"See you next year
Here’s how the Eagles expect to look when spring ball begins in April:
Quarterback
Gage Gubrud will return for his junior year with the confidence borne of a record-breaking season that included 5,160 yards, 48 touchdowns and a 67.7 percent completion average. He also rushed for a team-leading 606 yards. The Eagles return junior Reilly Hennessey, but he and even Gubrud will be pushed by redshirt freshman Eric Barriere.
Running back
Jabari Wilson will be gone, but he was splitting time with three underclassmen. The most promising and versatile is Antoine Custer Jr., who ran for 415 yards and caught passes for another 187. He also got better as the year went on. Tamarick Pierce and Sam McPherson are the other returnees in what should be a solid group.
Offensive line
The O-line was as young as it gets this year, and only figures to get better with the return of every key player. Center Spencer Blackburn stepped up when senior Jerrod Jones went down in week three, and responded with a season that earned him second-team All-Big Sky honors. Tackles Tristen Taylor and Nick Ellison were third-teamers. At tight end, the Eagles lose Zach Wimberly but return three other lettermen.
Wide receiver
The Eagles just graduated 4,058 receiving yards from Cooper Kupp, Shaq Hill and Kendrick Bourne, but the passing game should still be respectable with the next generation of receivers. They include Nic Sblendorio, Nsimba Webster, Stu Stiles and Jayson Williams, plus two-year letterman Terence Grady, who was redshirted for next year’s transition. More help is on the way in the current recruiting class.
Defensive line
Eastern loses All-American end Samson Ebukam and tackle Matt Sommer, but the latter gave way late in the season to eventual all-Big Sky first-team nose tackle Jay-Tee Tiuli. Other key returnees are ends Albert Havili, Keenan Williams, Jim Townsend and Marcus Saugen; and tackles Andre Lino, Dylan Ledbetter and Dylan Donahue.
Linebacker
Miquiyah Zamora ends his career with 366 career tackles to rank fourth all-time, but the rest of the ’backers return, including Ketner Kupp, Alex Kacmarcik, and Kurt Calhoun. Roverback J.J. Njoku graduates, but Cole Karstetter is expected to reclaim his starting spot after losing most of the season to injury.
Secondary
All-conference safety Zach Bruce moves on, but the rest of this group returns intact. In fact, the corners could be among the best in the conference, with Josh Lewis, D’londo Tucker, Nzuzi Webster and Victor Gamboa heading a deep group. Mitch Fettig (who had a team-high four interceptions last year) is back at safety.
Special teams
Everyone is back, except Cooper Kupp at punt returns, and McPherson got experience there when Kupp was injured. Expect Roldan Alcobendas and Brandyn Bangsund to renew their placekicking rivalry, while punter Jordan Dascalo returns for his senior season."
Thanks Jim!
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2016/dec/24/stellar-season-for-eastern-washington-could-lead-t/
Here’s how the Eagles expect to look when spring ball begins in April:
Quarterback
Gage Gubrud will return for his junior year with the confidence borne of a record-breaking season that included 5,160 yards, 48 touchdowns and a 67.7 percent completion average. He also rushed for a team-leading 606 yards. The Eagles return junior Reilly Hennessey, but he and even Gubrud will be pushed by redshirt freshman Eric Barriere.
Running back
Jabari Wilson will be gone, but he was splitting time with three underclassmen. The most promising and versatile is Antoine Custer Jr., who ran for 415 yards and caught passes for another 187. He also got better as the year went on. Tamarick Pierce and Sam McPherson are the other returnees in what should be a solid group.
Offensive line
The O-line was as young as it gets this year, and only figures to get better with the return of every key player. Center Spencer Blackburn stepped up when senior Jerrod Jones went down in week three, and responded with a season that earned him second-team All-Big Sky honors. Tackles Tristen Taylor and Nick Ellison were third-teamers. At tight end, the Eagles lose Zach Wimberly but return three other lettermen.
Wide receiver
The Eagles just graduated 4,058 receiving yards from Cooper Kupp, Shaq Hill and Kendrick Bourne, but the passing game should still be respectable with the next generation of receivers. They include Nic Sblendorio, Nsimba Webster, Stu Stiles and Jayson Williams, plus two-year letterman Terence Grady, who was redshirted for next year’s transition. More help is on the way in the current recruiting class.
Defensive line
Eastern loses All-American end Samson Ebukam and tackle Matt Sommer, but the latter gave way late in the season to eventual all-Big Sky first-team nose tackle Jay-Tee Tiuli. Other key returnees are ends Albert Havili, Keenan Williams, Jim Townsend and Marcus Saugen; and tackles Andre Lino, Dylan Ledbetter and Dylan Donahue.
Linebacker
Miquiyah Zamora ends his career with 366 career tackles to rank fourth all-time, but the rest of the ’backers return, including Ketner Kupp, Alex Kacmarcik, and Kurt Calhoun. Roverback J.J. Njoku graduates, but Cole Karstetter is expected to reclaim his starting spot after losing most of the season to injury.
Secondary
All-conference safety Zach Bruce moves on, but the rest of this group returns intact. In fact, the corners could be among the best in the conference, with Josh Lewis, D’londo Tucker, Nzuzi Webster and Victor Gamboa heading a deep group. Mitch Fettig (who had a team-high four interceptions last year) is back at safety.
Special teams
Everyone is back, except Cooper Kupp at punt returns, and McPherson got experience there when Kupp was injured. Expect Roldan Alcobendas and Brandyn Bangsund to renew their placekicking rivalry, while punter Jordan Dascalo returns for his senior season."
Thanks Jim!
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2016/dec/24/stellar-season-for-eastern-washington-could-lead-t/