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East Carolina 2010 Defensive Analysis
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Prologue
Friday, July 2, 2010
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By Ron Cherubini
Staff Feature Writer |
→ DEFENSIVE END →
- A.J. Johnson (RS-SR): The only senior in
the hunt for one of the defensive end positions, Johnson has seen action
in 16 games over the past three seasons, collecting 16 tackles. Johnson
was getting into a groove at defensive end but suffered a leg injury in
the Rice game in 2009 and is trying to get himself back to full speed.
He has program experience and began to click in at the end of spring,
putting himself into the mix for a position.
- Maurice Mercer (RS-JR): Mercer had a solid
spring but finds himself looking up at a redshirt freshman on the
post-spring depth chart. That said, Mercer does have 17 games under his
belt as a backup end and special teamer where he collected 8 tackles
over his first two seasons. He is big, strong, and quick off the edge. He
should have a significant role up front for the Pirates.
- Korey Reynolds (TR-JR): A spring move from
the offense to the defense should not present Reynolds a whole lot of
difficulty. He was a standout defensive end in high school and has long
been seen as a potential DE on the collegiate level. How fast he can get up to speed is the question. Reynolds
could be a surprise at this position in the fall.
- Michael Byrd (RS-JR): Another spring camp
switch to bolster depth, Byrd has the build and athleticism to become a
good defensive end and will be aiming to become a solid reserve this
season.
- Marke Powell (SO): Powell was a significant
surprise as a true freshman, playing well for the Pirates a year ago as
a linebacker. He has stepped forward and had a great spring. He earned
the top spot on the depth chart in the spring at DE. At linebacker he
showed flashes of brilliance en route to posting 12 tackles (1 for
loss), a sack and a forced fumble before an injury in the UAB game ended
his season. He played big at linebacker and will be asked to play an
even bigger role this season. He is very light for his position and will
need to offset that deficit with quickness, speed and a nose for the
ball.
- Matt Milner (RS-FR): Milner was truly the
surprise of the spring camp. The redshirt freshman seemingly came out of
nowhere to grab the top spot on the depth chart opposite of Powell. He
had a great camp and certainly has the size and speed to get to the
quarterback in this system. Whether he slides down the depth chart in
the fall, his performance in the spring should signal that he will be a
factor in the lineup.
- Derrell Johnson (FR):
Another spring camp
surprise was Derrell Johnson. He enrolled in January to give
himself a chance to turn some heads and it worked. He came to camp big,
strong, fast and ready. With very little certain on the defensive front,
it will be awfully hard for the staff to redshirt Johnson.
Position Analysis
–
Conventional wisdom heading into the season says this position will be, at
best, a work in progress. Most fans expected the leading candidates to
replace departing starters C.J. Wilson and Scotty Robinson to be Maurice
Mercer and perhaps Allen Crowder (if he wasn’t to be used in the interior).
However, Crowder quit the team and Mercer is battling for a starting role
after a solid spring. That freshmen are being discussed among the two-deep
is a signal that there needs to be patience with the unit. There is talent
and athleticism but precious little experience which will not only impact
the starting lineup's effectiveness but also impact the ability to spell the
starters and not see a drop off in production. That said, there were flashes
of brilliance in the young players. Powell was truly impressive as a
linebacker as a true freshman and all the news around Matt Milner is that he
is an emerging star. Particularly facing the teams in the Eastern Division
of Conference USA, this unit will get tested early and often. More than talent, this
unit will live or die by its will to survive and get better. Look for the
young unit to emerge in the back half of the season.
Next
Page:
Defensive Tackle
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07/02/2010 05:11:08 AM
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