Team News - Freshmen Prospects

Zwaan

So here it is August and training camp opens in ten days. One of the most oft asked questions at this time of year is "which of the incoming freshmen has a chance to play this season?" Ten years ago, when head coach Bill Zwaan first came to West Chester, the response would have been a simple, one-word answer - "none". Zwaan has never been real keen on playing true freshman for a host of reasons. It takes time for any high school kid to adjust to life in college. Then there's the additional adjustment that football players must make to the college game. Oh, and the little thing called the Golden Rams playbook which is no trivial task to understand. And finally, there's a whole lot of other guys that have been waiting two or three years to get their chance on the field.

White

But times have changed. The most notable exception to the "no freshmen" rule has been Rondell White. White graduated from nearby Rustin High School in June of 2010 and three months later he was catching passes and returning kicks against FCS Delaware in front of almost 20,000 onlookers. With senior D'Andre Webb and junior Jackson Fagan already established in the backfield, White managed only 17 carries that season, but due to his versatility, he racked up a total of 925 all purpose yards.

Fast forward ahead to last year, and Andrew Cohen made the summer transition from Council Rock South High School to week one playing time on Tubby Raymond Field. Prior to last season, the Golden Rams switched from a three-man front to a four-man front. The team had a lack of defensive linemen due to both historical recruiting as well as season-ending injuries on the line, so Cohen was pressed into action. He finished the season from his defensive tackle position with 33 total tackles and managed to lead the team in sacks (4.5) and tackles for loss (7.5). His highlight moment was when he recovered a fumble for a touchdown against Kutztown.

O'Donnell

So it is not out of the realm for true freshmen to play at West Chester. The circumstances include incoming talent that's just too good to keep off the field or a lack of depth on the existing roster. Where those two situations overlap on the 2013 squad is most likely in the defensive secondary. Six of the eight players from the 2012 opening day two-deep are gone, including co-captains and safeties John O'Donnell and Carl Barnes. The starting trio of O'Donnell, Barnes and cornerback Bob Sabol were also among the team's top six tacklers. The two sole returning players from last year's secondary - Al-Haj Shabazz and Dante Devine - will most likely be the starting corners. And after a year at rover, senior Shawn Krautzel will probably return to the strong safety position. But after that, opportunities to see serious time exist for the newcomers. And since secondary is a "read and react" position, a freshman's biggest hurdle is going to be the "read" part, since "react" is part of any DB's DNA. Now who among the incoming class might step into one of these roles? It's hard to say. But the coaches have some good choices among Brandon Spatz, Joe DeMaio, Pat McCabe and Dan Sherry. Training camp is just ten days away.

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