Post by Aggie One on Sept 1, 2015 8:02:23 GMT -5
BDV 2015 Sneak Preview - Part One
by Craig R. Turner
bluedeathvalley.com
Welcome to Bluedeathvalley.com for another exciting year of N.C. A&T football from the diehard fan’s prospective. The Aggies surpassed most prognosticator’s expectations by grabbing a share of the 2014 MEAC title after being picked third in last season’s preseason polls. A&T had a shot at winning the title outright on the last game of the season but a disappointing 21-14 road loss to rival NCCU dropped the Aggies into a 5-way tie for first place.
Still, considering where this program was just four years ago to where it is today, head coach Rod Broadway and his staff have made literally unbelievable strides bringing the program from somewhere beyond dead last to being picked as the MEAC’s odds on favorite to take it all in 2015.
The program has been rebuilt from the ground up and the right way, not with shortcuts or gimmicks, but buy investment of capital resources, recruiting character student athletes, and having a fan base that for the most part has stayed in touch with reality and has been realistic in their expectations throughout the entire revitalization process.
Now we’ll find out not only if A&T will be rewarded with a second straight conference championship but this time with the added bonus of a December holiday trip to Atlanta, a nationally televised Bowl Game, and a half million dollar purse to boot.
This is the first installment of our annual sneak preview look at the Aggies by position as we countdown toward an September 5th home and season opener against CIAA opponent Shaw University in Aggie Stadium in Greensboro, NC.
Today we look at the A&T defense so let’s get a straight in-depth look into Aggie Football. Enjoy!
Defensive Line
The core of any really good defense is its ability to stop the run and that begins between the tackles. A&T has had a tradition under defensive coordinator Sam Washington of having a smaller than average defensive line with a good amount of above average speed. Two full recruiting classes and additional scholarships should translate into the closing the gap between the two in 2015.
The Aggies are deep up front. That’s not just another clever metaphor or coach speak. That is a fact. All-MEAC Marcus Ragland (6-3,271, Jr.) has the potential to be one of the more dominating defensive tackles in the MEAC this season. He is coming off a superb sophomore season garnering 69 tackles, 38 unassisted, 15.5 for loss and an individual high of eight sacks while starting all eleven games a year ago.
Flanking him at the other tackle will be three year starter and senior and preseason MEAC pick Mike Neal (5-11,260). Neal is an extremely active tackle who, despite his lack of height, uses his superior foot speed, and upper body strength to regularly beat much larger offensive lineman off the snap. His 37 tackles in 2014 ranked him ninth in the team standings.
The true nose guard among this group of experienced linemen is senior James Morris (6-0,310) who easily moves to either tackle spot when called upon depending on the defensive call for a 3, 4, or five man front. Morris has made 12 starts and has not missed a game in his career with the Aggies. Last season Morris dominated the line of scrimmage against Elon with five unassisted stops, 3 three for loss.
Expect breakout years for a pair of A&T’s top reserves in juniors D ‘Anthony Ross (6-3,255) and Malik Hampton-Prioleau (6-5,257). Between the two of them, they accounted for 28 tackles and five sacks in reserve roles over 11 games last year.
While Ragland, Neal, and Morris are fairly well known to many A&T fans, there will be a few new names that they will come to know and appreciate in a hurry on defense. Julian McKnight is a 6-4, 275 pound redshirt freshman from Conyers, Ga who most observers see as a young talent who should add a very athletic pass rusher to already strong lineup. A couple other redshirt freshmen should also see playing time by midseason in highly regarded Khalon Howard (6-3,235, Durham Hillside) and Justin Cates (6-3,251) from Goldsboro, NC.
While the inside tracks are pretty well plugged, opposing offenses will be hard pressed to get around the corners with the return of Angelo Keyes (6-2,268) back at defensive end. The red shirt junior from Kinston had a good effort in 2014 after sitting out 2013 because of an injury. The Kinston native racked up 29 tackles with two sacks, and two interceptions including a 55-yard score against Delaware State. Coaches are expecting a much more consistent presence from him as both a pass rusher and finisher. Keyes is also one of the fastest linemen on the team with a 4.7 time in the forty yard dash.
Last season often times the running mate with Keyes at the end position was All-MEAC Daniel Pinnix. But with his graduation a new face will need to step up especially when A&T switches to a multiple front. Kenny Melton 6-3, 220 (So., Elizabeth City, NC) backed up Pinnix last season and had 23 tackles in that role. Turner Echols (6-2,250, R-Fr.) from Washington, DC (Gonzaga) had a surprisingly strong spring game that caught the eye of quite a few people and defensive coaches alike.
The wild card in the mix is Rutgers transfer Sam Blue (6-2,240, So. 4.7). The Raleigh Millbrook product was red shirted last year as a true freshman for the Big Ten program before transferring to A&T this summer. He is expected to challenge for a starting spot opposite Keyes along the front seven at one of the end positions. Another interesting prospect is the very athletic Kadarius Kendrick , a 6-5, 250 pound true freshman from Forest Park, Ga. who started at a variety of positions his senior year in high school including quarterback.
Linebackers
Although the Aggies will be missing 3 time All-MEAC D’Vonte Grant for the first time in four years, defensive coordinator Sam Washington has a large experienced group of linebackers who will be far more physical than they were a year ago.
In 2014 the linebackers relied a great deal on speed and finesse to make plays and for the most part did just that. The Aggies ranked third in total defense and again was ranked in the top twenty in FCS although the overall stats against the run were indeed from 2013.
How quickly A&T returns to a dominating rush defense will depend on improved play from fifth year senior Denzel Jones (5-9,239) and sophomore Joshua Patrick (6-0,235). Jones started all of last season after being slowed with nagging injuries the previous two years. Jones gave a very creditable performance while adjusting to the all-important middle linebacker spot and after an impressive spring and fall camp he appears to be ready to now call the defense on his own. Patrick made the transition to collegiate play after transferring from Memphis a year ago and playing 12 games and making 21 tackles in a reserve role. Blessed with good size and speed to match, Patrick has shown the athletic ability in early practices to be a very physical middle backer who will definitely compete for a starting spot.
A couple of new inside additions should make A&T‘s run defense very tough to penetrate. Julius Reynolds (5-10, 215) is a true freshman from Wilmington Hoggard who joined the team last spring as an early high school graduate and is expected to play a big role as a reserve and special teams player in his first year. Similar things can be said of Red Springs red shirt freshman Markiess Blue (6-0,230), a promising young player with a very high motor. Deion Jones (6-0,218, R-Fr.) enters his first season as a highly regarded prospect from 2014 and will challenge for significant playing time as the season goes along.
The outside linebackers will be interesting to watch since A&T doesn’t use the traditional linebacker profile in their multiple scheme. Rod Broadway has always prized superior speed over overwhelming size and given how the college game has embraced all kinds of the spread offenses that particularly preference seems to be on right on point.
Landis Shoffner (6-1,187) will hold down the primary rover position this season. Shoffner is a preseason All-MEAC pick and deservedly so. He not only doubles as a headhunting safety but also thrives off of lining up in a different position on nearly every snap of the ball. The former Grimsley product led the team in last year with 86 tackles, 46 unassisted. A one man wrecking crew, the Greensboro senior tied the 2014 conference high mark for individual tackles in a single game with 19 takedowns against Elon and another 13 hits against S. C. State while also adding a fumble recovery and an interception in a 13-0 loss.
Lorenz Suttles (6-2,190, Jr.) has quietly moved into the full time rover role and has become a consistent and reliable force as a pass rusher off the edge and disruptive run defender. Suttles is another one of those players that football coaches often refer to as “Tweener.” That is he has the speed and range to cover receivers and backs in pass situations but also the strength and just enough size to step up and plug holes to stop the run. Both Shoffner and Suttles will be depended upon to constantly create matchup problems for opposing quarterbacks in trying to make reads against the Aggie defense.
Marcus Albert (5-11,205, R-So.) sat out last season as a red shirt sophomore but returns back to the roster this season and could be a major factor as he tries to recapture his freshman form that allowed him to be a starter back in 2013. Courtney Edmonds (6-3,200, R-Fr.) practiced all of last year as an early freshman but was red shirted. Now he will get a legitimate chance to show his closing skills and range as he works his way onto the field in his first full season of play.
The Secondary
The Aggie secondary was a big plus in 2014 as A&T led the MEAC in pass efficiency defense and had a league best 21 interceptions. Gone is All-American Don Mattocks but the returning assets for 2015 suggest that the secondary just might be stronger overall.
Senior Tony McRae, has been named to practically everyone’s all-conference and All-America preseason team after grabbing five picks last year as a defensive back. The 5-9, 175 corner is also one of the very best return specialists in the country and possesses sprinter’s speed being clocked at 4.3 in the forty. He averaged 25.7 yards on kickoffs with a long of 95 yards and a touchdown before a national television audience against Alabama A&M.
Tard McCoy (5-10, 170, So.) could easily slide into a starting spot if called upon but expect him to get a lot of playing spelling McRae.
The big question is who will man Mattocks’ old spot on the opposite corner? There’s a lot of people vying for the vacancy and nothing is set in concrete at this moment but the name that keeps emerging over and over again is seasoned senior Marquis Boyan, 5-11, 190 from Columbia, SC. Boyan has been the key reserve at both corner spots for two straight seasons and the cards have seemingly to have worked favorably for him during the off season to step into a leadership role. Coaches are expecting a lot out of highly regarded speedy red shirt freshman Timadre Abram (5-10,165) who will most likely be the first man off the sidelines when Boyan or McRae require a blow.
Zerius Lockhart burst on to the scene a year ago as an extremely active and vocal red shirt freshman who started as the free safety with 11 starts out of 12 games (59 tackles, 36 unassisted, two fumble recoveries, and an INT). That would make quite an impression for any first year starter and the 5-10, 175 sophomore is now poised to really blossom into something special with a year of game experience under his belt.
When scouts look at a roster they often times see Jeremy Taylor (6-0,185, So.) as an outside linebacker because of his very consistent run defense along the corners all last season. However, Taylor’s natural position appears to be at strong safety and that’s where we suspect he’ll get most of his reps this season bringing along with him a strong instinct for finding the football and delivering the big hit. With 4.47 speed in the forty, Taylor closes extremely fast and can easily shadow most receivers crossing deep down the middle.
He’ll do split time with sophomore Jamaal Darden (5-9,190) at the safety posts. Darden began gaining a lot of playing time by mid-season and put in quite a few quality minutes especially in the second half of last season. A&T is unique and fortunate that their most of their true safeties can play both deep positions equally well.
