EMU Football Depth Chart: Week 6
Eastern Michigan heads to rival Western Michigan for its first MAC road trip of the year.
Eastern Michigan Football Depth Chart: Week 6 at Western Michigan
With a 3-2 record (0-1 MAC), Eastern Michigan will hit the road this weekend to take on the in-state rival in Kalamazoo.
Within the series vs. Western Michigan, Eastern is currently riding a three-game win streak that all resulted in different-looking one-score games: 34-27 in 2019, 53-42 in 2020, and 22-21 last year.
If EMU wins this weekend, not only will the team give itself a chance to win the Michigan MAC trophy for the first time since 2012, but it’d make for EMU’s first-ever 4-game win streak over WMU. While fighting for a MAC West title has its obvious implications for this game, the battle for Michigan MACtion supremacy knows no bounds.
Like every Monday, EMU began the week by publishing its game notes and weekly depth chart. Below is what EMU has listed for its positions with my personal notes.
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
Offense
(Note: Returning starters in bold, first-year players in italics.)
Quarterback
#4 Austin Smith: Smith made his second career start vs. UMass.
#8 Cam’Ron McCoy: McCoy, a freshman who transferred from Cincinnati, listed as Smith’s listed backup
#7 Taylor Powell : Powell did not play last week vs. UMass, his second game missed with injuries. Powell was medically cleared for the UMass game but did not play. While Powell is EMU’s third-string QB on paper, I would certainly expect Powell is a normal week of practice away from starting again.
Running back
#22 Samson Evans: Evans had another 100+ yard performance last week rushing the ball, and averages 108.0 per game. Evans has a MAC-best 540 rushing yards this year with a 5.9 average, and 3 TD.
#28 Jaylon Jackson: Jackson’s made one start on offense and has mostly been a secondary pace-changer on this side of the ball. Jackson is second on the team in all-purpose yards with 420 total (84.0 avg.) — 140 rushing, 44 receiving, and 236 in the kick return game.
#27 Darius Boone Jr.: Boone has carried the ball 7 times this year and scored 3 times.
#21 Bryson Moss
X-Wide receiver
#24 Tanner Knue: Knue is EMU’s leading receiver with 23 catches for 363 yards and 5 TD.
#84 Zach Westmoreland: Westmoreland made his first start of the season last week vs. UMass.
Z-Wide receiver
#9 Darius Lassiter: Lassiter made his first career TD grab vs. UMass. Lassiter is second on the team in receptions (16) and third in reception yards (150).
#17 JB Mitchell III
#1 Dylan Drummond: Injured during Louisiana game, and the coaching staff is unsure about his timeline to return to the field as of Monday morning.
H-Wide receiver
#2 Hassan Beydoun: Beydoun missed the first quarter last week vs. UMass, but saw the field the rest of the game. Beydoun is second on the team in receiving yards (153) and TD (2), and second in receptions (13).
#16 Kaiden Keefe
Y-Tight end
#82 Gunnar Oakes: Oakes has 12 receptions for 106 yards this season.
#85 Andreas Paaske
Left tackle
#71 Marcellus Johnson
#74 Jez Janiver
Left guard
#62 Sidy Sow
#63 Mickey Rewolinski
Center
#76 Richard Bates Jr.
#70 Dimitri Douglas:
Right guard
#68 Alex Howie
#79 Jimi McAdams IV
Right tackle
#77 Brian Dooley
#54 Zack Conti
Defense
(Note: Returning starters in bold, first-year players in italics.)
Defensive end
#90 Grant Trueman: Made his third career start last week.
#52 Carter Evans: Evans did not play last week vs. UMass. When asked about Evans’ injury during Monday morning’s press conference, Chris Creighton didn’t provide the severity of his injuries.
Nose tackle
#93 Jordan Crawford
#91 Dexter Manior
Defensive tackle
#99 Melvin Swindle II: Swindle made his first career start last week vs. UMass. Swindle’s recorded 15 tackles and 1 forced fumble this year.
#94 Peyton Price: Price did not play in the first quarter last week vs. UMass. Price has recorded 12 total tackles this year.
BULL-Defensive end
#4 Jose Ramirez: After his first big game of the year vs. UMass, Ramirez leads the team with 4.5 tackles for loss (1 sack), is second with 28 total tackles made, 4 QB hurries, and has a pass breakup too.
#95 Mikah Coleman
MIKE-Linebacker
#6 Chase Kline: Kline is EMU’s leading tackler with 47 made (10 solo, 0.5 TFL).
#10 Tariq Speights
WILL-Linebacker
#19 Joe Sparacio: Sparacio missed the first half of the UMass game for a second-half targeting penalty in the Buffalo game. Sparacio is third on the team in tackles made (26), and delivered the game-sealing hit on a 4th & 1 situation last week.
#41 Justin Jefferson
Cornerback
#29 Kempton Shine: Shine broke up three passes vs. Buffalo: once on a crucial 3rd & 2 early in the game, and twice to Buffalo receivers in the end zone.
#33 Keylen Gulley
#5 Korey Hernandez
Cornerback
#17 Mark Lee Jr.
#15 Joshua Scott
DOG-Safety
#8 T.J. Peavy: Peavy recorded the team’s second sack of the year vs. Buffalo.
#21 Robert Daniel Jr.
#20 E.J. Williams
#32 Kendric Nowling: Nowling did not dress last week vs. UMass.
Free safety
#27 David Carter Jr.: Carter has played in every game this season and is penciled in to make his second start of the year at Western Michigan. Carter made two starts last year.
#16 Cameron Smith
ROVER-Safety
#13 Russell Vaden IV: Vaden has moved safety positions in response to Blake Bogan’s injury.
#35 Quentavius Scandrett
#7 Brandon Benson
Special Teams
Punter
#30 Mitch Tomasek
#39 Adam Heston
#37 Blake Oschsendorf OR #33 Ryan Kingston
Place kicker
#35 Jesus Gomez: Gomez is 4/4 on field goal tries this season and 18/18 on PATs.
Field goal makes:
#31 Brady Pohl
Long Snapper
#46 Steve Bird
#42 Zach Zoglio
Kickoffs
#31 Brady Pohl
#34 Jesus Gomez
#30 Mitch Tomasek OR #37 Blake Oschsendorf OR #39 Adam Heston
Kick returner(s)
#28 Jaylon Jackson
#2 Hassan Beydoun
#1 Dylan Drummond
#24 Tanner Knue
Punt returner(s)
#1 Dylan Drummond
#2 Hassan Beydoun
Holder
#39 Adam Heston
#37 Blake Oscsendorf