A Chippewas defense which struggled to gel after a rash of departures in 2023 returns to show they’re capable of more than the stats indicated.
The Central Michigan Chippewas were a team who couldn’t figure out how to win in 2023, languishing with a 5-7 record and just missing out on the postseason thanks to several untimely one-possession losses.
The defense in particular was devastated by offseason changes last year, with the vast majority of starters either graduating or transferring out. It reflected in the overall stats, as a young and unproven unit crawled to finish with the league’s worst production numbers.
The Chips gave up a staggering 407.1 total yards per game (98th in NCAA), 31.1 points per game (104th in NCAA) and a paltry eight turnovers gained (127th in NCAA) in 2023, a near-complete cratering of what has traditionally been a pretty strong unit.
The good news is that season is over now, and 2024 is a year of opportunity now that they’ve had to suffer through that adversity.
Improving even just to midpack in the NCAA would go a long way towards helping CMU turn around their recent luck; will this be the unit to do it?
Defensive line
Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images
Departures:
- DE Maurice White (graduation)
- DT Jacques Bristol (graduation)
- DL Robi Stuart (graduation)
- DE Jayden Evans (transfer to FCS Florida A&M as tight end)
- DL Quindario Lee (transfer to Houston)
- DL Will Leggon (unlisted)
- DL Jeremiah Major (unlisted)
- DL Brady Neu (position change to OL)
Arrivals:
- DE Brenan Salani (incoming HS recruit)
- DE Adam Kaminski (incoming HS recruit)
- DL Daniel Bennett (incoming HS recruit)
- DT Quavion Bird (incoming HS recruit)
- DE Jaden Davis (transfer from D-II Wayne State)
- DL Jeremiah Waldrond (JUCO recruit from Louisberg College)
- DL Daniel Bennett (JUCO recruit from Louisberg College)
- DL Hakeem McCullers (JUCO recruit from Rochester Community and Technical College)
Returnees:
- DE Michael Heldman
- DE Keyshawn Hayden
- DE Malik Denkins
- DL Oumar Conde
- DL Jonah Pace
- DL Cade Riddle
- DT Jason Williams
- DT Jonathan Decker
- DL Pius Odjugo
Bad news for the Chippewas: their most productive backfield penetrators are all gone.
All-MAC second-teamer Jacques Bristol (four sacks, eight tackles-for-loss), listed starters Maurice White (3.5 sacks. five TFLs) and Quindario Lee (three sacks, seven TFLs) and reliable depth piece Robi Stuart all moved on this offseason, leaving vacancies across the entire defensive line.
This is a bit of a problem, as CMU was already one of the worst units in the country at generating pass rush and now has to contend with replacing all of the players who were good at generating said pass rush.
The good news for the Chippewas is that they’ll get an opportunity to show their next crop of young DL talent. There’s certainly potential amongst those who will contend for the jobs in Mt. Pleasant, though it could take some time for it all to gel together.
Michael Heldman was a surprise riser last season, claiming a spot in the defensive end rotation— and eventually as a starter— as a redshirt sophomore alongside White and Lee. By season’s end, Heldman collected 22 tackles (13 solo), 4.5 TFLs, 2.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a program-record 10 QB hurries. He’ll be Sharpied in as a starter at one of the ends and be the team’s leading returnee statistics-wise.
The other spot that’ll be pretty secure is Jason Williams at the defensive tackle spot. The six-foot-two, 290 lb. Florida native shared starting duties with Bristol in 2023 and collected 36 tackles, two TFLs and a sack.
After those two, it becomes a bit harder to parse out the rotation.
Jonah Pace (17 tackles) and Jonathan Decker (who converted from offensive line in 2023) have the size to play the defensive tackle spot next to Williams, but defensive end is more of a mixed bag.
Kade Kostus figures to be part of the equation after serving as a backup at the end spot last season, while Oumar Conde is a developmental prospect the staff seems to have a lot of faith in. To bring some experience to the room, the staff pursued former all-GLIAC honoree Jaden Davis out of nearby Division II school Wayne State after a productive 2023 campaign which saw him finish with 11 TFLs and six sacks in 10 games. JUCO transfer Daniel Bennett figures into the fold as well after collecting 10 TFLs and 7.5 sacks at Louisberg College last year.
It’s going to be interesting to see some relatively unknown names take a swing at improving Central’s havoc rates. CMU finished 106th in team sacks and 105th in team tackles-for-loss, with many of those tallied all departing. That just won’t do for defensive coordinator Robb Akey, whose defense is at its best when it can maintain pressure on the backfield and force panic moves.
Linebackers
Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images
Departures:
- Kyle Moretti (transfer to San Diego State)
- Nick Apsey (graduation)
- Anthony Lomakoski (unlisted)
Arrivals:
- Cairo Rhodes (JUCO recruit from College of the Canyons [CA])
- Victor Earl (incoming HS recruit)
- Xavier White (incoming HS recruit)
- Landon Swanson (incoming HS recruit)
Returnees:
- Justin Whiteside
- Dakota Cochran
- Jordan Kwiatkowski
- Fernando Sanchez III
- Lawai’a Brown
- Ke’Shon Parker
The linebacker corps experienced the least shuffling on the team, with just one starter moving on in two-time all-MAC honoree Kyle Moretti, who finished 2023 with 65 total tackles, five TFLs, two sacks, four pass breakups, and a quarterback hurry in nine contests. He transferred closer to home over the offseason, joining new head coach Sean Lewis at San Diego State.
Retaining the vast majority of the linebacking corps is a great sign, as Central’s run defense was 83rd in the country in 2023 (159.8 yards per game) after being picked down to the bones in the 2022 offseason.
The obvious two starters will be Justin Whiteside and Dakota Cochran, who took the majority of the linebacker snaps in 2023 alongside Moretti. Whiteside (53 total tackles, 3.5 TFLs, one forced fumble) has been part of the rotation over the last two seasons and is a natural choice to ascend to the top of the pile due to his experience. Cochran, meanwhile, worked his way into the starting rotation in 2023 after primarily being a special teamer over his career, starting the final five games last season. He finished the year with 51 tackles, two TFLs, a pass breakup and an interception.
Redshirt junior Jordan Kwiatkowski will figure in on obvious passing downs— his three pass break-ups were the best in the position group last season— but he did show decent chops in more conventional situations, finishing with 32 tackles in 10 appearances. Fernando Sanchez III and Lawai’a Brown, who should figure to be backups at both spots in Central’s 4-2-5 set-up, also have starting experience and are core special teamers.
Defensive backs
Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK
Departures:
- SAF Nahree Biggins (position change)
- SAF Trey Jones (transfer to Texas A&M)
- SAF De’Javion Stephney (transfer to Marshall)
- DB La’Vario Wiley (transfer to UNLV)
- CB Jarvarius Simms (transfer to UConn)
Arrivals:
- CB Brendson Deasfernandes (transfer from Iowa)
- DB Aakeem Snell (transfer from FCS Saint Francis [PA])
- CB Jaree Turner-Kinsler (transfer from D-II Albany State)
- CB Bryce Lambeth (transfer from Temple)
- CB Bryce Rowe (incoming HS recruit)
- CB Jaion Jackson (incoming HS recruit)
- CB Ben Parrott (incoming HS recruit)
- CB Keyton Jones (incoming HS recruit)
- SAF Tysen Campbell (incoming HS recruit)
Returnees:
- CB Donte Kent
- CB Da’Raun McKinney
- CB Marcus Badgett
- SAF Elijah Rikard
- DB Ed Conoran
- SAF Mark-Allen Gay
- CB Bryce Rowe
- CB Caleb Spann
- CB Trey Liebhardt
- CB Kyle Krebs
- CB Jamari Allen
- SAF Jeremiah Alston-Jackson
- SAF Danny MacLean
- SAF Tyler DeWitt
- SAF Alex Henry
It’s generally not a good sign when five potential starters to the transfer portal. Also going against the Chips is their not-sterling 102nd ranking in passing yards allowed in 2023, which is admittedly not great. As mentioned with the defensive line earlier, the defensive philosophy is to take advantage of mistakes by causing havoc in the trenches, so when that isn’t happening, it puts strain on the back end.
There’s still some good foundational pieces to build upon, however, with plenty of talented and versatile pieces built to adapt to multiple defensive formations.
Hybrid back Donte Kent is the highlight player of the back end and will have the eyes of NFL scouts on him in 2024 after back-to-back placements on the all-MAC teams. Kent stuck to outside corner his first three seasons but shifted to more of a hybrid role in 2023, going back-and-forth between safety and corner. He finished with career-bests in tackles (58), solo tackles (39) and tackles-for-loss (2.5) while also tallying seven pass break-ups in 2023.
As a corner, Kent tabbed 30 pass break-ups in 2021 and 2022, making him one of the country’s best coverage corners.
He’ll be joined primarily by Da’Raun McKinney, formerly of FCS South Dakota, at the other corner spot. McKinney was a fast riser in 2023, starting six of the team’s final seven games and finishing with 39 total tackles, three tackles-for-loss and four pass break-ups. Marcus Badgett (nine tackles, two pass break-ups, one interception) will fight for a role after logging two starts at corner in 2023 as a redshirt freshman, with Iowa transfer Brenden Deasfernandes figuring to fight for a role as well.
A fascinating newcomer to watch will be Albany State transfer Jaree Turner-Kinsler. He’s a true senior with a redshirt available and was a former first-team all-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference defensive back in 2023, with 21 tackles— including 14 solo stops—an interception, three pass break-ups and two fumble recoveries from the corner spot in 2023. He’s a bit long for a corner at six-foot-two, 180 lbs., but his pedigree suggests he could find success at this level.
Central typically utilized multiple safeties in basic formations last season, playing as many as three or four depending on the package, so it’ll be interesting to see how they approach this season with a lack of proven depth after their offseason departures.
Elijah Rikard (28 tackles and an interception) and Caleb Spann (46 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, two pass break-ups) both return to claim a starting spot, with Kent figuring in on certain packages as discussed previously. Other safeties include core special teamers Danny MacLean and Kyle Krebs and true freshmen Jeremian Alston-Jackson.