Central Michigan Football: Road slate pivotal for Chippewas’ 2018 success
By Zach Bigalke
Defense
While the Central Michigan defense wasn’t nearly as gutted by graduations as the offense, there are still some gaps that will need to be filled. The biggest loss was defensive end Joe Ostman, who signed as an undrafted free agent with the Philadelphia Eagles. Ostman led the nation with 13 sacks and finished fourth in the FBS with 19.5 tackles for loss. He also forced three fumbles.
Another major loss was cornerback Amari Coleman. Showcasing ballhawking ability, Coleman intercepted eight passes as a three-year starter in the Chippewas defensive backfield. Even more impressively, he returned three of those eight picks for touchdowns the other way. His leadership in the secondary will be missed as well.
The linebackers are the deepest unit. Alex Briones, Malik Fountain, and Michael Oliver all return as upperclassmen and will take charge of the three starting positions. Fountain is the catalyst, a multi-year starter in the middle who is a tackling machine.
Focusing on the secondary
After the spring game, the coaching staff at Central Michigan was especially impressed by the development of young talent in the secondary. Last year’s defensive backfield ranked 20th in the nation in yards allowed, giving up an average of just 185.5 yards per game. Even more impressively, the group ranked sixth in the FBS in opponent passing efficiency.
Senior cornerback Sean Bunting leads the deep group of talent that will look to maintain or even improve upon the MAC’s top passing defense. Junior college transfer Tyjuan Swain should play a bigger role at safety after easing into the rotation last season as a junior.
They will be bolstered by a set of fresh faces. Redshirt freshman Devonni Reed could take over the other safety spot alongside Swain after a strong spring. Young cornerbacks Da’Quaun Jamison, Brandon Brown, and Darius Brady all put in impressive performances as well. This group will once again help to carry Central Michigan as far as it may go in the standings.