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Spring Practice

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ytownchief22:
Mays will be the starter once he's healthy (which he's not right now still recovering from surgery).

Waid will be the guy but I'm not sure it'll be this year.

The team still needs a lot of work from what I hear in practice. Defense will be ahead of the offense for sure.

Double ET:
From today's Vindy:

Penguins return veteran group at wide receiver

By Brian Dzenis

bdzenis@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Youngstown State’s depth at wideout speaks for itself when three of its top four players returning at that position can sit and the Penguins can still put out a group that resembles something fans will see on Saturday this fall.

YSU didn’t lose any receivers to graduation this offseason. As a unit, the Penguins had seven different receivers catch at least 10 passes last year to bring a veteran group into the 2019 season.

“We’ve got a little bit more experience,” Jeremiah Braswell said. “Being the senior, I’m trying to be the captain at the wide receiver position and help us get that bad taste out of our mouth from last year.”

Braswell was the Penguins’ leader among wideouts in yards (325) and tied the lead for touchdowns (two) during last year’s 4-7 campaign. For him, leadership is just as big a focus as routes and catches.

“There weren’t a lot of vocal leaders on the team last year. There just wasn’t enough,” Braswell said. “When things went bad with the team, there needed to be guys like me and others who can speak up and step up to get the team on track.”

It wasn’t surprise to see him getting first team action during Monday’s practice at the Watson and Tressel Training Site. The team’s next three leaders in yards, Zach Farrar, Samuel St. Surin and Darious Shackleford, were sitting out. Farrar attends practice, but doesn’t participate because he is playing for the baseball team this spring and the latter two were injured.


The guys who joined Braswell with the ones were familiar faces. There was fellow senior Kendric Mallory (169 yards, two TDs) and sophomore Natavious Payne (172 yards, one TD), who’s speed made him a staple in the lineup as a true freshman midway through last year.

“I have to work my speed, my route-running and I need to be more vocal,” Payne said.

Beyond those three, there’s a few players who are making some noise in the absence of Farrar, St. Surin and Shackleford. After spending two seasons exclusively as a kick returner, Warren JFK graduate Jake Coates got some first-team reps as a slot receiver. Head coach Bo Pelini is open to the idea of Coates earning a chance to get his first collegiate reception.

“He’s a lot better. He’s practicing better. He’s playing better and you’re starting to see some of his speed in his routes a little more,” Pelini said. “We know he can run, but he’s playing faster right now and he’s getting more confident.”

Another Mahoning Valley native getting more looks is Canfield’s Jake Cummings, a sophomore with the team.

“Jake Cummings has been great on special teams and has been playing a lot of positions for us,” wideouts coach Tim Marlowe said. “He’s been getting a lot better at receiver too.”

Things will be fluid with this group through the rest of the offseason.

“It’s just about earning it every day. I’d say we have a deep squad. We can only play two, three or four wideouts at a time and we have 10 guys who can play,” Marlowe said. “I feel like we’ve got a good group and we’re very unselfish. Sometimes it’s [Payne] with the big plays. Sometimes it’s Jake or Jeremiah. Anytime somebody scores, we celebrate together.”

NEW COACH

Evan Karchner is joining the Penguins’ coaching staff as a defensive assistant, Karchner announced Monday afternoon on Twitter. He was previously an undergraduate assistant at Bowling Green, where Carl Pelini worked as a defensive coordinator last year.

Double ET:
From Vindy today:

Switching positions the norm in spring

By Brian Dzenis

bdzenis@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

To play offensive line at Youngstown State, be prepared to move around.

With just one full-time starter — redshirt sophomore left tackle Dan Becker — returning from last year’s group, last year’s tackle might be this season’s guard or this spring’s center could be a guard by fall.

“We’ve always been able to play wherever. You have to know all the different positions of where you’re going to play,” redshirt senior guard Jimmy Wilson said. “[Offensive line coach Coach John Peterson] has stressed that we need to know all of them. I saw some time at tackle and I haven’t played there since last fall. It’s been all about studying the playbook and knowing your stuff.”

Peterson wouldn’t commit to penciling in his starting five on the o-line, saying that will come in the fall, but there ares signs of a few players holding down spots on the first team. Becker’s job should be safe as a returning starter. On the other side of the line, senior Devon Robinson started two games at right tackle last year. The interior is where things become more fluid. Junior-college transfer Jordan Velez and Wilson are getting the majority of the top reps at left and right guard, respectively. Wilson hasn’t played in a game since the 2016 season as injuries have kept him off the field.

“I’ve had shoulder issues and some knee issues, but I don’t like using things as excuses,” Wilson said. “I just have to keep pushing myself even harder. Especially this summer. I also have to push everyone around me to make them better.”

West Branch graduate Jacob Zinni has been the top center in spring ball after spending the past two seasons playing in both guard spots.

“He’s an intelligent football player. He takes a lot of pride in what he does,” Peterson said. “He’s had a very consistent spring.”


As well as Zinni has played this spring, he may not be the center in fall. The team’s returning linemen are well aware of the arrival of Hubbard native and West Virginia transfer Matt Jones and the possibility of somebody having to make way for him. He’s expected to join the team in the fall after graduating from WVU. Nonetheless, they’re going to welcome him with open arms.

“He’s a great guy and you can already tell he’s going to have a great dynamic with us,” Wilson said. “He’s going to fit in with the group. He loves to joke around. I love watching film on that guy and he’s going to be a great addition to that offensive line.”

By the time fall camp starts in August, Peterson could be trotting out a different offensive line than what has been present this spring, but his guys will be prepared to move around.

“Right now, it’s still competition. Whoever is starting now, that doesn’t mean that’s where they’re going to start,” Peterson said. “The goal is to have competition to create guys that can play multiple positions.

“Any time a lineman can learn multiple positions and still understand schemes, the better off they’ll be. The more knowledge they have, the more valuable they’ll be.”

ytownchief22:
Lotsssss of work to be done.

ytownchief22:
Spring game is today.

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