- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 445,052
- Reaction score
- 44
Apr. 19—Given one last opportunity to put on football pads together this spring, Eastern Washington opted for something a little bit different than its usual scrimmage on Friday at Roos Field in Cheney.
About a dozen players didn't participate for various reasons, ranging from an abundance of caution to an inadequate physical condition.
But for those who did participate, spring ball for the Eagles — who will play their next football game on Aug. 30 at Incarnate Word in San Antonio — offered a chance to get even more snaps than usual, given the team has just 79 players on the roster.
"I think I have grown a lot. I think I have answered some questions," EWU fifth-year senior quarterback Jared Taylor said.
"I still have a long way to go, of course, but I am pretty happy with where I am at."
One of the notable developments between the end of last season to the end of spring ball was the ascension of Taylor as quarterback No. 1 for an Eagles team that hasn't had a winning season since 2021. Here are four more:
No. 1: The defensive line is the most established, veteran position group on the team. Some of this is due to attrition at other spots since November, but it's clear that if the Eagles are going to improve on defense, it will start with the players along the line of scrimmage.
Redshirt junior Justus La'ulu and junior Jirah Leaupepetele, each listed at more than 300 pounds, looked strong at the tackle positions.
Ends Ben Voigtlaender, Yemoni Howell, Brandon Thomas, Jaden Radke, Tariq May and Tylin Jackson — all who are original EWU recruits now entering the back half of their careers — form an experienced if unproven core on the edges.
The Eagles will no doubt look to add more players to this group over the summer. But that group, under second-year defensive line coach Jaylen Johnson, will be leaned on to put more pressure on opposing offenses.
No. 2: The offensive linemen got more than the usual share of reps, even if reinforcements are inevitable. This was going to be a big lift for the Eagles this offseason no matter what, but the decommitment of a pair of junior college transfers — a move that correlated with a positional coaching change from Hayden Mace to Chad Germer — amplified the need to add more linemen.
"A ton of reps the offensive line took," EWU head coach Aaron Best said. "We can't deplete the reps as a team just because we're down O-linemen."
That meant tight ends slid over to play tackle at times. But it also meant that returning players gained more experience than they usually would have. Eastern has a long tradition of strong offensive line play, and Best repeatedly mentioned that the team will add a handful more players in the coming months.
No. 3: The depth charts at running back and wide receiver are anything but set. Mostly this is because players like Malik Dotson, Miles Williams and Noah Cronquist didn't fully participate in spring practices. Dotson, who rushed for 505 yards last season, should be atop the running back position group in the fall.
But there are still plenty of carries to go around. Fourth-year players Marceese Yetts and Talon Betts took the most carries during scrimmages, but neither was all that proven in game action last season. Second-year player Kevin Allen III could see a role as well after redshirting last season.
At wide receiver, about the only sure thing is that sixth-year senior Nolan Ulm (90 career receptions) will lead the group and captain the team. After him, the limited reps from older players like Williams and Cronquist gave more opportunities to others such as redshirt junior Cole Pruett and redshirt freshman Boden Gardner, who had one of the team's more impressive spring performances.
It is also possible that Taylor will throw more passes to the team's seven tight ends, most notable of whom is redshirt senior Landon Cooper, who caught four passes for 58 yards and two touchdowns in Friday's scrimmage.
No. 4: This is a young team with a roster composition that is going to be much different from last year. The Eagles have just 11 players who are 2019 or 2020 high school graduates — the last of those who played during COVID — and just four 2021 graduates.
It is entirely possible that the Eagles add to those classes through the transfer portal, which will repopulate over the summer as players are cut from FBS rosters that will need to trim down to the NCAA limit of 105.
But the Eagles are still set to welcome 24 true freshmen who will graduate from high school this spring. Even assuming there will be some attrition from the current roster — student-athletes change their minds — this is going to be a team that relies a lot on its 2022, 2023 and 2024 high school recruiting classes.
Those classes contain some of the highest-rated recruits Eastern has had, according to 247sports.com. But it also means that the Eagles will enter the 2025 football season with a depth chart that will look almost entirely different from the one with which it ended the 2024 season.
Continue reading...
About a dozen players didn't participate for various reasons, ranging from an abundance of caution to an inadequate physical condition.
But for those who did participate, spring ball for the Eagles — who will play their next football game on Aug. 30 at Incarnate Word in San Antonio — offered a chance to get even more snaps than usual, given the team has just 79 players on the roster.
"I think I have grown a lot. I think I have answered some questions," EWU fifth-year senior quarterback Jared Taylor said.
"I still have a long way to go, of course, but I am pretty happy with where I am at."
One of the notable developments between the end of last season to the end of spring ball was the ascension of Taylor as quarterback No. 1 for an Eagles team that hasn't had a winning season since 2021. Here are four more:
No. 1: The defensive line is the most established, veteran position group on the team. Some of this is due to attrition at other spots since November, but it's clear that if the Eagles are going to improve on defense, it will start with the players along the line of scrimmage.
Redshirt junior Justus La'ulu and junior Jirah Leaupepetele, each listed at more than 300 pounds, looked strong at the tackle positions.
Ends Ben Voigtlaender, Yemoni Howell, Brandon Thomas, Jaden Radke, Tariq May and Tylin Jackson — all who are original EWU recruits now entering the back half of their careers — form an experienced if unproven core on the edges.
The Eagles will no doubt look to add more players to this group over the summer. But that group, under second-year defensive line coach Jaylen Johnson, will be leaned on to put more pressure on opposing offenses.
No. 2: The offensive linemen got more than the usual share of reps, even if reinforcements are inevitable. This was going to be a big lift for the Eagles this offseason no matter what, but the decommitment of a pair of junior college transfers — a move that correlated with a positional coaching change from Hayden Mace to Chad Germer — amplified the need to add more linemen.
"A ton of reps the offensive line took," EWU head coach Aaron Best said. "We can't deplete the reps as a team just because we're down O-linemen."
That meant tight ends slid over to play tackle at times. But it also meant that returning players gained more experience than they usually would have. Eastern has a long tradition of strong offensive line play, and Best repeatedly mentioned that the team will add a handful more players in the coming months.
No. 3: The depth charts at running back and wide receiver are anything but set. Mostly this is because players like Malik Dotson, Miles Williams and Noah Cronquist didn't fully participate in spring practices. Dotson, who rushed for 505 yards last season, should be atop the running back position group in the fall.
But there are still plenty of carries to go around. Fourth-year players Marceese Yetts and Talon Betts took the most carries during scrimmages, but neither was all that proven in game action last season. Second-year player Kevin Allen III could see a role as well after redshirting last season.
At wide receiver, about the only sure thing is that sixth-year senior Nolan Ulm (90 career receptions) will lead the group and captain the team. After him, the limited reps from older players like Williams and Cronquist gave more opportunities to others such as redshirt junior Cole Pruett and redshirt freshman Boden Gardner, who had one of the team's more impressive spring performances.
It is also possible that Taylor will throw more passes to the team's seven tight ends, most notable of whom is redshirt senior Landon Cooper, who caught four passes for 58 yards and two touchdowns in Friday's scrimmage.
No. 4: This is a young team with a roster composition that is going to be much different from last year. The Eagles have just 11 players who are 2019 or 2020 high school graduates — the last of those who played during COVID — and just four 2021 graduates.
It is entirely possible that the Eagles add to those classes through the transfer portal, which will repopulate over the summer as players are cut from FBS rosters that will need to trim down to the NCAA limit of 105.
But the Eagles are still set to welcome 24 true freshmen who will graduate from high school this spring. Even assuming there will be some attrition from the current roster — student-athletes change their minds — this is going to be a team that relies a lot on its 2022, 2023 and 2024 high school recruiting classes.
Those classes contain some of the highest-rated recruits Eastern has had, according to 247sports.com. But it also means that the Eagles will enter the 2025 football season with a depth chart that will look almost entirely different from the one with which it ended the 2024 season.
Continue reading...
