{"id":7680,"date":"2015-04-28T07:20:15","date_gmt":"2015-04-28T11:20:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jmusportsblog.com\/?p=7680"},"modified":"2015-04-28T07:20:15","modified_gmt":"2015-04-28T11:20:15","slug":"guest-post-jmu-spring-game-wrap-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jmusportsblog.com\/?p=7680","title":{"rendered":"Guest Post: JMU Spring Game Wrap-Up"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"spring<\/a>JMUSB resident recruiting and personnel guru, @Michael_2Clutch<\/a>, made the trip to the ‘burg for the spring game and agreed to share his thoughts. Take it away Mike.<\/em><\/p>\n

Hello everyone! \u00a0Thank you to the guys at the JMU Sports Blog for giving me the opportunity to write once again to the JMU Nation! \u00a0I really enjoy writing to you all, and I imagine that I am not the only one itching for football season to begin and to see our Dukes dominate on the field.<\/p>\n

After seeing the Dukes first-hand this past Saturday, I thought I\u2019d share my two cents from the 2015 JMU Football Winter \u2026 I mean Spring \u2026 Game.<\/p>\n

Bryan Schor shows promise:<\/strong> \u00a0For what it\u2019s worth, Bryan Schor (our #2QB) was my personal MVP during the scrimmage. \u00a0While the back-up QB position has been a topic of interest given our lack of depth over the past few years, Schor showed some moxie and potential manning the helm. \u00a0The former Miami (OH)-commit showed off an improved throwing motion and confidence running the offense for a majority of the scrimmage. \u00a0Per Brett Elliott\u2019s tweet, Schor finished with an 88% grade: completing 21 passes out of 35 attempts for 199 yards and 3 touchdowns. \u00a0In addition to showing good touch, he displayed a much more live arm than I had originally thought and good mobility \u2013 he reminded me a bit of Drew Dudzik in the Montana game when he came in for an injured Rodney Landers. \u00a0Vad Lee played on a limited basis during the scrimmage, which I believe is a result of Coach Withers trying to figure out what type of depth he has at the position going into the summer. \u00a0<\/p>\n

OL is a work in progress:<\/strong> From what I saw on Saturday, the offensive line is an area that will be under the microscope until kick-off against Morehead State. \u00a0Austin Lane and Mitch Kirsch are two known commodities up-front, but the remaining three positions are an unknown for the Dukes. \u00a0Aaron Stinnie looks like the prototypical left tackle with his long arms and quick feet (he was an effective defensive lineman last year as an rFR) but is still green at the position. \u00a0Coach Powell got in his face a few times on Saturday, which is to be expected since he is still learning how to play the role at the college level. \u00a0Kyle Rigney and Casey Kroll both split time at the center position \u2013 while Kroll has more size, it looks like Rigney had more snaps with the ones. \u00a0It would be great to see A.J. Bolden claim the guard position after going down with an injury last year versus Maryland. \u00a0The former Toledo transfer has potential to be a mauler in the run game, and with former tight end, Dominick Richards, and journeyman, Matt Frank, as his competition, I can imagine it\u2019s his position to lose.<\/p>\n

DB\u2019s look good:<\/strong> During Mickey Matthews\u2019 last year at JMU, the biggest question mark on the team was the defensive backfield, minus the talents of Dean Marlowe. \u00a0After Saturday, I think Withers and co. did a good job replenishing the secondary with size and potential. \u00a0While we will mourn the loss of Jimmy Moreland (hopefully he gets reinstated), Marcel Johnson and Raven Greene both look like studs at the safety positions. \u00a0Withers showcased the one-high safety look throughout the scrimmage, with Greene playing back while Marcel acted as an alley defender in the run\/pass game \u2026 no, this is not the 4-2-5, people. \u00a0Taylor Reynolds is a lock at one of the corner positions and should be a leader for the team this year. \u00a0Jordan Brown was moved from safety to corner and did an awesome job against Ishmael Hyman with his physical play. \u00a0With Coach Withers\u2019 demand for jamming receivers on the LOS, Brown looks to be in good position at corner with his size and strength. \u00a0Florida-bred Rasheed Jiles played a lot of nickel, but I can see the freshmen (Tutt, Branch, Robinson and Oliver) getting plenty of chances to contribute during their first year.<\/p>\n

All in all, the Dukes look a lot better this spring than they did last year. \u00a0The offense looks more confident in their motions and I think that the defense is growing into Withers\u2019 attacking scheme. \u00a0One last piece to mention is that there were a ton of recruits on campus in addition to the 2015 recruiting class \u2013 we are definitely going to be taller, longer and bigger next year. \u00a0My girlfriend and I were also able to spend some time in the renovated Plecker center, and we came away quite impressed (it was our first time there). \u00a0There was a definite buzz in the facility, and I am optimistic that we will have some big-time talent joining the JMU nation in the near future.<\/p>\n

While it is difficult to assess a team in the spring, it certainly looks like our Dukes are going in the right direction. \u00a0As summer comes around and a new influx of players are integrated into the fold, we can look forward to seeing a more physical and explosive Dukes team come fall.<\/p>\n

Photo courtesy of jmusports.com<\/em><\/p>\n