2006 University of Toledo Football Outlook
3/16/2006 12:00:00 PM | Football
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March 16, 2006
Toledo, OH - For the first time in three years, Bruce Gradkowski will not be calling the signals for the Toledo football program. But Rocket head coach Tom Amstutz isn't exactly losing sleep over the departure of one of the most prominent quarterbacks in school history.
You see, Amstutz and his Rockets have been here before, and done just fine, thank you.
Following a MAC Championship in Amstutz's rookie season in 2001, the Rockets needed to replace All-MAC quarterback Tavares Bolden. Senior Brian Jones stepped in and led UT to a 2002 MAC West title. A year later, a sophomore named Gradkowski took over and led UT to an 8-3 season, including a win over No. 9 Pittsburgh.
So it would seem that Amstutz and his staff are on familiar ground.
"We've done this three other times before, actually," said Amstutz, who has won at least eight games in each of his five seasons as head coach. "Remember, we had to teach Tavares Bolden a whole new offense in 2001. Our staff is experienced at it. We know it's a process you have to go through. Patience is required of us to give a guy a chance to develop and become a good quarterback."
The battle to assume the helm as UT's quarterback begins this spring, with three young signal-callers all vying for the job. Last year's back-up, sophomore Clint Cochran, would seem to be the leading candidate, but redshirt freshman Brandon Summers and sophomore John Goolsby will be working hard to make their best impressions this spring.
"I expect to see great competition this spring, and I expect to see all our quarterbacks grow and improve," said Amstutz. "I'm sure the competition will go through spring ball and extend into the summer before we know who our quarterback is going to be."
One reason Amstutz is not fretting too much is that he knows he has a veteran team that is loaded with talent at just about every other position. This should give the new quarterback some breathing room.
"We expect our returning players to make the quarterback's job easier, to give the quarterback time to catch up to the rest of our offense," Amstutz said.
The following is a closer look at the Rockets heading into 2006 spring drills:
Offense
Yes, Bruce Gradkowski is gone, but shed no tears for offensive coordinator John Shannon. His offensive line returns basically intact, all his receivers and tight ends are back and he has a stable of excellent running backs to choose from.
So while the Rocket offense will be led by a new field general in 2006, whoever earns the starting quarterback job will have a full arsenal at his disposal. Most important, perhaps, is the return of four starters on an offensive line that allowed a MAC-best 13 sacks in 2005 and powered a running attack that finished 13th in the nation, averaging 217 yards per game.
"It's always good to have the core of your offensive line returning," said Amstutz, a former trench warrior himself back in the day. "Experience counts at that position. We have four starters back and some other guys who have played. We have good veteran leadership in junior John Greco, who made All-MAC at left tackle last year, and another junior, David Perkins, who plays at a very high level at left guard. This will be their third year together as starters, which is very important."
Toledo's other returners on the offensive line are senior center Hassan Adebesin and senior right tackle Jerry Aguwa. Any number of experienced players could be vying for the open right guard position, including senior Jesse Anderson and converted defensive tackle Tyree Pollard.
Toledo is blessed with depth at tight end, as well. The Rockets have three returning tight ends who combined for 67 receptions in 2005, including second-team All-MAC pick Chris Hopkins. Hopkins was second on the team with 31 catches and four TDs. Senior Josh Powell caught 16 passes, while sophomore John Allen had 20 receptions and five TDs.
"(Hopkins) making all-conference was a tribute to his hard work, but also maybe a tribute to our tight ends as a group," said Amstutz. "He sort of represented the group with that honor."
Likewise, Toledo returns all of its top wide receivers, including senior Steve Odom. Odom has started every game in his Rocket career, and has caught at least one pass in 37 games, the longest streak in the nation. He ranks fourth on UT's all-time list with 170 career receptions.
Other returners include junior Andrew Hawkins (28 receptions, 2 TDs), sophomore Nick Moore (24 receptions, four TDs), junior David Washington (nine receptions, one TD) and sophomore Andre Redd (eight receptions).
At running back, Toledo's only problem may be finding enough footballs for a talented stable of players at a position that could go six-deep. Experience has taught Amstutz that you can't have too many good running backs, however.
"It's important in our system that we have a group of running backs that we can rotate so we always have a fresh back in there," said Amstutz.
At the top of the list is junior Jalen Parmele, who battled nagging injuries in 2005 but is reportedly in top shape this spring. Parmele ran for 294 yards and three TDs last year, averaging 4.6 yards per carry. Sophomore Richard Davis had a chance to play as a freshman, gaining 256 yards on an impressive 7.1 yards per carry. Junior Scooter McDougle redshirted in 2005 while he recovered from off-season knee surgery, but he was a devastating bulldozer in 2004, gaining 620 yards and scoring seven TDs. McDougle is also Toledo's most sure-handed receiver out of the backfield, picking up 28 receptions in 2004. His key is to get back into game shape.
"Scooter has had enough time since his injury to heal," said Amstutz. "Now it's just a matter of getting in good running-back shape. He's working on his conditioning. He probably won't scrimmage but he'll definitely carry the ball in practice this spring."
Newcomers to watch include redshirt freshman DaJuane Collins, who impressed Toledo's coaches with his work on the scout team last year. Two true freshmen with impressive credentials, Bruce Frieson and Dontae Jones, will also be given a chance to compete for playing time.
So that leaves the quarterback position as the only question mark on offense. Amstutz expects to take his time answering that question, giving all three of his QBs a chance to shine this spring.
Sophomore Clint Cochran has a decided edge in experience on the other two candidates. Cochran saw action in six games in 2005, including a start in the Fresno State game when Gradkowski was out with an injury. He completed 32-of-43 passes (74.4 percent) for 262 yards and one TD in 2005.
"Clint Cochran is the guy with the best grasp of the offense right now," said Amstutz. "He has a good arm, he can run the offense and he has the most experience. So obviously he will have the early advantage."
The other two candidates are redshirt freshman Brandon Summers and sophomore John Goolsby. At 6-0, 187 pounds, Summers is a quick, athletic playmaker, while at 6-5, 215 pounds Goolsby has the perfect size for the position.
Amstutz is also quite high on incoming freshman Aaron Opelt, who ran a spread-style offense last year at Fremont Ross High School.
Defense
Much of the talent that made Toledo's defense one of the best in the MAC in 2005 is back. The challenge now will be to find new leaders to help this group reach the same level of performance as last year's crew.
Toledo ranked No. 1 in the MAC and 21st in the nation in total defense in 2005, allowing just 316 yards per game in Tim Rose's first season as defensive coordinator. But three of the team's four leading tacklers--linebackers Anthony Jordan and David Thomas, as well as free safety Keon Jackson--have graduated. New leaders will have to step up and take their place.
"I spent time this winter working and talking about leadership with our team," said Amstutz. "Once we get back out on the football field we will see the leadership develop. It's important that when a group of seniors leave, a new group of leaders emerges."
Near the top of Amstutz's list is junior free safety Tyrrell Herbert. Herbert was second on the team with 94 tackles in 2005, broke up six passes and was seventh in the country with five forced fumbles. He will lead a secondary that also features junior Nigel Morris, a two-year starter at cornerback who has 109 tackles and four interceptions in his career. Morris's counterpart as cornerback, Antonio Malone, is gone but senior Bo Martin has three years of experience under his belt, including 15 tackles and two interceptions as a junior. Sophomore Keiron Brown, who had 18 tackles as a reserve strong safety as a freshman, will be making the move to corner this spring.
The top candidates for Jackson's strong safety spot are redshirt freshmen Lester Richmond and Chris Faison.
Amstutz returns his defensive line two-deeps basically intact, with juniors Sean Williamson (28 tackles, 6.5 TFL) and Patrick Clark (17 tackles, 2.5 TFL) joining senior J.P. Bekasiak (22 tackles, 4.0 TFL) up front.
Another senior, Seth Thitoff, led the D-lineman in tackles with 31 as a back-up, adding 6.0 tackles for loss. Juniors Bernard Faithful (25 tackles) and Nick Lawrence (six tackles, 2.5 TFL) also add depth to the line. In fact, Amstutz is confident enough in the depth of the defensive line that he is moving junior Tyree Pollard to the offensive line this spring.
Despite the loss of Jordan and Thomas, Toledo's linebacking corps still looks pretty solid. Both starting outside linebackers, seniors Mike Alston and Mike Chamberlain, are back. Alston earned first-team All-MAC honors in 2005, gathering 59 tackles and a team-high 12.5 tackles for loss, including 9.5 sacks. He also earned Defensive Player of the Game honors at the 2005 GMAC Bowl, where he had three sacks. Chamberlain matched Alston's 59 tackles and added 6.0 tackles for loss. Junior Greg Hay (43 tackles) saw a lot of action as a reserve and part-time starter when Chamberlain was out with an injury.
At inside linebacker, Amstutz said that junior Steven Morrison (31 tackles, 4.0 TFL) will be moved from his outside position this spring. Other top candidates at inside linebacker include junior Marques McFarlin (nine tackles in 2005) and sophomore Keith Forestal (eight tackles).
Special Teams
Toledo's special teams look solid, though a question mark remains for the vital placekicking spot vacated by 2005 MAC Special Teams Player of the Year Jason Robbins. Junior Mike Krispinsky has the job this spring, though he will be challenged by incoming freshman Alex Steigerwald in training camp next August. Krispinsky shared kickoff duties with Robbins over the past two seasons, though he has not attempted a field goal as a collegian.
Junior Brett Kern is back for his third year as the punter, while sophomore Jeremy Mack returns as the long snapper.
On the return side, the Rockets finished second in the MAC in kickoff returns (21.8) and fourth in kickoff coverage (17.6 avg.) in 2005. Steve Odom should be the main man for kickoff and punt returns. He averaged 24.8 yards per kickoff return and 6.3 yards per punt return in 2005.
