YSU football | Spring roster breakdown
Who graduated
WR Andre Barboza; WR Ely Ducatel; S Josh Lee; TE David Rogers; DE Daniel Stewart; QB Marc Kanetsky; DT Andrew Johnson; LB John Sasson; WR Pat White; LS Nate Schkurko; DE Obinna Ekweremuba
Analysis: Stewart, Johnson and Ekweremuba leave big holes on the defensive line and YSU coach Eric Wolford said his four redshirt freshmen defensive linemen (Trevor Strickland, Emmanuel Kromah, Steve Zaborsky, Eric Myers) need to contribute this fall. “Those are four guys that we redshirted, that we felt really good about when we were on offense when they were running scout team defense,” Wolford said. “I said those guys are going to be able to help us, so this is going to be their chance to show that they can do it.”
Who left
LB Davion Rogers; WR Juilian Harrell; FS Gannon Hulea; CB Tahir Blount; CB Mike Thomas; LB David Hampton; LB Danny Fernback; OL Zach Larson (injury); LB Kevin Johnson; OL Santiago Mason; OL Eric Franklin.
Analysis: The two biggest departures were Rogers (who started all but one game last fall and had NFL-type talent) and Franklin (who was the team’s sixth lineman last fall and has Division I size and talent). Outside of Rogers (who struggled with grades and left the team in December), the departures were unexpected and/or voluntary. “Those guys just kind of said, ‘It’s nothing against you coach, it’s just this isn’t what I thought college football necessarily was,’” Wolford said. “It hasn’t been any kind of a discipline issue. We haven’t had discipline issues where guys are thrown off the team for violation of team rules this year like we’ve had in years past.”
Who’s new
Early signees: Chris Charles, FS, Jr.; Julius Childs, CB, Soph.; Twin Fernandes, Jr., SS; Terry Johnson, LB, Fr.
Walk-ons: Deion Hall, DB, RFr.; John Medina, TB, RFr.; Justin Getz, WR, Soph.; Randall Gillum, TE, Jr.; Josh Schultheis, LB, Soph.
Analysis: Charles, Childs and Fernandes are junior college transfers while Johnson signed with the program in February, 2011, but took the fall off before enrolling in January. Medina (Poland), Getz (Liberty) and Gillum (Liberty) have area ties.
Joe Scalzo