Y11 Notes: April 10, 2024
At long last, The Beast is out.
Happy Wednesday. There are 143 days until the 2024 season begins and only two days until the spring game kicks off to wrap up EMU’s spring season.
The Beast
At long last, The Beast is out.
Dane Brugler of The Athletic publishes these massive NFL Draft evaluation guides every year and it wouldn’t truly be April without it. This online booklet is absolutely packed with great, detailed information on almost every NFL Draft prospect in the country. With over 2,000 names to read through, I needed a CTRL+F function to help me sort through everything to find where Eastern Michigan’s players are ranked in Brugler’s positional lists.
EMU doesn’t have a lot of high-ranking players this draft cycle. None of EMU’s graduates this year
EMU Players ranked in The Beast
RB #54 Samson Evans — Workout numbers: 6’0”, 215 lbs., 4.77 40-yard, 2.76 20-yard, 1.61 10-yard, 33 1/2” vertical jump, 9’7” broad jump, 4.44 short shuttle, 7.06 3-cone, 15 bench press reps at 225 lbs.; 9 1/2” hands, 31” arms, 75 1/4” wingspan
WR #76 Tanner Knue — Workout numbers: 5’10 3/8”, 179 lbs., 4.58 40-yard, 2.62 20-yard, 1.51 10-yard, 40” vertical jump, 10’6” broad jump, 4.16 short shuttle, 7.02 3-cone, 15 bench press reps at 225 lbs.; 9 1/8” hands, 29 1/4” arms, 71 3/4” wingspan
WR #234 Hamze El-Zayat — Workout numbers: 5’8 3/8”, 179 lbs., 4.57 40-yard, 2.68 20-yard, 1.59 10-yard, 38” vertical jump, 10’1” broad jump, 4.28 short shuttle, 6.89 3-cone, 16 bench press reps at 225 lbs.; 9” hands, 29 1/2” arms, 71 5/8” wingspan
OT #61 Brian Dooley — Workout numbers: 6’5 3/8”, 318 lbs., 5.63 40-yard, 3.14 20-yard, 1.86 10-yard, 28 1/2” vertical jump, 8’7” broad jump, 4.85 short shuttle, 8.12 3-cone, 19 bench press reps at 225 lbs.; 9 7/8” hands, 34 3/4” arms, 84 3/8” wingspan
DT #140 Adrian Gonzalez — Workout numbers: 6’3 1/8”, 279 lbs., DNP 40-yard, DNP 20-yard, DNP 10-yard, DNP vertical jump, DNP broad jump, DNP short shuttle, DNP 3-cone, 22 bench press reps at 225 lbs.; 9 3/8” hands, 31 7/8” arms, 77 1/2” wingspan
LB #106 Chase Kline — Workout numbers: 6’2 3/4”, 225 lbs., 4.85 40-yard, 2.70 20-yard, 1.58 10-yard, 32 1/2” vertical jump, 9’9” broad jump, 4.37 short shuttle, 7.10 3-cone, 17 bench press reps at 225 lbs.; 9” hands, 31” arms, 74 3/4” wingspan
SAF #167 Londyn Craft — Workout numbers: 6’0”, 213 lbs., DNP 40-yard, DNP 20-yard, DNP 10-yard, DNP vertical jump, DNP broad jump, DNP short shuttle, DNP 3-cone, DNP bench press reps at 225 lbs.; 8 7/8” hands, 29 1/2” arms, 73 3/8” wingspan
Old Friends Alert
QB #20 Ben Bryant (Northwestern & Cincinnati twice) — Only had the one season with EMU in 2021 when he transferred from Cincinnati during its playoff run. Came in, broke the school record for most completions thrown in a season, went back to Cincinnati and then made his way to Northwestern for 2023. A very unusual transfer pattern, but a talented arm nonetheless.
Benjamin “Ben” Bryant, who is one of three children, grew up outside of Chicago and was a three -year starter at Lyons Township High. A three-star recruit, Bryant signed with Cincinnati (after Wisconsin dropped him) but was blocked by Desmond Ridder and transferred to Eastern Michigan (his father, Sean, was a long snapper at EMU in 1990). After a record-setting 2021 season at EMU, he returned to Cincinnati as the starter in 2022. ... Overall, Bryant has a chance to earn an NFL reserve role in camp thanks to his anticipation, read timing and touch as a passer.
OT #63 Marcellus Johnson (Missouri) — Johnson joined Missouri for his graduate transfer year in 2023 after previously being a starting left tackle for the Eagles.
CB #172 Jarrett Paul (Appalachian State & Kansas) — Paul, who came to EMU from Rutgers, ended up transferring to Kansas in 2022 and then Appalachian State in 2023.
Other notes from The Beast
Western Michigan’s Marshawn Kneeland (EDGE #5) didn’t have a very productive season, but Brugler notes a few times that Kneeland’s single-game performance against EMU was probably the best single-game performance by an edge defender all year.
A three-year starter, Kneeland was an edge rusher in defensive coordinator Lou Esposito’s four-man attack. Lowly recruited (No. 3,427 overall in the 2019 class), he improved each season in college and had arguably the best single tape of any pass rusher i n 2023 with what he did against Eastern Michigan.
South Carolina WR Ahmarean Brown (WR #44) is the brother of Bobby Brown III, who spent a season on EMU’s roster as a class of 2017 signee.
Michigan tight end A.J. Barner (TE #9) was a MAC-level recruit who initially committed to Ohio over EMU and others after his junior year of high school, but his recruitment would later pick up and ended up flipping to Indiana before signing day, then transferred to Michigan in 2022.
Kansas O-lineman Dominick Puni (OG #5) didn’t find himself in Ypsilanti for football. While his cousin A.J. Epenesa was a standout D-end at Iowa and later a second-round pick in the 2020 draft, Puni’s older sister Brianna played basketball at EMU from 2013-2015 after she transferred from Illinois State.
Tennessee cornberback Kamal Hadden (CB #29) is actually from Ypsilanti who started his high school career at YHS before he ended up finishing his HS days at River Rouge. Hadden, as far as I know, wasn’t recruited by EMU but I don’t think his older brother’s past with violence did him any favors either:
Kamal Hadden, one of five children (three girls, two boys), was born and raised in Ypsilanti, Mich. He had to navigate several challenges in his upbringing, including the threat of gang violence, and often turned to sports as an outlet. His older brother (Karon) was one of five men arrested (October 2018) for his connection to the homicide of former Eastern Michigan wrestler Jack Marsh Jr. in a botched robbery attempt. Karon later pleaded guilty to 11 felony counts, including second-degree murder, and was sentenced to a minimum 17 years in prison (his earliest release date is May 2037).
Minnesota safety Tyler Nubin (SAF #3), who played against EMU just last season, is the product of two former EMU athletes. Nubin’s mother, Sherese, was on the track team. His father, Rodney, was a running back and cornerback for the Eagles from 1993-1997. But as a recruit, his first offer came from Jim McElwain at Central Michigan, and ultimately picked to play for P.J. Fleck (former Western Michigan coach) at Minnesota.