Big Shoes To Fill In Secondary

Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Yeah there are holes to fill and the bar is set high.

But if you shy away from a challenge, what are you doing playing college football?

There are questionable and unproven areas for the Central Michigan football team as it enters the 2018 season. The receiving corps is young and quarterback Tony Poljan will make his first start when the Chippewas open at Kentucky on Sept. 1.

At the top of the prove-it list is the Chippewa secondary, which lost three starters to graduation. Two of those are cornerback Amari Coleman and safety Josh Cox, who combined for nine of CMU's 19 interceptions in 2017. The Chippewas shared the Mid-American Conference lead and ranked seventh nationally in that department. Both were three-year starters and Coleman was a two-time All-MAC First Teamer.

As is the nature of football on the collegiate level, it's turn-the-page time for the Chippewas, who ranked No. 1 in the MAC against the pass last season.

"You know I think going from a real question mark to what is going to be a reasonably decent secondary is going to depend on their progression throughout the year," said assistant head coach/defensive coordinator Greg Colby, who is in his fourth year on coach John Bonamego's staff. "Athletically we are as good as we have been in four years."

The lone returning starter – and he is a good one loaded with potential – is junior cornerback Sean Bunting. Bunting ranked second to Cox on the team with five interceptions and led the Chippewas with 10 passes defended a year ago. All five of his picks came in the final four games of the season.

"I love his confidence and you've got to have that at corner," Colby said, adding that it's a balancing act between confidence and humility at cornerback, where it's most often a one-on-one game and poor technique can be easily exposed and getting beat usually means six points for the opponent. "He's got that (confidence) but we've just got to make sure it doesn't go beyond where it should be. He can still get better and he needs to. So long as he keeps that in mind I think he's going to have a really good year for us."

Xavier Crawford, a junior transfer from Oregon State, will likely start at the cornerback spot opposite Bunting, giving the Chippewas what may be another outstanding corner tandem as they had with the Coleman-Cox combination before Cox moved to safety for his senior season in 2017.

There are a bevy of other players who have paid their dues on special teams and waited in the wings over the past season or two. Among those who will get their opportunity to prove themselves in 2018 are the likes of senior Tyjuan Swain and junior Da'Quaun Jamison, both of whom saw the field a fair amount in seasons past. Also in the hunt are sophomores Tee-ondre Harvey and Gage Kreski and redshirt freshmen Alonzo McCoy, Devonni Reed, Darius Bracy and Brandon Brown, among others.

No matter who ends up on the field in the Chippewa secondary, they have the luxury of playing behind a defensive line and a linebacking corps that is talented, deep and experienced.

And, because of that, should help to ease the transition as CMU finds the right personnel.

"They are talented," Colby said of the secondary in general. "I think as they learn more and more we should jell into a pretty good secondary. In the mean time I hope the front keeps the quarterback busy so those guys (in the secondary) can get comfortable."

Central Michigan University Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Darius Bracy

Brandon Brown

Sean Bunting

Amari Coleman

Josh Cox

Xavier Crawford

Tee-ondre Harvey

Da'Quaun Jamison

Gage Kreski

Alonzo McCoy

Tony Poljan

Devonni Reed

Tyjuan Swain

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