Thoughts and Observations from the Spring Depth Chart

The first depth chart for the 2008 season was released and there is plenty to talk about. Here’s are my thoughts and observations.

Position Changes

• Sam Young has moved from LT to RT and Paul Duncan has moved from RT to LT. These two have switched back and forth a couple times between these two positions a couple times now. Young’s weight gains (more later) might make RT a more suitable fit, but it still remains to be seen if Duncan is athletic enough for LT.
• Kallen Wade switched from DE to OLB. When it was announced that Corwin Brown would be running a 3-4 defense, Wade was immediately thought of as someone who fit the scheme well as a OLB, but Weis kept him at DE last year saying he had the frame for more weight. Wade never really looked comfortable with the extra weight though.
• Morrice Richardson has moved from OLB to starting DE. Not sure Richardson has the frame to play DE in a 3-4 defense as he is currently only listed at 258 lbs.
• John Ryan has moved from being a starting OLB to being a backup DE. Ryan did not look good at OLB last year. He had fewer tackles as a starter than the backup NT Ian Williams.
• Luke Schmidt is listed as a TE and a FB. With Wil Yeatman currently suspended, Mike Ragone was the only scholarship tight end on the roster heading into the spring. Schmidt is a very athletic kid and many feel he might be better suited as an h-back/tight end.

Weight Gains/Losses

• Young is listed at 330 lbs which is 30 pounds more than he was listed at last year. It was reported over the weekend Young’s been a leader in the weight room this winter.
• Dan Wenger is up 13 lbs to 300. Wenger was listed at 287 last year when he played a lot of guard as well as backing up John Sullivan at center.
• Jimmy Clausen is now listed at 212 after being listed at 207 last year. Weis had said he hoped for Clausen to gain some weight and be in the 215 range this year so he is pretty close. Not being able to participate in all of the off-season workouts because of his elbow surgery set him back some last year.
• Mike Ragone, now the #1 tight end, has gained 11 pounds and is listed at 241. That is still probably a little bit on the light side for a starting TE, but the 11 lb gain is a nice start.
• Mo Richardson has added 14 pounds this off-season for his move to DE after being listed at 244 last year as an OLB.
• John Ryan has added 7 lbs to his 2007 weight.
• Justin Brown is up 10 pounds to 271. That weight is still on the light side for starting DE in a 3-4 defense, but 271 is certainly better than 261.
• Maurice Crum is up to 235.
• Kerry Neal is actually 5 pounds lighter than his 2007 listed weight and is at 240.
• Brian Smith is up 6 lbs to 239.

Position Battles

• It looks like the two starting guard spots will be a 3 man race. Eric Olsen is listed as an “OR” with Chris Stewart at RG and Michael Turkovich at LG. Turkovich struggled mightily in pass protection and in screen blocking in his first season as a starter last year, but was a pretty good run blocker. Olsen progressed nicely as the went on and should lock down one of the spots. I would bet on Chris Stewart starting at RG and Olsen at LG this season.
• 4 players are listed at SS with Kyle McCarthy listed #1. McCarthy has Sergio Brown, Leonard Gordon, and Ray Herring listed behind him as candidates to replace the graduated Tom Zbikowski. I still think Brown wins the job before the season.
• Brandon Walker is listed as the #1 PK and KO specialist with Ryan Burkhart #2. Nate Whitaker, who looked solid at times in 2007, is listed 3rd.
• Golden Tate is listed as the #4 “Z” receiver most likely because of his baseball obligations this spring.
• Darrin Walls is the #2 KR, replacing Tate – again most likely due to Tate playing baseball.
• David Grimes is listed as the #1 PR. The only player listed as a return man whose name did not appear as a returner in 2007 is Gary Gray.
• Grimes is also listed as the #1″Z” receiver again after Robby Parris had taken the spot over the final few games of the 2007 season.

Freshmen

• Sean Cwynar is the #3 DE behind Richardson and Ryan and has taken Trevor Laws’s #98.
• Trevor Robinson is the #3 LG and has taken #78.