catdaddyp

UTEP DT with 2 years of eligibility remaining. Former JUCO.

Here’s a name to monitor. Jonathan Denis. Played C at Miami (FL) alongside Seymore. Originally committed to Oregon when Moorhead was there.

It did, but that doesn’t mean someone entered without us knowing about it. The staff was also offering select DTs before the spring, so it’s also possible no one has entered and the staff has been looking to add another body this whole time. With multiple scholarships now open, it’d be a good time to re-assess position scholarship allotment.

I’m guessing a current player hit the portal, but I’m not sure who.

DL from Western Kentucky. Formerly Colorado. Ryan Williams has 2 years of eligibility left.

I’d think so. I’m just not sure where the staff stands as far as how they feel about Bullock being able to win games for this team. Do they go after a QB that comes in and competes for the starting spot? Or go after a guy with 3-4 years of eligibility left that’s more advanced than Wasel, but not quite ready to be given the reigns yet?

I don’t have confidence in either Bullock or Roggow winning games for us this year if they are pressed to fill for substantial snaps. Unless one of them takes a major leap over the next few months. I’m just not sure how the staff feels about the situation right now. They may feel better about it than we do? I agree, at the moment the offense rides on a healthy Finley.

DT from FAU. One year of eligibility remaining. Transferred to FAU from Illinois State.

I think the heat would be turned up if this team went 2-10 again, although I don’t see that happening. Last year, there were 7 games decided by one score or less and only 2 of those went our way. The year before, 5 games were decided by one score or less and only 1 went our way. Moorhead has this program on the cusp and is close to breaking though. I thought that breakthrough would happen last year and it didn’t (I won’t rehash the multitude of reasons behind that). Unfortunately, this year’s non-conference schedule is brutal, so that doesn’t help. I think 4-5 wins should be the minimum expectation with the possibility of more if things go our way. The reason I say that is no team in the conference is ahead of us talent wise anymore (except maybe Toledo). Taking a look at the MAC teams we play: Ohio - Blistered by the portal. Still have talent, but how will it all fit? Bowling Green - Holes to fill in a number of areas outside of QB. If injuries hit, it will be an issue. WMU - Questions at QB and depth is still an issue in a number of areas. EMU - There is plenty of young talent, but almost a complete rebuild on the OL, DL, and at LB. Not to mention a new QB. Buffalo - New staff. Questions almost everywhere except RB. NIU - Concerns at QB. Kent State - Almost like another rebuild in year two. Toledo - Lost several All-MAC players, including at QB. Plenty of talent, but low on experience. I’m not saying the conference schedule will be easy, but wanted to point out almost every team we play is beatable due to their own issues they are attempting to figure out.

I would think so. Going into the season with only 3 scholarship QBs (one of them being a true freshman) is definitely not ideal. The question is how does the staff feel about Bullock? If they feel he has progressed enough to win some games, we’ll probably see someone with 3-4 years of eligibility signed from the portal. I imagine no matter who it is will be further along in their development than Wasel.

Who is QB1? I don’t think there’s much doubt Finley is the leading candidate. Finley makes quick decisions and throws a catchable ball. He also has enough mobility to be effective in the run game and when scrambling. Finley has played at a high level in the past, so there shouldn’t be many overwhelming moments for him at the G5 level. Bullock has not developed as much as I hoped. My take is that he is mentally processing too slowly because his physical tools are not lacking. He is still an asset to the offense due to his bruising running style and should be utilized in short yardage/goal line situations. Will Akron have much of a run game? Purely speaking about the running backs, the answer is yes. There is not a RB on the roster with the makeup of Lingard, however, all of the backs are made for RPO type offenses. What I mean by that is they have a rapid burst once the ball is in their hands and catch the ball well out of the backfield. They can make the first defender miss and have enough speed to create explosive plays. Who will replace All-MAC receivers George and Gathings? The first choice would be Norton. The true sophomore has the make-up to be an all-conference player in just his second season. If Adams is healthy, he will return to his role in the slot, leaving the typical third receiver position up for competition. It’s possible that player is not currently on the roster. Multiple offers have gone out during the spring. How about the OL? It’s still a work in progress, but the starters will likely resemble most of the first combination displayed in the Spring Game. They were facing a defensive front that is reasonably one of the better defensive fronts in the MAC, so it’s hard to say how much improvement has been made. What was clear was the increased athleticism as the offensive line (especially the tackles) were able to climb to the second level of the defense and give the run game room on the speed options and perimeter plays. Inside runs were harder to come by in the Spring Game. Is there a better defensive front in the MAC? Maybe, but not by much. Miami has one all-conference defensive lineman and two all-conference linebackers returning (Zips have Nunnally and McCoy), so they can lay claim to this title in the pre-season. Zips have impressive depth at defensive tackle and linebacker. The only question is at the backup defensive end spot. The 2023 JUCOs could step up or perhaps one of the redshirt/true freshmen will see significant time. How’s the secondary looking? Long, athletic, and physical. Coach Renna and former CBs coach Bell have done an excellent job recruiting and developing talent. The downside? There is a void of actual game experience outside of Golden-Nelson, D. Lewis, and a few of the transfers. There may be some growing pains early in the season, but this is a talented group that should be assisted by the excellent defensive front. What’s the status of the Special Teams? Jackson returns at punter and was solid in that role in 2023. Wiley was strong down the stretch on FGs and PATs. Zips received a commitment from an FCS Freshman All-American kicker in March. New long snappers will also be arriving soon. Is the roster complete? No. By my count there are currently about 5 open scholarships. Most of the recent offers have gone out to wide receivers and offensive linemen. The roster is in the best place it’s been since Moorhead’s arrival and this year’s spring portal options are much deeper than last year’s. There is a good chance a difference maker or two will be signed. Who are the new coaches? QB - Michael Shuster (Duke Grad Asst.) WR - JD Brookhart CB - Kresean Reed (Northern Arizona CBs) ST - Ryan Matviko (Offensive Analyst) Which MAC team has been hit the hardest by the portal? Ohio. The Bobcats have also brought in some players who should be quality replacements, but they will be heavily tested this year. A substantial drop off in wins from the previous two seasons would not be a surprise.

There it is.

I believe all but 6 players are at this point.

Haven’t seen it confirmed yet, but probably true. Figured that move might be coming after the outing he had in the SG. Certainly seemed like Roggow was ahead that day. Hoped Wasel would stay and continue to develop. Good luck to him.

He’s a talent for sure. On par with Adams and George physically. Played all over the field in high school. Just speculation on my part, but I wonder if catching the ball consistently has kept him off the field. Once it’s in his hands, he can really move.

WR from Cal. Originally a 4 star commitment to Mississippi State. 3 years of eligibility.

Long Snapper from Stony Brook.

I was distracted a good portion of the time, but here were some things I gathered. Most of these names have already been mentioned that were held out: OL - Seymour and Shor WR - Adams, Wilson, Rush DL - L Jackson and Richards LB - Spriggs DB - Jarmon and Hunter QB - Finley is head and shoulders above the other quarterbacks. Bullock should be effective in situational setups, but the offense will struggle if he’s thrust into the starter role again. Roggow looked further along than Wasel to me. Take that with a grain of salt as it was only one day and one scrimmage. All the QBs have some mobility. RB - Definitely no one with the size or ability of Lingard, although Simmons had a nice run and will likely be the starter. No power backs on the roster may come back to bite us in short yardage situations. WR - Norton is the real deal at WR. I’m calling it now, All-MAC year coming his way. I thought JUCO transfer Campbell looked good too. It’s easy to see the upside in Louis and Davis. Not sure if they are quite ready to consistently contribute, but maybe they will have a strong summer and fall camp. TE - The TE group looked good blocking and receiving. This should be the best group of TEs to date. OL - The offensive line had their moments, but were overwhelmed for a substantial part of the scrimmage. To be fair, the defensive front is extremely impressive. Missing a player like Seymore can make a difference. James has come a long way at left tackle. Blachard also looked good. I saw redshirt freshman Mann pancake someone (didn’t get a number) and I think it was redshirt freshman Morris who crushed someone on a pulling block. All that being said, we are still not where we need to be along the OL. We have a chance to be decent if everyone is healthy and development continues, but the recent portal offers make sense. DL - Nunnally is a terror coming off the edge and seems to have added mass. Adler was the other starter at DE. The rotation of Lavea, Kapongo, and Moore at DT is incredibly stout. Easily one of the best (if not the best) interior DL rotations in the MAC this year. I also noticed Cheatom making some plays, but not entirely sure if he was lined up at DE or LB. LB - Linebackers basically blended with the DL, which is a good thing. We already know what have with McCoy, Fish, and Cooper. DB - The secondary looks long, physical, and athletic. I believe the starters were David and D. Johnson at Safety, D. Lewis at Nickel, Golden-Nelson and P. Lewis at Cornerback (I could be wrong on that though). Laing-Taylor easily had the most impressive play with an athletic interception. He covered ground quickly and made the diving snag. ST - I unfortunately managed to miss all the kicks (outside of the opening kickoff by Jackson), so I have nothing to report about special teams. All in all the program is in a great place. The team physically looks the part and much of the young talent is impressive. The defense should be one of the best units in the MAC. The offense has a chance to be really good if Finley is healthy and the OL progresses. There will certainly be more roster movement ahead, so we’ll see what happens.

I was distracted half the time, but from what I saw he played really well. Great athletic play on the INT too.

OL from Syracuse. 4 years of eligibility. We offered him out of HS as well.

OL from Lenoir -Rhyne. 1 year of eligibility.

Offered Cornell CB Anthony Chideme-Alfaro. He’s been in the portal since the first window. Excellent size and definitely has the ability to play at this level.

I think the portal is playing a big part in temporarily depleting rosters. Add in the normal amount of injuries (teams are more cautious during the spring) and bodies become a problem. Especially along the OL and DL. I watched one P5 SG this past weekend and they only had 7 to 8 healthy OL on either team, including walk-ons. They also shortened the 2nd half and ran the clock at times. I’m not sure which (if any) MAC schools are doing true spring games this year. Maybe Buffalo?

Thanks for the update. That’s really disappointing to hear. Spring games are steadily dissolving across college football.