2003 Spring Outlook

A 4-8 season and a .500 finish in the Mid-American Conference signified improvement in the Ohio football program a season ago, and this spring the Bobcats plan to continue along that path. Much of the focus will center on replacing standouts Chad Brinker and Joe Sellers at running back and safety, respectively. But the competition should be intense at many positions on both sides of the ball. The Ohio coaching staff will be seeking more consistency from a team that won a conference game by 50 points two weeks after losing by 50 during MAC play.

Injuries took their toll on Ohio in 2002 and some of those physical ailments are expected to impact the spring schedule as well. A number of Bobcats missed significant time last season, including OL Dennis Thompson (10 games, leg), LB Ricky Cherry (10, knee), OL Shane Yates (10, ankle), QB Dontrell Jackson (5, foot), QB Fred Ray (3, ankle), DT Andre Parker (3, foot), LB Rich Constantine (2, hamstring), and DE Garrett Bush (season, knee). Thompson, Parker and Bush will not be available during the spring and the status of Yates and Cherry is in question for the Bobcats’ slate of 15 practices.

Coaching Adjustments: The Ohio staff underwent a number of changes during the offseason, with the addition of two new coaches and position assignments being altered as well. Jeff Bleamer takes over as offensive line coach, and former Bobcat defensive back Nick Toth also returns to the program. Toth will be working with Ohio’s tight ends, as Pete Germano moves to the defensive side of the ball to coach outside linebackers. Defensive Coordinator Tim DeRuyter, who worked with the OLB’s in 2002, will now work individually with the secondary.

New Position: A number of Bobcats will be moved this spring to a different position, but there are no guarantees that they will all stay at those new spots come August. Rob Stover, who paced the Bobcats in big plays last year at the Bandit OLB position, will work at strong safety. Meanwhile, Chip Cox will try the free safety position in April. Cox started every game at cornerback in 2002, finishing fourth on the squad in tackles. Some Bobcats, like Demetri Taylor, will be returning to positions they played in the past. Taylor, a starting inside linebacker during the second half of his sophomore year, moved outside last spring. He is headed back to ILB this April. Rich Constantine will trade spots with Taylor, shifting outside. On the other side of the ball, Derek Gandy will get an opportunity at offensive tackle this spring after serving as a tight end the past three years. As well, a pair of Bobcats will be trading in their green jerseys for white ones, or vice versa. Cole Wesley, who played on the defensive line as a freshman, will try the offensive line this spring. And Chris Hutchinson goes from running back to cornerback.

Quarterback: Senior Fred Ray certainly earned the right to be designated the returning starter this spring, based on his play over the last six games of the 2002 season. In that stretch, Ray completed 45 of 76 passes (59%) for 613 yards and five touchdowns. Just as significantly, he did not throw an interception during that period, while also running for over 300 yards and 7 touchdowns. Ray emerged as a leader during the second half of the season, distributing the ball very effectively to his backs and receivers and making good decisions in the option-based attack. His quarterback rating over that period was 148.67, almost unheard of for a signal-caller in an option offense.

Ray can’t rest on his laurels, however. Junior Ryan Hawk, who sat out last season after transferring from rival Miami (OH) University, impressed the coaches with his throwing ability while running the scout team in 2002. He is now eligible and will also get reps with the first unit during spring practice. Hawk still must prove that he can run the ball well enough to earn playing time in the multiple option offense of coordinator Greg Gregory. Fifth-year senior Adam Porter returns as well.

Running Back: Ohio Coach Brian Knorr knows that he won’t find a comparable back to replace Chad Brinker this spring. Instead, he will look to develop depth at all three running back positions to form a committee of runners for 2003. Brinker leaves as Ohio’s fourth all-time leading rusher and the team’s hardest worker. Getting first shot at his fullback position will be a pair of youngsters who each played as true freshmen in 2002. Brad Young appeared in nine games and rushed for 186 yards while Phillip Fountain was used primarily on special teams.

At halfback, junior Ray Huston hopes to overcome the injury problems that limited his production last season. And Justin Roush continues to fight for more playing time after a sophomore season that saw him rush 29 times for 120 yards. Both Huston and Roush showed an ability to catch the ball coming out of the backfield last season, combining for 7 catches and 148 yards.

The slotback position will once again be manned by Stafford Owens, who is looked upon as the only secure starter in the Ohio offense. Owens is Ohio’s leading returning rusher and receiver. As a sophomore, he gained 371 yards on an average of six yards per carry while catching 17 passes for 259 yards. Owens scored eight touchdowns last season on a variety of big plays. Battling for playing time behind Owens is redshirt freshman Chris Jackson, who led the state of Alabama in rushing his senior year in high school.

Wide Receivers: A relatively untested group of youngsters will be fighting for playing time this spring, headed up by Anthony Hackett, who caught five balls as a true freshman a season ago. Brian Ingram has been in the program for a couple of years now and has a chance to translate that experience into more game action with a strong spring. Also in the mix will be redshirt freshman Ahmona Maxwell and senior Justin Halada, who caught only one ball last season but is considered a solid possession receiver. As always, Ohio’s receivers will earn playing time based as much on their ability to block as on their ability to catch passes.

Tight End: Junior college transfer Ryan Antle was brought in to take over this position, and will get first crack at it this spring. Looked upon as a good blocker, Antle also caught 33 passes last season at Pasadena City College. Junior D.T. Boon and sophomore Bobby Teten also figure into the mix.

Offensive Line: Offensive coordinator Greg Gregory says his biggest goal this spring is to find three starters on the line to combine with the guys who will be with the team in the fall. Gregory is missing two probable starters right now due to injuries. Dennis Thompson is still recovering from a broken leg suffered in week two of the 2002 season, and Brian Brown is out after having surgery to repair a broken foot following the conclusion of last season. Brown started all 11 games at right guard last year and Thompson began the season as the starting left guard before his injury. As well, redshirt freshman Matt Coppage will miss spring ball after undergoing reconstructive surgery on his ankle. He could also be a big factor in the fall.
Two junior college transfers, Steve Wiggins and Ralph Bracamonte, were also recruited to help shore up the line. Wiggins won’t join the squad until August, but Bracamonte is enrolled at Ohio University for spring quarter and is expected to get a shot at taking over the center position. Shane Yates should also be competing at center, after having missed most of his redshirt-freshman season with an ankle injury suffered in the second game last year.

With so many linemen unavailable for spring practice, the opportunity exists for some unproven players to become factors. Among them are senior Derek Gandy, who moves to tackle after spending his entire career at tight end, and Cole Wesley, who played on the defensive line as a true freshman last season. Redshirt freshmen Aaron Bryant and J.J. Knabb will also be in the mix.

Defensive Line: Much like the offensive line, the Bobcats will not be at full strength on the defensive front during spring practice. It is hoped that Andre Parker can take over at nose guard next season, but the senior continues to be nagged by a foot injury that limited his effectiveness in 2002. Similarly, Garrett Bush would provide a huge boost for Ohio at defensive end, but will not be available this spring following knee surgery. Bush missed all of last season due to problems with his other knee.

That leaves the trio of Eli Kiener, Kevin Carberry and Keith Adamson as the experience up front defensively. Kiener will work at nose guard with Carberry and Adamson holding down the end positions. Two walk-ons, Dave Escobar and Perrier Paul, will get shots to prove themselves this spring.

Linebackers: Talk about shuffling the deck! Ohio brings back every linebacker from last season’s depth chart, but will experiment during spring practice with a lot of the returning talent at different positions. Starting with what won’t change, Dennis Chukwuemeka is entrenched as the starter at one inside position. Chukwuemeka was a pleasant surprise last season, leading Ohio in tackles for loss while compiling 116 total stops. And Spencer Tatum, who took over the other inside linebacker post due to injuries in week three last season, will be staying there.
Demetri Taylor is moving back inside after playing last season at OLB. The senior joins Pete Brately as a backup and gives Ohio plenty of experience in case injuries strike the position hard again. As well, Ricky Cherry hopes to be back in the mix after being lost last season in week two with a knee injury. Cherry was the starter opposite Chukwuemeka prior to going down.

Seniors Hugh Grant and Rich Constantine will battle for one outside linebacker position, with Constantine playing outside for the first time in his career. Last year’s starter on the opposite side, Rob Stover, will get a look at safety this spring. While that experiment is going on, senior Chuck Terry will get the opportunity to shine at the Bandit position, which would make the move of Stover a lot easier for Defensive Coordinator Tim DeRuyter to pursue. The defensive staff feels that Terry’s performance this spring will be very important to the future of the unit in 2003. Redshirt freshman Tyler Russ is also hoping to claim the Bandit spot.

Secondary: Replacing Joe Sellers, Ohio’s leading tackler for the past two seasons, is job one this spring in the defensive backfield. The move of Stover is Plan A. Stover came up with more big plays than anyone else on the Ohio defense last year as a sophomore, but seems like a more natural fit at strong safety. Similarly, Chip Cox started every game his sophomore year at cornerback, but his aggressive nature seems cut out for free safety. Cox, who was fourth on the team in tackles in 2002, will get an opportunity to prove that theory this spring. Returning starter Rashad Butler will try to fight off Cox’s challenge, while senior Bo Lebherz will once again serve as the backup on the strong side unless Stover is forced to move back to linebacker.

Bop White finished his college career with the second most interceptions in Bobcat football history. And with Cox moved to free safety, Ohio could be breaking in two new cornerbacks in the fall. Sophomore Dion Byrum has the athletic ability to be a good one, picking off two passes and breaking up three more as a nickel back last season. Junior college transfer Andre Bradford enrolled at Ohio for winter quarter and therefore will get a chance to participate this spring. As well, redshirt freshmen T.J. Wright and Marcquis Parham impressed on the scout team last year and are candidates for playing time now.

Special Teams: Kevin Kerr finished his career as Ohio’s career leader in field goals and second all-time leading scorer. As well, he handled punting chores for the Bobcats last season and did an outstanding job on kickoffs throughout his tenure in Athens. Although he did it all for Ohio, replacing him would hardly seem to be a one-man job. Matthew Miller and Greg DiMarino will each try to claim part of those responsibilities, although there are no guarantees as to who will end up where. Senior Brandon Swiger returns to handle longsnapper chores for a third straight season, while Adam Porter will once again be the holder.

Stafford Owens developed into one of the MAC’s more dangerous punt returners a season ago, with an average of ten yards a runback and a 72-yard touchdown to his credit. Meanwhile, Dion Byrum had some big kickoff returns early in the 2002 season before teams starting kicking away from him.