Penguins' cupboard not bare of players
When Youngstown State football coach Jon Heacock goes searching under his Christmas tree tomorrow morning, he might not find exactly what he was wishing for. He'll probably be hoping that Santa Claus will be just over a month late with his gifts.
Heacock completed the first season as the leader of the football program, and although it was a little disappointing not getting into the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs, the Penguins were a solid 8-3.
Unfortunately, in today's rugged I-AA division, the days of 8-3 records getting a team into the playoffs is no longer a guarantee.
Heacock will lose 21 seniors off the team. Eight of them started on offense and six on defense.
Four offensive linemen (five if you include Dave Hong who didn't play this year) will need to be replaced, as well as three defensive backs, and a total of five from the team's rotation of eight.
"Obviously offensive linemen and defensive backs are our main priority in this recruiting season," Heacock said recently.
Not bare: But just because the Penguins lost 21 players through graduation doesn't mean the cupboard is bare in any way.
YSU has six starters returning on offense and six more on defense. There are another seven players who were only a notch away from being starters on offense, and at least that many more on defense.
Heacock has at least 12 freshmen that he were red-shirts last season, several of them who could challenge for a starting berth next year.
And then he has this year's recruiting class.
Heacock says that recruiting has been going well thus far this season.
"We had seven or eight area prospects in for a visit recently, along with a couple of kids from Florida and a couple of junior college players," Heacock said.
It is also good to mention that of his red-shirt freshmen from last year, four are defensive backs and four others are offensive linemen.
"We think we have some good ones in that group," Heacock added.
Scholarships: The Penguins have around 18 scholarships to give out this season, and Heacock would like to sign as many players as he can.
From the Penguins' two-deep roster there are three defensive backs, six linebackers and four defensive linemen returning.
Offensively there are five linemen, two tight ends, two wide receivers, two tailbacks and a fullback and one quarterback.
Quarterback could be interesting since for the first time in four years Jeff Ryan won't be back to direct the offense.
The heir-apparent is 6-foot-3, 230-pound senior Colby Street, and he'll go into spring practice as the No. 1 signal-caller.
Street has started just one game in three years and has played sparingly behind Ryan, but he's got more experience than any of the others coming back.
Ben Bair, the 6-3, 200-pound sophomore from Poland, is next on the experience list, which is very little. Junior Lou Angelo, a 5-11, 211-pound transfer from Salem, got to see no action. He transferred this past summer from Temple. And then there is the red-shirt freshman Aaron Marshall, 6-3, 205-pound performer from Detroit, whom a lot of people feel will be Street's backup next year.
Academics: Heacock said that he was very pleased with his team's academic efforts during the first semester.
"We had over 30 players with a 3.0 or better [grade-point] average and that's outstanding," Heacock said. "We also have a few who had better buckle down real quickly if they want to be taking part in spring football."
The YSU coaching staff is currently is in a NCAA-mandated quiet period where they cannot recruit off campus until Jan. 4. The national signing day will the first week of February.
XPete Mollica covers YSU athletics for The Vindicator. Write to him at mollica@vindy.com.