NCAAF Team Report – Central Michigan – INSIDE SLANT
Central Michigan coach Dan Enos went from the hotseat to getting his contract reworked.
Enos was one of the coaches mentioned by several media outlets as losing his job midway through the 2012 season after a slow start and consecutive 3-9 campaigns.
The Chippewas turned around their season — and program — with a late surge and finished with a 7-6 record, including a victory in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl game. Enos was awarded with a four-year contract brings some stability and hope to the program.
Enos kept that momentum going with a solid recruiting class. His new contract enticed more recruits to sign with the Chippewas. The Chippewas inked a 21-player class that includes 14 players from the state of Michigan.
“We feel great about this class,” Enos said. “This is our third class that we’ve had the entire (recruiting) time and we feel we’ve gotten bigger and stronger every year. The foundation is there and we feel real good about the future.”
The Central Michigan staff went to work fixing the offensive line with the loss of possible NFL first-round selection Eric Fisher. Enos signed five offensive linemen, four wide receivers and three defensive linemen. Mark Chapman is an interesting player for Central Michigan’s offense. Chapman can help out in a number of ways.
“He’s a very good athlete who played quarterback in the spread and put up ridiculous numbers,” Enos said of Chapman. “He can throw the ball and run it so we’ll find creative ways to get him the ball in space.”
Enos stuck to mostly recruiting Michigan players, but found recruits from Illinois and Indiana.
TOP OF THE CLASS
WR Mark Chapman (Port Huron High in Port Huron, Mich.) — He’s capable of playing several positions in college. Chapman’s ability to run, catch and pass the ball will be used in many ways by Dan Enos. Chapman was the 2012 Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year and Metro PCS Mr. Football.
DB Josh Cox (De La Salle High in Warren, Mich.) –Ranked No. 33 on Detroit News Blue Chip list, Cox had 169 tackles and five interceptions in 2012. Fills a void in the secondary after several key players graduated.
OL Derek Edwards (Detroit Catholic Central High in Novi, Mich.) — The 6-foot-5, 275-pounder is one of four offensive linemen to sign with Central Michigan. Edwards, a three-year starter in high school, played right guard and right tackle.
TE Zach Crouch (Grand Rapids Christian High in Lowell, Mich.) — A tall and physical, college-ready player at 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds. Crouch played defensive end in high school and caught 13 passes for 238 yards and three touchdowns along with 28 tackles and 2 1/2 sacks in 2012.
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NCAAF Team Report – Central Michigan – NOTES, QUOTES
–QB Darien Boone, an athletic and highly regarded recruit, enrolled at Central Michigan in early January. Boone gets a heads start on his college experience with the starting quarterback position wide-open after the graduation of Ryan Radcliff.
–QR Anthony Rice, the son of former Notre Dame QB Tony Rice, is one of the players expected to contribute next season. Rice redshirted last season.
–OL Eric Fisher might be the highest selection in program history in the 2013 NFL Draft. Fisher is one of the best linemen in the upcoming draft.
–Head coach Dan Enos, who was considered on the hotseat midway through the 2012 season, received a four-year contract. The new contract supersedes his previous deal. Enos led the Chippewas to a 7-6 record and a bowl win in 2012.
“I’m very excited about the next chapter of CMU football,” Enos said. “Leading this team and maintaining the great traditions and legacy of Chippewa football is a great responsibility and privilege. I’m honored to have the opportunity to work with such an excellent group of young men and to strive together for continued success in the classroom and on the football field.”
SPRING SNAPSHOT
Practice priorities: The Chippewas have to find a starting quarterback. This is something that hasn’t happened very often in recent years. Dan LeFevour started all four years, then was replaced by three-year starter Ryan Radcliff. The offensive line loses a big cog in highly regarded Eric Fisher, a possible first-round selection in the 2013 NFL Draft. The momentum from a last year’s late flourish is a positive for a program with several talented pieces.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “We are very excited about this class. We recruited Michigan, Illinois and Indiana and have come up with a high character, great skills class. We are very happy.” — Coach Dan Enos, on the 21-member recruiting class.
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NCAAF Team Report – Central Michigan – STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
KEY LOSSES: T Eric Fisher, QB Ryan Radcliff, WR Cody Wilson, CB Jahleel Addae.
PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2013:
–RB Zurlon Tipton solidified the offense, and the team, with his strong running in the second half of the 2012 season. Titpon ran wild in the second half, finishing with seven straight 100-yard games to conclude the season with nearly 1,500 yards rushing. Tipton’s running brought a new dimension to the offense that was missing the last two years, and took some pressure off the passing games and opened up things for the wide receivers.
–QB Cody Kater is one main candidates to take over the starting quarterback spot in what should be a wide open race. Kater is the only quarterback other than Ryan Radcliff to throw a pass in 2012.
–WR Titus Davis missed the bowl game after getting suspended for violating team rules. Davis implied that he might leave Central Michigan, but elected to stay. Davis is an electric talent capable of becoming an all-conference receiver in his final two years. His big-play ability stretches defenses and allowed Zurlon Tipton running lanes.
–LB Justin Cherocci was a pleasant surprise for a defense in need of playmakers. He led the Chippewas with 132 tackles, including 43 solo stops. The sophomore, though, must step up and become a leader in 2013 and improve on his big-play ability. He didn’t have a sack, interception, recover or force a fumble.
–LB Shamari Benton — The junior is one of the leaders on the defense. He finished second on the team in tackles with 126 in 13 games. Benton had one interception and recovered two fumbles.
PLAYER NOTES:
–Coach Dan Enos received a four-year contract that included an increase in base salary and bonuses. Enos guided the Chippewas to a 7-6 record in 2012 after recording 3-9 marks in each of his first two years.
–OL Jake Olson received a medical redshirt after missing almost all of the 2012 campaign.
–LB Alex Smith was granted an extra year of eligibility after receiving a medical redshirt. He played in the first five games of the 2012 season.
–WR Titus Davis, who caught 43 passes for 863 yards and a team-best eight touchdowns in 2012, is expected to return for his junior year. Davis missed the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl game after being suspended for violating team rules.
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