STATESBORO - Spring practice is in the books and the Eagles now turn their attention to off-season workouts before reporting in early August for preseason camp. GSEagles.com caught up with each position coach to get a breakdown of their respective depth chart as well as their thoughts on their position group. Up 10th are the outside linebackers with Coach Jeremy Rowell.
What were your overall thoughts on your group this spring?
I was very pleased with the progress we made this spring. The young group of anchors - Benz Josue, Zyon McGee and Reid Dedman - all got better this spring after getting playing experience last year. The progress they mad benefited us. On the other side with the Dogs, Randy Wade Jr. just keeps improving his craft every day and improving every time we take the field. He is able to do more, which allows us to do more with our defense. Jalen Jackson had a good spring. He played a little later year and had some good growth this spring. He made some good strides from a knowledge standpoint in terms of Xs and Os. Unfortunately, Quin Williams missed the spring due, but we're hopeful he's able to get healthy and help us out this fall.
What or who pleasantly surprised you this spring?
The growth of the anchor group was great. The ability to take what they learned last year and be able to go with it was a pleasant surprise. They grew and grew quickly. We're a better defense because of the improvement they made. On the other side, the growth of Randy Wade Jr. has been really impressive and he's able to do so much more now.
What needs to priority number on the first day of camp this August?
We just need to pick up where we left off. Hopefully from a mental standpoint through this summer, we are able to process what we learned this spring, start fast on Day One and not have to take any steps back. We need to continue to learn how to manipulate the offense from the looks my outside linebackers can give.
What young player stepped up this spring?
The young cat we signed this past year, Isaac Walker, who enrolled in January. He had some ups and downs, but the knowledge and ability to learn was impressive. He had a fast start and then had a few rough practices. He ran with the 2s when Randy was out and we threw lot at him, which caused his head to spin a little bit. But he responded to that impressively in the last week and stepped his game up to finish on strong note heading into the offseason.
Who are the leaders of your group?
Randy is the guy. His overall persona is really awesome. The way he handles business and does everything the right way is impressive. Quin brings a lot of leadership being an older guy and then Benz brings a lot to the room as well. Those guys have stepped up and know they're the leaders of that room.
Depth Chart
Anchor: 5, Benz Josue (6-0, 210, r-Sr.)
21, Zyon McGee (6-1, 215, r-Jr.) -or- 39, Reid Dedman (5-11, 200, r-So.)
Dog: 47, Randy Wade Jr. (6-2, 275, 6th)
40, Jalen Jackson (6-0, 225, So.)
15, Quin Williams (6-3, 260, r-Jr.)
SCHEDULE OF POSITION BREAKDOWNS
May 11: Inside Linebackers
May 13: Offensive Line
May 18: Cornerbacks
May 20: Wide Receivers
May 25: Safeties
May 27: Specialists
June 1: Tight Ends
June 3: Defensive Line
June 8: Running Backs
June 10: Outside Linebackers
June 15: Quarterbacks
