s position its a kid that didn’t see the field this year due to surgery should step in and be productive.

(12-03-2019 04:22 AM)Chicago_sportsfan Wrote:  Childers is quitting football focusing on his degree!!!
Safety’s position its a kid that didn’t see the field this year due to surgery should step in and be productive.

Thanks. That's sad news since he could've really helped the red zone offense next year. It really seemed like our coaches finally figured out a niche for him and he would've been a big part of their plans. And now we don't even have Rodney Hall to fall back on. I think it's critical that we find a wildcat QB who is also a threat to throw the screens and other timing routes to keep the defense honest. We should NEVER and I mean EVER let Bowers take off on a designed run. He's just not that QB. He's a very accurate QB who likes to push the envelop at times but I think he will be much better next year.

Of course Bowers will be more effective with better play from the WRs and if we throw to the TEs more often...