After looking at the defensive line unit, we continue to stay on the defensive side of the ball and take a deep look at the linebackers on the 2012 roster. The unit is led by a strong group of seniors and will be a major strength this season, but there are some question marks concerning the depth chart as the team prepares for the season.
Depth chart coming out of the spring:
SAM - Sam Barrington (6-1 230-pounds); Reshard Cliett (6-2 212-pounds)
MIKE - Michael Lanaris (6-0 234-pounds); Hans Louis (6-0 220-pounds)
WILL - DeDe Lattimore (6-1 238-pounds); Mike Jeune (6-0 224-pounds)
Who else returns for 2012: The Bulls return a strong group of young linebackers for the 2012 season. Zach Bullock (6-3 210-pounds), Edsel Caprice (6-2 215-pounds), Cody Durakhovic (6-1 221-pounds), Ryan Eppes (6-1 230-pounds - transitioned from quarterback to linebacker in the spring), Ruben Garcia (6-0 237-pounds), Kalin Hall (6-2 220-pounds), Corian Hamilton (6-0 232-pounds), and Antoine Pozniak (6-2 223-ponds) are all on the roster for the 2012 season.
What the team lost from last season: Only two seniors left after last season, Sharly Azard and Curtis Weatherspoon, so the team did not take any major blow to the depth chart.
Incoming 2012 recruits: The Bulls added one linebacker in the 2012 recruiting class, Tashon Whitehurst (6-3 190-pounds) who will enroll later this summer.
Strength of the unit: The Bulls return all 3 starters from last year's team (Barrington, Lanaris, and Lattimore) giving coach Holtz and new defensive coordinator Chris Cosh 3 experienced playmakers in the heart of the defense that can help anchor the unit. Barrington and Lanaris have proven to be solid tacklers in the past and Lattimore continues to develop into a star, getting better every season. The depth behind the starters (Cliett, Jeune, and Louis) are all solid. Cliett and Jeune played as reserves last season and Louis has been impressive coming out of the spring.
Weakness of the unit: With 3 veteran starters on the roster, at first look, there doesn't seem to be any weakness to the group, but there is a big one: depth. While Barrington, Lanaris, and Lattimore are great players, the reserves behind them have either played sparingly or have never taken a snap in their careers. Jeune is a solid player and could move to the MIKE position if needed and Cliett has high praise from the coaching staff, but Louis is unproven. The other young linebackers such as Hamilton, Caprice, Bullock, and Pozniak were all highly regarded recruits, but they have a lot of work in front of them to crack the two-deep depth chart this fall and prove to the coaching staff they are ready to step on the field and help contribute and become the linebackers of the future. Other players such as Garcia (who has played before) and Eppes (familiar with the team) will be key players on special teams, but are not expected to make major impacts at linebacker this season, so it will be key for the young group of players to progress this fall and get onto the field.
Overall assessment of the unit: A. Having all 3 starters return for this season makes the Bulls linebacking corps one of the most talented in the Big East, but with that, there are concerns. The depth on the roster behind them is very young and inexperienced. While Cliett and Jeune have seen the field, the others have not and will have to work hard this fall to prepare for the season and contribute in 2012.
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