NCAA Football Preview - Arkansas State Red Wolves
Sports Network | August 11, 2008
"Corey (Leonard) had a tremendous year last year and we expect greater things from him this fall. He has started since his freshman year and has continually gotten better. He is one of the leaders of our team and we look for him to do some great things from the quarterback position."
Leonard will be without his top wideout and two-time all-league choice Levi Dejohnette, but there are still plenty of options available down field. Junior Brandon Tompkins and senior Kevin Jones combined for 59 grabs last season and they will be two of the team's primary targets this time around.
In the backfield, Reggie Arnold is set to pursue a third straight 1,000-yard campaign, although he missed out on spring practice following shoulder surgery. The 5-9, 220-pound junior with 4.3 speed averaged an impressive 6.5 yards per carry last season and ranked third in the conference in rushing touchdowns with nine. Arnold is certainly going to need his elusiveness this season, as ASU returns just one starter on the offensive line in 6-3, 300- pounder Matt Mandich.
DEFENSE: With the loss of six four-year starters on defense, ASU will turn to several juco transfers in the hopes of getting production right away. The cupboard though, isn't exactly bare and Roberts believes his reserves from last year can step up in 2008.
"Defensively, we are returning some good players who have continued to get better this offseason. I am extremely excited about this season and can't wait to get started."
Up front, there is certainly room for improvement, as the Red Wolves ranked last in the Sun Belt in sacks and TFLs in 2007. Junior Alex Carrington and senior Brian Flagg combined for 82 tackles and 10.5 TFLs a season ago, but they will need to improve greatly on their combined 2.5 sacks in order to take some of the pressure off the rest of the unit.
At linebacker, Ben Owens is a talented guy and he is expected to anchor the defense. The 6-2, 223-pound senior ranked third on the team with 96 tackles last season and his superior speed and range will surely help slow down opposing attacks. Sophomore Javon McKinnon made 41 tackles as a starter last season, but lacked consistency.
In the secondary, the Red Wolves not only need to replace one of the SBC's top safety tandems in Tyrell Johnson and Khayyam Burns, but they also must find two new starting corners. A trio of juco transfers in Cordarious Mingo, Walter Moody and Leroy Trahan will surely see time on the outside, while senior Dominique Williams and junior Daylan Walker are expected to be the starters. Junior Evan Van Dolah and sophomore M.D. Jennings have big shoes to fill at the safety positions and there is plenty of confidence they can get the job done. Van Dolah racked up 31 tackles and two sacks last season, while Jennings posted 26 stops and an interception in a reserve role.
SPECIAL: The Red Wolves should have an edge when it comes to special teams as they return their starting kicker, punter and return specialists. Punter Brent Shrable averaged 41.7 yards per punt last season to rank second in the conference, while kicker Josh Arauco connected on 15-of-23 field goal attempts. As for the return game, Kevin Jones averaged 11.5 yards per punt return last season, while Brandon Thompkins posted 21.7 yards per kick return.
OUTLOOK: The two biggest concerns for Arkansas State this season will be the play of its offensive line and secondary. The Red Wolves have talent on both sides of the ball, but if they are unable to protect the quarterback and stop opposing pass attacks they could be in for a long campaign. A somewhat favorable schedule will certainly help ASU, although it will still have to win some games on the road in order to compete for a bowl bid.
