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The next in our series looking at the potential 2019 depth chart brings us to the linebackers. This position boasts a lot of experience and could definetly be a real battle to see who gets the 4 starting nods. No matter what I would expect to see a healthy amount of rotation and a lot of guys see the field. Buut this column is supposed to be our best guesses at the starters so here is my stab in the dark.
Starters
- Addison Gumbs
- Avery Roberts
- Hamilcar Rashed Jr.
- Andrzej Hughes-Murray
Again this is a total stab in the dark. I strongly weighed putting Shemar Smith and Isaiah Tufaga in there as well. Gumbs will likely be the the biggest pass rusher on the team and could end up lining up at the defensive end position as well. Avery Roberts was highly recruited to Nebraska before transferring to OSU. Rashed and Hughes-Murray are orange and black veterans at this point and will rely on their experience to give them a leg up on some of the newcomers.
Rotation player who could end up taking a starting spot
- Shemar Smith
- Isaiah Tufaga
- Matthew Tago
- Omar Speights
- John McCartan
- Doug Taumoelau
Honestly I wouldn’t be surprised if any one of these guys steals a starting spot. With the exception of the highly rated freshman newcomer in Speights, all of them have a lot of experience including several games started among them. Let’s just say Trent Bray has a lot of options to find his best four from.
Likely special teamers and development players
- Luke Loennig
- Riley Sharp
- Ryan Franke
- Michael Erhart
- Jackson Cloyd
- Cade Brownholtz
- Kade Hustler
Loennig has the most experience having seen a solid amount of time on special teams while Sharp saw the field in four games last year while still preserving his redshirt. Franke, Erhart, Cloyd, Borwnholtz and Hustler are both new to the squad and will likely redshirt this year unless they really impress in fall camp.
Conclusion
The addition of Roberts and Gumbs as well another year in the system for the veteran Beavs leads me to believe this group will be one of, if not the, most improved position groups on the field for Jonathan Smith. I expect a heavy rotation of players, especially early in the season, as the coaching staff tries to figure out which guys will give the team the best chance on Saturdays.