“He definitely improved. He definitely has grown up a bunch. He had a good spring, a physical player which we thought he was, but he really started gravitating to starting to learn this offense the way you’d like him too.”

– Tony Alford via Bill Landis, Cleveland.com

Ohio State running back Mike Weber wasn’t the shoo-in for starting this fall by any means. But after the team dismissed Bri’onte Dunn this week, Weber is now the sure favorite to be the starting running back in the fall. Though the Buckeyes have plenty of talent stockpiled on its rushing core (including Curtis Samuel, Dontre Wilson, and freshman Antonio Williams), Weber has been deadlocked with Dunn all preseason long. Now with Dunn out of the picture, it’s essentially Weber’s job to lose. And if the spring game in April was any indication, Weber should have no trouble handling the carries coming his way this season.

In reality, the real negative impact on Dunn’s dismissal is the lack of depth behind Weber. Sure, Samuel and Wilson are both able to play in the backfield, but the coaching staff has or had plans of using them in other areas to give quarterback J.T. Barrett plenty of options to use this fall. Now the coaching staff might do some tweaking to some of the gameplans, depending on what Weber can do as a lone back.

“1. Ohio State – QB: J.T. Barrett, RB: Mike Weber, WR: Noah Brown“

– Josh Moyer, ESPN

ESPN has been breaking down its list of the top trios in the Big Ten for the 2016 season, and Ohio State was ranked as having the top trio in the conference. The trio of quarterback J.T. Barrett, running back Mike Weber, and wide receiver Noah Brown topped the list as the top offensive trio in the Big Ten. The most interesting part about this list is that although the Buckeyes have one of the top signal callers in the country with J.T. Barrett, the other two are virtually unproven. Weber was one of the standouts in the spring game in April, but hasn’t yet proven himself on the big stage.

Brown, meanwhile, was slotted into one of the starting receiver spots in 2015 before suffering a broken leg a week or so before the opening game against Virginia Tech. Before his injury, the hype surrounding Brown was at an all-time high, as many of his fellow teammates and even the coaching staff were showering praise on the wideout. He’s been quieter this offseason, but is still potentially a major threat for opposing defenses once the season starts.

“Ohio State’s All-Century team: Best lineup since the 2000s”

– Josh Moyer, ESPN

ESPN has been going through each Big Ten school and putting together an “All-Century” team since the 2000s and Ohio State’s lineup brought back some good memories. At quarterback, of course, was Troy Smith. Ezekiel Elliott and Chris “Beanie” Wells were slotted in a running back. For your wide receivers, Michael Jenkins and Santonio Holmes with Ben Hartstock at tight end. Braxton Miller even made the list at the all-purpose spot. Some notables on defense were Joey Bosa, Johnathan Hankins, Will Smith, and Vernon Gholston on the defensive line (what a dream lineup that would be). A.J. Hawk, James Laurinaitis, and Ryan Shazier manned the linebacker spots while defensive backs included Mike Doss, Malcolm Jenkins, Chris Gamble and Bradley Roby.

Mike Nugent was the placekicker while Cameron Johnston took on punting duties (honorable mention of Andy Groom) and of course at kick returner/punt returner, none other than Ted Ginn Jr. The offensive line had plenty of familiar and star names such as Nick Mangold, Taylor Decker, LeCharles Bentley, Pat Elflein, and Jack Mewhort.

STICK TO SPORTS:

The final 2016 signee for the Texas Longhorns is not on campus in Austin for the second summer session, but head coach Charlie Strong continued to express optimism on Tuesday at Big 12 Media Days that Manor defensive end/linebacker Erick Fowler will be ready for fall camp.

Strong said that the US Army All-American is finishing up a final summer school class and expects him to be cleared by the NCAA when practice begins in roughly two weeks.

However, there may be another hold up, according to the Football Brainiacs:

I spoke to a source yesterday who let me know that Fowler’s SAT score was flagged by the NCAA. This can often occur when a student athlete dramatically improves on the previous test score.

Burnt Orange Nation was able to confirm that belief with its own source, though Fowler later told TFB that his score was not flagged and that he will be able to enroll in the near future.

The nation’s No. 7 weakside defensive end had told various media outlets in the middle of June that he received the necessary test scores.

If Fowler did have his test score flagged, as 2015 tight end signee Devonaire Clarington had happen with his ACT score, he would have to re-take the test and score highly enough to receive his clearance from the NCAA, a process that could take some time and extend into the season.

Given the contradictory information and the fact that Strong might not be willing to be forthcoming about any potential issues with Fowler and his qualification, it’s difficult to say exactly what is happening right now beyond the fact that the local product is not currently enrolled.

Phil Steele knows college football, and in his official preview magazine he says the Michigan State Spartans are one of college football’s biggest potential surprises for 2016.

Here’s what Steele had to say about MSU this fall, per an ESPN post:

My No. 9 surprise team last year was Clemson, and the Tigers made it to the national title game. This year my No. 9 surprise team, Michigan State, also made it to the 2015 CFP but did not fare as well. The Spartans play best with a chip on their shoulder. Last year they came in as the preseason No. 5 team and played differently than in years past. Well, the chip is back! They will not be in the top 10 and all the talk is “Michigan or Ohio State” to win the East. Well, this just in, Michigan State beat both of those teams on the road last year (with a combined 37-15 edge in first downs) and gets them both at home this year! The Spartans also avoid Iowa and Nebraska out of the West. They are one of the least experienced teams in the country according to my ratings, with just 10 returning starters. But Mark Dantonio will have them coached up and they are back in their preferred spot of being overlooked.

The other teams on the list were Washington, TCU, Iowa, Baylor, UCLA, Miami, Georgia, Houston, Ole Miss, Louisville, North Carolina and Oregon. Nebraska also made it in as a “bonus long-shot pick.”

So three Big Ten teams made the list, but as Steele notes, the Spartans avoid the other two.

Sort of amazing that people will still be surprised when Michigan State has a good season this year.

Florida freshmen Tyrie Cleveland and Rick Wells were arrested on identical felony charges of firing a missile into a dwelling and criminal mischief resulting in property damage of $1,000 or more for allegedly firing BB guns and doing damage to the Keys Residential Complex on the University of Florida campus late last week.

Cleveland — Florida’s top-rated receiver recruit in the 2016 class — and Wells — whose ties to Cleveland were reportedly part of why the Jacksonville native turned Texas resident ultimately committed to Florida — allegedly broke three windows at Keys on July 15 while shooting at someone inside the building, according to a University Police Department police report, and were subsequently identifed by video.

They then surrendered to police and admitted to firing BB guns into the Keys building early Monday morning, though the police report omits any details of how officers came into contact with both players, saying only that they were identified by name by their student ID cards. The duo were booked into the Alachua County jail in quick succession early Monday morning — Cleveland at 3:31 a.m., Wells at 3:38 a.m.

The charge of firing a missile into a dwelling that both face is a second-degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison. The charge of criminal mischief is a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison. If the police report’s scant details are correct, that would mean that Cleveland and Wells face 20 years for firing a BB gun and doing damage on Florida’s campus.

It strikes me as highly unlikely both will end up doing the maximum for this crime, especially without any apparent bodily injury — far more likely for both, I think, is pleading down and making restitution for the property damage. But while Cleveland and Wells will almost certainly avail themselves of the services of frequent Gators player legal eagle Huntley Johnson, known for many years of aggressively defending football-playing clients, their being charged with two felonies makes this one of the more serious criminal cases against a Florida football player in recent memory.

It is also striking, though, that former Gator Deiondre Porter was charged with four felony counts in 2015 for allegedly firing a gun into a wall near his pregnant girlfriend, two of them the exact same charges that Cleveland and Wells now face. I wrote then that “any of the four felony charges, all related to doing something dumb with a gun, should be more than enough to get Porter booted” — but those charges involved a weapon far more lethal than a BB gun, and intimate partner violence.

What will happen to Cleveland and Wells remains to be seen, though I doubt this incident will end their Florida careers. I imagine that a significant suspension for both may happen in parallel to whatever criminal penalties they face, and I would be fine with it.

Here’s how Cal’s running backs split playing time last season:

Take out Lasco, who’s now competing for playing time with the New Orleans Saints, and you’ve got a pretty good idea of the Bears’ running back corps for 2016. With three upperclassmen sharing the load (not to mention lots of familiar faces returning on the offensive line), this crew has an opportunity to prop up the offense while our new QB and receivers get settled. New offensive coordinator Jake Spavital had a 1000+ yard rusher last year at Texas A&M, so there’s hope that this trio will have a major role in the updated Bear Raid scheme.

#5 Tre Watson

We’ll go in the order listed on the spring depth chart, although the coaches were careful to note that Tre, Vic, and Khalfani are in a three-way tie for the starting job. Watson really came on towards the end of last season, picking up double-digit carries in each of the last four games and getting involved in the passing game. He’s in the middle of the three size-wise (5-10 190 lbs), so he’s not a prototypical power guy or a true speedster. He’s got a sneaky-good ability to get to the outside though, which could quietly make him a threat for some big plays. I’m expecting him to easily surpass his three touchdown total from last year.

#23 Vic Enwere

Though he’s the biggest and strongest running back of the bunch at 235 lbs, Enwere also has surprising elusiveness that makes him hard to bring down. He’s more than just a short yardage guy, but he certainly can fill that role too. If Cal’s seasoned O-line can help Enwere power through the middle of the field, he could be the drive-sustaining back the Bears haven’t had in recent years. Vic led the team in carries and touchdowns last season, and if his spring game performance is any indication, he’s well positioned to do the same this fall.

#29 Khalfani Muhammad

After sitting out last season’s spring practices, it seemed like Khalfani Muhammad might take a backseat to the two younger RBs, but instead he mustered 87 carries and led the team in rushing yardage. Muhammad’s track speed is what makes him so dangerous. He gets to open space quickly, which makes him the backfield’s best weapon in the passing game. And despite his small frame, checking in at just 170 lbs, he can shed tackles once he gets going. Muhammad’s share of carries has fluctuated in past years, so it’ll be interesting to see how Coach Spavital uses his unique skillset.

#28 Patrick Laird

Assuming everyone stays healthy, those top three RBs should carry the load this season. But for a glimpse at the future of Cal’s backfield, look out for redshirt sophomore Patrick Laird. Next on the depth chart, the former Mission Prep back joined the team as a preferred walk-on and has been making his presence known in practice. He dominated the spring game with 54 yards and two TDs on 10 carries. We’ll see if that performance is enough to earn him playing time in an already crowded backfield. Behind Laird on the spring depth chart are redshirt frosh Alex Netherda and Billy McCrary III, junior Fabiano Hale, and early-enrollee Derrick Clark.

Jonathan Allen has already etched his name in the record books. The former five star (#16 overall player in the Class of 2013) has 17.5 career sacks, 12 of which came last year. All 12 were against Power 5 teams. Those 12 sacks were the most in a single season by an Alabama player not named Derrick Thomas. With 17.5 career sacks, he already ranks 8th all-time in Alabama history and is just 8 away from sole possession of second place.

Allen started contributing right away as a true freshman, appearing in all 13 games that season. He followed up with a sophomore campaign that netted First Team All-SEC honors, and his 5.5 sacks were good for second most on the team. In 2015, he yet again improved substantially. As a senior, Allen will finally be a full-time starter; and the sky’s the limit.

Texas A&M

3rd and 6: Allen is lined up at the 3 technique spot (on the outside shoulder of the guard) to the left. He gets his hands in the chest of the right guard (Joseph Cheek), grabs two fistfuls of jersey, and yanks him to the left. With Cheek stumbling to the side, Allen makes a beeline to QB Kyle Allen, smashing into him just before he gets a pass off. A&M recovers the fumble, but it’s an amazing job by Allen.

2nd and 5: Allen is lined up at right defensive end (RDE). He fills into the B gap (between the guard and tackle) and has good leverage on LT Avery Gennesy. Allen keeps his eyes in the backfield, and he sees RB Tra Carson bouncing to the outside. He sheds the block and tackles Carson for a loss.

2nd and 10: Allen is at RDE. The right guard pulls, and Kyle Allen is reading Jonathan Allen on whether to hand it off or keep it. Jonathan Allen gets in position to cover the running back; but he’s also set himself up to be able to play the QB, too. Allen keeps it but barely has anywhere to go. Another tackle for a loss.

3rd and 10: Allen is at 3-tech again. Just another example similar to the first play with Allen grabbing and yanking the right guard out of place. This time, though, Kyle Allen gets the pass off.

1st and 10: Allen continues to cause problems for Joseph Cheek. He swats away Cheek’s hands and steps inside of him. Cheek is now sideways as Allen is starting to build up steam, and it’s over. Kyle Allen notices him too late, and Jonathan Allen wraps him up and brings him down for the sack.

Tennessee

1st and 10: Allen is at left defensive end, on the inside shoulder of the right tackle. He’s a hair slow off the snap, but the tackle has no real interest in blocking him and moves up to set up the screen. Allen sees QB Josh Dobbs pass and spins around, locating the receiver. He reacts quickly and makes contact. Allen doesn’t bring him down, but his attempt allowed others to get there.

3rd and 19: Allen explodes off the snap. He gets in the left tackle’s chest, lowers his head, and drives Kyler Kerbyson back. His progress stops, and he pops his head up to find Dobbs. Allen moves to the right and manages to dip underneath Kerbyson, forcing Dobbs to scramble. Allen tracks him down and hits him from behind as he was getting stopped by Reuben Foster.

1st and 15: Allen is at defensive tackle. He stunts inside, and the right guard passes him off to the center. He bowls into the center and knocks him down on his back before he can get his feet set. Allen follows through and dives into Dobbs, coming up with a clutch sack in Tennessee’s final drive.

LSU

3rd and 9: Allen is at defensive tackle on the left side. He tries his grab and throw move on William Clapp, the RG; but it doesn’t work. QB Brandon Harris is scrambling now, though; and Allen sees it. He disengages and shows off his surprising quickness. Harris throws it away, but Allen still lays a big hit on him.

3rd and 4: Allen is on the inside shoulder of the right guard. He knifes through the A gap (between the center and guard), ripping through Clapp’s attempted block. The center, Ethan Pocic, tries to help out; but Allen is on his way through. Harris manages to get the pass off, but Allen still slams him into the ground.

Mississippi State

1st and 10: Allen is the right defensive end. He gets his hands in the left tackle’s chest and knocks him back a little. The tackle is now off balance, with his weight leaning forward. Allen grabs him and yanks him aside. Denzel Devall beat his man on the other side of the line and is already pressuring the quarterback. Dak Prescott avoids Devall, but Allen is there to finish it off.

3rd and 7: Allen is over the right guard. He has good reaction off the snap and starts moving inside. The guard takes one step forward with his left leg and punches forward with both hands, which leaves him completely unprepared to handle Allen’s inside move. Allen rips with his left arm and squeezes through the gap, somehow managing to stay on his feet. Prescott narrowly avoids Tim Williams and Allen and gets the pass off.

1st and goal: Allen is again the right defensive end. He tries to beat the left tackle to the outside, but he can’t bend the corner or win the hand battle. Allen keeps his eyes on Prescott, though; and he comes off of the tackle as the QB barely escapes the oncoming A’Shawn Robinson. Allen hugs him and brings him down. It’s a coverage sack, sure; but Allen never gave up.

2nd and goal: Allen’s still the RDE. He again goes to the outside, but this time he uses his hands more effectively. He swats the tackle’s arms away and gets by him, shrugging off one last, futile attempt by the tackle to save his QB. Prescott’s attention is to the right of the field, and he never sees the inexorable sack machine coming from his blindside. Allen hits him in the back, notches his third and Alabama’s gazillionth (okay, 9th) of the game, and strips the ball loose. State recovers, but they have to settle for a field goal.

Michigan State

3rd and 13: By God, I actually feel sorry for the right side of the Spartan’s line. Allen is the 3-tech with Tim Williams to his left as the defensive end. Allen punches with his left hand and swipes at the guard’s hands with his right as he tries to go to the inside. This gets Benny McGowan (the RG) at an angle, and Allen comes back with his left arm and staggers him. He then goes back to the outside and fights through both McGowan and the running back, who came up to help. Allen grabs ahold of QB Connor Cook and flings him to the ground. Alabama rushes four against MSU’s six and wins.

2nd and 10: Allen is lined up as a defensive tackle with Ryan Anderson to his left. He fakes going to the outside of the guard and crosses back in front of him. The guard punches at him, but that’s about it. Allen hits that A gap, plowing into center Jack Allen. He got his hands underneath and shoves Jack Allen aside, clearing a path to Connor Cook, who was forced to step up into Allen to avoid the rushing Anderson.

3rd and 6: Allen is one of two down linemen (the other is A’Shawn Robinson), and he’s over the right guard. Allen stunts and crosses over to the right, easily getting picked up by the center and left guard. His eyes are in the backfield, though; and he sees Cook getting ready to throw it. He backs off and jumps, tipping the ball up into the air. Michigan State still ends up catching it for a short gain, but Allen prevented a likely longer gain and gave the defense a chance at a pick.

Maryland football starts its season in 48 days. Until then, we’re profiling every player on the roster.

Antwaine Richardson, defensive back

Height: 6’0

Weight: 168 pounds

Year: Freshman

High school: Atlantic Community HS (Fla.)

Jersey No.: 20

How he got to College Park

A three-star prospect out of Florida, Richardson was rated the No. 84 cornerback in the Class of 2016 and the No. 120 player in his home state, according to the 247Sports Composite. He received a couple of big offers, from schools like Michigan, Miami, and West Virginia, but a knee injury caused him to miss his senior season.

Richardson committed to Michigan last June but later left the program, stating that he wanted to “explore my options to better my future academically and athletically.” Reports suggest that Michigan’s interest in him declined and he decided to follow Durkin, one of the coaches who recruited him, to Maryland as an early enrollee. Here’s the tweet that announced his decision:

He enrolled at Maryland days later and spent the spring rehabbing from his knee injury.

High school highlights

2016 prospectus

When Durkin was in Florida last June, he noticed Richardson continually fighting to take on some of the area’s top talent over and over again. If he were to show the same tenacity in training camp, Richardson is sure to draw Durkin’s attention again.

Competitiveness is one of the four things Durkin says he looks for in a recruit and Richardson’s high school coach has spoken very highly about his qualities.

Via the Carroll County Times:

“He’s a competitor,” said T.J. Jackson, Richardson’s coach at Atlantic Community High School in Delray Beach, Fla. “He wants to win every jump ball. He wants to win every 1-on-1 matchup. He wants to win every play… He’s not going to let anyone outwork him.”

Will Likely and Darnell Savage are the probable starters at cornerback this year, but with Likely getting more snaps on offense, Durkin could call on Richardson’s number early. As long as the corner is healthy, that is.

What a dream season would look like

Richardson gets noticed by the coaches during training camp due to his competitive nature and sheer work ethic and regularly starts taking snaps for Maryland in 2016 due to Likely’s expanded role on offense. Also, with Likely entering his last year, it isn’t unrealistic for Richardson have a big role by the time he’s a sophomore.

Next in the series

Our next subject is a local talent who lettered in basketball in high school, was selected to play in the Crab Bowl, and redshirted last season.

Standings

Reborn579-8

PeachesTerp-6

Testudbson24-5

Scaletta-4

jayman88-3

Murderlandboy-3

jgoldy17-3

terpcommenter-2

ImFromMarylandAndNobodyCanBeatMe-2

amaymon27-2

ezra2141-1

Mr. Papageorgeo-1

RedTurtle-1

Carolina-1

PMatt-1

EricPat-1

Cyfi98-1

Sam Snelling: First of all, I’d like to know how you found out about Mack leaving for Baylor and how you’d be the pick to serve as interim?

Wren Baker: Mack [Rhoades] visited with me on Tuesday and let me know what the situation was, and we shared a few minutes talking about his decision and life and other things.

Then I believe he talked to [Foley] on Wednesday morning, and the Chancellor was still on the road. And a short time thereafter Chancellor Foley gave me a call and asked if I’d be willing to serve as the interim director of athletics and I told him I’d be honored. He said, “Are you okay if we announce that later in the day?” I said sure. That was kind of the sequence of events that led up to the announcement.

Sam: What expectations have the president and chancellor set out for you in the coming weeks and months?

Baker: I’ve had a brief conversation with the chancellor, and some texts and email communications, but I have not spoken with President Middleton.

What I hope is just to serve as the director of athletics for an interim period of time. I’m not a guy who likes to stay neutral or tread water or be the substitute teacher. I want us to keep moving forward and have conversations with our coaches and staff, and that’s also very important to them. We’ve made a lot of progress in the last few months on a variety of different initiatives on a lot of different fronts.

It’s just too critical of a time with the athletic department for our programs to sit around and not do anything for a few months. We intend to continue to move the ball forward and keep things going in that way and once the determination is made on a permanent director they’re going to be able to come in and be ready to go and just be ready from the start.

Sam: So is it safe to say the expectations of the university and your expectations for the athletic department moving forward are one and the same: to keep pushing forward on the initiatives that you’ve already set forth?

Baker: I believe so. At some point I’m sure I’ll have a chance to visit in more detail with Chancellor Foley. He wasn’t anticipating all of this, so I think he’s had a pretty full schedule, but I’m going to do what we briefly discussed, and I believe that is the intention. And that’s good because that’s how I’m built.

I want us to continue to advance all the different things that we’ve had going and continue to get better. And then at the end of this tenure I’ll feel really good, and I think the department will be in better shape.

Sam: I want to jump back a bit on a few things with you personally. You’ve been a part of athletic departments who have dealt with extreme turmoil, from your time at Oklahoma State right after the tragic plane crash (which took the lives of some members of the basketball program) to the events at Northwest Missouri State, when you had the unexpected death of a recently hired head football coach.

How did those experiences, in being a part of steering the ship, prepare you for what has gone on in recent months at Mizzou at what might lie ahead?

Baker: The thing with college athletics is no two days are alike. And so when you go to bed at night, you never know what is going to be waiting on you tomorrow. And that’s something that I actually really enjoy about the job. I like the different experiences and the different things that you learn and the different ways that you get to attack problems and come up with solutions.

At Oklahoma State, I really got to watch Coach Sutton. The plane crash happened in 2000, and I came in the next spring, in the spring of ’01. I got to watch Coach Sutton navigate through difficult circumstances, and I really watched how he pulled the team together, how he rallied everybody around that family feel and that family atmosphere that he liked to create. And we still functioned as a basketball program and won games, but life all of a sudden had a different meaning. It wasn’t just about the games anymore. Those guys had lost their friends, their teammates, their colleagues, and so I think it took on a different meaning. I certainly appreciated the opportunity to watch him lead during those times.

I went on from there to spend a year in the public schools as a principal, went on to Rodgers State where, we started the athletics program, then at Northwest Missouri State, I stepped into a program that had a lot of success.

When I took the job, maybe a week after I accepted it, Mel Churchma, who is Northwest Missouri’s Bear Bryant — he had an unbelievable 16- or 17-year run and he retired. And when he called me, I’ll never forget, I said, “Coach, don’t do this to me, give me a year!” I’ve had all I can take, and he and I are still very close. We talk often. We’ve texted in the last couple of days. He came back when I left, to be the athletic director.

I hired the defensive coordinator, Scott Bostwick, who had been there alongside Churchma all that time, and that June, before he had ever coached a game, he had just turned 50. Scott passed away, he died of a heart attack and you know it was sudden, it was a shock, and you know you have to deal with so many things. You’re dealing with a hurting locker room, you’re dealing with, all of the sudden the coaching staff that had stayed intact for the better part of 17 years, now the two strongest personalities, biggest figures are gone. You had to deal with a succession-plan search in a time of the year when it wasn’t ideal. So you know it was a tough experience. But Northwest is a special place.

When you get in the midwest part of the state, midwest part of the country, in places like Columbia and Maryville and really Missouri as a whole, Midwest people bond together and they get through things together. And they really rallied around us, and we were like a family and we were able to get through it.

We hired Adam Dorel to be our head coach, and he’s won two national championships and about 85 or 90 percent of his games. And so I think that we emerged stronger. That’s what times of crisis do — they bring you together, you have to get through it, you have to get better, you have to improve, you have to lean on each other, you have to grow together, and you emerge stronger. That’s what we did there, and I’m 100% confident that that’s what’s going to happen here. I’m anxious to get that started.

Sam: The perception around the country and among many Mizzou fans is that the university is a bit of a mess right now. What does the athletic department need to do in order to change that perception?

Baker: Yeah, I mean the first things I’d say is, I take a little bit of issue with that perception. Now, I would not be being honest if I said everything’s went just like everyone had planned last year. It hasn’t.

Once that spotlight gets on you from a media perspective, from a national perspective, all of a sudden every blemish, everything that doesn’t go the way you’d want it to go gets amplified, gets highlighted. There’s no question that has happened here. We’ve probably gotten our blemishes a little bit of unfair light shone on them. I think nothing has happened here that either hasn’t happened or doesn’t have the ability to happen in any city, on any campus in the country.

We just have to look at this as an opportunity to be leaders, national leaders. How you deal with having conversations about tough subject matter, to talk through what still exists in possible injustices and inequalities and our perceptions. We have to create meaningful, open, honest, respectful dialogue, and I think we are.

I think this has helped us get better, and we are going to pursue that to really shine a light on the institution, on the athletic department that paints us as the national leaders that we are.

Sam: And despite those perceptions, you recently announced a record setting year in fundraising.

Baker: Yeah, I mean we hit our goal in athletics fundraising. We’ll probably release that at some point soon. But that goal was set before anything happened in the fall, and campus set their goal back a year ago, and they exceeded their goal, set the all-time record.

Our fan base, our constituents, the people in Missouri, they’re resilient. Listen, not everyone is going to agree with every decision that’s made on this campus, by the students and by the employees of the campus. That’s just not possible.

The thing that we all have to do is remember that this university is a shining jewel, a bright spot for the state of Missouri. It’s an economic stimulus, it’s very important and provides a great education, one of the best public university educations in the country, to many Missourians and people in the region and far beyond. That’s important, the athletic program is important because it provides the stage and an opportunity to showcase those things.

That’s what we have to get back to. Back to showcasing what’s positive. We need to be in the paper and on the news for some good things, and I’m excited to begin the new year.

Sam: Before taking over as interim, you were the lead administrator for the men’s basketball program. Have you had any discussions with Kim Anderson since taking over the interim AD role to change the perceptions of the basketball program?

Baker: I’ve met with coach Anderson at least weekly, sometimes twice a week, since I’ve arrived here. We’ll talk every day, if not every other day, and so we have a lot of ongoing dialogue. Kim Anderson is a great person, he’s a proud Missourian, he’s a proud Missouri Tiger. He walked in to circumstances that certainly weren’t ideal, and he hasn’t sat around and griped or whined. He’s worked his tail off and tried to get things turned around. We all want him to be successful. My job is just to provide him everything we can so that he has all the tools in the tool belt and to help him be successful.

Sam: One of the things that has been kicked around and discussed is the upgrades to the football facilities. Are you guys close to solidifying plans, or do you hope to solidify those plans under your leadership?

Baker: Well I hope to at least continue the work that we’ve been doing. I’d say were about 80% of the way there. You know we’re down to just a couple of possibilities in terms of concept. I think we really like the current location, and I think the football operations center — while much of it will be a self-contained unit, we like it being in the same complex and in the same general area with the rest of our student athletes. We think that’s important, that camaraderie and sense of family and team comes with student athletes being in close proximity as opposed to being in their own individual silos in different parts of campus.

We think that’s important, Coach Odom thinks that’s important, and we’ve talked to the players and they think that’s important. I think in general we’ve got a pretty good concept of what kind of program and where we want and what we want to be included in that kind of stuff. We just have to finalize the space, the number projections, and then see what we can get the donors to support. Once we get that done I think we’ll be ready to go.

I don’t know what the timeline is for that — probably a few weeks, a month — but whatever time that I’m here we’re going to keep progressing towards that, and if we get to a point where it’s complete and we’ve got funding secured then we’re going to start building. That’s the plan, that’s one of the big things we are going to be working on. It’s very critical, it’s very important. We want to give Coach Odom every opportunity to continue building on that football tradition, and I know that we’ve got the right coach in place.

Sam: Do you have a timeline for when you expect to hear from the Title IX office on the investigation into the softball program?

Baker: We do not. I hope soon, I know that this has not been easy on anybody involved. It’s best for the young women who represent the university as members of the softball program, it’s best for Coach [Earleywine], it’s best for us to get it resolved as quickly as we can while making sure that we conduct a fair and thorough process.

The university is still in the process of wrapping up things on their end, and once the gets that done it will be a high priority to bring some resolution to it so that we can move forward there.

Sam: If there was a need to begin the search for a head coach of a program while you still had the interim tag, would you feel comfortable leading that search? And do you feel prepared to have to make those decisions if necessary?

Baker: I would be comfortable. I was an athletic director for seven years at two different institutions, and yes they were at a different level. If you’re an AD at a high school, it’s the same pressure that you put on yourself and other people put on you. I don’t know of any level of athletics where winning is not important. Yeah there’s a different level of attention and focus and money and scrutiny that comes at this level, but really once you’ve led a coaching search, you’ve led one and there’s not that much difference.

I’ve led, as an athletic director, 14, and then been apart of another 10 or 15 as a deputy AD. So I’m very comfortable with leading that process. I feel confident in the hires I’ve made. Those 14 coaches I’ve hired have had an average of about a 70% winning percentage, so I’m very proud of my track record there. And I wouldn’t hesitate to do that, and I think we would be in good shape there if that arose.

Sam: How would you prefer the Mack Rhoades era be remembered by Missouri and its fans?

Baker: Oh I don’t know that it’s up to me to direct people on how they should remember Mack’s tenure. I think what I would say is inside the walls of the athletic department, I think our coaches and staff and many of our student athletes, and I know it’s not unanimous, but I think the vast majority of people appreciate that Mack gave through some difficult times.

There were several situations that come about where there were no perfect solutions, there was no solution that people would really think you’d have unanimous approval on. There were just difficult decisions where they all are going to have some sort of fall out.

I think he is an honest person, he’s an ethical person, I think he led with integrity, and I learned a lot from him. I know there will be people that question his decision and that don’t agree with him leaving after 14 months, and that don’t agree with every decision that he made. I understand that and I don’t get to determine how each person evaluates Mack’s tenure. That’s not for me to do, that’s for people to form their own opinions.

From my perspective, I appreciate the things he started and got going forward, in terms of things like our Mizzou Made curriculum, which I think is going to be the best student athlete development program in the country. The fact that we’re dreaming big on facilities — we identified over $100 million in potential facility improvements. We restructured a lot of the department. I think our external unit has improved tremendously. When you look at where we were and where we are, you know, I could list a lot of things, but we’re better today than where we were 14 months ago. So I’m proud of that, and I wish Mack nothing but the best. I think he’ll be good for Baylor.

Sam: Do you think your time at Missouri has helped prepare you, not just for the role of interim, but to be the AD either at Missouri or another school at this level?

Baker: I do, I think every step of the way has prepared me. I go back to when I was the principal and director of athletics at Valiant High School in Oklahoma, which was my alma mater. I was 26 years old, and I was the youngest principal in the state of Oklahoma. I had to do teacher evaluations on teachers who taught me. My eighth grade algebra teacher is sitting there, and I’m critiquing her on how to teach algebra, and I’m 26 and I’ve never taught algebra.

I come from a small town, so everybody remembers you as the kid that left, and now you’re making decisions on their kids’ curriculum, on their punishment, on who is going to coach them. So that was a great growing experience and growth opportunity.

Then I went to Rogers State to start their athletics program. There was nobody there. I hired everybody, built every facility. We had a great run, when I left we had won about 70% of our games. Then I went to Northwest Missouri State, a place with a strong tradition, and I learned a lot about a program with tradition. We had to go through a coaching search and tragedy when we lost Coach Bostwick. So each of those steps I’ve learned something and certainly learned a lot here. I’ve learned a lot from Mack, and from all the individuals I’ve worked with here. It’s been a good journey and I’ve appreciated it.

[Interview and transcription done by Sam Snelling and Tramel Raggs with editing by Oscar Gamble and Bill C.]

Countdown to Kickoff: 51 Days

This is the latest position preview in our 100 Days to Kickoff series, but it’s also my first article for FTRS. I’m Nishant Prasadh, one of the new football staff writers for the upcoming season. I’m a Marietta native and was at Tech for seven football seasons (which feels a little happier than saying seven years), starting with Paul Johnson’s first season and lasting through the amazing 2014 campaign. Along the way I got a BS and MS in Aerospace Engineering, and now I’m out in Los Angeles, where I spend a little too much time bemoaning the lack of Waffle Houses in this state. I’m excited to start contributing and hope you, the reader, will walk away informed every time.

Secondary in Transition

Talent and continuity have been the major themes in the defensive backfield during Ted Roof’s three-year tenure as Defensive Coordinator. Two defensive backs have been selected in the NFL Draft during his tenure (and a third has become a contributor in the pros after going undrafted), and the secondary has featured at least three returning starters in each of the past two seasons.

Looking ahead to next season, the talent should still be there thanks to some good hauls in recent recruiting classes, but the players will need to grow quickly. Only one regular starter returns from last year’s secondary, so as several former highly-touted recruits step into the starting lineup, they will have very large shoes to fill.

Scheme Overview

The cornerbacks in Tech’s defense have specific roles and are known as the “boundary” and “field” corners. The boundary corner is responsible for playing the short side of the field, closer to the sideline. While playing along the sideline means he has less ground to cover, it also means that 1) he has less reaction time because his assigned receiver is closer to the quarterback and 2) he often has to work without safety help over the top, resulting in lots of single coverage situations. The “field” corner plays on the opposite side and, true to the name, has to cover a greater swath of open field. If the defense is not lined up in a four or five-wide set, though, the field corner is likely to have safety help over the top and can play more aggressively.

Teams that use the boundary/field setup tend to put their best cover corner at the boundary position and a faster (and often smaller) corner on the field side. This is a good way to put both starting corners in roles where they can thrive, particularly since offenses tend to put their best receivers on the boundary side to maximize route options… but it can also be exploited, as Tech saw this firsthand last season against Notre Dame. Star receiver Will Fuller consistently lined up on the field side of the formation, avoiding boundary corner D.J. White and setting up a more favorable matchup against field corner Chris Milton, and Notre Dame spread the field with multiple receivers to limit Tech’s ability to provide safety help on deep passes.

As for the safety positions, Tech uses the nearly universal pairing of a free and strong safety. The free safety is generally tasked with playing “center field” for the secondary, providing deep coverage in the middle of the field and helping out the corners when necessary. His ability to read the opposing quarterback and respond accordingly is paramount. The strong safety, meanwhile, tends to play closer to the line and plays a greater role in run support while also covering tight ends and slot receivers. Depending on the opponent, game situation, and formation, the safeties’ assignments can vary greatly, and in past years Defensive Coordinator Ted Roof has given his safeties identical responsibilities.

Tech switches from a base 4-3 alignment to a 4-2-5 against spread formations, replacing one of the linebackers with an extra defensive back. Against teams with spread-based offenses, the 4-2-5 is effectively used as Tech’s base defensive formation. That fifth DB—known as the nickel back, or simply the nickel—plays one of the most demanding positions on the field. He essentially needs to be a safety/linebacker hybrid who can cover a slot receiver on passing downs while also effectively acting as a third linebacker against the run. Size is a boon at this position but is not required; a small defensive back who tackles well can be an ideal fit at the nickel.

Who’s Gone?

Fair warning: this section will not be fun.

At the top of the departure list is White, a three-year starter at cornerback who was drafted by Kansas City in the fifth round of April’s NFL Draft. Over the past two seasons, White racked up 107 tackles, 16 pass breakups, and six interceptions. He was an ideal fit as the boundary corner: an athletic veteran who read quarterbacks and receivers well and rarely had lapses in coverage. His counterpart at field corner, Milton, is also gone; while Milton was more prone to lapses in coverage, he was still a very capable and athletic cover corner, recording 10 pass breakups in his two seasons as a starter.

Both starting safeties from 2015 are also gone. The major loss is free safety Jamal Golden, a savvy veteran who had eight career interceptions and was a turnover machine in 2014 (four INTs, three forced fumbles). Also gone is Demond Smith, who started at the nickel in 2014 before shifting to strong safety this past season.

All in all, Tech is losing four players who had a combined 130 career starts, and the players stepping in for them have… 13 combined starts.

Who’s Back?

The lone returning starter is junior nickel back Lawrence Austin. Despite his limited size (5-foot-9, 185 lbs), Austin had a strong sophomore season, recording 40 tackles and providing tight coverage in the slot. One of his best performances came against Florida State, where Austin prevented slot receiver Kermit Whitfield from breaking off any long receptions and tipped a pass in the end zone to set up a crucial fourth-quarter interception.

Of course, it was Austin’s twin brother Lance that provided the heroics in that game, and Lance Austin is primed to enter the starting lineup for the first time in 2016. While he saw plenty of snaps at boundary corner last season, including most of the FSU game, Lance Austin lined up at field corner this spring and will likely remain there. Across from him, the likely starter at boundary corner is junior Step Durham, a former four-star recruit (on Rivals; three-star on 247 Composite) who has played spot duty at both corner positions.

Sophomore A.J. Gray is the leading candidate to take over at free safety after an outstanding freshman campaign in which he earned more and more playing time as the year went on. Gray has demonstrated promising coverage skills and, at 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds, has the size to be an effective contributor in run support when necessary. At strong safety, the leading candidate is redshirt junior Corey Griffin, who has recorded 36 tackles in substantial spot duty over the last two seasons.

The good news, then, is that there is at least one player at every position who has seen significant playing time already. The bad news is that in most cases, there is exactly one such player at every position. The only other scholarship defensive back with any experience is junior safety Shaun Kagawa, who had an interception in the April spring game but has played only sparingly over the past two seasons.

Redshirt sophomore Lamont Simmons, who sat out last season after transferring from USC, is battling for playing time at cornerback. Also in the mix at corner are redshirt freshmen Meiko Dotson and Dorian Walker. The two other safeties, redshirt sophomore Jalen Johnson and redshirt freshman Christian Campbell, only began playing safety this offseason (from wide receiver and quarterback, respectively). While there’s plenty of talent to go around, none of these players have seen a single in-game snap at their positions yet.

Who’s New?

Tech added two defensive backs in the 2016 recruiting class, both of whom were Georgia natives: two-star cornerback Ajani Kerr from Powder Springs and three-star safety Jarett Cole from Norcross. The most likely scenario is that both of them redshirt, but Cole has a chance to see the field at the nickel if he performs well in fall camp. Since he took over as DC, Roof has shown a great willingness to play any true freshman who proves himself on the practice field.

Projected Depth Chart

The first string is very unlikely to change between now and fall camp, so the most interesting battles will be for the backup roles. Simmons and Walker bring very different skillsets to the field corner position; the 6-foot-2 Simmons has the size and length to cover opponents’ tallest receivers, while Walker is one of the fastest players on the team.

The big surprise this spring has been Campbell, who converted to safety from quarterback after suffering a broken throwing hand in March. While he is still adjusting to his new position, Campbell’s athleticism and hard-hitting play in the spring game make him an interesting prospect at both safety positions, and he has a chance to rise up the depth chart if his progress continues into the fall.

When Tech lines up in a 4-3, Lawrence Austin is likely to see some snaps at safety, as the coaches will try to keep him on the field as much as possible. The nickel depth behind Lawrence Austin remains an open question, as he saw nearly all of the snaps at that position a year ago. Johnson or Campbell could see snaps there instead of Kagawa, or Tech could turn to a linebacker like David Curry or Emmanuel Bridges as more of a true safety/linebacker hybrid.

What Should We Expect?

As with any unit breaking in multiple new starters, growing pains are to be expected. That said, Roof has done a good job of getting the new starters onto the field over the past two seasons, so their learning curves should be reduced greatly. Plus each projected 2016 starter in the secondary is at least as athletic as the player he’s replacing.

The real issue will be depth across the board. If any of the starters go down, Tech will be counting on a backup with little or no meaningful experience to date. In that vein, it’s a very similar situation to what the B-backs and A-backs dealt with last spring… but luckily, so far the secondary has managed to stay healthy.