A handful of spring practices are underway around the Big Ten and with that brings some new faces to keep an eye on as position battles start to take shape.
One of the spring storylines in Columbus will be replacing three starters in the secondary, and while Greg Schiano and Kerry Coombs continue to cultivate the next crop of NFL talent, other programs in the conference are also faced with some major question marks.
Earlier this week, we looked at some of the Big Ten's position battles on offense. Today, we take a glimpse at the other side of the ball.
Ten Starters Gone From Wolverine Defense
No defense in the entire country was better than the Wolverines in 2016, and no defense in the country has been hit harder with attrition since the season's end. Last year's squad featured ten seniors and one Heisman Trophy finalist of a junior. Mike McCray is coming back for a fifth year, and the Trotwood native is slated to be the only returning starter for Don Brown's defense.
Michigan's defensive line was very strong a season ago, but all four starters are gone. Chris Wormley, Taco Charlton, Ryan Glasgow and Matt Godin will all need to be replaced. The good news is that defensive tackle Maurice Hurst will return for his fifth and final year. While Hurst wasn't listed as a starter in 2016, he did record 34 tackles and 4.5 sacks.
Rashan Gary also saw significant playing time and it would be a shocker if the former No. 1 prospect isn't starting in 2017. Listed as a tackle coming out of high school, it's a near certainty that he'll be manning one of the defensive end spots. Bryan Mone will also be in the mix at tackle while former linebackers Chase Winovich and Lawrence Marshall should see the field at defensive end.
rashan gary is going to be a problem man pic.twitter.com/NBsJWcFOJf
— charles mcdonald (@FourVerts) February 26, 2017
Sophomore Josh Metellus is the likely candidate to take over the Peppers role. The Florida native is 6-foot and 204 pounds and saw action at safety last season. Many are expecting him to take over the hybrid outside linebacker spot as he filled in when Peppers was held out of the Orange Bowl. The issue there is that the secondary is also depleted, so someone will need to step up at safety if Metellus does make the move.
It was a tough break when cornerback Jeremy Clark was denied a sixth year of eligibility coming off last season's ACL tear that he suffered in week four. The NCAA ruling makes things even tougher as the secondary is likely Jim Harbaugh's thinnest unit. Lavert Hill should be a starter at corner, and the sophomore from Detroit has a chance to be a really good one.
David Long will be another option at corner, and newcomers will include four-star prospects Ambry Thomas and Benjamin St-Juste. Khaleke Hudson and Tyree Kinnel – a Huber Heights native – are the frontrunners for the safety spots. Much of this will depend on what eventually happens with Metellus, however.
Overall, it's a talented group of defenders, but replacing ten starters should be a scary thought for the Wolverine faithful.
Spartans' Search to Replace Big Names
Mark Dantonio is looking to replace several key contributors following his worst season in East Lansing. Malik McDowell is projected to be a first-round pick along the defensive line, linebacker Riley Bullough is gone after receiving all Big Ten honors for the second-straight time, and safeties Demetrious Cox and Montae Nicholson have both moved on.
McDowell is clearly the most skilled of the three, but Michigan State's 2016 defensive line haul may help to make up for his absence. The one-time Buckeye target was skilled enough to play all over the defensive line for the Spartans, and Mike Panasiuk and Raequan Williams should help to fill the void at tackle. The defensive line averaged less than one sack per game a season ago, which was good enough for last in the Big Ten and 124th nationally.
When Riley Bollough was ejected for a targeting call against Maryland last year, it was freshman Joe Bachie who burned his redshirt to fill in. However, many expected Jon Reschke to take over in the middle following an ankle injury a season ago. That all changed a few weeks back when Reschke announced that he was leaving the program. Thus, the position should be a battle between Bachie, Shane Jones (who also filled in a bit in 2016), and Byron Bullough – Riley's younger brother.
Cleveland's Justin Layne is the only returning defensive back with significant experience, and the race for the two safety spots appears to be wide open. Grayson Miller made four starts as a freshman in 2015 but didn't see the field too often as a sophomore. Khari Willis recorded 16 tackles as a sophomore in 2016. Miller and Willis will certainly see the field this season, but David Dowell, Kenney Lyke, and redshirt freshman Demetric Vance are three other names to keep an eye on.
Hawkeyes, Nits Seeking Help in the Secondary
Desmond King gave Kirk Ferentz some good news when he elected to return for his senior season in 2016. King is now off to the NFL, and the Hawkeyes are looking to replace the 2015 Thorpe Award winner.
As a true freshman, Manny Rugamba started Iowa's final three games before suffering a shoulder injury and missing the Outback Bowl. It's not easy for a freshman to see the field at corner, let alone get the start, so that certainly bodes well heading into 2017. Joshua Jackson and Michael Ojemudia are also going to see the field at the other corner spot, with the latter being listed as the starter on their pre-spring depth chart.
Over in Happy Valley, the Nittany Lions return three of four starters in the secondary. Leading the group will be senior Marcus Allen, who may be the best safety in America. The other safety spot appears to be totally up for grabs, however.
Nick Scott and Troy Apke look to be the two most likely candidates, and while Apke played more a season ago, he didn't exactly separate himself from the pack. Scott came to Penn State as a running back, so he was still learning the position in 2016. Jarvis Miller and Ayron Monroe are two other candidates for playing time.
The Nits may also elect to to move some of their cornerback depth over to the safety spot, and that could include true freshman Lamont Wade – a familiar name for Buckeye fans. Wade selected Penn State over Ohio State and a host of other schools. He enrolled early in January and is expected to contribute in some capacity right away. While he's only 5-foot-9, Wade has made it clear that he wants to play early, so a position switch might be something the staff looks into.
