Spring is here

Every college football team has questions coming into their spring game.

For the Rockets, the questions begin along the offensive line.

Five starters from last season will graduate this May, leaving only one player on the University of Toledo’s roster with starting experience for the midnight blue and gold.

Junior Storm Norton is the only lineman of the bunch to have any experience playing for Toledo. Norton filled in along the line for three games last season when Mid-American Conference Player of the Year Greg Mancz was sidelined with a knee injury.

“One thing about the guys graduating is that they are so dedicated to Toledo,” said senior defensive lineman Trent Voss. “They helped establish a culture that has made it easier for the coaches to teach the younger guys.”

While taking over as a full-time starter will be new for Norton, the lessons learned from the departed seniors will certainly help ease the transition.

“Playing with those guys the last three years, they definitely gave me a lot of information I could pass on to the younger guys,” he said.

Norton is expected to earn a spot along UT’s O-line, but which spot he ends up in is yet to be determined. For the spring game, the Rockets are expected to experiment with several combinations of offensive lineman.

“I think it’s a process,” said Toledo Head Coach Matt Campbell. “Over the 12 practices we’ve had this spring, they’ve gotten better each day. They’ve got experience around them at a lot of other positions.

“My expectation is growth.”

Behind the Rockets’ offensive line, two signal callers are expected to renew their competition from last summer and once again battle for the starting position.

That battle, however, won’t take place this spring.

Senior Phillip Ely won the competition last year only to see an ACL tear end his season after less than two games. Junior Logan Woodside replaced Ely and led Toledo to a share of the MAC West title and a bowl victory, but injury also cut into his playing time during his stint under center.

Woodside missed portions of three games during the final stretch of the season. The junior quarterback underwent minor offseason surgery and, like Ely, is expected to miss the spring game while he continues rehab.

“We’re really fortunate to have two guys returning who have won a lot of football games,” Campbell said. “I think we’re in a great spot that other teams would love to be in.”

In the absence of Woodside and Ely, Toledo will turn to sophomores Michael Julian and Quentin Gibson for the spring scrimmage. Gibson has yet to take a live snap as a Rocket, while Julian’s Toledo debut was decidedly brief.

Julian replaced Woodside against Kent State after Woodside went down with an injury. Julian then started the Northern Illinois game before quickly being sidelined by a concussion.

While Ely and Woodside are the favorites in Toledo’s quarterback competition, the spring game will give underclassmen like Julian and Gibson a chance to impress their coaches.

“This spring has also given players like Michael Julian and Quentin Gibson, and some of the other quarterbacks, a chance to develop and get some reps they otherwise wouldn’t have gotten,” Campbell said.

Julian is also expected to try his hand once again at punting. The sophomore only had a few opportunities to boot the ball last season, but will be given a shot to unseat junior punter Nick Ellis this year.

While the quarterback position is up for grabs and the offensive line is months away from sorting itself out, Toledo’s skill positions remain strengths of the team.

Senior wide receiver Alonzo Russell and junior wide out Corey Jones lead the Rockets’ pass-catching group. Russell, a three-time All-MAC player, has made a name for himself with highlight-reel grabs. He caught 51 passes for eight touchdowns last season and has caught 166 passes during his collegiate career.

Jones is coming off a breakout campaign, in which he replaced former Rocket Bernard Reedy and caught 68 passes for 842 yards and 5 TDs.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Rockets’ pass defense hampered the team all of last season. UT finished dead last in the MAC against the pass.

One of Toledo’s issues was health. The Rockets played the majority of 2014 without the services of senior corners Cheatham Norrils and Cameron Cole. Norrils missed the year due to illness, while Cole suffered a leg injury and only played in one game.

The silver lining to the Rockets’ injury issues came in the form of expanded playing time for many of the team’s younger players. All of those men will vie for playing time in the spring game.

“We’re in a good spot in the defensive backfield, when you talk competition,” Campbell said. “We have four guys who we think can start at safety.”

Toledo’s coaches hope to see their rushing defense enter the spring game and pick up right where they left off last season. The Rockets finished first in the MAC against the run last year.

“We really take pride in stopping the run,” Voss said. “For our defense, that’s where it starts.”

For the Rockets, answering some of the roster questions starts with the spring game. For Campbell and his staff, the competition will give many players an opportunity to shine.

“We’ve got some great battles this spring,” Campbell said. “We have ten guys on the defensive line we think can start.

“That’s what you love about spring. Guys aren’t just challenging for a starting spot, but also for playing time.”

Toledo’s spring game kicks off Saturday, April 11, at 1 p.m. in the Glass Bowl.