Game Week: Depth Chart News

(UMass wide receiver Alan Williams will start this weekend against Western Michigan after his huge performance against Ohio/Andy Heller for the Maroon Musket)

This week’s depth chart has a few changes, but most of them deal with second stringers:

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Colton on the Rise: After putting together an impressive game against Ohio, true freshman Joey Colton is now listed as the starting safety. This maneuver is basically a formality. Last week, Christian Birt was listed as the starter, but it was reported that he had a head injury and was doubtful for the game. This week Birt isn’t on the depth chart, and true freshman Khary Bailey-Smith is listed as the backup for both Colton and Darren Thellen. Bailey-Smith has done a nice job in his rookie campaign and has seen time in each of the first five games of the season. It appears the safety position is in good hands for the future.

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Missing the Marken: After missing three games with a shoulder injury, several reports have indicated that wide receiver Marken Michel would return to action against Western Michigan. The depth chart appears to indicate otherwise. Deion Walker, Alan Williams and Tajae Sharpe are all deservedly listed as starters, but Michel isn’t anywhere to be seen on the two-deep. As I said last week, there is never any rhyme or reason for where wide receivers are listed on the depth chart. Last week Michel was pegged as a starter while Walker was listed as a backup – Michel never played, and Walker had the best game of his college career. I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t mention Michel’s absence, but for all I know, he could be ready for a 100-yard performance.

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Casselberry Gets the Start: After an impressive performance against Ohio, Jamie Casselberry is listed as the starting left guard this weekend. Casselberry is a little smaller than some of the other guys up front (6’6, 280 pounds), but he might be the most athletic guy on the line. Casselberry will be particularly important against Western Michigan’s three-man front this weekend. The Broncos have small but athletic defensive ends and use a variety of blitz packages to disrupt opposing offenses. Casselberry will have to use his quickness and strength to protect Mike Wegzyn and open things up for the ever-improving Mike Cox.

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John Wallace, at Center?: Redshirt freshman John Wallace has seen a good amount of snaps at guard, but now he’s listed as UMass’ backup center. I guess the maneuver isn’t all that surprising. Coming out of Somerville High School, Wallace was pegged to play either center or guard at the college level. It’s clear that coach Charley Molnar likes this kid, but with the return of true freshman Michael Boland, the emergence of Casselberry and the presence of the ever-steady Nick Speller, there is a bit of a logjam at guard. Wallace replaces Matt Sparks, a true freshman from Hawaii, on the depth chart.

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Baby Backers: Two of the three starting linebackers are true freshman. Kassan Messiah, who has been nothing but amazing since taking over, and Jovan Santos-Knox are the two outside linebackers, while senior Perry McIntyre mans the middle. Santos-Knox appears to be in a position battle with Tim Brandt, as the two were splitting snaps against Ohio. I’m interested to see who gets more playing time this weekend.

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Bring on Kitching: True freshman Robert Kitching has replaced redshirt sophomore Daniel Maynes as the backup defensive tackle. Kitching is a 2012 recruit that caught my eye when he signed with UMass. The 6’1, 300-pound athlete was considered to be the best defensive lineman in New York City and led his high school to an undefeated season. He ended up signing with UMass instead of Buffalo and was one of the first kids to rave about Molnar and the UMass staff. Every year there is one or two recruits that I key in on for one reason or another, and Kitching is the guy from the 2012 class. He is also part of one of my all-time favorite unintentionally funny pictures.

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Finally, Some Honesty: No one has been jerked around by the official depth chart more than Brian Dowling. During the weeks after the Michigan game, Dowling had been listed as either a starting wide receiver or a starting punt returner, only to be neither when the lights came on. This week, Dowling is listed behind Trey Dudley-Giles as punt returner and behind Williams as wide receiver. I personally think Dowling has gotten a raw deal after his poor performance against the Wolverines. I think he could be a quality kick or punt returner if given the chance.