At his pre-spring press conference today, head coach Kyle Flood announced some position changes, injury news, and the depth chart for spring ball.
Injuries
On the injury front, wide receiver Brandon Coleman, back up center Matt McBride and defensive end Dave Milewski will all miss the entirety of spring practice. Coleman, who had ten touchdown receptions last year, underwent a "minor procedure" on his knee this offseason and will look to get fully healthy for training camp in the summer. He is an experienced player and he knows the play book, so this isn't really that big of a deal (Mohammed Sanu missed spring practice before his monster 2011 season). McBride will sit out as he recovers from offseason shoulder surgery, and Milewski is still recovering from the torn ACL he suffered during training camp last season.Incoming freshman corner Nadir Barnwell will be limited to non-contact drills this spring, as he comes back from shoulder surgery. Although he will be a limited participant, he will still be able to get mental reps in practice, which is just as important as getting physical reps, as he looks to fight for playing time in the fall. Kenneth Kirksey will also be limited to non-contact drills for the first three weeks of spring practice because of a foot injury, but they will try to work him back into contact drills by the end of spring.
Position Changes
Four Scarlet Knights will be permanently switching positions this spring. None of these moves are too surprising, and they were foreshadowed last year.The most notable position change is Jeremy Deering moving from wide receiver to free safety. He practiced a little bit at safety last season, but he never saw any time on defense in a game. Deering has been one of Rutgers' top athletes since his freshman year in 2010, but he has struggled to consistently crack the line up on offense. A move to defensive back is quite common for talented skill position players who don't get the ball, and Deering has a much better opportunity to be an impact player at safety than he did at receiver. He is listed as a starter and will compete for the job. I think this move should work out very well.
Senior Michael Larrow will move from defensive end to tight end. Rutgers is very thin at tight end and very deep at defensive end, so this move makes a lot of sense. The rising senior showed flashes on the defensive side of the ball, but he suffered some injuries early in his career and was suspended for four games last year and basically in the dog house after he was reinstated. He practiced a bit a tight end in bowl preparation last season, and he will hopefully at least be able to contribute as a blocker.
Redshirt sophomore Marquise Wright is now an offensive guard after playing defensive tackle his first two seasons on the banks. He was buried on the depth chart last year at nose tackle, even with Al Page and Ike Holmes both missing significant time, and he did get a brief look at guard during bowl practices last year, so this move is totally unsurprising. Wright is a big, strong player, but he is probably not quick enough to play on the defensive side in Rutgers' scheme. He is currently listed as a back up at left guard, but he could conceivably fight for playing time elsewhere on the line once he learns the playbook.
Red shirt freshman Ian Thomas is moving to corner back after spending last season as a wide out. Wide receiver is another position Rutgers is very deep at, so he will have a much better opportunity to earn playing time as a corner. Thomas is a tall, rangy athlete who can run, so he is a great fit for Rutgers' scheme that has its' corners press and play man coverage often.
Pre-Spring Depth Chart
On the offensive side of the ball, there aren't any surprises. The Knights return seven starters from last year to this unit, and Savon Huggins and Paul Carezola unsurprisingly took over as the starters at running back and tight end, respectively. With Coleman hurt and the other wide receiver spot open, Miles Shuler, Quron Pratt and Leonte Carroo are listed as the starting receivers. The three of them will compete for the one starting role, but they will all still be involved in the offense regardless.The only real intrigue on offensive depth chart is on the right side of the offensive line. As it stands now, Andre Civil, who started at right guard last year, is listed as the starting right tackle, and Taj Alexander, who received a lot of playing time last year backing up Civil, is listed as the starter at right guard. Civil is pretty locked into the line up, and he can play either guard or tackle, but Alexander will be in a fight for his job with at least two other players. Alexander is considered the favorite to start right now, but Chris Muller (who would play guard) and Keith Lumpkin (who would play tackle) offer more upside and are hot on his trail. Muller was one of the top offensive line recruits in the nation in 2012, and he impressed last year during practice. Lumpkin stands at a massive 6'8'', and he is extremely light on his feet and moves very well. Alexander was solid last season, but he will have to take a step forward to win this competition.
Rutgers suffered a lot of attrition on the defensive side of the ball this offseason, and they have a lot of big holes to fill, especially in the secondary, but there's still a lot of talent here.
On the defensive line, the two tackle spots are both listed as OR's on the depth chart, but it would be absolutely shocking if Ike Holmes does not win the starting nose tackle spot and Darius Hamilton does not win the starting three technique spot. There is plenty of depth at these two spots, but Holmes played very well in his four starts last season before suffering a season ending broken wrist, and Hamilton more than held his own playing as a true freshman last year.
At linebacker, Kevin Snyder will fill one of the two vacated spots, but the question is which one. He is capable of playing any of the three linebacker positions, and he will start either in the middle or on the weak side, depending on which redshirt freshman backer is more ready to step into the lineup. Quanzell Lambert, a big guy in the middle, and Steve Longa, a very athletic type on the weakside, are the two battling it out for the spot in the starting line up. Both players should see plenty of playing time during the season, but Lambert is listed as the starter and probably has the inside track to start.
In the secondary, three starting spots and basically all of the reserve roles are open. Lorenzo Waters is the only definitive starter here, honing his craft at strong safety, and everything else is up in the air. At free safety, the a fore mentioned Deering is listed as the starter, and he will be competing with Jonathan Aiken, redshirt freshman Davon Jacobs, and South Carolina transfer Sheldon Royster for that spot. At corner, Tejay Johnson is the heavy favorite to win one of those two open spots, but Gareef Glashan (who is currently listed as the other starter), Jevon Tyree, Nadir Barnwell, Ian Thomas, and Delon Stephenson will all fight for the position opposite him.
Notes-
The only number change seems to be Gary Nova, who is switching from 15 to 10, which was his number in high school. He obviously couldn't have that number the last two years since DC Jefferson did.
Offensive lineman David Osei is no longer with the team, despite having a year of eligibility left.
The spring game will benefit the Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund. Each player will wear the name of a town affected by the storm on his name plate during the game, and each jersey will be signed by Coach Flood and given to that town.
