EMU Football Depth Chart: The Potato Bowl

Eastern Michigan gears up for its bowl game vs. San Jose State.

Image via Eastern Michigan Athletics

Eastern Michigan Football Depth Chart: Famous Idaho Potato Bowl vs. San Jose State

One more week until Eastern Michigan makes a trip to Boise, Idaho.

EMU vs. San Jose State is usually the bowl game talked about in reference to the 1987 Cal Bowl. But 35 years later, the two teams have a rematch that we didn’t know we’d been waiting for.

Eastern Michigan Football @EMUFB

🚨𝗢𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗗𝗔𝗬🚨 On this day in 1987, EMU football capped its historic season with a win in the California Bowl! EMU was 17.5-point underdogs heading into the game, which was played in Fresno, Calif. Hey...guess who we play next week?😏 #EMUEagles | #ETOUGH | #StackEm

Eastern Michigan finished the regular season with a 8-4 overall record and its 5-3 record tied for the MAC West division lead with Toledo, who went on to win the league title. San Jose State finished the year 7-4 overall with a 5-3 record in Mountian West play.

Below is the team’s published depth chart through its weekly game notes along with some of my personal notes for some of the players listed.

Previous weekly depth charts: Week 1 vs. Eastern Kentucky | Week 2 at Louisiana-Lafeyette | Week 3 at Arizona State | Week 4 vs. Buffalo | Week 5 vs. UMass | Week 6 at Western Michigan | Week 7 vs. Northern Illinois | Week 8 at Ball State | Week 9 vs. Toledo | Week 11 at Akron | Week 12 at Kent State | Week 13 vs. Central Michigan

Offense

(Note: Players with starts this season in bold)

Quarterback

1. #7 Taylor Powell: Powell came in after Smith’s injury during the Kent State game and had his best game of the season. Powell carried that over through a Central Michigan victory in the regular season finale and will finish his college career as the starter for EMU’s offense in the bowl game.

2. #4 Austin Smith: Smith came out of the Kent State game with a leg injury to cut his first year as a starter short.

3. #8 Cam’Ron McCoy

Running back

1. #22 Samson Evans: For the season, Evans has rushed for 1,084 yards on 224 carries (4.8 avg.) and is tied for the MAC lead in rush TD (13).

2. #28 Jaylon Jackson: For the year, Jackson has carried the ball 83 times for 344 yards (4.1 avg.), and 1 TD. Catching passes, Jackson has 13 receptions for 127 yards.

3. #27 Darius Boone Jr.: Boone is second on the team with 3 rush TD scored. He has 92 rush yards on 26 carries (3.5 avg.).

4. #21 Bryson Moss

X-Wide receiver

1. #24 Tanner Knue: Knue is the team’s leading receiver with 592 yards and 9 TD, and is second in receptions on the team with 42. The former walk-on is set to make his 20th start and 25th career game played.

2. #9 Darius Lassiter: Lassiter has 34 receptions for 363 yards and 2 scores in his first year with his new team.

Z-Wide receiver

1. #1 Dylan Drummond: Drummond, in nine games, has 30 catches for 380 yards and two scores. Drummond is set to finish his college career with 36 starts in 52 games played.

2. #17 JB Mitchell III

H-Wide receiver

1. #2 Hassan Beydoun: Beydoun, a former walk-on, is set to make his 25th career start. Beydoun leads the team in receptions (47) and is second in yards (451) and receiving TD (4). Beydoun has made 25 starts in 48 career games played.

2. #16 Kaiden Keefe

Y-Tight end

1. #82 Gunnar Oakes: Oakes has 25 receptions for 252 yards this season. Oakes is set to play in his 50th career game and make his 15th start.

2. #83 Jere Getzinger:

3. #85 Andreas Paaske: Leads the team in reception average (22.2 yards/catch). Has nine receptions for 200 yards and 2 TD this season.

Left tackle

1. #71 Marcellus Johnson

2. #74 Jez Janiver

Left guard

1. #62 Sidy Sow: In Sow’s final game with EMU, he’ll leave the team with the most games played (57) and started in (55) during his career.

2. #79 Jimi McAdams IV

Center

1. #76 Richard Bates Jr.

2. #70 Dimitri Douglas

Right guard

1. #63 Mickey Rewolinski

2. #68 Alex Howie

Right tackle

1. #77 Brian Dooley

2. #54 Zack Conti

2023 Eastern Michigan Football Roster Tracker, Updates

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Defense

(Note: Players with starts this season in bold)

Defensive end

1. #90 Grant Trueman: For the season, Trueman has 18 tackles made, 1.5 for loss (1 sack), 2 pass breakups and a QB hurry. Trueman has played in 32 games for EMU and has made six starts this season.

2. #47 Joseph Zelinsky

3. #52 Carter Evans

Nose tackle

1. #93 Jordan Crawford: Crawford’s started every game this season, has made 31 tackles (16 solo, 4.5 TFL), 1.5 sacks, 1 pass breakup, 1 QB hurry, and recovered 1 fumble.

2. #99 Melvin Swindle II

Defensive tackle

1. #94 Peyton Price

2. #98 Tim Grant-Randall: Of TGR’s 14 tackles this season, 4.5 were for loss and 1 was a sack; also has a pass breakup and a QB hurry.

3. #91 Dexter Manior

BULL-Defensive end

1. #4 Jose Ramirez: Ramirez, the MAC’s Defensive Player of the Year and Second Team Walter Camp All-American, is the team’s leading pass rusher and play disrupter: 16.5 TFL, 9 sacks, 59 total tackles (34 solo), 7 QB hurries, 2 pass breakups, 2 fumbles forced, and one fumble recovery. Ramirez has played in 34 games and started 19 times for EMU.

2. #95 Mikah Coleman: Coleman has 11 total tackles on the year and 3 were for loss (2 sacks); has 2 pass breakups and 2 QB hurries.

MIKE-Linebacker

1. #6 Chase Kline: Kline leads EMU in tackles made (87 total, 37 solo, 2 TFL), has one sack, 3 pass breakups, and 2 QB hurries.

2. #53 Steven Scheidt: Scheidt made his second start of the season at Kent State, doing so at the Dog safety spot. In EMU’s previous game at Ball State, Scheidt started at defensive end.

3. #41 Justin Jefferson

WILL-Linebacker

1. #19 Joe Sparacio: Sparacio is second on the team in tackles made (84 total, 38 solo, 6 TFL). Also recorded 1 interception, 1 pass breakup, and a fumble recovery.

2. #44 Luke Cameron

3. #10 Tariq Speights

Cornerback

1. #29 Kempton Shine: Per cfbstats.com, Shine’s 12 passes defended (1 INT + 11 breakups) are tied for fourth-most in the MAC. Shine’s 26 career starts are the most across the team’s defense.

2. #33 Keylen Gulley

Cornerback

1. #17 Mark Lee Jr.

2. #15 Joshua Scott: In response to Blake Bogan’s injury vs. Buffalo, Scott has started the last eight games at Rover. Scott’s recorded 28 tackles, 6 pass breakups, and 2 INT.

DOG-Safety

1. #8 T.J. Peavy: Peavy has played in every game of the season and made nine starts. He’s fourth on the team in tackles made (45 total, 26 solo), with 2.5 TFL, 1 sack, 1 QB hurry, and 3 pass breakups.

2. #20 E.J. Williams

3. #21 Robert Daniel Jr.

Free safety

1. #16 Cameron Smith: Smith has appeared in 11 games this season. Smith has yet to make a start, so this would be a career first for him. Smith has made 25 tackles this year. The bowl game with be Smith’s 20th career game.

2. #13 Russell Vaden IV

3. #27 David Carter Jr.

ROVER-Safety

1. #35 Quentavius Scandrett: Scandrett has played in every game this season and started the last seven at free safety.

2. #7 Brandon Benson: Benson has played in every game of the year, and has made five starts this season; four at Dog, one at free safety.

Jose Ramirez is a Walter Camp All-American

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Special Teams

Punter

1. #30 Mitch Tomasek: Tomasek has punted the ball 45 times this year for 1,994 yards (44.31 avg.), long of 63, 6 touchbacks, 14 landed inside the 20, and 12 have gone for 50 yards or more.

2. #39 Adam Heston

3. #37 Blake Oschsendorf OR #33 Ryan Kingston

Place kicker

• #35 Jesus Gomez: Gomez is 13/16 on field goal tries this season and 43/43 on PAT kicks. Gomez tied the program record with a 55-yard field goal earlier this season.

• #31 Brady Pohl

Long Snapper

1. #46 Steve Bird

2. #42 Zach Zoglio

Kickoffs

1. #31 Brady Pohl

2. #35 Jesus Gomez

3. #30 Mitch Tomasek OR #37 Blake Oschsendorf OR #39 Adam Heston

Kick returner(s)

1. #28 Jaylon Jackson: Jackson is the nation’s second-leading kick returner with 21 kick returns for 551 yards (26.2 avg.), and 1 TD. His two longest returns of the year have gone for 89 and 87 yards.

2. #23 Elijah Jackson-Anderson

3. #2 Hassan Beydoun

4. #1 Dylan Drummond

Punt returner(s)

1. #1 Dylan Drummond: Drummond has returned 5 punts for 45 yards with a long of 19.

2. #2 Hassan Beydoun: Beydoun has returned 5 punts for 26 yards with a long of 11 yards.

Holder

1. #39 Adam Heston

2. #37 Blake Oscsendorf

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