Preseason 2025 Projected Depth Chart and Thoughts

[catdaddyp]

QB:

Finley

Johnson (TP)

 

- Finley is the starter barring injury. He hit his stride over the final four games of the season, throwing for 1,027 yards, 8 touchdowns, and just 1 interception during that stretch. If he can pick up where he left off, he’ll be All-MAC in 2025. Bullock left via the portal, with Syracuse transfer Michael Johnson stepping in as his replacement. True freshman Cibastian Broughton is dynamic and should find his way onto the field somewhere during his first year.

 

RB:

Gant (TP)

Patrick

 

- Tennessee State transfer Jordan Gant will split reps with redshirt freshman Sean Patrick. Both backs showed flashes in their limited spring game action. Colgate transfer Chris Gee and ULM transfer Taven Curry are built similarly—bigger backs by our standards—who can also catch the ball out of the backfield. They’re solid change-of-pace options. I think this year’s group has four guys who can legitimately contribute.

 

WR:

Mason

Walker

 

Adams

Hills (TP)

 

Polk

Davis

 

- I’m already a Kyan Mason fan and think he’s in line for a huge season. The redshirt freshman was explosive during the spring game and easily looked like our best receiver. It’ll be good to see Adams back on the field, even if he’s not quite the all-conference player he was a few seasons ago. Polk should build on the development we saw late last year. We might’ve lost our biggest playmaker in Norton, but I actually think this year’s group has more quality depth.

 

TE:

Newell

Cravaack 

 

- I strongly believe we’ll have the best tight end duo in the MAC this year. Since they’ll be splitting snaps much of the time, it’s possible neither gets all-conference recognition, but both have the ability to produce at a high level. Redshirt freshman Khalil Witherspoon is one to watch in the coming seasons. He still needs to add some mass to be more effective as an in-line blocker, but he has all kinds of length and could develop into a weapon in the passing game.

 

LT:

D. Johnson (TP)

Shor

 

LG:

K. Davis

Archer (TP)

 

C

Morris

Fox

 

RG:

A. Jones (TP)

Lyons

 

RT:

J. Moore (TP)

Motley-Simmons (TP)

 

- The OL will play a major role in determining how potent this year’s offense is. We’ve got plenty of size, length, and athleticism up front—probably the most we’ve had as a unit during Moorhead’s tenure. That’s the good news. The bad news is we’re seriously lacking guys with experience at the G5 level. It might take some time to find the right combination before this group really clicks. This isn’t one of those positions you want to enter a season still figuring out. The talent is there—but how long will it take to gel?

 

 

 

DE:

Durham (TP)

Cheatom

 

DT:

Hull

Laventure (JUCO)

 

DT:

Murphy

Madden

 

DE:

Dall

J. Frazier

 

- From what I saw in the spring game, only Durham, Hull, and Dall look like they have spots locked down. Every other position on the depth chart feels wide open. With a new position coach and so many players moving on, this was the group I had the most concern about during the offseason. I like the film on some of the incoming transfers and JUCOs, but we won’t really know what we have until the season kicks off. Will we luck out and find another Nunnally-type on the DL, or will they end up more like the rest of our JUCO DL signees under Moorhead—rotational guys and backups? Our pass rush was anemic at times in 2024, and I’m not yet convinced it’ll be drastically better in 2025. I’d love to be proven wrong.

 

LB:

Summers

Benenge

 

LB:

Cooper

Spriggs 

 

- The linebacking corps should be solid in 2025, even with the losses of McCoy and Fish. When given the opportunity, Summers showed he’s a tackling machine—just like he was in JUCO—and Cooper returns from injury. We definitely missed Cooper last year; he brings a pass-rushing element the other LBs don’t. Spriggs and Benenge should be ready for bigger roles after seeing snaps in 2024. Redshirt freshman Jason Hocker and true freshman Markus Boswell both passed the eye test in the spring game, despite not being allowed to tackle anyone.

 

CB:

Reed

DeWalt 

 

CB:

Jarmon

Kamara (TP)

 

- From a length and athleticism standpoint, this should be the best cornerback group we’ve had. Reed started the WMU game and never gave the job back. DeWalt is an athletic specimen but needs to find more consistency. Jarmon and Kamara both looked good in the spring game, and redshirt sophomore Catrell White should be ready to contribute as well. If the front seven can generate a decent pass rush, this unit will produce in 2025.

 

NB:

Greenwood

A. Branch (TP)

 

S:

David

Flowers (TP)

 

S:

Anderson

Hunter

 

- I’m including nickelback with safety since there’s plenty of crossover in Tibesar’s scheme. The Lewis’ have moved on, leaving a production void in the secondary. Greenwood was a backup and will likely grab a starting spot. I expect Kent State transfer Alex Branch to push for playing time in the backfield as well. If David is healthy, he’ll probably reclaim a starting safety spot—he was lost for the season during the Rutgers game in 2024 and missed the 2025 spring game. Anderson held down the other safety spot and did a solid job. Penn State transfer Mahki Flowers, a former 4-star, could make some noise too. On paper, we seem to have enough depth this year, and with a new safeties coach in the mix, we’ll see how this group comes together.

 

 

K:

Wiley

Samaha (TP)

 

P:

Castle

B. Johnson (TP)

 

LS:

Dennis (TP)

Miner (TP)

 

 

- We lost all of our starting specialists after the season ended. That said, if the spring game is any indication, Wiley and Castle look ready to take over placekicking and punting duties, respectively. Michigan transfer Adam Samaha and NAIA transfer Brayden Johnson will be in the mix too.

 

 

Edited July 4 by catdaddyp

[catdaddyp]

Roster has been updated. A few notes: freshman Brown-Demery is listed as a DL instead of an OL—we’ll see if that sticks over the coming years. Also, defensive backs Proby and Greenwood are no longer listed on the roster. Greenwood played significant snaps for us last year and I thought he was in line to start at nickel this coming season.

[ZipTopper]

9 hours ago, catdaddyp said:

Roster has been updated. A few notes: freshman Brown-Demery is listed as a DL instead of an OL—we’ll see if that sticks over the coming years. Also, defensive backs Proby and Greenwood are no longer listed on the roster. Greenwood played significant snaps for us last year and I thought he was in line to start at nickel this coming season.

I think BD will be awesome in the DL. Great change. Hopefully he can lock it down!

[MangoZip]

Cat daddy- So now that we are a week away from the start of the season do you see any changes to this projected depth chart? 

[catdaddyp]

12 hours ago, MangoZip said:

Cat daddy- So now that we are a week away from the start of the season do you see any changes to this projected depth chart? 

My guess is it’ll still look pretty similar to what’s already listed, with a few changes. Laventure should grab one of the DT spots, and Lyons seems to be in the mix for an interior OL role as he was named a team captain. One of the transfer receivers—either Marcel Williams or Cameron Monteiro—has popped in the camp highlights with some nice catches. And with Greenwood no longer on the roster, the Nickel spot will be open for competition as well.

[Captain Kangaroo]

Asking around, here is the general consensus of the Zips status as we roll into Game #1 -

 

• The Zips will be "alright" this year. The offense should be in the top 1/3 of the MAC.
• This should be the best Zips OL in Joe's tenure. There are 7 or 8 guys playing really well right now. Last season there might have been 3 or 4.
• Finley is a top 3 MAC QB. His accuracy has improved. He's bulked up a bit. He's a team captain.
• Gant and Gee are dinged up. Redshirt Freshman Sean Patrick is a quick kid with good running instincts and will see a lot of PT on Thursday.
• The WR group is thought to be better and deeper than last year, even with the loss of Norton. Mason may turn out to be the best of the bunch. Marcel Williams (Marshall) has fit in very well. Alex Adams, Polk, Walker, Monteiro (Pitt) and Grear (Fresno State) will all see appreciable PT. If fully healthy, Grear could be a big addition.
• Ruggow has also been dinged up. He'll be the 2nd or 3rd QB depending upon the situation. Johnson has good legs and size, and a little better arm than the now-departed Bullock. He'll probably be slotted for a similar role as Tahj this season. Cibastion Broughton could show up anywhere, at any time.
• Ronald Hull stands out as the most capable DL. There are a slew of other big bodies that really haven't distinguished themselves. They'll rotate until there's some separation.
• LB is a similar situation. We have a lot of bodies, but no one is really standing out. PT is there for the taking to whomever shows well. Markus Boswell could turn out to be a surprise impact player as the season progresses.
• The secondary is the strength of the defense. White, Reed (Kentucky), Anderson (Washington State), Branch (Sr. and former Kent team captain) all had excellent camps.
• Not sure who will be the kicker on Thursday. It's a positional battle that remains up for grabs.
• The Zips were able to get their training table returned, but at the expense of some recruiting tools. Our budget is what it is...

Wyoming has won 5 of their last 6 games against MAC opponents for a reason. They've played in a slightly better conference and had slightly better players. Deeper budgets, bigger staff, etc. On paper they should beat the Zips.

 

Are they a little jet lagged from the long trip from Laramie? Are they overconfident in facing a Zips team that's been a regular in the Bottom 10 for seemingly forever? Or, can Finley light it up...the Zips secondary generate a few turnovers...and the Zips start the season 1-0?

 

Gimme a 41-40 Zips victory. Finley gets the Gatorade bath.

 

Can we get a Wallenda to tightrope from high above the Infocision faithful at halftime?

 

[GP1]

6 hours ago, Captain Kangaroo said:

Can we get a Wallenda to tightrope from high above the Infocision faithful at halftime?

 

The lady who kicks bowls onto her head while riding a unicycle is always popular. An act for all seasons. Bring her in for a game.

[zipsfan33]

54 minutes ago, GP1 said:

The lady who kicks bowls onto her head while riding a unicycle is always popular. An act for all seasons. Bring her in for a game.

Shes currently on the injured list after falling at a WNBA game earlier in the summer...Red Panda!   She's awesome! 

[GP1]

24 minutes ago, zipsfan33 said:

Shes currently on the injured list after falling at a WNBA game earlier in the summer...Red Panda!   She's awesome! 

The first thought that popped in my mind was, I wonder if she has injury insurance that covers the loss of business revenue.