Eastern Illinois tops Illinois State in senior or grad student starters 8-5.
Both teams list nine total freshmen in their starters and first back-ups depth charts heading into the Sept. 3 football season opener set for 7 p.m. at O’Brien Field.
Of course these lists only mean so much because:
- multiple offenses aren’t always going to line up in the same formation listed on the vanilla sheets of paper with the basic positions, starting with the season’s first play from scrimmage;
- while most of the hard contact, job-deciding practices may be giving way to fine tuning eight days before kickoff, injuries and practice performances can still change things;
- and of course, realizing these lists are traded by sports information departments and are seen by opponents, hiding some truths is as much a part of coaching as blowing whistles during practice.
But for now, the preseason release of the two-deeps is a fun day.
In “The Jerk,” Steve Martin was ecstatic when the new phone books were in. I used to resemble that when preseason magazines hit the newsstand until some started going in early June trying to beat the competition and others went out of business. Anything published before August did not recognize quarterback Jake Christensen, versatile back Jimmy Potempa or defensive tackle Michael Letton, transfers now in Eastern’s two-deep chart.
So now, the excitement comes when the first game depth charts are out.
While some suspense ended last week when Eastern acknowledged the former Iowa starter and current EIU grad student Christensen had won the preseason battle for the starting quarterback job, some other items of interest appear:
- Sophomore Drew Kiel, the nephew of former Notre Dame and NFL quarterback Blair Kiel, has been named Illinois State’s starting QB after playing five games in a reserve role completing 14 of 22 passes last year. The backup is redshirt freshman Matt Brown, who two years ago in successive Saturdays led Marion to wins over Mattoon in the second round of the IHSA Class 5A playoffs and then Charleston in the quarterfinals.
- Mattoon High School and Big 12 Conference fans are still familiar with two other Illinois State sophomore starters – split end Marcus King of Normal and tight end Cody White of Normal West. They are two of the six sophomores among the 11 offensive starters for ISU, which after a 3-8 season and hiring of new coach Brock Spack is giving young guys a chance.
- Starting at cornerback for the Redbirds is junior E.J. Jones, the son of former Eastern defensive backs coach Edmund Jones. A starting guard for an the Edwardsville High School basketball team that won the Charleston Holiday Tournament, E.J. transferred from Minnesota where he was the only true freshman to start for the Gophers in the 2006 season.
- Since last February’s NCAA signing day, Eastern coaches have lauded their incoming wide receivers who have not disappointed in preseason practice. Both the starting slot receiver Kenny Whittaker and his back-up Erik Lora are true freshmen from the same Columbus High School in Miami, Fla., where former EIU assistant coach Chris Merritt is the coach. Another of Merritt’s players Carlos Reyna is EIU’s sophomore backup safety.
- Another freshman receiver, Chris Wright of Niles West, is listed No. 2 at the split position while another just-months-removed-from-high-school-prom Floridian Artavious Dowdell is in the defensive line rotation.
- Eastern lists three running players in the two-deep running back list and those do not even include its newest Florida transfer Mon Williams, who is likely to be part of this committee replacing All-Ohio Valley Conference ball carrier Travorus Bess now that Williams has been cleared by the NCAA and once he recovers from last week’s ankle injury.
So come game day a week from today, these lists might not mean all that much.
But today, it beats reading Steve Martin’s phone book.
EIU FOOTBALL TWO-DEEP CHART
(Probable starters are bold faced)
Player Yr. Note
OFFENSE
SE Lorence Ricks So. Changed from jersey No. 81 to 3 this year; scored 2 TDs in 2008
Chris Wright Fr. Class 3A state runner-up in 100-meter dash last spring
LT Ryan Grossman So. Glenbard South product started six games in 2008
Chris Campbell Sr. Started 4 games last year, played in all 12 on special teams
LG Eric Zink So. Went from redshirting to starting last two games of 2008
Mike O’Neill R-Fr. State shot, put, discus qualifier for Chicago St. Patrick H.S.
C Chas Millard Sr. Preseason All-American has double major in psychology, sociology
Willie Henderson So. Started three games last season and played in six
RG Mike Scheibel Sr. 6-3 Highland product is second heaviest EIU starter at 326 pounds
or Chris Vacarro Sr. Started all 12 games, nine at center, 3 at guard last year
RT Otis Hudson Sr. 331-pounder started nine games after transferring from Minnesota
Chris Campbell Sr. Backup at either tackle position
TE Danny Vehovic Jr. Played for Rochester when Sullivan coach Charlie Brown was an assistant
Keagan Robinson R-Fr. Class 3A all-stater for 10-1 Petersburg PORTA
F Charles Graves Jr. Led team with 40 catches for 561 yards last year; switched to No. 18
Chevar Watkins 6-2 R-Fr. Third-team All-Broward County for Piper H.S. in Florida
Slot Kenny Whittaker Fr. Injury cut his Columbus, Fla., senior season to five games
Eric Lora Fr. Helped U.S. win Junior World Championships this summer
QB Jake Christensen Sr. Totaled 2,950 passing yards in three years at Iowa
Bodie Reeder Sr. 9th on EIU’s career list for pass completions, 10th in yardage
RB Chevon Walker Jr. Rated No. 5 high school back in nation by rivals.com as senior
Desmin Ward So. Led Panthers with 11 touchdowns as a freshman
Jimmy Potempa So. Former Michigan walk-on could also be a valuable pass receiver
DEFENSE
E Nathan Galan Jr. Played for Class 1B state champion Evangel Christian in Florida in 2005
Taylor Dunn Sr. Standing 6-5, College of Siskiyous transfer played in nine games last year Artavious Dowdell Fr. 95 tackles led Forida’s top-ranked 3A Glades Central H.S.
T Trevor Frericks Sr. Cousins Morgan and Audra Frerichs played women’s soccer at EIU
Spyros Bazigos Jr. So far only those at practice know about the former Northern Illinois student
T Andre Lima Sr. Competed in rugby, track and football at Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Northeast
Michael Letton R-Fr. Kankakee Bishop McNamara product redshirted last year at Naval Academy
E Perry Burge So. Younger but bigger brother of former EIU All-American safety Tristan Burge
Colin Luczynski Jr. 6 of his 9 tackles last year came against Illinois
OLB Cory Leman So. Champaign Central product is brother of former Illinois All-American J
Alain Marcelin Jr. Biology major was an OVC Medal of Honor winner with 4.0 GPA
MLB Gordy Kickels So. All-state wrestler at Lemont High School; 11 tackles last year for EIU
Cory Leman So. Starter at outside backer could move to the middle if needed
OLB Nick Nasti Jr. As Plano prep was 2006-07 WGN/Chicago Tribune Prep Athlete of the Year
Perry Maynard R-Fr. Helped Carroll H.S. to 5A state title in Texas in 2006
CB Rashad Haynes Jr. Nine interceptions rank sixth among active players in NCAA
James Cooper R-Fr. Uncle Corey Cooper played for Purdue
Rov Adrian Arrington Sr. Ex-Bloomington star gets bragging rights game vs. Illinois State
Bobson Mercier Jr. Majoring in exercise science with an emphasis on premed
FS Seymour Loftman Sr. Top returning tackler on team getting 72 last season
Carlos Reyna So. Played at Columbus (Fla.) H.S. for former EIU assistant Chris Merritt
CB C.J. James Jr. Shared team lead with two forced fumbles last year
Shelton Penrow Sr. Second on team last year with six pass break-ups
SPECIALISTS
K Austin Signor Sr. Iowa transfer was 3rd in nation with 19 kickoff touchbacks last year
P Kevin Cook Jr. Two years ago broke Jeff Gossett’s EIU season record that stood 30 years
H Kevin Cook Jr. Played high school soccer and football and was on National Honor Society
LS Gordy Kickels So. Linebacker might get some tackles on special teams too
PR Rashad Haynes Jr. Twice finished in top seven in state in Florida track championships
PR Charles Graves Jr. Did not return any punts or kicks last year as Upper Iowa transfer
KOR C.J. James Jr. Returned two kickoffs averaging 15.5 yards last year
KOR Rashad Haynes Jr. One return for 14 yards a year ago
Brian Nielsen is sports editor of the Journal Gazette/Times-Courier. Contact him at bnielsen@jg-tc.com or 238-6856.
