Page 22 - Toledo Football Media Guide - 2012

22 2012 OUTLOOK

is expected to play a much bigger role on the team. The leading candidate at left tackle is sophomore Josh Hendershot , who saw extensive action in 2011 and could also play guard. Two other top candidates for playing time at tackle are a pair of redshirt freshmen,

Ethan Wirth and Colin Perchinske .

T h e c omp e t i t i o n at guard will be just as ferce. Mancz, a Freshman Al l -Amer i can in 2011 , looks solid at right guard. Sophomore JefMyers was a regular in the rotation last year and will also be fghting for a starting role. Other players to watch this fall are sophomores

RobertLisowski and Chase Nelson .

K e r i n , a s e c o n d -team All-MAC pick as a sophomore last year, is penciled in at center. He wi l l be chal lenged for playing time by junior Erik Carlson .

Defensive Line

Toledo’s defense has made significant strides over the past few years, thanks in part to its improved depth. Nowhere is that depthmore noticeable thanon the defensive line. The Rockets had enough numbers on the line last year to survive the loss of three start-ers to injury and still win the Military Bowl. The 2012 season should be similar, as eight returning linemen have at least some experience in the trenches. Leading the way is two-time All-MAC defensive end T.J. Fatinikun . Fatinikun, a senior, was enjoying an outstanding junior season when he went down with an arm injury midway through the year, missing the fnal six games. He still tied for the team lead with 7.5 tackles for loss and earned third-team All-MAC honors. Fatinikun sat out during spring practice but is expected to be 100 percent this fall.

Joining Fatinikun at defensive end is junior Chris-tianSmith (27 tackles, 5.5TFL), a starter in six games in 2012 who came on strong toward the end of the year.

2 Season Outlook

Another junior, Jayrone Elliott, is also back. Elliott was a key reserve in 2011 andmade the game-saving play inToledo’s 42-41win over Air Force in theMilitary Bowl by forcing a fumble on a two-point conversion attempt with less than a minute left to play.

Senior Hank Keigh-ley , sophomore Grant Pleasant and redshirt freshman KeenenGibbs are all solid candidates for playing time at de-fensive end and will be eager to showwhat they can do this fall.

The defensive tackle spot is also loaded with experience and talent. Junior Elijah Jones (23 tackles, 3.0 TFL) saved his best for last, making a career-high fve tackles in a clutch performance in the Military Bowl. A pair of experienced se-niors, Danny Farr and

Phil Lewis , are also back. Farr stepped in andmade three tackles in theMilitary Bowl when both starting tackles were injured on the same play in the frst half. Lewis is a junior college transfer who is now in his third season in the program. Junior Ben Pike , who had fve sacks as a defensive end in passing situations last year, will also see time at tackle this fall.

Linebacker

A pair of talented senior inside linebackers, Dan Molls and Robert Bell , are the heart and soul of the defense.

Molls fnished 10th in the nation with 143 tackles in 2010, earning third-teamAll-MAC honors. The early portion of his junior season was derailed, however, by a leg injury that caused him to miss six games. He returned to play the fnal fve games in ship shape, averaging nearly 11 tackles per contest.

Bell was solid all season long, fnishing second on the teamwith 78 tackles and forcing a team-best four fumbles.

Three sophomore linebackers also saw signif-cant playing time as freshmen in 2011. Ray Bush (18

Senior defensive end T.J. Fatinikun earned All-MAC honors for the second consecutive season despite missing six games due to injury in 2011.