EMU Football Depth Chart and Snap Counts: Preseason 2024
Eastern Michigan released its preseason depth charts for Friday's MAC Media Day.
With Friday’s MAC Media Day now in the rearview for Eastern Michigan and the rest of the league’s 11 (for now) schools, we’ve got an official depth chart to start the season in our laps. EMU’s summertime 2-deep we published with its season-opening notes, and I’ve got its findings below.
OFFENSE
Above is the 2023 season total + weekly snap counts for each offensive EMU player, per Pro Football Focus. Players exited via graduation, transfer, etc., are crossed out. This only includes players that saw the field.
QUARTERBACK
#10 Cole Snyder (34 career starts at Buffalo) /or/ #15 Jeremiah Salem (fourth year, walk-on turned scholarship)
Cole Snyder, who started the last two seasons for Buffalo after spending two years at Rutgers, will finish his college career in Ypsilanti. While Snyder’s playing experience lends him to being the projected starter, it’s not official until he’s actually out on the field. On paper, walk-on-turned-scholarship-QB Jeremiah Salem is in contention for that seat, while Drew Viotto and Jace Stuckey are both unlisted here.
RUNNING BACK
#19 Dontae McMillan (6 career starts at Weber State) /or/ #23 Elijah Jackson-Anderson (third-year signee)
After the respective graduation and transfer of Samson Evans and Jaylon Jackson (to Iowa State), EMU lists a former FCS all-conference level player in Dontae McMillan and Flint native Elijah Jackson-Anderson as its two top options at running back this summer.
X RECEIVER
#1 JB Mitchell III (11 career starts at EMU)
#13 Jamarien Wheeler (second-year JUCO)
Z RECEIVER
#3 Terry Lockett Jr. (1 career start at EMU)
#9 Porter Rooks (1 career start at NC State)
H RECEIVER
#24 Oran Singleton (1 career start at Akron, incoming JUCO)
#4 Makhail Wood (second-year signee) /or/ TE #5 Max Reese (1 career start at EMU)
There wasn’t a lot of returning production on the outsides for EMU’s offense last year. And with a very poor passing attack through the 2023, there wasn’t going to be a lot of eye-poping numbers for any returners this season. The lone starting receiver, J.B. Mitchell III, who made 11 starts last year, comes back after making 35 grabs for 398 yards (1 TD).
Oran Singleton, an Akron-to-JUCO bounceback, is EMU’s starting slot receiver with Makhail Wood, from the 2023 signing class, right behind him.
At the Z-receiver spot, EMU has two former FBS-level transfers: Terry Lockett Jr., who came from Michigan State last year and Porter Rooks, a new transfer from NC State.
Y RECEIVER, TIGHT END
#83 Jere Getzinger (14 career starts at EMU)
#88 Blake Daniels (4 career starts at EMU)
Jere Getzinger is tied for the offense’s lead in career EMU starts made: 14. Getzinger’s been a block-first tight end who ended up catching a few passes last year, most notably the game-winning score against Akron in overtime. Blake Daniels, at 6-foot-7, is the team’s tallest offensive weapon, and he’ll be a more noticeable option on the team with an improved passing attack this year.
Max Reese, the listed tight end for the H-receiver slot, indicating that he should be the premier receiver out of his tight end room.
LEFT TACKLE
#76 Chris Mayo (4 career starts at EMU)/or/ #72 Mack Indestad (third-year signee)
LEFT GUARD
#63 Mickey Rewolinski (14 career starts at EMU)
#75 Carson Lee /or/ #50 Owen Snively (second-year transfer from Colorado State)
CENTER
#67 Broderick Roman (2 career starts at EMU) /or/ #75 Carson Lee (6 career starts at EMU)
RIGHT GUARD
#66 Daniel Warnsman (fourth-year signee)
#50 Owen Snively /or/ #61 Jeremiah Jackson (third-year signee)
RIGHT TACKLE
#73 Joshua Anderson (third-year signee)
#54 Blake Bustard (19 starts at Wayne State) /or/ #77 Dodji Dahoue (first-year signee)
The offensive line has its recognizable faces, but not a lot of experience on the books. Four of the five starting five from last year’s season opener are gone: three to graduation and one to transfer. LG Mickey Rewolinski was the team’s left tackle last year, but there aren’t a lot of guys who started as much as him last year coming back. Even then, Rewolinski missed three games in the middle of 2023. Chris Mayo only had three starts, Broderick Roman only had two, and Carson Lee was the third starting center but at least he stood finished the year. Owen Snively played in 10 games last year, but no starts made.
Of the new faces, Blake Bustard (Wayne State transfer) and Dodji Dahoue (incoming international player) both crack the 2-deep as right tackle backups. Mack Indestead (second year) and Jeremiah Jackson (third year) are both underclassmen who have not seen the field, but have their names on here as backups at LT and RG.
DEFENSE
Above is the 2023 season total + weekly snap counts for each defensive EMU player, per Pro Football Focus. Players exited via graduation, transfer, etc., are crossed out. This only includes players that saw the field.
LEO
#5 Justin Jefferson (10 career starts at EMU)
#97 Trey Laing (incoming transfer - Indiana)
DEFENSIVE END
#45 Joey Zelinsky (9 career starts at EMU)
#85 Jefferson Adam (incoming JUCO)
NOSE TACKLE
#9 Peyton Price (19 career starts at EMU)
#99 Melvin Swindle II (5 career starts at EMU)
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
#90 Malik Tullis (second-year signee)
#92 Dylan Shelton (incoming JUCO)
The defensive line is a good mix of returning players and new transfers. There are 38 combined career returning starts with Peyton Price (19), Justin Jefferson (10), and Joey Zelensky (9). Malik Tullis made nine appearances with his true freshman year, and it looks like he’ll be leaned on a little bit more to open up his sophomore year. Plus, Melvin Swindle in a fourth-year senior (4 career starts) who rotates in pretty heavily for this D-line.
MIKE
#10 Zion Fonua (incoming JUCO)
#54 James Djonkam (incoming transfer - Arizona State)
WILL
#21 J.T. Killen (26 career starts at Coastal Carolina)
#20 Luke Murphy (incoming transfer - Kent State)
EMU replaced its outgoing transfer linebackers with, well, transfer linebackers. Zion Fonua (JUCO) and James Djonkam (Arizona State) are listed to take over for Chase Kline at the Mike, while J.T. Killen (Coastal Carolina) and Luke Murphy (Kent State) replace Joe Sparacio at Will.
STAR
#1 Joshua Scott (11 career starts at EMU)
#4 Daiquan White
CORNERBACK
#4 Daiquan White (11 career starts at EMU)
#35 Jaheim Jenkins (second-year JUCO)
CORNERBACK
#7 Dramarian McNulty (incoming JUCO)
#15 Jordan Toney (first-year signee)
FREE
#3 Quentavius Scandrett (20 career starts at EMU)
#8 David Carter Jr. (2 career starts at EMU)
BANDIT
#6 Bryce Llewellyn (17 career starts at Charleston Southern)
#39 Barry Manning (third-year signee)
Cornerback Joshua Scott, who broke out in his first EMU season in 2022 missed basically all of last year, and his return to the field should help out the secondary a bunch. Daiquan White ended up breaking out his true freshman year and led EMU in pass breakups, and he’ll be able to play as a true corner while Scott can take back the Star role in his comeback year. The third listed starting corner, Dramarian McNulty joined EMU over the winter from his JUCO program and has two years to offer.
Quentavis Scandrett (Free safety) returns as the leading safety up top with a lot of experience in this defense, and Bryce Llewellyn (Bandit) comes in with a lot of experience from Charleston Southern right next to him.
Freshman Jordan Toney, though, is an impressive sighting on here. Not too surprising though, given EMU’s recent track record of getting young freshmen on the field at that position to play at a high level.
SPECIAL TEAMS
PUNTER
#30 Mitchell Tomasek
#33 Ryan Kingston
PLACEKICKER
#35 Jesus Gomez
#37 Kenyon Bowyer
LONG SNAPPER
#51 Mitchell Dietzel /or/ #42 Quinn Kelly
KICKOFFS
#37 Kenyon Bowyer /or/ #33 Ryan Kingston
KICK RETURN
#12 Dontae McMillan
#23 Elijah Jackson-Anderson
PUNT RETURN
#24 Oran Singleton
#5 Max Reese
HOLDER
#30 Mitchell Tomasek
#33 Ryan Kingston
