EMU Football Depth Chart: Week 2
EMU Football Depth Chart: Week 2
Eastern Michigan's published depth chart ahead of Minnesota Week.
A 1-0 record is exactly where Eastern Michigan wanted to find itself after a season-opener vs. Howard.
Now, it’s onto Minnesota.
This is a game that Eastern Michigan fans have circled on their calendars because nothing gets people going more excitedly than a potential MAC over Big Ten upset. While EMU didn’t exactly look perfect through its 33-23 win on Friday, Minnesota’s 13-10 comeback squeaker over Nebraska didn’t exactly make them a bigger threat.
As per usual, Eastern Michigan began its game week by releasing a new depth chart ahead of Chris Chreighton’s press conference with the media. Below is EMU’s updated depth chart along with some of my notes.
Previous depth charts: Spring/Summer | Week 1 vs. Howard
OFFENSE
QUARTERBACK
#4 Austin Smith
#8 Cam’Ron McCoy / #3 Ike Udengwu III
In Austin Smith’s first game back since he went down with an injury in November, Smith went 19/28 passing for 175 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT.
RUNNING BACK
#22 Samson Evans / #28 Jaylon Jackson
Samson Evans, with one rushing score last week, has 30 career touchdowns to his name and will tie Gary Patton on his next one. Last week, Evans had 16 rush attempts for 52 yards, Jaylon Jackson had 7 for 18 yards, and Bryson Moss had one carry for 8 yards. No other running backs have touched the ball (yet).
X RECEIVER
#17 JB Mitchell III
#7 Von Swinton
Z RECEIVER
#24 Tanner Knue
#7 Von Swinton
H RECEIVER
#1 Hamze El-Zayat OR #5 TE Max Reese
Von Swinton did not dress vs. Howard, but was named EMU’s Scout Player of the Week leading up to it. It’s a long season, he’ll be on the field soon enough. Tanner Knue led EMU’s receiving room by a heavy margin: 8 catches for 73 yards, 1 TD. Hamze El-Zayat saw his first action since he transferred from Fordham last year. He showed his ability through special teams, and led EMU in all-purpose yards vs. Howard (156 total, 96 kick return, 42 punt return, 12 receiving, 6 rush). J.B. Mitchell, targeted three times last week, made one grab for 16 yards. Re-watching last week’s action, I’m sure the very first play of the second quarter is a play Mitchell would love to have back.
Y RECEIVER, TIGHT END
#85 Andreas Paaske
#83 Jere Getzinger
For the tight end room, Jere Getzinger (43) and Blake Daniels (36) led EMU in snaps played vs. Howard. Andreas Paaske, the starter, went down after a special teams play in the second quarter and didn’t finish the game. Getzinger led the position room with 5 targets and 4 catches for 27 yards, Daniels was targeted 4 times with 3 catches, 20 yards.
LEFT TACKLE
#63 Mickey Rewolinski
#76 Chris Mayo
LEFT GUARD
#54 Zack Conti
#50 Owen Snively
CENTER
#70 Dimitri Douglas / #67 Broderick Roman
RIGHT GUARD
#68 Alex Howie
#75 Carson Lee
RIGHT TACKLE
#77 Brian Dooley
#73 Joshua Anderson
Against Howard, EMU’s starting offensive line from left to right: Mickey Rewolinski, Zack Conti, Dimitri Douglas, Alex Howie, and Brian Dooley.
For Dooley, it was his 50th career game played and 48th start. Howie made his 16th start, while Rewolinski has 5 starts, Douglas with 4, and Conti made his first. Aside from the starters, Brock Roman played in 13 snaps in place of Douglas, and Owen Snively played 3 snaps in place of Conti.
DEFENSE
LEO
#11 Mikah Coleman
#49 Jaden Gaines
DEFENSIVE END
#45 Joey Zelinsky
#97 Mikey Haney
NOSE TACKLE
#94 Peyton Price
#99 Melvin Swindle II
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
#92 Alex Merritt
#98 Tim Grant-Randall
Alex Merritt, back from his first game since Week 2 last season, played through the Howard game and made 1 tackle. Tim Grant-Randall notched 1.5 sacks to be the team’s early leader in that category. Peyton Price and Mikah Coleman each notched a sack as well. (Joey Zelinsky contributed to half-sack).
True freshman Malik Tullis was in the rotation for EMU’s interior D-line against Howard. Said Chris Creighton at Monday’s press conference: “Malik really popped for us in camp. We were definitely excited about him, we started getting into some of the scrimmages and he really was showing up. We try to play a lot of interior D-linemen, keeping those guys fresh and whatnot, so I’m excited for him and he definitely contributed.”
MIKE, LINEBACKER
#6 Chase Kline
#44 Luke Cameron
While Chase Kline didn’t suit up for the Howard game, freshman Bryce Eliuk saw the field for 9 snaps. Said Creighton: “I remember coming back in July and just talking to the strength staff and they just said, undeniably, that Bryce was the leader of the freshman group.”
WILL, LINEBACKER
#19 Joe Sparacio
#36 Zach Mowchan
Joe Sparacio led EMU’s defense with 10 tackles against Howard.
STAR
#1 Joshua Scott
#5 Korey Hernandez
FREE
#16 Cameron Smith
#27 David Carter Jr.
BANDIT
#3 Quentavius Scandrett
#8 T.J. Peavy
CORNERBACK
#29 Kempton Shine
#17 Bennett Walker
CORNERBACK
#26 Tristen Hines
#4 Daiquan White
True freshman Daiquan White started against Howard, the only first-year player to start for EMU’s defense in the first game of the season. Said Creighton at Monday’s press conference: “Daiquan has consistently been locked in and serious, and a maturity about all of this. He’s in a really good room with some upper-classmen who are great mentors and we thought he was super-talented. We’ve known that all along, but how guys manage their first summer here, their maturity level, their ability to learn quickly, their ability to handle the pressure of scrimmages… Daiquan has just been super steady all the way through.”
SPECIAL TEAMS
PUNTER
#30 Mitchell Tomasek
#33 Ryan Kingston
PLACEKICKER
#35 Jesus Gomez
#37 Kenyon Bowyer
LONG SNAPPER
#46 Steve Bird
#51 Mitchell Dietzel
KICKOFFS
#35 Jesus Gomez
#33 Ryan Kingston
KICK RETURN
#28 Jaylon Jackson
#1 Hamze El-Zayat
Jaylon Jackson had an 84-yard free kick return for a touchdown, his second special teams score as an Eagle and third return for 80+ yards as well.
PUNT RETURN
#1 Hamze El-Zayat
#28 Jaylon Jackson
#23 Elijah Jackson-Anderson
Hamze El-Zayat earned MAC West Special Teams Player of the Week honors for his 96-yard kick return for a TD + 42 punt return yards in the season opener.
HOLDER
#30 Mitchel Tomasek
#33 Ryan Kingston