Photo by: Steve Jessmore
CMU Football Kicks Off Spring Practice
3/19/2021 3:04:00 PM | Football
Chippewas hold their first of 15 practices on Friday
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – It's a renewal, a welcome sign of normalcy, and a peek into what Central Michigan football will look like as Jim McElwain enters his third year in charge of the program.
The Chippewas opened spring practice on Friday in the turf bay at the Indoor Athletic Complex. It was the first of 15 practice sessions as McElwain and his staff of assistants, several of whom are new to the program or have taken on expanded roles, take a long hard look and evaluate the nuts and bolts of CMU Football 2021.
"I know our kids are excited as heck to get going and we've had a great eight quality weeks of conditioning and strength training," McElwain said, adding that the Chippewas are nearly 100 strong, including a class of greyshirts who did not participate last fall because of COVID. "Really, it's our first full recruiting class, the ones that we went home and greyshirted when we didn't think we were going to play (in 2020).
"All of those guys are here and I'm excited to see what they're going to do to help this football team get better next fall. They had something taken away from them too, those freshmen. They didn't get to experience what a freshman (typically) gets to experience. They actually came in and rejuvenated our team just because of their excitement to actually be in college and working out. I think it's been good for the whole program."
The talk among fans, as it almost always is, surrounds the quarterback position. Redshirt freshman Daniel Richardson, who started four of CMU's six games in 2020, is the mainstay at the position. He will most certainly be pushed by sophomore transfers John Keller (Cincinnati) and Jacob Simon (Washington) along with freshman Tyler Pape, one of those many greyshirts to whom McElwain alluded.
"It'll be exciting to see which one of those guys moves the team and handles it from there," McElwain said.
Pape, a Michigan native, has stepped to the forefront among the program's younger players, McElwain said.
"I'm really encouraged by Tyler Pape and just seeing how he is taking a leadership role," he said. "Now we haven't been able to watch him throw, but I'm just talking about in the weight room and in conditioning drills, he's become a real leader for those young guys, which I really like out of that quarterback position."
Getting Down to Business
The Chippewas are scheduled to undergo another non-contact practice on Saturday and then will pad up on Sunday, which is when the real fun – and competition – begins.
"We'll be able to put some shoulder pads on on Sunday and see if some guys can get off some blocks and see if some guys can block some people," McElwain said. "That's kind of what spring ball's all about; it's not about schemes as much as it's about blocking, tackling, trying to really teach the fundamentals of the game and find out who are playmakers are on both sides of the ball.
"Ultimately, it's the fundamental piece for everybody in the program and just (for us) to be able to see who wants to compete, who's willing to compete, and who's willing to lay it out there for the Chippewas. We're going to get some answers in these 15 practices."
Seniors Return
The roster includes eight senior veterans who have taken advantage of the NCAA rule that granted players an additional season of eligibility because of COVID.
"I think it was great for the NCAA to give those guys the opportunity," McElwain said. "This group of guys, I think, and really as a team as a whole, is taking advantage of the opportunity to go out and play. When it was taken away and then with what we went through, and what everybody went through, I really think there's almost a renewed energy from everybody.
"It's like, 'You know what, we're going to go out and spring practice and do it right.' And we're excited about that."
Among those eight are defensive backs Alonzo McCoy and Gage Kreski, linebacker Kumehnnu Gwilly, and tight end Hunter Buczkowski, a Mount Pleasant native.
"I'm just excited that those guys are going to get a true senior year," McElwain said. "I'm not sure that anybody really had a senior year (in 2020), if that makes sense. Your family couldn't even come see you play.
"Buczkowski is the guy I'm probably most excited about for getting that opportunity. Talking about a guy who's gone through position changes and coaching changes and all that kind of stuff. I really see him as a leader. He's done a great job with our young guys."
Coaching Staff
McElwain added two new members to his coaching staff and promoted two others. Alvin Slaughter is the Chippewas' new wide receivers coach and Mike Zordich is the new defensive backs coach.
Tim Skipper has been promoted to assistant head coach/linebackers coach and Kevin Barbay will serve as the program's offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach. Barbay has been on staff since McElwain arrived at CMU before the 2019 season; Skipper joined the staff prior to the 2020 season.
Zordich comes to CMU after a six-year stint at Michigan. He played in the NFL for 12 years and was an All-American safety at Penn State.
That the Chippewas are deep and talented in the defensive backfield was a draw for Zordich, who coached alongside McElwain when both were assistants at U-M.
"That was part of his wanting to come here," McElwain said. "We've got some good players in the secondary and his opportunity to affect those guys and teach them some things fundamentally that'll help them move on in their careers. I think we have some guys in that room that should have some real aspirations and legitimate shots at playing at the next level. Mike brings that background that he can speak to."
Position Groups
McElwain listed several position groups that he said will be strong points through spring ball and into the fall, the defensive backfield and running back among them.
The Chippewas return the dynamic duo of Kobe Lewis and Lew Nichols III in the backfield. Nichols was the MAC Freshman of the Year in 2020. Versatile Darius Bracy also returns, and the veteran trio is joined by a slew of talented newcomers.
"That running back room is a huge strength for us," McElwain said. "Some of those guys have the ability to play not just in the backfield, but actually motion out, be part of the passing game. The use of that room is going to be huge for us."
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The Chippewas opened spring practice on Friday in the turf bay at the Indoor Athletic Complex. It was the first of 15 practice sessions as McElwain and his staff of assistants, several of whom are new to the program or have taken on expanded roles, take a long hard look and evaluate the nuts and bolts of CMU Football 2021.
"I know our kids are excited as heck to get going and we've had a great eight quality weeks of conditioning and strength training," McElwain said, adding that the Chippewas are nearly 100 strong, including a class of greyshirts who did not participate last fall because of COVID. "Really, it's our first full recruiting class, the ones that we went home and greyshirted when we didn't think we were going to play (in 2020).
"All of those guys are here and I'm excited to see what they're going to do to help this football team get better next fall. They had something taken away from them too, those freshmen. They didn't get to experience what a freshman (typically) gets to experience. They actually came in and rejuvenated our team just because of their excitement to actually be in college and working out. I think it's been good for the whole program."
The talk among fans, as it almost always is, surrounds the quarterback position. Redshirt freshman Daniel Richardson, who started four of CMU's six games in 2020, is the mainstay at the position. He will most certainly be pushed by sophomore transfers John Keller (Cincinnati) and Jacob Simon (Washington) along with freshman Tyler Pape, one of those many greyshirts to whom McElwain alluded.
"It'll be exciting to see which one of those guys moves the team and handles it from there," McElwain said.
Pape, a Michigan native, has stepped to the forefront among the program's younger players, McElwain said.
"I'm really encouraged by Tyler Pape and just seeing how he is taking a leadership role," he said. "Now we haven't been able to watch him throw, but I'm just talking about in the weight room and in conditioning drills, he's become a real leader for those young guys, which I really like out of that quarterback position."
Getting Down to Business
The Chippewas are scheduled to undergo another non-contact practice on Saturday and then will pad up on Sunday, which is when the real fun – and competition – begins.
"We'll be able to put some shoulder pads on on Sunday and see if some guys can get off some blocks and see if some guys can block some people," McElwain said. "That's kind of what spring ball's all about; it's not about schemes as much as it's about blocking, tackling, trying to really teach the fundamentals of the game and find out who are playmakers are on both sides of the ball.
"Ultimately, it's the fundamental piece for everybody in the program and just (for us) to be able to see who wants to compete, who's willing to compete, and who's willing to lay it out there for the Chippewas. We're going to get some answers in these 15 practices."
Seniors Return
The roster includes eight senior veterans who have taken advantage of the NCAA rule that granted players an additional season of eligibility because of COVID.
"I think it was great for the NCAA to give those guys the opportunity," McElwain said. "This group of guys, I think, and really as a team as a whole, is taking advantage of the opportunity to go out and play. When it was taken away and then with what we went through, and what everybody went through, I really think there's almost a renewed energy from everybody.
"It's like, 'You know what, we're going to go out and spring practice and do it right.' And we're excited about that."
Among those eight are defensive backs Alonzo McCoy and Gage Kreski, linebacker Kumehnnu Gwilly, and tight end Hunter Buczkowski, a Mount Pleasant native.
"I'm just excited that those guys are going to get a true senior year," McElwain said. "I'm not sure that anybody really had a senior year (in 2020), if that makes sense. Your family couldn't even come see you play.
"Buczkowski is the guy I'm probably most excited about for getting that opportunity. Talking about a guy who's gone through position changes and coaching changes and all that kind of stuff. I really see him as a leader. He's done a great job with our young guys."
Coaching Staff
McElwain added two new members to his coaching staff and promoted two others. Alvin Slaughter is the Chippewas' new wide receivers coach and Mike Zordich is the new defensive backs coach.
Tim Skipper has been promoted to assistant head coach/linebackers coach and Kevin Barbay will serve as the program's offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach. Barbay has been on staff since McElwain arrived at CMU before the 2019 season; Skipper joined the staff prior to the 2020 season.
Zordich comes to CMU after a six-year stint at Michigan. He played in the NFL for 12 years and was an All-American safety at Penn State.
That the Chippewas are deep and talented in the defensive backfield was a draw for Zordich, who coached alongside McElwain when both were assistants at U-M.
"That was part of his wanting to come here," McElwain said. "We've got some good players in the secondary and his opportunity to affect those guys and teach them some things fundamentally that'll help them move on in their careers. I think we have some guys in that room that should have some real aspirations and legitimate shots at playing at the next level. Mike brings that background that he can speak to."
Position Groups
McElwain listed several position groups that he said will be strong points through spring ball and into the fall, the defensive backfield and running back among them.
The Chippewas return the dynamic duo of Kobe Lewis and Lew Nichols III in the backfield. Nichols was the MAC Freshman of the Year in 2020. Versatile Darius Bracy also returns, and the veteran trio is joined by a slew of talented newcomers.
"That running back room is a huge strength for us," McElwain said. "Some of those guys have the ability to play not just in the backfield, but actually motion out, be part of the passing game. The use of that room is going to be huge for us."
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