Four takeaways from CMU Football Media Day
Central Michigan football opened its doors to the press Friday, giving some insight of what's to come during the 2016 campaign.
The Chippewas were selected to finish fourth in the Mid-American Conference West Division in the preseason MAC Media Poll. Bonamego, who called the poll imaginary, said the team enters 2016 with a goal of winning a MAC championship.
"I don't really pay attention to those kinds of things," Bonamego said. "We have the same goals every year. (That's) to win a championship."
As CMU looks to defy media expectations, here are four stories to follow going into fall camp.
1. Backup quarterback battle
Cooper Rush has solidified himself as an elite quarterback in the MAC, but he will be leaving Mount Pleasant at the conclusion of the year to pursue a career in the NFL.
The Chippewas have plenty of options at the quarterback position to back up Rush and begin grooming a starter for the future.
To this point, 6'2, 205 pound redshirt freshman Jake Johnson has earned the position as backup quarterback.
"Jake had a really good spring that really separated himself from Tommy Lazzaro. That trend has continued throughout the early parts of training camp," Bonamego said.
Lazzaro is a junior college transfer from Dodge City Community College, who will be Johnson's main competition for backup duties. Also in the mix is true freshman Tony Poljan, who played quarterback at Rush's alma mater, Lansing Catholic High School.
"(Lazzaro) wants that spot and so do I," Johnson said. "The competition is fierce out there. Every rep counts and we're trying to do the best we can out there."
2. Starting running back
CMU's running backs were hampered with injuries during the 2015 season, which led to young players getting more playing time than planned. The result of that has been more depth at that position coming into this season.
When asked about who will be the starter come Sept. 1, Bonamego said the title of first string doesn't mean much because he will have a running back by committee approach.
"That's a position where you really just have a stable of running backs. The starter is really only on paper," Bonamego said. "The running back position is by committee and all of those guys are going to get time."
Running back coach Gino Guidugli said the running backs have been competing hard against each other and pushing one another to be the best they can during each practice and meeting.
"As of right now, I would feel comfortable with five guys going in the game. They all prepare like they're going to be the starter," Guidugli said. "Come Sept. 1, we're going to have the best running back possible on the field."
Last season, Romello Ross was thrusted into significant playing time during his freshman year following injuries to upperclassmen. His breakout performance came against Eastern Michigan during week eight, where he scored four touchdowns in the contest.
Senior Jahray Hayes also saw playing time shortly after transferring into the program from City College of San Francisco. Despite his lack of experience with the offense, Hayes was second on the team in rushing with 324 yards. He led in rushing touchdowns with four.
Junior Devon Spalding played three games last year before breaking his clavicle, costing him the rest of the season.
Redshirt freshman Jerrod Davis also has an opportunity to earn some time in the back field after being redshirted last year.
"I told all of them, 'At some point in the season, we're going to need every single one of you. Every one of you is going to have a role in this program,'" Guidugli said.
3. Captains
Bonamego said Friday the team has not yet selected the 2016 captains, but will do so at the conclusion of fall camp.
Captains for the 2015 CMU football team were Rush, senior offensive lineman Nick Beamish and senior linebacker Tim Hamilton.
Beamish and Hamilton have both graduated. Assuming Rush will again be a named a caption, two or three new leaders will have to step up to lead the Chippewas during this season.
At MAC Media Day on July 28, Bonamego said he has noticed Rush’s determination to be a better leader for the Chippewas.
“I see him becoming a better leader,” he said. “He’s always been a great leader. I think that he’s taking a step forward in that regard and being more vocal. It's all signs of a maturing player.”
4. Punting duties
The Chippewas come into fall camp with three players listed as punters on the team roster, freshman Kaden Keon, sophomore Cooper Mojsiejenko and sophomore Jack Sheldon.
Bonamego said Mojsiejenko and Sheldon are the leading candidates to earn the position.
"The competition between (Sheldon) and Cooper has been good. Cooper has really improved a lot and we're still evaluating," Bonamego said.
Sheldon came to CMU from Australia three weeks ago. It's his first time in the United States.
Before coming to CMU, Sheldon played Australian rules football, which heavily relies on kicking the ball due to the size of the field. It is similar to rugby in that players do not wear pads or helmets, but is vastly different from American football.
"I just kicked for the first time with a rush filled with all these big guys coming at me this week, so it's definitely going to take some adjustment. I think I'll do just fine though, and I'm excited about the opportunity," Sheldon said.
Mojsiejenko averaged 48.1 yards per punt as a high school senior and comes into camp in a position to land a starting spot for the Chippewas' opener on Sept. 1 against Presbyterian College.
