Central Michigan University Athletics
Defensive Line Talented, Experienced, Deep
4/21/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- He's nearing the quarter-century mark of his coaching career, and he's never seen anything quite like this.
Central Michigan defensive line coach George Ricumstrict has taken what was once a perceived weakness and turned it into a deep, experienced and talented group that may be as good as any single unit in the Mid-American Conference.
"I've coached secondary, I've coached linebackers, this is probably the deepest unit I've had coming into a spring," Ricumstrict said Tuesday after a practice session. "As you look forward to the fall, yeah I'm excited for what I have coming back."
Three of four starters return in ends Joe Ostman and Blake Serpa along with tackle Jabari Dean. A number of others who logged significant playing time last season are also back, including the likes of veterans Louis Palmer, Kelby Latta, Shafer Johnson and Chris Kantzavelos.
Yes, there are big shoes to fill with the graduation of tackle Leterrius "LT" Walton. Still, the Chippewas appear on paper to once again be stout of front.
"You do it with numbers," Ricumstrict said of replacing Walton, a First Team All-MAC selection last fall. "We have to continue to get better as a group, and if we do that then we can hopefully make up for LT not being there. We have some young guys who have had a chance to get some reps this spring because we have had some guys dinged up and out of practice.
"If you're going to look at any type of injury as a positive, it does provide other opportunities for other young men to get their reps and get better. We can only be better for that. Hopefully we're developing some guys who can step in and be that next LT."
The Chippewas sported the MAC's top-ranked defense last season and were second in the league against the run. Nationally, the Chippewas ranked 29th and 21st, respectively, in those categories.
The key is depth. Ricumstrict demands that his troops play with high energy and high intensity, and that necessitates frequent substitutions. That was the pattern in 2014, and it likely will be unchanged going forward.
"I think it will be a group led by a committee," said Ricumstrict, a former standout player at CMU who is in his third year as the Chippewas' defensive line coach. "It's been that way since I've been here. It's never really been one guy. They do a good job of policing each other, holding each other accountable, so I expect that to continue.
"My game plan is to play about 10 guys. I believe that to keep your D-line fresh you've got to play numbers. You've got to have confidence in the man who's behind you. So if you can't go 100 percent, then you've got to come out and know that the guy behind you at 100 percent is better than you at 80 percent.
"That's got to be our mindset. Give me what you've got, and we send the next man in. The expectation is for the position, not each individual."
Despite the fact that there is a new head coach, John Bonamego, and a new defensive coordinator, Greg Colby, the Chippewas will continue to primarily employ a four-man front.
After all, if ain't broke, don't fix it.
"There's a couple different fronts that we are doing, but I think all in all there is a lot of carryover from what we did last year," Ricumstrict said. "We don't expect our production to drop off. We actually expect it to pick up."
