East Carolina
Pirates
Preview 2007 - Offense
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2007 East Carolina Preview |
2007 ECU Defense Preview
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2007 ECU Depth Chart
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2006 CFN East
Carolina
Preview
What you
need to know:
Skip Holtz likes to spread the field out and turn his
quarterback loose, but with the battery of James Pinkney and
Aundrae Allison gone, the Pirates will put more emphasis on the
ground game. That means extra carries this year for versatile
senior Chris Johnson and his young understudies, Dominique
Lindsay and Norman Whitley. While strong-armed sophomore Rob
Kass will replace Pinkney behind center, an adequate replacement
for Allison will be much tougher to find. Look for the
quarterback to utilize a group of tight ends that has the
potential to be as good as any in Conference USA. For ECU to
improve on last season’s weak offensive output, the veteran line
needs to give Kass an extra second or two in the pocket and
create more daylight for the backs.
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Returning
Leaders
Passing: Rob Kass
14-30, 184 yds, 0 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Chris Johnson
78 carries, 314 yds, 4 TD
Receiving: Phillip Henry
34 catches, 484 yds, 2 TD
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Star of the
offense:
Senior RT Josh Coffman
Player that has to step up and become a star:
Junior LT Willie Barton
Unsung star on the rise: Sophomore WR Jamar Bryant
Best pro prospect: Coffman
Top three all-star candidates: 1) Coffman, 2)
Chris Johnson, 3) Senior WR Phillip Henry
Strength of the offense: The left side of the
line, tight end
Weakness of the offense: Pass blocking
Quarterbacks
Projected Starter:
Three contenders will be vying this year to replace three-year
starter James Pinkney, one of the catalysts of last year’s
resurgence for the program. In the driver’s seat after a
terrific spring is Rob Kass, a 6-4, 250-pound sophomore
who was Pinkney’s caddy in 2006. Easily the least mobile of the
East Carolina quarterbacks, he has an unmistakable pocket
presence and a powerful right arm that’ll bring the fly pattern
back to Greenville. Kass also has the best grasp of the
offensive system and is the only Pirate passer to record
statistics at this level, playing in five games last year and
spelling Pinkney in the Papajohns.com Bowl.
Projected Top Reserves: Nipping at Kass’ heels
since last season ended have been junior Patrick Pinkney
and sophomore Brett Clay. An undersized dual-threat at
just 6-0 and 195 pounds, Pinkney, who isn’t related to last
year’s starter, is at his best when he’s on the move. A poised
leader that can move an offense, he’s the biggest threat to Kass
if the frontrunner fumbles his current spot atop the depth
chart.
Clay is a fearless passer with a decent arm and the kind of
speed that Skip Holtz really likes at this position. While
barely 6-0 and 200 pounds, he’s the type of player that’ll run
through a wall to get a first down. Neither of the two reserves
has nearly the same arm strength as Kass.
Watch Out For… Kass’ lack of mobility to cause
headaches for an East Carolina offensive line that struggled in
pass protection last season. The Pirates were 77th
nationally in sacks allowed in 2006 when the far more nimble
Pinkney was taking snaps.
Strength: Kass’ cannon. Pinkney had decent arm
strength the past few seasons, but Kass is in a different league
in this discussion. Although he may struggle at times with his
accuracy on the intermediate routes, he’ll compensate by
stretching defenses and getting the most out of his receivers’
vertical speed.
Weakness: Experience. No quarterback on the
roster has started a college game which will be especially
troubling in September when the Pirates open a brutal schedule
with Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Southern Miss, West Virginia
and Houston.
Outlook: If Kass survives the first half of the
season, he’ll finish strong and solidify his spot on the depth
chart for 2008. If he buckles under the pressure of opposing
pass rushes and turns the ball over, the staff won’t hesitate to
turn to the one of the two athletic backups.
Rating: 5.5
Running
Backs
Projected Starters: The epitome of an all-purpose
back, there’s one thing senior Chris Johnson hasn’t done
in Greenville: prove he can be the every down back for an entire
season. He’ll get that opportunity in 2007 on an offense that
demands balance. A tad undersized, he relies on his speed,
quickness and change-of-direction to be one of Conference USA’s
most lethal offensive weapons. In 35 career games and 23 starts
for East Carolina, Johnson has rushed for 1,559 yards, scored 19
touchdowns and caught 88 passes, a school record for running
backs. At his best in open space, the Pirates will look for
ways to get him the ball, including splitting him out as a wide
receiver.
Johnson’s primary blocking back will be junior Jason Simmons,
a 6-0, 228-pound transfer from Elizabeth City State University.
A former linebacker, he played in three games for ECU last
season.
Projected Top Reserves: Junior Dominique
Lindsay ran 39 times for 192 yards last year, numbers that
would have been a lot higher had he not missed seven games with
a knee injury. Healthy again and up to a solid 212 pounds, he
gives the offense a more physical dimension, particularly
between the tackles and in short yardage.
The future at the position belongs to redshirt freshman
Norman Whitley, one of the headliners of the 2006 recruiting
class. A shifty 5-9 back with great cutback ability, he’ll find
his way into the rotation after a breakout first spring with the
program.
Watch Out For… Whitley to command more playing
time as the season progresses. Although he’s currently No. 3 on
the depth chart, the freshman has the moves and big-play
potential to take carries from Lindsay once he gets more
comfortable in the offense.
Strength: Explosiveness. Johnson’s the poster boy
for electricity on this team, but when given some room to run,
all three Pirate backs have the wheels and the burst to break
off long runs.
Weakness: Is there a true workhorse in the stable?
Johnson has never really been more than a 10-15 carry a game
back and has had durability issues, meaning it’ll take a team
effort for the Pirates to improve on last year’s 85th-ranked
running attack.
Outlook: Although Johnson is on target for the
best season of his college career, don’t expect 1,000 yards
unless he shows he can consistently handle 20 carries a game and
the line suddenly improves at run blocking. The Pirates will be
better on the ground than last year, but still not to Skip
Holtz’s liking.
Rating: 6
Receivers
Projected Starters: There’ll be a ton of pressure
on a receiving corps that loses three of its top four
pass-catchers to graduation, including current Minnesota Viking
Aundrae Allison. Senior Phillip Henry is determined to
pick up some of the slack as he slides into the role of go-to
receiver. The starter in the slot has been an underrated
complement, catching 62 passes for 912 yards and three
touchdowns over two years, but now needs to become more of a
consistent downfield threat and security blanket for the
first-year starting quarterback.
Sophomore Jamar Bryant showed glimpses in the spring that
he’s ready to replace some of the long ball potential on the
outside that Allison used to bring to Greenville. The 6-2,
205-pound sprinter originally signed with Georgia out of high
school, but failed to meet academic requirements, and eventually
landed at ECU where he caught ten passes last year in an
abbreviated freshman year.
When the Pirates go three-wide, they’ll turn to unselfish senior
Steven Rogers. While not the flashiest receiver, he has
good hands, runs tight routes and averaged more than 17 yards on
his 22 catches in 2006.
Junior Davon Drew leads one of the deepest collections of
tight ends in Conference USA. A quarterback when he arrived on
campus, the 6-4, 247-pound athlete is quickly becoming a
reliable receiver, finishing second last year with three
touchdown receptions.
Projected Top Reserves: His redshirt season now in
the rear view mirror, Pirate coaches are hoping freshman
Dwayne Harris is ready to fulfill the expectations that made
him a signature get in 2006. A terrific athlete that played
quarterback in high school, he’ll back up Henry in the slot.
Senior Juwon Crowell brings experienced and a nice grasp
of the offense, but in three years, has yet to expand his role
beyond just special teams.
With just three catches in three years, he’ll do well just to
stay ahead of long and lean sophomore Kyle Johnson who
has a bright future with the Pirates. The same holds true for
Alex Taylor, a 6-4, 215-pound sophomore who’s still
learning the sport after playing just one year of football in
high school. One of the team’s best leapers, he should be
dynamite on jump balls near the goal line.
After sitting out last season, junior tight end J.R. Kraemer
is making a case for playing time in 2007. At 6-5, the Illinois
transfer has the size and athletic ability to take catches away
from Drew this year.
Watch Out For… Bryant to lay the groundwork in
2007 for a breakthrough season in 2008. Still somewhat rough
around the hedges, he’s the receiver that’ll benefit most from
new quarterback Rob Kass’ big right arm.
Strength: Depth at tight end. Drew and Kraemer
are both good enough to start on this team, as is senior Jay
Sonnhalter who actually did start five games last year and
is recovering from an ankle injury. While Drew and Kramer are
the pass-catchers, the 6-5, 262-pound Sonnhalter is like a sixth
lineman on run downs.
Weakness: Unlike the last two seasons, there’s no
sure-thing No. 1 target on this offense. Unless Bryant blows up
into a force way ahead of schedule, the Pirate offense doesn’t
have that singular receiver that can make opposing secondaries
quiver.
Outlook: The receivers are a steady, if
unspectacular, bunch that needs to develop more weapons before
the conference schedule gets into full swing. Henry will have
the most catches, but Bryant will lead the way in plays over 40
yards.
Rating: 5.5
Offensive
Line
Projected Starters: Many of the struggles the East
Carolina offense faced last season could be traced to an
offensive line that opened too few holes for the backs and
finished 77th nationally in pass protection. Four
players with starting experience return in 2007, but that alone
doesn’t ensure consistency from this unit. The anchor of this
group will be right tackle Josh Coffman, a versatile 6-7
senior who started games at both guard and tackle in 2006. A
converted tight end that’s literally grown into an all-league
lineman, he has the feet to stay with edge rushers and a
team-high 61 knockdowns last year as a run blocker.
The line’s biggest question mark is at left tackle where 6-5,
350-pound giant Willie Barton is being asked to replace
Eric Graham and guard the quarterback’s blindside. While
extremely tough to move off his spot, he also can be lumbering
which will be an issue against some of the league’s quicker
pass-rushers.
After starting the final nine games last fall at center, senior
Matt Butler is settling back at his more familiar left
guard spot. At 6-4 and 310 pounds, he’s one of the team’s
strongest linemen coming off a solid second season as a
starter.
Butler’s shift outside creates an opening at the pivot for
sophomore Stephen Heis, a rugged 6-5, 292-pound player
that must prove he can quarterback this line in his first season
as a starter.
Since arriving at ECU, sophomore Doug Palmer has gone
from offense to defense back to offense where he’ll likely
stay. Now at right guard, he’ll use his athleticism to protect
the quarterback instead of harassing him.
Projected Top Reserves: When Butler moved to
center last year, sophomore Cory Dowless started eight
games at left guard in his first year on campus. While he made
plenty of mistakes, he has the size and now the experience
that’ll benefit the second unit.
Like Dowless, guard Sean Allen cracked the starting
lineup as a true freshman in 2006, including the Pirate’s bowl
game versus USF. A nimble athlete that’s still growing and
getting stronger, he’s an important part of the future at East
Carolina.
The top reserves at tackle will be redshirt freshmen D.J.
Scott and Travis Melvin. While Scott is easily the
stronger of the two, Melvin moves like a tight end at 6-6 and
265 pounds. One of the underclassmen better evolve quickly in
the summer, in the event Barton isn’t ready or Coffman gets
hurt.
Watch Out For… the health and recovery of
Terence Campbell. The sophomore was about to become a
pillar at left tackle following a terrific freshman year,
however, the discovery of a heart ailment has left his future in
jeopardy.
Strength: Guard depth. On the second unit is a
pair of true sophomores that have already logged starts at guard
for the Pirates. Plus, the team’s best blocker, Coffman,
started 11 games at the position a year ago.
Weakness: Short yardage blocking. The Pirates
were brutal on third-and-short last season, largely because the
line couldn’t create a push and allowed way too many plays for
negative yardage.
Outlook: Forget the losses of James Pinkney and
Aundrae Allison. The play of the line is the offense’s biggest
concern in 2007. After Coffman, the unit is below average, and
a lack of depth could plague the Pirates all year long.
Rating: 5