Next year's DL

[Blue & Gold]

When following recruiting, I love watching for QB's, WR's, and RB's. However, as you all know, the game is lost and won on the line of scrimmage - in the trenches with the Big Uglies. We employ the unconventional 3-3-5 defense due to the fact it is difficult for schools such as Akron to recruit many quality defensive linemen. Having said that, while looking at our roster for next year, I'm more than a little concerned with our lack of size (i.e. weight) on the defensive front:Brandon Butler 6-2, 248Jared Cacchetti 6-2, 264Dantley Cline 6-2, 290 (very promising prospect!)Nick Legger 6-2, 245Eric Lively 6-2, 270Clarence McPherson 6-3, 255Wallace Pendleton 6-1, 310 (does anyone know anything about Wallace?)Tevlin Petit-Frere 6-3, 210 (awfully slight)Nate Robinson 6-5, 315 (Lord have mercy, he's huge!)Craig Truax 6-4, 255As you can see, besides Cline, Pendleton and Robinson, we really lack beef up front. So does anyone know whether Jerell Stoudamire and Antwon Hight would be eligible to play next season? It really looks like we're desperately going to need their big bodies up front! Otherwise, I'm concerned the Suckeyes are going to push us all over the field!

[Ryno aka Menace]

This is why we run a 3-4 defense!

[InTheZone]

Well off that list from everything I've heard you can slash McPherson, who is said to be transferring, Butler, who already has transferred, and Tevlin Petit-Frere, who was moved to linebacker.So right now, the front three looks like this:E- Jared Cecchetti 6-2 264 Craig Truax 6-4 255N- Dantley Cline 6-2 290 Wallace Pendleton 6-1 310E- Nate Robinson 6-5 315 Eric Lively 6-2 270 Cline will probably be over 300 by next season, around the size of Gonzales. If you really look at it, that's not that small of a defensive line, especially for the MAC, with two 300 pounders up front. Throw in Big Stoudamire if he qualifies, and that's a pretty damn big D-line. Outside the starting three there's not much depth, and that's the only thing that would concern me.

[Lee Adams]

thank you! if you have noticed, the Zips have reeeeeaaal small 'linebackers' except for Grozaif they are gonna play that damn 3-3 you better have some size back there 'cause the running backs are gonna get through...instead of locking up a thousand qb's who won't play... find some BIG d'lineman who can p[lay a 4-3akronoldtimer

[fear the brown roo]

i'd say groza is tall but certainly not big and muscular. he does a great job with what he has though.

[gozips19]

why would McPherson transfer? he gets some snaps already and would be next in line to take Reid's DE spot. you need to give some more info if you are gonna make a statement like that.

[Ballingirl]

I also heard McPherson is transferring. He has caused some problems on the team, and I heard that when coaches suspended him for a game, he wanted to transfer right then, but he couldn't. After seeing what has happened this season, I don't see JD taking the same shit from guys next year. If McPherson can't keep his crybaby, "I'm better than everybody" ways at Akron, he'll go somewhere where he can.