EMU Football Depth Chart and Snap Counts: Week 3
EMU Football Depth Chart and Snap Counts: Week 3
Eastern Michigan's published depth chart ahead of UMass Week.
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Eastern Michigan returns home this week after falling to Minnesota 25-6 last week. Not the end result EMU wanted to come away with, but the rest of the season is still in front of them, and UMass will be an opponent that’s closer to the talent level of what Eastern will see the rest of the way.
EMU (1-1 overall), played UMass at home last year and this will be the third year in a row facing off against the Minutemen — the second year in a row at home, and the second year with Don Brown as UMass’ head coach. EMU beat UMass by scores of 42-28 in 2021 and 20-13 last year.
EMU provided updates to its depth charts as it does every Monday to start the new game week. Below are the changes the team has provided along with some of my notes.
Previous depth charts: Spring/Summer | Week 1 vs. Howard | Week 2 at Minnesota
OFFENSE
QUARTERBACK
#4 Austin Smith
#8 Cam’Ron McCoy / #3 Ike Udengwu III
Austin Smith isn’t off to an ideal start statistically (28.48, 58.3% passing, 246 yards, 5.1 Y/A, 1 TD, 2 INT), but there’s definitely time for things to improve from him on the passing front. Against Minnesota, he was 9 of 20 passing
Said Chris Creighton at Monday’s press conference: “(Smith) missed some opportunities, but he’s done it so we’re not concerned at all. He’s done it, he’s done it at a high level. There’s a couple of looks that they gave that made us hesitate a little bit, and he overthrew Tanner (Knue) on the double-move route that could’ve been a really big play for us. What I’ve said before about Austin is the real kind of confident in a good, healthy way. He has the ability to be self-critical and even-keeled all the way through. There’s some that we wish we could have back and all that but I think that we’ll see his best here this week.”
RUNNING BACK
#22 Samson Evans / #28 Jaylon Jackson
Samson Evans, one touchdown shy of tying EMU’s all-time touchdowns scored record, had just 11 carries for 73 yards against Minnesota, no scores. Jaylon Jackson only touched the ball three times for 19 yards. EMU really wanted to win in the passing game last week, so maybe UMass will be a good chance for these backs to rack up some carries.
For their EMU careers, Evans has 1,809 rush yards on 400 attempts (4.5 avg) with 30 TD, and Jackson has 435 yards on 100 attempts (4.3) and 2 TD.
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
Through two games, Knue’s the team’s leading receiver with 12 grabs for 94 yards and 1 TD.
Y RECEIVER, TIGHT END
#85 Andreas Paaske
#83 Jere Getzinger
#88 Blake Daniel
Andreas Paaske missed the Minnesota game after suffering a special teams injury during the Howard game, in which he caught one pass for 21 yards.
Without Paaske, Blake Daniels (2 targets, 2 catches, team-best 33 yards) and Jere Getzinger (2 targets, 1 catch, 5 yards) led this position group’s receiving efforts at Minnesota.
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
PFF offensive grades for EMU’s blockers, from left to right: LT Mickey Rewolinski (60.6), LG Zach Conti (64.9), C Dimitri Douglas (61.1), RG Alex Howie (58.6), and RT Brian Dooley (72.0).
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
#98 Tim Grant-Randall
#92 Alex Merritt
Of EMU’s 10 tackles for loss as a defense, 7.5 come from the defensive line: 3 by Mikah Coleman (team-best 2 sacks), 1.5 by Tim Grant-Randall, 1 by Peyton Price, 1.5 by Joey Zelinsky, and 0.5 by Melvin Swindle.
MIKE, LINEBACKER
#6 Chase Kline
#44 Luke Cameron
WILL, LINEBACKER
#19 Joe Sparacio
#36 Zach Mowchan
Joe Sparacio has been the team’s leading tackler in each of its two games so far (24 total). Chase Kline, who didn’t suit up in the season opener, had nine tackles against Minnesota.
Luke Cameron had a play that a lot of people will remember just because of the effort and timing that he showed at the goal line. On third and goal, Cameron leaped over the Minnesota O-line like a high-jumper exactly at the time of snap. Minnesota still scored on the play, but a memorable play out of EMU’s defense nonetheless. Cameron has played in a career 36 games and has made 43 tackles, 2.5 TFL. This year, he’s at 5 tackles so far.
Said Creighton: “Luke played a lot for us on Saturday and he’s one of our [four] senior linebackers… and we’re really counting on that experience. Luke is really smart, knows the defense, and is another guy that is a good communicator. Probably as naturally loud, … but a communicator and somebody that we’re counting on.”
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
#4 Daiquan White
#26 Tristen Hines
Said Creighton: “Cam (Smith) is a great communicator first, especially when he’s playing our middle-of-the-field safety. Great communicator, competitive, can really run, both he and (Quentavius Scandrett) are long-legged, long striders who can just take up a lot of ground. They’re both long, too. They can grab that ball out of the air. We’re really pleased and … they have both played last year and got great experience. So even though they’re both still so young, it feels as though we have two experienced safeties playing at a really high level.”
SPECIAL TEAMS
PUNTER
#30 Mitchell Tomasek
#33 Ryan Kingston
Mitchell Tomasek, the reigning First Team All-MAC punter, had four boots for 189 yards in Minneapolis. His longest went for 57 yards (47.2 avg.), and two landed inside the 20-yard line.
PLACEKICKER
#35 Jesus Gomez
#37 Kenyon Bowyer
Jesus Gomez made two field goals last week against Minnesota (20, 37 yards) to bring his career mark up to 16 makes on 19 attempts.
LONG SNAPPER
#46 Steve Bird
#51 Mitchell Dietzel
KICKOFFS
#33 Ryan Kingston
#35 Jesus Gomez
KICK RETURN
#28 Jaylon Jackson
#1 Hamze El-Zayat
PUNT RETURN
#1 Hamze El-Zayat
#28 Jaylon Jackson
#23 Elijah Jackson-Anderson
HOLDER
#30 Mitchell Tomasek
#33 Ryan Kingston