A-State 2-Deep for Toledo

[Seminole Indian]

OFFENSE
LEFT TACKLE .........79, Jemar Clark (6‐6, 307, Sr.‐R, 3L) | 78, Jamal Fontenot (6‐4, 302, So.‐R, RS)
LEFT GUARD .........61, Colton Jackson (6‐4, 300, Sr.‐R, 3L) | 73, Cameron Davis (6‐4, 303, Fr.‐R, RS)
CENTER.................74, Devin Mondie (6‐5, 302, Sr.‐R, 3L) | 58, Brandon Berg (6‐2, 284, Sr., 1L)
RIGHT GUARD ......76, Austin Moreton (6‐1, 314, Sr.‐R, 2L) | 75, Dalton Ford (6‐4, 307, Fr.‐R, RS)
RIGHT TACKLE ......72, Joseph Bacchus (6‐5, 291, Sr., 1L) | 69, Robert Maxwell (6‐3, 276, Sr.‐R, 1L)
QUARTERBACK.....9, Chad Voytik (6‐1, 215, Sr., TR) or 15, Justice Hansen (6‐4, 207, So.‐R, TR)
RUNNING BACK ...30, Johnston White (5‐11, 188, Jr.‐R, 2L) or 6, Warren Wand (5‐5, 179, So., 1L)
A‐BACK ................11, Cam Echols‐Luper (6‐0, 192, Jr.‐R, RS) | 13, Christian Booker (5‐11, 174, Jr., TR)
TIGHT END............16, Blake Mack (6‐3, 245, Jr., 2L) | 37, Avery Johnson (6‐2, 233, Fr.‐R, RS)
WR........................84, Dijon Paschal (6‐1, 209, Jr.‐R, 2L) | 7, Omar Bayless (6‐3, 198, Fr.‐R, RS)
WR........................4, Kendall Sanders (6‐0, 198, Sr., TR) or 14, Chris Murray (5‐9, 181, Jr., 1L) | 18, Justin McInnis (6‐6, 202, Jr., TR)

DEFENSE
DEFENSIVE END....54, Caleb Caston (6‐2, 240, Jr., 2L) or 11, Ja'Von Rolland‐Jones (6‐2, 233, Jr.‐R, 2L) | 31, Jarrod Chandler (6‐2, 225, So.‐R, 1L)
NOSE GUARD .......94, Waylon Roberson (6‐2, 341, Sr., 1L) | 91, Donovan Ransom (6‐1, 304, So., 1L)
DEFENSIVE TACKLE ...47, Robert Mondie (6‐2, 321, Sr., 1L) or 25, Dee Liner (6‐3, 325, Jr.‐R, RS) | 57, Jake Swalley (6‐2, 286, Sr., 1L)
BANDIT.................93, Chris Odom (6‐3, 256, Sr., 3L) | 33, Griffin Riggs (6‐3, 253, So., 1L)
WILL LB.................55, Xavier Woodson‐Luster (6‐1, 207, Sr., 3L) | 9, Khari Lain (5‐10, 196, Jr., 2L)
MIKE LB ................52, Quanterio Heath (6‐2, 217, Sr.‐R, 3L) | 15, Kyle Wilson (6‐0, 228, Jr., TR)
NICKELBACK .........10, Justin Clifton (6‐0, 206, So., 1L) | 26, Trent Ellis‐Brewer (6‐2, 212, Fr., HS)
CORNERBACK.......1, Blaise Taylor (5‐9, 165, Jr., 2L) | 28, Brandon Byner (5‐11, 173, Jr., 2L)
STRONG SAFETY...21, Cody Brown (6‐2, 208, Sr., 1L) | 27, Money Hunter (6‐1, 185, Sr., 3L)
FREE SAFETY.........20, Bo Sentimore (6‐0, 180, Sr., 1L) | 3, B.J. Edmonds (6‐0, 202, Fr., HS)
CORNERBACK.......29, Chris Humes (5‐11, 206, Sr.‐R, 3L) | 2, Nehemia Wagner (6‐0, 167, Jr., 2L)

SPECIAL TEAMS
PLACEKICKER........41, J.D. Houston (5‐11, 175, Sr., 1L) | 38, Sawyer Williams (5‐11, 205, Fr.‐R, RS)
PUNTER ................31, Damon Foncham (5‐8, 196, Fr.‐R, RS) | 11, Cam Echols‐Luper (6‐0, 192, Jr.‐R, RS)
KICKOFF RETURN... 11, Cam Echols‐Luper (6‐0, 192, Jr.‐R, RS) or 1, Blaise Taylor (5‐9, 165, Jr., 2L)
PUNT RETURN......11, Cam Echols‐Luper (6‐0, 192, Jr.‐R, RS) or 1, Blaise Taylor (5‐9, 165, Jr., 2L)
DEEP SNAPPER.....45, Ryan Eustace (6‐0, 208, Sr.‐R, 2L) | 47, Ty Mimbs (6‐1, 221, Fr.‐R, RS)
HOLDER ................31, Damon Foncham (5‐8, 196, Fr.‐R, RS) | 19, Sterling Stowers (5‐10, 191, Jr.‐R, 1L)


Biggest surprise is Safety Chris Humes being listed as the starter at CB, and Caleb Caston beating out returning all-SBC Ja'Von Rolland‐Jones at DE.

Cam Echols‐Luper beating out Blaise Taylor  as the kickoff returner was a little bit of a surprise based on who well Blase has done.

[holeinthewall]

Cam Echols‐Luper (6‐0, 192, Jr.‐R, RS)  This kid is going to get some serious touches this year.

[Seminole Indian]

Cam Echols‐Luper (6‐0, 192, Jr.‐R, RS)  This kid is going to get some serious touches this year.

No doubt, very versatile athlete, with great speed, who was the star of their spring game.

Opposing defenses are going to have to account for him on every play, and probably will  see him lineup at RB, WR, and QB as well as the AB position in games as the season progresses, but they really want him to focus on the AB position to start. Should also punt on occasions.

[Seminole Indian]

The biggest improvement I see from Anderson & Companies first A-State team is in the front four on defense.

The players not listed on their 2-deep like Chase Robison (6-4, 245), TJ Harris (6-3, 235), DaJon Emory (6-3, 255),  Darrius Rosser (6-3, 275),Javier Carbonell (6-2, 297), and Clifford Thomas (6-2, 291), would have all been in the 2-deep two years ago, and many as starters.

In fact Rosser, and Thomas started at times two years ago, as did Chuks Ota (6-2, 306), who realized he was not going to make this years 2-deep in spring ball, much less start, and gave the game up. Another player who played a lot as a true, E.J. Sutton (6-3, 291), decided to transfer after being asked to move to the OL.

[Seminole Indian]

Looks like Pitt transfer Chad Voytik (6‐1, 215, Sr., TR) will go two series to start and Justice Hansen (6‐4, 207, So.‐R, TR) will go at least one series then they go from there. Pretty much confirms what observers have been saying that Voytik is 1-A, and Hansen 1-B. Most think they do not want a repeat of last year when not having a capable backup ready cost them the Missouri game and maybe the Toledo game.

While many assume that because A-State runs the spread, and faces the spread a lot, and Toledo is a smash mouth team from the more physical MAC, this would come down to whether A-State can out finesse Toledo in the trenches, but that will not be the case. A-State wants, and expects to win the war in the trenches, and do so by being more physical in the trenches.

While their defense, and team overall is built around being faster, and more athletic than their opponent the interior DL is made for smash-mouth football. Starters Robert Mondie (6‐2, 321, Sr., 1L), and Waylon Roberson (6‐2, 341, Sr., 1L), and backups  Dee Liner (6‐3, 325, Jr.‐R, RS), and Donovan Ransom (6‐1, 304, So., 1L) are very physical players, that demand a lot of attention by the other teams OL.

While their DE's are a little undersized, the starters are physical, as is backup Griffin Riggs (6‐3, 253, So., 1L). Only All-SBC Ja'Von Rolland‐Jones (6‐2, 233, Jr.‐R, 2L) is considered a finesse player, and they have more physical and experienced players available if necessary.

They have 12 players on the DL they think they can win with and will play all of them, so they have the added advantage of staying fresh, something very rare at the G5 level.

They can also stick in their gifted RS-Freshman LB Tajhea Chambers (6-2, 246) to get more physical at LB.

Their OL is loaded with all-conference players, and while they are not as big as most, they are not small, and are exceptionally athletic, and use their athleticism to great advantage in opening holes for the run game, and they like to run the ball inside. As a result RB's Johnston White (5‐11, 188, Jr.‐R, 2L) and Warren Wand (5‐5, 179, So., 1L), are very effective running inside despite being undersized, and backup Armond Weh Weh (5-11, 220, 4.4) gives them a back with P5 power, speed and talent.

Of course what makes this team potentially special is the speed and athleticism of their skill players, but being able to dominate the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball is a heck of a safety net, when the finesse game is just not clicking. Toledo will be a very good measuring stick, and if they can dominate the trenches  in this game, they can do it in every game with the possible exception of Auburn, and maybe even them.

[Dropkick]

How did they measure up?

[Seminole Indian]

Don't know did not watch the game. Their HC said they had the talent to win, but I already knew that, I got paid to know that, and that is why they were favored to win. .

My question for A-State is what exactly does your HC do?