 TOLEDOROCKETS.NETYour source for information on Rocket Football! |
TOLEDOROCKETS.NETYour source for information on Rocket Football! |
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By Brian Nowicki 
Toledo's defense made a significant improvement in 2005. After giving up 31.1 points per game in 2004, Tim Rose came in as defensive coordinator last year and re-energized the Rocket defense. The defense improved to just giving up 21.8 points per game, the best of any MAC defense. The rush defense was also #1 in the MAC, thanks to a change to a 3-4 alignment and an agressive defense. It all started with the defensive line, and everyone returns this fall.Junior Sean Williamson has lost quite a bit of weight and is now listed as 6-2 and 265 pounds. He is pencilled in at one of the defensive end slots. Last season he had 28 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks, in 12 games for the Rockets. Junior Patrick Clark, 6-4 and 266, is pencilled in as the starter at the other defensive end slot. He has lost some weight in the offseason, like Williamson, and seems to be quicker on his feet because of it. Defensive coordinator Tim Rose wants a lot of speed on his defense and he is happy with what he has seen this spring. Clark had 17 tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss in 12 games in 2005. Senior Seth Thitoff provides a lot of experience and speed to the defensive end position. The 6-2 and 220 pounder is currently listed #2 behind Sean Williamson on the depth chart, but he is expected to see a lot of playing time. He had 31 tackles, 6 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks, in 11 games last season. He isn't a very big guy, but he has really good speed and a knack for getting pressure on the quarterback. Junior Bernard Faithful, 6-3 and 240 pounds, is currently listed #2 behind Patrick Clark on the depth chart. Faithful has gained some valuable experience over the last couple of years, and he should play quite a bit in 2006. Last year he had 25 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks, in 12 games for Toledo. He has put on a few pounds of muscle, which should aid him in rushing the quarterback. Nick Lawrence, 6-3 and 229 pounds, provides even more depth at defensive end. He had 6 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks, in a backup role in 12 games last season. Junior Al Martin is back this year after missing all of last season after having knee surgery. Martin, 6-5 and 255 pounds, had 30 tackles in 12 games in 2004. Junior Justin Collins (6-2, 255), redshirt freshman John Duhe (6-4, 231), and redshirt freshman Lyndon Gayle (6-4, 253) are further back on the depth chart at defensive end. All have decent size though and could see playing time this fall. Senior JP Bekasiak, 6-6 and 296 pounds, will anchor the line as the nose tackle. Last season Bekasiak had 22 tackles, 4 tackles for loss and 2 sacks, in 12 games. Bekasiak has excellent size for a nose tackle and he has surprising speed for his size. He has looked very good in spring practices. #2 on the depth chart at defensive tackle is senior Aaron Albritton, 6-2 and 261 pounds. Albritton had 4 tackles in limited action in six games last year. Behind him on the depth chart is redshirt freshman Matt Shumaker, 6-1 and 225 pounds. A number of incoming true freshman will have a chance to play on the defensive line this fall, especially at the defensive tackle position. Nate Cole is a 6-2 and 270 pound defensive tackle from Trotwood, OH. Scout.com had him rated as a 3-star recruit and the 85th best defensive tackle in the country in the 2006 recruiting class. He can bench press 300 pounds at over 20 reps and squat over 500 pounds. He received offers from Toledo, UCF, Louisville, Minnesota, Ball State, and Ohio University. There is probably a good chance that Nate Cole will see playing time for the Rockets at defensive tackle right away this fall. Maurice Hill is a 6-2 and 265 pound defensive tackle from Bolingbrook, IL. Hill is a strong guy that bench presses 400 pounds and can squat 650 pounds. He had 10 sacks as a senior in high school last year. He could also see playing time at defensive tackle this fall. Skylaar Constant, 6-4 and 265 pounds, is a defensive end from Bedford, OH. He received offers from Toledo, Bowling Green, Akron, Miami University, and Ohio University. Joe Underwood, 6-2 and 245 pounds, is from Youngstown, OH. He could play either defensive end or linebacker for Toledo. He received offers from Toledo, Miami University, Bowling Green, and Akron. Finally is defensive end Douglas Westbrook, 6-3 and 215 pounds, from Pompano Beach, FL. Westbrook had a very impressive 18.5 sacks and forced 3 fumbles as a senior in high school last season. He needs to add some weight and muscle to his body, but he is very quick and should be an effective pass rusher during his career at Toledo. Defensive Coordinator Tim Rose wants to be able to rotate 9 players in and out of the game on the defensive line. He is counting on a couple of incoming freshman to be part of that rotation. His goal is to keep the defensive line fresh and use their speed to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Our starting line of Sean Williams, JP Bekasiak, and Patrick Clark are very solid. Seth Thitoff, Bernard Faithful, and Al Martin provide some good experience and quality as well. A couple more current players, or a few of the incoming recruits will need to provide immediate depth in order for Coach Rose to rotate 9 players in and out of the game. My hunch is that incoming recruits Nate Cole, Maurice Hill, and Skylaar Constant will see playing time this fall. Along with Nick Lawrence, Justin Collins, and Lyndon Gayle there are enough options for three more players to emerge in part of the 9 player rotation Coach Rose is seeking. Have a question or comment for Brian? Email |