In response to the question about the depth chart, I thought I'd take a look at the various positions and take a guess as to what the two-deeps will look like going into Spring Ball and beyond. *Disclaimer - Full disclosure, this is all just speculation, so don't feel offended if you don't agree or I missed someone. Please feel free to plug in the holes, as there are some definite question marks at some positions which will require info on some of these projections.
First off, the QB's:
Replacing Bo Levi will be no easy feat; the 2011 Walter Payton Award winner passed for 7,505 yards and 70 Td's in just two years at Eastern. But Eastern has a long history of being able to replace elite QB's, and the system to set them up for success. It appears EWU will go into fall 2012 with four active QB's available. With the signing of HS prospect Bowe Merin and with the recent news of SMU transfer Kyle Padron coming in the summer, things just got really interesting, to say the least. Still, KP will not be here for Spring ball and is in the middle of rehabbing the injuries he sustained this past season at SMU, which will make the competition in Spring Ball all the more important.
# Kyle Padron 6-4 233 Jr. (?) TR Southlake, Texas
Padron threw for gaudy numbers and broke school records as a Sophomore at SMU, a year after replacing Mitchell as the starter in 2009. He wasn't as productive his Junior season, and was injured after only three games in 2011. Kyle was obviously looking for a fresh start, and was impressed enough with EWu's QB resume that he decided it was the best fit. KP has all the tools to be an elite Qb, both in the Big Sky Conference and on a national level. He possesses proto-typical NFL size, has excellent arm strength, and is fairly mobile despite his size. As I mentioned, KP will not be in Cheney until this summer, so it will be interesting to see how he progresses in the system once Fall Camp arives. The other big question is how much eligibilty he will have remaining, as he fits the requirement for a medical RS after having been injured for most of 2011. Since he played as a true Freshman in 2009, it's possible 2011 may have been treated as a redshirt year for him, in which case, this is a non-issue. Still, it's unclear.
#12 Anthony Vitto 6-1 195 Jr. 2L* Simi Valley, Calif.
Vitto has three years in the system, first as a redshirt and then backing up Bo Levi in 2010 and 2011. Although he knows the system, he is still a bit of an unknown since he only played sparingly as a RS Freshman and Sophomore. From what I have seen, Anthony throws a nice ball and is fairly mobile, although without the game experience, it is difficult to make an objective assessment of his abilities at this time unless you're on the coaching staff. That said, Vitto is the most experienced QB in the system and is the justifiable #1 going into Spring Ball.
#16 Vernon Adams 6-0 180 Fr. RS Pasadena, Calif.
Adams was a redshirt last year after signing as a highly regarded recruit in the 2010 recruiting class. He was the 2011 Scout team player of the year, and from what I have seen he possesses great speed and athleticism. Even if Vernon doesn't have the entire skill set yet as a RS Freshman to earn the #1 spot, I would be surprised to not see him on the field in 2012. He's just too good an athlete to stay on the sidelines, so it will be interesting to see if the staff develops some packages around him to take advantage of his athleticism.
# Bowin Merin 6-1 198 Fr. HS Stockton, Calif.
Bowe was the single Qb signing in the 2012 class. The coaching staff has compared him to former Eagle great Erik Meyer in his style of play, in that he appears to have great mobility and a high % in his efficiency. Merin most likely will benefit from a redshirt year so he can learn the system and develop his skill set to compete in 2013.
First off, the QB's:
Replacing Bo Levi will be no easy feat; the 2011 Walter Payton Award winner passed for 7,505 yards and 70 Td's in just two years at Eastern. But Eastern has a long history of being able to replace elite QB's, and the system to set them up for success. It appears EWU will go into fall 2012 with four active QB's available. With the signing of HS prospect Bowe Merin and with the recent news of SMU transfer Kyle Padron coming in the summer, things just got really interesting, to say the least. Still, KP will not be here for Spring ball and is in the middle of rehabbing the injuries he sustained this past season at SMU, which will make the competition in Spring Ball all the more important.
# Kyle Padron 6-4 233 Jr. (?) TR Southlake, Texas
Padron threw for gaudy numbers and broke school records as a Sophomore at SMU, a year after replacing Mitchell as the starter in 2009. He wasn't as productive his Junior season, and was injured after only three games in 2011. Kyle was obviously looking for a fresh start, and was impressed enough with EWu's QB resume that he decided it was the best fit. KP has all the tools to be an elite Qb, both in the Big Sky Conference and on a national level. He possesses proto-typical NFL size, has excellent arm strength, and is fairly mobile despite his size. As I mentioned, KP will not be in Cheney until this summer, so it will be interesting to see how he progresses in the system once Fall Camp arives. The other big question is how much eligibilty he will have remaining, as he fits the requirement for a medical RS after having been injured for most of 2011. Since he played as a true Freshman in 2009, it's possible 2011 may have been treated as a redshirt year for him, in which case, this is a non-issue. Still, it's unclear.
#12 Anthony Vitto 6-1 195 Jr. 2L* Simi Valley, Calif.
Vitto has three years in the system, first as a redshirt and then backing up Bo Levi in 2010 and 2011. Although he knows the system, he is still a bit of an unknown since he only played sparingly as a RS Freshman and Sophomore. From what I have seen, Anthony throws a nice ball and is fairly mobile, although without the game experience, it is difficult to make an objective assessment of his abilities at this time unless you're on the coaching staff. That said, Vitto is the most experienced QB in the system and is the justifiable #1 going into Spring Ball.
#16 Vernon Adams 6-0 180 Fr. RS Pasadena, Calif.
Adams was a redshirt last year after signing as a highly regarded recruit in the 2010 recruiting class. He was the 2011 Scout team player of the year, and from what I have seen he possesses great speed and athleticism. Even if Vernon doesn't have the entire skill set yet as a RS Freshman to earn the #1 spot, I would be surprised to not see him on the field in 2012. He's just too good an athlete to stay on the sidelines, so it will be interesting to see if the staff develops some packages around him to take advantage of his athleticism.
# Bowin Merin 6-1 198 Fr. HS Stockton, Calif.
Bowe was the single Qb signing in the 2012 class. The coaching staff has compared him to former Eagle great Erik Meyer in his style of play, in that he appears to have great mobility and a high % in his efficiency. Merin most likely will benefit from a redshirt year so he can learn the system and develop his skill set to compete in 2013.
