2013 Spring Camp
Spring camp kicks off this week so I figured some kind of a prospectus should be compiled so interested fans would know what to look for. For the most part I think spring camp will be pretty straight forward given that a lot of players are returning. But there will be some new transfers involved with camp and there were changes in the coaching staff that should have an impact on camp as well. The roster and coach info has not been updated on Hornetsports yet so there are sure to be some inaccuracies with my depth chart guesses. Feel free to comment on any inaccuracies as needed.
Offense
The Hornets lost offensive line coach Conor Riley to NDSU and hired Bill Laveroni to replace him. The Hornets are also without a receivers coach as DaPrato departed the program as well. On the positive side offensive coordinator Paul Peterson returns for his second season with the program and this offense will look to improve its efficiency moving forward. This should be an interesting spring camp for the offense.
Quarterbacks
- 1. (#12) Garret Safron
2. (#4) Mason Magleby/ (#16) Philip Anspach/ (#19) Colin Burnett/ (#18) Nolan Sorensen
Safron returns for his junior season. He will no doubt be the guy going forward but that doesn’t mean there won’t be competition for the backup role. Magleby was the next man up at quarterback last season and is currently with the baseball team so I do not know if he will be attending camp. That leaves Anspach, Burnett, and Sorensen to battle it out for the backup role.
Running Backs
- 1. (#8) Ezekiel Graham
2. (#9) De’jon Coleman
3. (#32) Clark Partridge/ (#14) Demetrius Warren
Nothing new to see here. Graham is coming off of a stellar breakout season and Coleman is looking to build off of a solid freshman campaign. These two will see the bulk of the carries and should do just fine so long as the offensive line continues to put together solid performances. The thing to watch here will be what the coaching staff does in short yardage situations. Graham and Coleman aren’t the biggest running backs on the roster so they may look to work in Partridge or Warren in those situations.
Wide Receivers
- 1. (#13) Morris Norrise
2. (#2) DeAndre Carter
3. (#81) Blake Robertson
4. (#15) Shane Harrison/ (#87) Justin Cox
Other Returners: (#10) Austin Dotson/ (#86) Nnamdi Agude/ (#88) Ashton Collins/ (#83) Zach Moreno/ (#82) Kyle Roberts/ (#84) Kyi Thomas/ Tyler Amick
Incoming Transfers: Joey DePalma/ Kyle Greenwood/ Dalton Hunkle
Everyone returns but I feel that aside from Norrise and maybe Carter, a lot of spots are up for grabs. Given the spread scheme that the Hornets operate out of, there will be plenty of opportunities for players to see some opportunities to impress the coaches. I have Robertson as the 3rd receiver as he saw the bulk of the playing time among all the other returning wide outs. With a lot of returners coupled with some incoming transfers there will be a lot to sort out this spring and probably the fall as well. With DaPrato gone, I do not know who will be taking over the receiver coaching role or if Sperbeck plans on making another hire.
Tight Ends
- 1. (#80) Chris Broadnax
2. (#47) DJ Maciel
3. (#89) Marcus Mosi/ (#85) Cole Hikutini
The coaches will start the arduous task of replacing TJ Knowles this spring. Broadnax saw the most action at tight end last season so I have him pegged as the starter in spring camp. Maciel was brought in primarily on run/short yardage packages. There is plenty up for grabs here and I don’t think the starting role will be solidified until the conclusion of fall camp when the coaches can get a look at incoming freshman Stone Sander. The Hornets lack a versatile tight end that can both catch and block and Sander might bring that versatility to the roster this fall. There are also a lot or receivers on the roster and the coaches may look to move one of them over to help with this need.
Offensive Line
- LT: (#76) Lars Hanson
LG: (#72) Devonte Martin
C: John Wallace (TR)
RG: (#73) Tyler Worthley
RT: (#61) Aleksandar Milanovic
Returning from Injury: (#74) Derek Stickney/ (#79) Dan Stornaiuolo
Returners: (#60) RJ Melgar/ (#77) Dylan Woodfill/ (#55) Jessie Brown/ (#66) Spencer Klew/ (#70) Casey Dakin/ (#63) Matt Sawickis/ (#71) Sapule Ta’amilo/ (#78) Mark Knapp
Incoming Transfers: Justin Aysse
A lot of returners will be looking to retain their starting roles and with the coaching change I really don’t know what to expect. The offensive line will be built around returning starters Worthley, Hanson, and Milanovic. Center is wide open and I put incoming FBS transfer Wallace as the favorite. Martin was originally slated to move to the defensive side of the ball heading into the 2012 season; however injuries to Stickney and Stornaiuolo forced him to stay on the offensive side. I do not know if the coaches plan to keep him on offense or shift him to defense this season. The coaches will probably rotate in a few different guys to see which line-up gives them the best look heading into fall camp.
Defense
The defense is the only unit not impacted by coaching changes but there will be quite a bit to get ironed out in spring and fall camp. I expect the defense to set the tone in spring camp (as it typically does) and maintain a high level of intensity.
Defensive Line
- DE: (#90) Ben Cowger
DT: (#92) Trevor Kelly
NT: (#97) Nathan Castro
DE: (#35) Jayce Totty
DE2: (#94) Trent Eskew/ (#49) Nicholas Mazza
DT/NT2: (#98) Edmund Faimalo
Other Returners: (#59) Josh Latham/ (#68) Patrick Scroggins/ (#93) Noah Johnson/ (#95) Nehemiah Mitchell/ (#99) Nick Kristofors
Up front the Hornets only need to fill one void, and that is the one left by standout interior lineman Matt Lawrence. Fortunately a lot of the returning players got some much needed experience under their belt last season as the coaches did a great job of rotating linemen in throughout the season. I listed Totty as a starter but Eskew could very well be named the starter as well. Regardless, the defensive end rotation should be pretty much set and all four ends should see regular playing time. The Hornets will need to shore up some depth in the interior as Faimalo is the lone player with significant playing time aside from probably starters Kelly and Castro.
Linebackers
- MLB: (#48) Henry Fernandez
WLB: (#91) Todd Davis
LB2: (#42) Cody Allen/ (#44) Darnell Sankey
Other Returners: (#50) Bryce Henderson
Incoming Transfer/Recruit: Russell Smith
The starting spot vacated by Jeff Badger will be up for grabs. Davis will no doubt retain his starting role but the question is who will line up next to him. This battle should be interesting to watch as there doesn’t seem to be a clear cut favorite. Fernandez, Allen, and Sankey each had their moments last season but neither had a significant amount of playing time last season. Add in incoming freshman Smith (graduated last summer and can attend spring camp) to challenge for the starting role and it’s anyone’s guess at this point. I also hope to see smarter personnel packaged in passing situations made by the coaching staff.
Defensive Backs
- CB1: (#1) Osagie Odiase
SS: Robby Kendall (TR)
FS: (#29) Robert Beale
NB: (#31) Markell Williams
CB2: (#7) Joshua Armstrong
FS2: (#3) Dijon Washington
CB3: (#20) Nicholas Payne/ (#5) Christopher Lopes
Other Returners: (#22) Corey Vanderbeek/ (#28) Dexter Alcala/ (#27) Eddie Gillies/ (#23) Randey Peterson/ (#00) Jacoby Carter/ (#30) Anthony Payne/ (#39) Jacob Bowman/ (#37) Tyler Charrette/ (#26) Andy Gramajo/ (#38) Brendan Royal
Incoming Transfers: Tyrone Duckett/ Mike Sellers
The secondary appears to be the biggest concern on defense as the coaches emphasized recruiting in this area during the offseason. There were few bright spots in the secondary last season but I feel that every spot is up for grabs. Odiase is the only player I would be surprised to see lose his starting role. The secondary played better with Beale in so his health will be important going forward. A lot of players were rotated in the secondary but it struggled mightily all season long. The void at strong safety left by Ryan McMahon is probably the biggest question mark. I randomly selected incoming transfer Kendall as the favorite. The coaches will have their hands full determining who will get the nod in the secondary heading into fall camp.
Special Teams
The special teams ended the season on a horrific note, and ultimately it cost DaPrato his job. Sperbeck hired former Hornet Fred Kelley to fill this role. Kelley’s only experience is with the offensive line so there is no telling how he will do in this uncharted territory.
- PK: (#58) Edgar Castaneda
P: (#45) Justin Weldon
KO: (#52) Edward Ruhnke/ (#53) Brad Cornish/ (#58) Edgar Castaneda
LS: (#59) Josh Latham
KR/PR: (#13) Morris Norrise/ (#2) DeAndre Carter
Holder: (#4) Mason Magleby
P2: (#57) Smith Heath
The good news is the kicking game should be solid this season with Castaneda and Weldon returning so it is everything else that Kelley will have to worry about. The kicker used for kickoffs will be up for grabs as should the kick returning duties. Most importantly the long snapping duties will need to be solidified. I am not sure who will be competing for those duties but Latham was listed as the backup to Jimmie Bobak last season. Last season’s game notes has Magleby listed as a long snapper as well. Special teams have continually been the thorn in the Hornets side so improvement here is an absolute must.
All in all there should be plenty to look for during spring camp. At the bare minimum it will feature one last glimpse of football before the long boring baseball season makes everyone yearn for the pigskins’ return.
