Guest OLDSCHOOLZIP Posted January 25, 2005 Report Posted January 25, 2005 What young players on our roster that haven't seen the field much yet to you expect to make a splash in 2005?? Here are a few guys I'll be looking for.... Kevin Grant- heard he's big, fast, explosive, and strong. May make the switch to D-end. Looks like our version of Jonathan Goddard, only more talented. Brandon Williams- athletic, fast Florida guy, great hands. Probably would've seen the field as a true frosh if not for injuries. Will be a factor. CJ Gruber- Came in highly touted but has been held back by injuries. Hopefully he'll develop into a stalwart along the line. We'll need him. Mark Groza- I was really excited about this guy when we signed him from Manchester a few years back. He's been stuck behind a pretty talented linebacking core since he arrived, but I'm hoping he'll finally see a lot of time and shine next season. Devanso Tate- Could be the next great Zips D-back. Transfer from West Virginia after issues with the coaches, very talented, will probably take a starting spot and will be All MAC before he's done. Johnny Long- Showed flushes of brillance in limited playing time last year. May not be a star until after the departure of Hixon and Montgomery but will definately be a factor next season. Brandon Butler- Don't know a lot about him, but have heard his name tossed around and good things with it. Good size, agreesive, local product, son of former NFL player, hopefully will do big things for us. Donte Cloud- Glenville product, blazing speed, came in as a DB, has been switched to RB, could explode and be a huge surprise in our backfield in '05. Biggs is shifty, Jerell has power, and Cloud's blazing speed would make for a nice trio. Could end up back at DB though. Jamal Benjamin- Another Glenville product, aggressive and hard hitting, lacks speed, could have problems with grades but I hear he's a nasty player who hits with a reckless abandon Kris Kasparek- I know he started this season, but I'm looking forward to a big year out of the big man next year. 6'7 260 with speed and great hands? ALL MAC Bryan Howe- The local Ellet product had shoulder surgery this offseason and could miss spring practice, but I've always been impressed with his quickness and ability to make plays in the backfield. I hope his recovery goes well and he can be a force at the backer spot for the next 3 seasons. Quote
Guest ***GUEST_Z.I.P.*** Posted January 25, 2005 Report Posted January 25, 2005 Mahalo OS! I don't have the insight to give opinion on who will or won't get PT in '05, but it appears to me that our overall defense is ready for a real breakout year. In truth, I think for the team to be a contender, Akron's D is going to have to be the most improved in the MAC, as the offense is going to have trouble putting the ball in the EZ. In particular, it looks to me like both secondary positions are loaded, as indicated by the move of Cloud to RB. There are some really good athletes who it looks are going to be getting blisters on the bench. Ol'School, do you think the two former Detroit QBs, Tony Showers and Perris McNeal have a shot at seeing any action in the secondary this year -- or in the future? How about Stephon Fuqua, the other track athlete from Glenville? Thanks again -- Zip in Paradise Quote
Guest OLDSCHOOLZIP Posted January 25, 2005 Report Posted January 25, 2005 Mahalo OS! I don't have the insight to give opinion on who will or won't get PT in '05, but it appears to me that our overall defense is ready for a real breakout year. In truth, I think for the team to be a contender, Akron's D is going to have to be the most improved in the MAC, as the offense is going to have trouble putting the ball in the EZ. In particular, it looks to me like both secondary positions are loaded, as indicated by the move of Cloud to RB. There are some really good athletes who it looks are going to be getting blisters on the bench. Ol'School, do you think the two former Detroit QBs, Tony Showers and Perris McNeal have a shot at seeing any action in the secondary this year -- or in the future? How about Stephon Fuqua, the other track athlete from Glenville? Thanks again -- Zip in Paradise You're right, we're definately loaded with young talent in the secondary, which is a huge plus in our pass happy conference, and that should be a strong point of our team for year's to come. I like the move of Cloud to RB as we've always lacked a truley explosive back who can take it to the house at any given time. With his 4.2 fourty speed, I don't think that'll be a problem. As for Showers and McNeal, I think both could be described as disappointments thus far. I've heard Showers is extremely lazy, and has been switched around from safety, to tightend, back to safety, and finally to linebacker which is where he finished out the season on the scout team. I've heard him described as a project with a lot of talent, but little motivation. McNeal actually started at strong safety for the season opener against Penn State, and had such a horrific game that he save for special teams he didn't step foot on the field for the rest of the year. He has all of the physical tools but just lacks what it takes mentally to be a significant part of the defense. Hopefully both of these guys will develop into the kind of players their physical potential would allow them to be. Quote
Guest Guest Posted January 25, 2005 Report Posted January 25, 2005 Oh, and as for Fuqua, he only played one year of high school football (he was a track star like you said) and came into Akron with loads of physical talent but very little football experience. He came in as a safety but was soon switched over to WR where I heard by the end of the year he was pretty impressive on the scout team. Like Cloud, it'll be interesting to see if JD keeps him and his blazing speed on offense or if he switches back over to defense. Quote
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