PoopyRhinoPickle

Yep:

I like following IRL realignment.

Lotsa redshirts for these guys. Sign of a good roster.

2024 MAC All-Conference Teams Offensive Player of the Year: QB Jeremy McNitt, Toledo, (Sr) Co-Defensive Players of the Year: ILB Avery Gonzalez, Akron, Sr AND DT Tyler Winslow, Buffalo, Sr Freshman of the Year: DT Jasper Chunk, Bowling Green, (Fr) All-MAC 1st Team QB: Jeremy McNitt, Toledo, (Sr)* RB: Zach Graterol, Bowling Green, Sr* RB: Jamarco Woods, Northern Illinois, Sr* WR: Justin Saffold, Toledo, Sr* WR: Dario Lindsay, Ball State, (Jr) WR: Romeo Ford, Kent State, Sr TE: Bam Hunter, Toledo, Sr OL: Jose Mazzoni, Central Michigan, Sr* OL: Jordan Marte, Bowling Green, (Sr)* OL: Jamil Goodrum, Central Michigan, Sr* OL: Reggie Kennedy, Miami (OH), Sr OL: David Perez, Central Michigan, Sr DL: Tyler Winslow, Buffalo, Sr* DL: Jake Cuthbert, Bowling Green, (Sr)* DL: Will Lee, Western Michigan, Sr DL: Reggie Newton, Buffalo, Sr LB: Robertson Moore, Western Michigan, Sr* LB: Avery Gonzalez, Akron, Sr LB: Matt Nieto, Ohio, Sr LB: Drew Parsons, Central Michigan, Sr DB: Nate Walker IV, Ball State, Sr DB: Duke Gwacham, Kent State, Sr DB: Donald Dingus, Bowling Green, Jr DB: Ryan Herget, Central Michigan, Sr K: T.Y. Bisnowaty, Central Michigan, Sr P: Julio Fuller, Ohio, Sr *Unanimous 1st Team selections All-MAC 2nd Team QB: Scott Romero, Ball State, (Jr) RB: Andy Cooper, Central Michigan, Sr RB: Christopher Merritt, Toledo, Sr WR: Lorenzo Whalen, Western Michigan, (Sr) WR: Bradley Castro, Buffalo, Sr WR: Chase Brown, Ohio, Sr TE: MarQueis Travis, Buffalo, Sr OL: Akrum Gonzalez, Northern Illinois, Sr OL: Deontae Reedy, Akron, Sr OL: Deolis Francisco, Central Michigan, Sr OL: Gordon Gamboa, Akron, Sr OL: Lavon Iribarren, Toledo, (Jr) DL: Jasper Chunk, Bowling Green, (Fr) DL: Pasoni Lanning, Buffalo, Sr DL: David Squicciarini, Ohio, Fr DL: Erik LeCure, Ohio, (Jr) LB: Corey Noteboom, Ball State, Jr LB: Mackensie Thornburg, Northern Illinois, Sr LB: Jaeden Thames, Buffalo, Sr LB: Michael Mata, Ohio, (Jr) DB: Omari Stanley, Western Michigan, (Jr) DB: Chris Neasman, Northern Illinois, Sr DB: Joshua Martin, Miami (OH), Sr DB: Pat Bormann, Central Michigan, Sr K: Hroniss Wells, Toledo, (Sr) P: Leonard Godchaux, Toledo, Sr All-MAC 3rd Team QB: Travis Kingery, Bowling Green, (Jr) RB: Leon III Chapman, Ball State, (Sr) RB: David Ponce de Leon, Western Michigan, (Jr) WR: Kenneth De Jesus, Bowling Green, (So) WR: Pedro Shuck, Buffalo, Sr WR: Nicky Graveman, Northern Illinois, Sr TE: Cole Lillard, Ball State, (Jr) OL: David Hollins, Northern Illinois, Sr OL: D.J. White, Ohio, Jr OL: John Urias, Buffalo, Sr OL: Rajai Smith, Kent State, Sr OL: Don Williamson, Bowling Green, (Jr) DL: Datone Dozier, Akron, Sr DL: Nick Randolph, Akron, Jr DL: Ricky Marte, Ball State, (Jr) DL: Ryan Patmon, Northern Illinois, Sr LB: Joseph Lucas, Kent State, Jr LB: JT Jungmann, Toledo, Sr LB: Zach Morrow, Eastern Michigan, Sr LB: Eddy Rodgers, Buffalo, Jr DB: Darius McLemore, Northern Illinois, Sr DB: Dayan Holley, Ohio, (Jr) DB: Justin Hernandez, Kent State, Jr DB: Mychal Navarro, Akron, Jr K: Evan Carter, Bowling Green, (So) P: Deone Musa, Eastern Michigan, Jr Honorable Mentions: Akron: TE Deon Rosario, DT Jarell Sandoval, P Jen-Ho Decker; Ball State: DT Justin Fields, OLB Monte Morris, CB Tommy Murphy, K Alex Parker; Bowling Green: WR Ross Carter, OT Whitney Johnson, ILB Evan Mangen, CB Jake Bergen; Buffalo: FS Harry Chivington; Central Michigan: QB Cedric Marrero, CB Adrian Toilolo; Eastern Michigan: DE Ryan Johnson, ILB Peter Riley, FS Craig Hernandez, K P.J. Wilk; Kent State: ILB Sean Rondo; Miami (OH): RB Roy Clark, OT Chris Pettis, OT Evan Jernigan, DT Brad Price, ILB Jordan Jenkins; Northern Illinois: DE David Clark, OLB Kevin Eatmon, P Daniel Bennett; Ohio: RB Mike Darr, OT Nick Diarse, DT Maxx Segedin; Toledo: WR DeAngelo Frankoff, DT Cory Smith, ILB J.C. Davis, SS Rodney Gotsis; Western Michigan: WR Myles Osich, OLB Seantrel Garate, SS Timothy Khan Thank you to all the coaches who voted! @Jieret @Ape @npklemm @Rocketcan

Whoa whoa whoa. Big talk from someone who’s never beaten bowling green.

Looks like not all stats from Week 11 games were uploaded to the interface. Our QB Timothy Bush had stats in the game against Akron: But they aren't in the weekly stats:

i gave this a fire emoji because you used the word cromulent

I put this in the interface feedback thread but thought I'd put it here as well. Player injured in game for just a half but will miss the next week as well: This 2nd photo is after the weekly sync:

OT Don Williamson was injured for a half but shows up in depth chart and injury report as out for 2 weeks: Also: RB Zach Graterol was injured for the game but shows up in the depth chart and injury report as out for a week:

Approved for Buffalo, feel free to reach out for questions regarding gameplanning or the interface. Speaking of the interface I'm pretty sure Tuscan already approved you for it. WELCOME TO THE BEST CONFERENCE.

UCLA vs Indiana is listed as a non-conference game but it is a conference game nowadays.

Bowling Green Falcons Seeking Invite Week 1A - Open Week 1B - at SMU Week 2A - Tulane Week 2B - at UCI Week 3A - Baylor @Vivid Week 3B - Open Week 4A - Open Week 4B - Open Week 5A - Open Week 5B - Open Need 6 games (3 away, 3 home)

Buffalo vs Missouri's Week 0 game is attributed as a conference game and incorrectly shows up in the standings as such:

When we export game results can we get the box score included with the play by play. Scraping stats from the interface isn’t the easiest.

From Week 1 Spring Game between Bowling Green and SMU: Kickoff is caught at the 1 and returned 16 yards then the next play takes place at the 23 yard line. The next kickoff appears to be off as well: Tackles recorded and yards lost/gained on incomplete passes: Offensive holding call results in replaying the down:

it was using pistol

Currently on the gameplan page, when I try to enter a value that is not acceptable (such as weighting a formation '51') the screen goes blank

Let's do what they do IRL where we do away with limiting a recruiting class size to any number and just set the overall roster scholarship limit at 85.

Welcome @Traith Kreios to the MAC! You're approved for Ohio. It's a great time to join as spring games and the season are just around the corner. I'd highly recommend frequently checking our discord to stay up to date on conversations and updates. You'll need to create an account on the interface using your same username and apply for the Ohio CFB job. I'd also recommend looking through the latest dev diaries for assistance on all things interface, gameplan, recruiting, etc: https://www.simfba.com/forum/18-dev-diary/ For more information about how to set up your team and recruit, etc., check out this Google Doc and I would also recommend skimming through some of the more recent dev diaries. SimFBA New Member Instructions Feel free to reach out to myself or any mentors if you have any questions. @Kirby will update your avatar.

Croot - Donor First Name: Nat Last Name: Turner Position: CB Archetype: Ball Hawk Height: 6' 3" Weight: 195 Hometown: Perrysburg High School: Perrysburg High School State: Ohio Croot - Media First Name: Charles Last Name: Tinner Position: OLB Archetype: Speed Height: 6' 2" Weight: 235 Hometown: Fremont High School: Fremont Ross High School State: Ohio

For this post I'm going to be ranking the top 3 MAC schools at each position group. The most important factor in my rankings is how good the current projected starters are, but I also gave weight to how the rest of the room looks, aka do they have depth and/or good young players coming up. I'm not listing every player in that position group, just those that I see as relevant to my rankings. Also, all rankings are based on the idea that none of the players will declare early. QUARTERBACKS 1. Bowling Green Name Year Stars Overall Potential Travis Kingery (Jr) 4 A A- Melvin Velasquez (So) 4 B C+ Christopher Cannon (Fr) 4 C C+ Nothing but blue chips here. Kingery is the top returning QB in the conference and he has 2 years left. He was 2nd Team All-MAC last season and the top returning QB in terms of passing yards and TDs. Behind him is a capable young backup in Velasquez, who will be hoping to get some snaps this season. Add in Cannon and the future of the offense will be in good hands for the Falcons. Kingery Farms FTW. 2. Ball State Scott Romero (Jr) 4 A B+ Fernando Woods (So) 3 C+ C+ Kevin Johnson Fr 4 C B Like Kingery, Romero has 2 seasons of eligibility left and @npklemm has to be very excited about it. He threw for over 3,500 yards in 2023 and was 2nd in the conference in completion percentage. Going into his 3rd season as the starter Romero will be looking to take Ball State to the next level. I'm assuming Johnson will get a redshirt this year, making Woods the backup. Both Woods and Johnson are scramblers, as opposed to Romero who is a Pocket QB so Ball State will be hoping Woods only sees the field in garbage time. Given the different archetypes of the future don't be surprised to see the Cardinals change offensive schemes, but Johnson will be a good one. 3. Western Michigan David Ponce de Leon (Jr) 4 A- B+ OG Torres (Sr) 3 B+ B- Willie Robinson (Fr) 4 B B+ This is kind of a weird group but there's still a lot of talent there and they easily have the best names. Ponce de Leon played at RB last season but we all know that @Jieret doesn't believe in running the ball so he didn't see a lot of touches. It'll be interesting to see what his role will be in 2024. OG Torres couldn't stop flinging the ball around last season but I don't think the Broncos were too happy with his efficiency. Does that open the door for young stud Willie Robinson? WMU may have a bit of a QB battle in spring ball this year. RUNNING BACKS/FULLBACKS 1. Bowling Green Name Year Stars Overall Potential Zach Graterol Sr 3 A- B Ryan Cabinda (Sr) 4 A- C Oscar Hand (FB) (Jr) 3 B+ B Taylor Brinkley (So) 4 B C- Todd Marriott Fr 4 C B- Myong Santo So 3 C B+ RB was a bit of a mixed bag for Bowling Green in 2023. Due to injuries to the normal starter, Graterol started just 7 games in 2023 but still managed over 1,100 scrimmage yards and 14 TDs. Cabinda has largely had a disappointing career but he will likely see an increase in snaps and carries in 2024. Brinkley has been a return specialist so far in his 2 seasons playing in Bowling Green, once Graterol and Cabinda graduate expect him to become The Guy. 2. Central Michigan Jalyn Farley (FB) Sr 3 A- A- Jayson Artis-Payne Sr 3 B+ B Andy Cooper Sr 3 B+ B Tyler Jaime Jr 3 B- A Charles Wilson So 3 C B+ This room is just begging for a coach to redshirt someone. Historically, Central Michigan has always had a workhorse back, with a different RB running for over 1,600 yards and 10 TDs every season of the sim so far. Things might be a bit different this year as it could be more of a RB-by-committee, but with a new scrambling QB for the Chippewas look for them to still run the ball. Artis-Payne ran for over 300 yards last season so he has some experience. They should still be ok for a couple seasons with Jaime and Wilson, but like the rest of Central Michigan's roster, it's going to fall off hard soon. 3. Miami (OH) Roy Clark Sr 4 A B Marcus Belnome (FB) Sr 3 B C+ Caleb Andriese Jr 3 B- B Sam Taylor Fr 4 C B- Roy Clark is huge for this room. The speedy RB had almost 900 yards rushing and over 800 yards receiving, totaling 15 total TDs in 2023. Miami's offense will look vastly different in the upcoming season though. Offensive Player of the Year QB Randy Weiser is gone and will likely be replaced by scrambling QB JC Shroder. What does that mean for Clark? Probably more carries. Andriese will make an adequate starter for a season while Taylor develops and becomes a multiyear starter. WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS 1. Western Michigan Name Year Stars Overall Potential Lorenzo Whalen (Sr) 3 A C Myles Osich Sr 3 B+ D+ Caleb Jackson (TE) (Jr) 3 B+ B+ Chris Portis (Jr) 2 B B+ Eli Madison (So) 4 B C+ MarShon Bohanon Jr 3 B- C+ Rayan Brate (TE) (So) 3 C+ A- Shane Morris Fr 4 C C+ James Whitcomb (TE) (Fr) 4 C C David Pause (TE) Fr 3 C A An incredible room from top to bottom. Whalen is an example of good roster management from Jieret. The 3 star was redshirted then proceeded to have 1,000 yard seasons in both 2022 and 2023 and is currently 9th all-time in MAC receiving yards, needing 1,200 to become the all-time leader. Osich had over 300 yards receiving last year, look for him to see a big jump in targets this season. In the past TE hasn't gotten much action at WMU but Jackson returns as a starter and the position appears to have been a recruiting priority for the staff, we'll see if there's more productivity there in the future. Remember the name Eli Madison, he'll likely be the next Western Michigan WR to light up box scores for multiple years to come. 2. Kent State Romeo Ford Sr 4 A- D Jimmie Ford Sr 3 A- B Alex Thompson Jr 4 B C David Robinson (TE) Sr 3 B C- Colton Wisler Jr 3 B B- Timmy Hikutini Jr 3 B- B Akrum Law (TE) Jr 3 C+ C+ George Campus Fr 3 C B+ Kent State makes a rare appearance with a really good group of receivers. Unfortunately for all those Golden Flashes fans out there, I worry that these players won't see out their full potential. Kent State has never had anyone reach 600 receiving yards in a season and neither of the Ford cousins nor Thompson has recorded a reception in their careers (but Hikutini has?). On top of that, Kent State will likely have the worst overall starting QB in the MAC with 2 star senior, B- overall James Kivlehan. He is a pocket QB so look for speedy Romeo and Thompson to stretch defenses and it wouldn't surprise me if some Kent State records for passing or receiving yards are broken this year. With all due respect, that isn't saying much though. Even when this senior class graduates they'll be set up well next year. 3. Bowling Green Ross Carter Sr 3 A- C+ Kenneth De Jesus (So) 4 B+ C+ Caleb Sierra (TE) (So) 4 B C+ Nick Shittu (TE) (Jr) 3 B C Gary Vandyke So 3 B C+ Frank Hernande (Fr) 4 B C+ Richard Allgier (Fr) 4 B B- Irvin Barlow (TE) (Fr) 4 B C+ Donald Hairston Fr 4 C B- Frank Tilghman Fr 3 C B+ This is another receiver room with a lot of talent but it is very young and inexperienced. Bowling Green has to replace a lot of production with their top 3 receivers all graduating. Carter is the leading returning receiver here with over 500 career receiving yards, but outside of that there isn't much in terms of production. Sierra and Shittu will fight it out in preseason for the #1 TE spot, I suspect Sierra has the inside track given Sierra saw more time last year. The battle for WR3 will be hotly contested and could likely depend on who's the best scheme fit. In 2 season look for this to be a scary group. OFFENSIVE LINE 1. Ball State Name Year Stars Overall Potential Joaqin Williams (OT) Sr 4 A B+ Davontae Kaser (OG) Sr 4 A C+ John Nunez (OT) So 5 A A- Rob McNichols (C) (Sr) 3 B+ C+ Branden Bowanko (OT) (Sr) 2 B+ A Chad Coleman (OT) Jr 4 B+ C- Taylor Nugent (OT) (So) 3 B- B Brett Federowicz (OT) (So) 3 B- B Austin Williams (OG) (So) 3 C+ B+ Yi Xiao (OT) So 3 C B The top 6 lineman here are very strong and we'll probably see multiple of them in the NFL. I know scouts have to be salivating over John Nunez as a prospect. 4 of them are balanced as well, allowing for some flexibility in scheme. My only concern with the group is that it's pretty OT heavy as a whole, leaving one to wonder what the plan is at OG. This isn't even half of Ball State's offensive lineman with npklemm pulling in four 3 stars in the most recent class. They'll lose a lot after this season but it's still going to be a good line going forward. 2. Bowling Green Jordan Marte (OT) (Sr) 3 A A Don Williamson (OT) (Jr) 4 A C+ Bam Lamp (OG) Jr 4 A- D+ Bennie Daniels (OG) (Jr) 3 A- B Khalid Davis (C) (So) 4 B C+ Whitney Johnson (OT) (So) 4 B C+ Frank Berman (OG) (Fr) 4 B C David Flores (OG) (Fr) 4 B C+ Richard Chung (OT) (Fr) 4 B C+ Douglas Springsteen (C) Fr 4 C A- Alexander Hahn (OT) (Fr) 3 C A- Another very good starting lineup, just lacking the top end depth that Ball State has. Marte is looking to play in the NFL next season and will be a solid RT option. Bam Lamp will have the opportunity to go down in Bowling Green history as the only offensive lineman to start all 4 years straight out of high school. It's looking like that feat won't be duplicated any time soon with the depth the Falcons are building and only 1 player set to graduate from this group. 3. Ohio Trey Leamon (C) Sr 4 A C Ronald Gould (OT) Sr 4 A- C- Nick Diarse (OT) (Sr) 2 B+ B+ Tony Hoyt (OT) (Jr) 2 B A- DJ White (OG) Jr 3 B C+ Daniel Martin (OG) Sr 2 B B Jose Necoechea (OT) So 4 B B- Gregory Fuller (OT) Fr 4 C B+ This is a group that has made the most of very little and will have benefitted from a couple early redshirts. Leamon and Gould are really good options on any offensive line, we'll see if the Bobcats continue to run the ball like they have in the past, going against Gould's pass blocking archetype. I don't think they'll collectively improve for quite a while after this season given the plethora of 1 and 2 star recruits on the roster, but they have a couple bright spots to look forward to in Necoechea and Fuller. Look for Western Michigan to jump into this ranking in the very near future, bringing in a lot of talent the last couple seasons. DEFENSIVE LINE 1. Bowling Green Name Year Stars Overall Potential Jake Cuthbert (DE) (Sr) 3 A B Jasper Chunk (DT) (Fr) 5 A B+ Damontae Lim (DE) Sr 4 A- C ArDarius Tiller (DT) Sr 3 B+ C Ty Ivie (DE) (So) 4 B+ B Michael Findlay (DE) (Fr) 4 B C+ Luis Seumalo (DT) (So) 3 B- B+ Ray Wise (DE) Fr 4 C A- Paul Riggs (DE) Fr 3 C A- Both starting DEs return for Bowling Green while freshman Jasper Chunk looks to replace MAC Defensive Player of the Year and potential 1st round draft pick Phillip Bell at DT. DE Lim will be a 4 year starter and is looking to extend his lead as the MAC's all-time sack leader after compiling 15.5 in his first 3 years. It remains to be seen if the Falcons will utilize a 3 or 4 man front but they have some good depth pieces on the roster and multiple talented, young blue chip players looking to step up and contribute. 2. Buffalo Reggie Newton (DE) Sr 4 A C+ Tyler Winslow (DT) Sr 4 A B Roberto Mercado (DT) So 3 B C+ Joey Duffy (DE) Sr 3 B B Reid Altavilla (DE) Jr 3 B- C+ Michael Luck (DT) Fr 3 C C+ Like Lim above, Newton will be a 4 year starter and brought his productivity up a level in 2023, recording 5.5 sacks. Newton and Winslow form a menacing pairing on the D line and will look to wreak havoc on MAC QBs in 2024 as both are rushers. Tackling machine ILB Justin White graduated so I think Buffalo will be looking for their D Line to make more plays, relying on their LBs less than before. Like Ohio's O Line, I think this will be the best D Line that Buffalo will have for a while. 3. Western Michigan Will Lee (DE) Sr 3 B+ C+ Nick Gosselin (DE) (Jr) 3 B+ C Jordan Rosales (DE) (Sr) 2 B A- Brian Barea (DE) (So) 4 B C Wesley Reed (DT) So 4 B C Sebastian Perez (DT) (Jr) 2 B B Denard Mattheus (DT) (So) 3 B B+ Steve Ricco (DE) So 4 B C Cole Stewart (DE) (So) 3 C+ B+ Andrew Wolff (DT) (Fr) 3 C A- Western Michigan earned their spot here because of the depth of talent that they have coming into the season. They have a lot to replace, losing 2 starters to graduation, but Will Lee was 1st Team All-MAC in 2023, will be a 3 year starter and is 2nd all-time in MAC sacks with 14 in 2 years as a starter. Jieret doesn't have much of an option other than trusting his youth with only 2 seniors and 3 juniors out of 15 total defensive lineman. Only losing 2 players after this season means this line will be a force to reckon with for years to come. LINEBACKERS 1. Western Michigan Name Year Stars Overall Potential Seantrel Garate (OLB) Jr 5 A C Robertson Moore (ILB) Sr 4 A A- Adam Ingram (ILB) (Jr) 2 B A Austin Chatwood (OLB) (Jr) 2 B- A David Hartshorn (OLB) Fr 4 C B- Ronald Fennell (ILB) Fr 4 C B Anthony Reevey (OLB) Fr 4 C C Robert Roe (ILB) Fr 3 C A- The Broncos have 2 HIGH impact players at this level of the defense. Both Garate and Moore were 1st Team All-MAC in 2023 with Robertson setting a WMU record with 100 total tackles along with 23 TFLs and Garate recording 13 sacks in just 2 seasons (good for 5th all-time in MAC). With only Robertson graduating it transitions perfectly for Jieret's incredible linebacker class he brought in this year. Looks like it's at least 5 more years of good linebacker play in Kalamazoo. 2. Bowling Green Evan Mangen (ILB) Sr 4 A C+ Leyson Escobar (OLB) (Jr) 3 B+ A Zach Guzman (OLB) (So) 4 B C Raffy Kahnle (OLB) (So) 4 B C+ Kenneth Buchanan (ILB) (Fr) 4 B C+ Bahman Downs (ILB) (Fr) 4 B A- Norman Jones (OLB) (Fr) 4 C C Mangen will be 4 year starter and go down as one of the Bowling Green greats. He's currently 2nd all-time in MAC tackles and 3rd all-time in MAC TFLs, battling Toledo ILB JT Jungmann (see below) for both records. Escobar, another returning 1st Team All-MAC player, led the conference in sacks last season with 9, tying a conference season record. After them there are position battles to be had, with playing time likely dependent on scheme fits. Coaches are looking for the young players in this group to grow and make a big jump for next season. 3. Toledo JT Jungmann (ILB) Sr 4 A C+ Seunghwan Lambert (OLB) Sr 3 B+ B- Zack Janikowski (OLB) (Sr) 2 B C+ JC Davis (ILB) (Jr) 2 B- B+ Kelechi Carpenter (OLB) Jr 3 B- A Brian Woodyard (ILB) Jr 3 B- A Mark Schoene (OLB) So 3 C B- Ernest Bolte (ILB) Fr 3 C A As mentioned above Jungmann will probably go down as a MAC record holder in multiple statistics, starting all 4 years at Toledo. He's a 3-time All-MAC player (1st team in 2022, 2023, 2nd team in 2021) and has been one of the few bright spots for the losingest program in MAC history. Toledo has some pieces to have their best season ever so you'd like to see Jungmann go out having a little success. Other than him Lambert should be able to make an impact on the game in his first chance to start. The Rockets have a couple high ceiling players in Carpenter and Woodyard, you'd imagine coaches want to see them start putting production on the field at this point in their careers. CORNERBACKS 1. Bowling Green Name Year Stars Overall Potential Donald Dingus Jr 5 A A- Jace Light (Jr) 3 B+ B- Jake Bergen (Jr) 3 B+ B- Richie O'Malley (So) 4 B+ C+ Scott Brewer (Fr) 4 B C+ Jason Keene (Fr) 4 B C+ Donald Dingus took a small step back his sophomore season, but still had 5 interceptions, giving him 14 in his career, good enough for 1st all-time in the MAC. He's totaled over 100 career tackles in those 2 seasons so he's shown he's willing to come up and make a tackle as well. Look for him to line up against any WR1 the Falcons play. Light and Bergen both have experience at nickel corner, look for them to compete with O'Malley for the CB2 spot in what will surely be a fierce competition. No seniors and talented, young depth rates this group as one of the best in the country going forward. 2. Western Michigan Omari Stanley (Jr) 4 A C Michael Gonzalez (So) 3 B A Scott Kottaras Sr 2 B C+ Preston Richburg Jr 3 B- C+ Ryan Topping Fr 4 C C+ Henry Hyman (Fr) 3 C B Omari Stanley has quietly emerged as one of the best CBs in the conference. He'll be entering his 3rd season as a starter, recording 5 picks and 81 tackles up to this point. Gonzalez also played a lot last year so there is plenty of returning experience at CB for the Broncos. All the top CBs here match up scheme-wise which gives the group an advantage over some other CB rooms out there. I think Jieret would like to have a little more depth here but as long as there aren't any injuries there shouldn't be any problems. With only Kottaras graduating there's a bright future for the group. 3. Ohio Dayan Holley (Jr) 4 A B Javarius Jones (Sr) 2 B C+ Arthur Embrey So 4 B C John Baron Jr 3 B- B- Tyler Thompson So 3 C C+ Gerard Sewell Fr 3 C C Ohio has a very similar CB group to WMU but schematically the Bobcats are all over the place. Dayan Holley continues the tradition of Ohio lockdown CBs following in the footsteps of Jonathan Parks, who figures to be a 1st round draft pick this year. Holley started the 2 previous seasons but has yet to record an interception so he will be looking to increase his productivity in the future. Embrey could be one of the breakout players this season if he can win the CB2 role. SAFETIES 1. Northern Illinois Name Year Stars Overall Potential Chris Neasman (FS) Sr 4 A C+ Darius McLemore (SS) Sr 4 A C+ Greer Howard (SS) Jr 3 B- B- Daniel Kovacs (FS) Fr 3 C C+ Northern Illinois easily has the best starting safety pairing in the conference and one of the best in the entire country. Both Neasman and McLemore will be 3 year starters and they play off each other very well with Neasman recording 5 interceptions in his career and McLemore showing he can come up and stuff the run, recording 11 TFLs through his career. If either need a breather look for junior Greer Howard to spell them and be the starter after this season. Coach @Ape has done well to take over a depleted roster, look for more talent to be brought in. 2. Bowling Green Austin Pena (SS) Jr 4 A- C+ Ray-Ray Williams (SS) (Sr) 3 B+ C+ Spencer Taylor (FS) (So) 4 B C Michael Puig (FS) (So) 4 B D+ Krishna LaBrie (FS) Fr 4 C B+ Phillip Quiton (SS) Fr 4 C C Christopher Mason (FS) So 3 C B Pena has shown an incredible nose for the ball in his 2 seasons as a starter, recording 134 total tackles, 4 interceptions, 3 FFs and 4 FRs. The 2023 3rd Team All-MAC selection, along with redshirt senior Ray-Ray Williams, will look to lead a young group of safeties this year. What's going to happen at the FS position remains to be seen. Will Williams make the switch or will Taylor or Puig step up? This is what spring camp is made for to figure these things out. LaBrie and Quiton will likely redshirt to round the group out. 3. Western Michigan Vernon Wilber (FS) (Sr) 2 B+ B Bradley Richar (FS) Sr 3 B+ C+ Timothy Khan (SS) Fr 5 B B- Pat Gant (SS) Sr 2 B C Brandon Eckerman (FS) (Fr) 4 B B- Francis Deng (FS) Jr 3 B- C+ Western Michigan lost a couple 1st Team All-MAC safeties in Dallas Maulet and D'Montre Davis to graduation, so there's a lot to replace here. Jieret has a lot of decisions to make regarding his safeties. Who's going to start at FS? Does he want to go with experience at SS or throw the highly touted true freshman in and let him figure it out? Fortunately he has some time and spring games to figure it out. Knowing his history of starting OLB Garate as a true freshman, it wouldn't surprise me to see Khan starting this season. SPECIAL TEAMS 1. Western Michigan Name Year Stars Overall Potential Duke Lotulelei (K) (Jr) 3 B+ B- Devon Casellanos (P) Sr 3 B C- Deon Golson (P) (So) 3 C+ C+ Alejandro Rivera (K) Fr 4 C B- Phan Dighe (P) Fr 4 C C+ It's safe to say WMU is one of the few MAC teams to prioritize special teams recruiting. Lotulelei converted just 50% of his FGs last season so Jieret will want to see improvement there. Casellanos enters his first season as a starter and is one of the most accurate punters in the conference. Rivera and Dighe make up half of the blue chip special teamers in the MAC. 2. Eastern Michigan PJ Wilk (K) Sr 3 B+ C- Deone Musa (P) Jr 3 B A+ Edwin Orona (P) So 3 C C Matthew White (K) Fr 3 C B Musa will be a 3 year starter this season after an impressive 2023 campaign, averaging almost 54 yards per punt. PJ Wilk is another first year player at kicker, but he has a cannon for a leg, hopefully his accuracy proves serviceable. 3. Central Michigan TY Bisnowaty (K) Sr 3 A- B Richard Durrance (P) Fr 3 C C The Chippewas made this list because of the return of Bisnowaty. The 3rd Team All-MAC kicker went 26 of 36 for FGs in 2023 so, especially with CMU's offense taking a step back, look for Bisnowaty to attempt quite a few FGs this season. Durrance was an important pickup in the offseason seeing as the next best option is D overall Crispin Fiorentino.

PoopyRhinoPickle Bowling Green

*Note: I asked these questions to my fiancé and asked her to answer them as my QB Travis Kingery. I gave her some context regarding players but everything else is her. 10 Questions with Bowling Green QB Travis Kingery "They can say 'oh that's just a candy bar' and next thing you know you miss the next 2 catches." You redshirted and sat a couple years behind Dexter Reed, what was that experience like? I mean it was real tough, during breaks I went back home and help my family with our farm, Kingery Farms, pulling up cabbage and cauliflower and beets. I spent a lot of time just eating lots of vegetables and trying to stay in top physical shape to be ready and prepared. What was it like in your first full season starting? It was quite amazing, we have a great team who works hard, plays hard and studies hard. I think the guys really enjoy me bringing in veggies from the family farm. We built up a real family feeling, I'm looking forward to another season with these men. You're from Addison TX, how much of an adjustment was it coming from a big city like Dallas to Bowling Green, OH? You know they aren't wrong, everything is bigger in Texas and Kingery Farms is a massive farm in Texas. I think it helped to open a new market in Bowling Green where they don't have access to as large of a farm as Kingery Farms so we can have our veggies stocked in refrigerators across the country. You lost a couple of great receivers in Jordan Suter and Nick Fields, how can the WRs you have in the room now replace their productivity? They were very good players but I think who we have now will be great as well, if not better. They work just as hard and they have Kingery Farms veggies stocked in their fridge so I think they can exceed what we've done in the past. It's looking like there will be a change in offensive scheme from last year to this season, what can Falcon fans expect to see from their offense? They can expect to see speed, attack, ball catching, you name it we can do it. We're working really hard and we are ready to hit every defense with something they've never seen before. What has it been like learning from coach PoopyRhinoPickle? You know my mans Poopy is a one of a kind dude, he doesn't coach much, he inspires. He inspires players to eat and bulk up from Kingery Farms. He puts our health on the forefront and he cares. This experience has been nothing short of amazing. What are you goals for this season? My personal goals are to never give in to unhealthy foods, because that can really slow a person down. They can say "oh that's just a candy bar" and next thing you know you miss the next 2 catches. So I'm never going to give in, I'm going to keep bulking up on vegetables from Kingery Farms and I'm going to keep holding my team accountable. My team goals are: I want my team to really remember to hold each other accountable. Something I realize we've been lacking is accountability. When we're out doing homework or in the cafe and we see our teammate go into the fried food bar we don't say hey bro that's not gonna help us so I want to make sure my team knows how important accountability is. Do you see yourself in the NFL someday? Oh absolutely 100% because I am driven, I am built for this. I spent my life getting ready for this and I definitely take pride in my health and, knock on wood, I haven't been injured because of the healthy food and produce I get from Kingery Farms, and without Kingery Farms I wouldn't be where I am today. You have to practice throwing every day against Donald Dingus, has going up against the best of the best helped to make you better? Oh 100%, my man Donald, we make each other better, me being badass and him being badass *phew* those other teams better be fearful because we're going hard this season. What do you see yourself doing far into the future after you retire from football? Well I'll definitely take care of Kingery Farms, my goal is to expand to sell produce nationally, that's the goal, we're real popular in Texas and here in Bowling Green, I really want Kingery Farms to thrive and bring health and wellness across the country. Hormone free, no GMOs.

I appreciate the generous grade. I probably should have targeted more 5 stars, if I would have known I'd strike out on so many of my initial targets then I probably would have. A couple of the 4 stars should be pretty good by the time they hit the field but for most of these players it'll be a long time before that happens (barring injuries!).

A damn shame really.