Today, we take a look at the most interesting battle heading into spring practice: the defensive backfield. Three out of four positions were held by freshman in 2010 but that could change dramatically with the two most talented recruits entering in the fray. Anthony’s Midgets unit played very well overall but it was obvious that the offseason goal was to get bigger, stronger and make more explosive plays.
Left Cornerback
RS Sophomore Brent McLendon
Sophomore Jamal Ransby
Strong Safety
Junior Demazio Skeleton
RS Sophomore Fred Barnes
RS Senior Michael Hall
RS Sophomore Kail Singleton
Free Safety (Rover)
RS Senior Brandon Jones
Senior Jocquez Fears
Right Cornerback
Junior D’Mario Gunn
Sophomore Demarius Mathews
*Projected Starters in Bold
Analysis
The core of this unit remains intact and both Gunn and Skeleton will be immediately contributors. Gunn enrolled in January and has been impressive thus far in workouts. He had high FBS interest coming out of HS until he was tripped by grades. Skeleton is at least 20 lbs. bigger than incumbent starter Fred Barnes and I look for him to make an immediate impact once he arrives from Georgia Military College in May. Jones is the vocal and emotional leader of this defense and will not likely be moved from his Rover position. Look out for Mathews as he may be the best young cover corner on the roster and he should continue to fill out his frame with quality weight. With a steady mix of quality depth, the defensive backfield should again take another step forward in 2011.