Football

The Buchtelite's Adam Ferrise wrote about the Zips' greatest asset: the defensive backs.

In that vein, my column talks about how the team's leadership has changed. (By the way, sometimes I write my column and I'm sort of lukewarm about the topic. This is a really fascinating transformation of the football team. And I believe it's for real.) …

The ball joint of John Mackey's shoulder was chipped last season. With each tackle, the jagged bone ripped cartilage away from his socket.

The Zips safety played through torture.

So when Mackey tells his teammates they need to straighten up, they listen.

"They respect that guy," coach J.D. Brookhart said. "He played through pain nobody else would have played through."

Mackey's endurance may not have won the team an extra game, but it could serve as a turning point in Brookhart's tenure.

For the first few years, players lacked discipline. And the blame doesn't fall completely on the coaches. They could only do so much without leaders on the field to enforce the right way to play.

Coming into last year, Akron was the media's nearly unanimous choice to repeat as division champs. Then the team got blown out at Kent State and Toledo. And with a chance to earn a bowl bid in the season finale, Akron failed to score at home against Western Michigan.

"Everybody was out playing for themselves," one player told me.

It's a dirty little secret about mid-major football that you can recruit big-time talent with questionable intangibles, or you can pursue adequate players with good character. Rarely do the players with both attributes slip to Mid-American Conference teams.

After the season, Brookhart recognized his leadership vacuum. He asked Mackey to lead more vocally, rather than just through his example.

Coaches also set up a counseling session, hoping to create a few more Mackeys. The counselor explained how important it is for players to stand up to teammates when they aren't performing as they should, and to do it constructively.

Brookhart never could have expected the results.

"It opened people up," senior defensive back Davanzo Tate said. "No one takes offense (to criticism)."

On Saturday, I asked Brookhart to compare the leadership this spring to last season. Before I could finish the question, the coach emphatically blurted, "very different."

And it goes beyond having a cowboy senior quarterback or linebacker, which is the traditional conception of leadership in college football.

"You see younger guys saying something to older guys if they're doing something wrong," junior linebacker Doug Williams said.

Rodney Etienne, a sophomore defensive back, even corrected the fiery Mackey on an error this spring - a feat similar to negotiating with a grizzly bear.

Mackey loved it.

"Somebody needs to say when you need to get your head out of your ass," Mackey said.

Coming into this season, the Zips have several question marks. They are replacing almost the entire offensive line. They are razor-thin at defensive line. They will rely on an unproven underclassman at quarterback.

Two things are certain. First, leadership won't be an issue.

"You have a bunch of guys who care about this program and they speak up," Brookhart said.

Second, Mackey - despite not being the tallest or fastest safety you'll ever see - is a franchise player.

I asked Brookhart what Mackey means to the Zips. The coach wouldn't let me finish the question.

"Everything."

Men's soccer

Ferrise also wrote about the Zips progress this spring.

A couple freshmen could become major contributors on offense.

Football

Mike Cruz, a highly recruited tight end and brother of Akron's Jose Cruz, has gone back on his commitment to play at Pitt.

His high school coach says the younger Cruz has concerns of playing in a big city. Also playing a part could be the fact that Florida State offered him a scholarship. Cruz recently visited West Virginia, which is another likely destination.

Here are some new recruits J.D. Brookhart's staff has offered…

DeMarcus Watts, wide receiver, Atlanta
Offers: Akron
Height: 6-foot
Weight: 190
Speed: 4.51
Notes: Watts told Rivals.com he is very pleased to have Akron's offer. It will make him work harder in the classroom, he said. Watts also runs track and has received interest from many SEC schools.
Likelihood: This sounds like the kind of kid who will feel loyalty to Akron because the Zips were first to offer. More are certain to come, but Akron could fend off the big boys for Watts.

Tyler Sands, offensive tackle, Boyertown, Pa.
Offers: Akron, Duke, Nebraska, Vanderbilt, Temple and Navy
Height: 6-6
Weight: 290
Notes: Sands came away from a Duke visit impressed. He still intends to drop by a few more schools, including Akron, before making a choice.
Likelihood: Going up against BCS schools is a challenge, but it sure helps that offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead and Brookhart have great ties to Pennsylvania, although Boyertown is not close to the staff's hotbed in the western part of the state.

Tyler Urban, defensive end, North Huntington, Pa.
Offers: Akron, Miami (Ohio) and Toledo
Height: 6-4
Weight: 240
Speed: 4.8
Notes: Urban has three priorities in picking a school: academics (with an engineering program), location (close to home) and size of the program (Big 10 is probably ideal). He told Rivals.com that he hopes to hear from Michigan and he enjoyed his visit to Indiana.
Likelihood: Urban would be a great grab for the Zips. At this point, it appears attainable, given Akron's great engineering school.

Quincy Quetant, safety, Orlando
Offers: Akron and Buffalo
Height: 6-0
Weight: 201
Speed: 4.8
Notes: Quetant might also fit in as a punt returner. Without great speed or size, he must be a pretty good hitter to receive Division-1A offers.
Likelihood: To my best recollection, Buffalo never has beaten out Akron on a recruit. On face value, Quetant doesn't look like he'll get any BCS offers.

Baseball

If there's such thing as a good loss, Akron experienced it Sunday.

The Zips battled back from a nine-run deficit, only to lose to Bowling Green 16-15 with a Falcons game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the ninth.

Akron will play Kent State Tuesday at 6 p.m. for the inaugural Diamond Classic for Kids. Proceeds will go to Akron Children's Hospital. If there's one game you attend this year, make it this one. Not only are the Zips playing their rival at a great baseball venue, but it's for a good cause.

Softball

Akron (12-19, 5-5) completed a two-game sweep over Ohio (18-24, 7-7) this weekend.

The Zips really need to finish the season strong and earn a berth in the MAC Tournament. That would be a major accomplishment when you consider the team is young and coach Julie Wright bolted for no good reason after last season.

They will come home next for a matchup with Ohio State on May 2.

Track

Akron wiped out each collegiate track team in the state — men and women — in winning the All-Ohio Championships.

And it wasn't all that close for either gender.

The Zips held off second-place Cincinnati Ohio State by 90 points in the women's division and 28 in the men's.

Mike Meditz headlined the performance by breaking a school record in the 400 hurdles. The women's grabbed the top three pole vault medals as well.

This is a great momentum push as the team nears the MAC Championships in two weeks.

Football

In the coming days, I plan to give out grades for the spring practice. Heck, I might even show my ignorance by assembling my own depth chart.

Football

It took 15 practices for the passing game to come around with the Zips relying on underclassmen quarterbacks and backup receivers.

Chris Jacquemain particularly played well in Saturday's scrimmage, completing 11 of 14 passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns.

Sean Hakes and Carlton Jackson looked good at times, too.

Coach J.D. Brookhart wanted some clarity with quarterback situation this spring. If anything, the situation became more muddled.

Just a week ago, I thought this would be a two-man race between Jackson and Hakes. You might even say Jacquemain has clawed into the lead after a strong set of practices following the spring game.

My gut tells me the coaching staff will go with Jackson because he's the incumbent of sorts, but who knows? The coaching staff is taking a week-long vacation. They will return and produce a new depth chart which should answer some questions.

Notes:

Brookhart brought in real refs for the game. Short shorts was the attire of choice for the zebras. I'll give them this, it was pretty hot out there.

There sure were a ton of spectators for a "closed to the public" scrimmage. I counted about 80.

The first part of the game saw the offense run a lot of quarterback draws. I seriously don't like those plays. At least give your passer an option to throw before making him plow into the line. The defense sniffed out most of them, and I suspect opponents will, too.

It would have been nice to see the centers make progress on shotgun snaps. They are pretty bad about half the time. One bad snap caused a turnover today.

Rodney Etienne led with his helmet and laced into Marcus Patterson coming across the middle. That was the highlight of the game for me.

It was an eventful day for the kickers. Matt Domonkos had a field goal attempt blocked. He missed a 56-yarder but made a 52-yarder. About the three blocks in both scrimmages, Brookhart blamed low kicks.

Igor Iveljic kicked with the first team. He absolutely biffed a 52-yarder, but converted from 45 and 38 yards. He appears to be ahead in that job battle.

Andre Walker has some pretty good juke moves. With all the depth at running back, why not have him return punts?

I asked Brookhart about the leadership on this team compared to last year. Before I could finish the question, the coach said, "very different." I won't steal thunder from my column this Tuesday, but this counseling session the team attended really seems to have worked.

Football

J.D. Brookhart has a problem.

A really, really good one.

He has about five running backs who would merit carries on a decent Mid-American Conference team.

Last year, that would have come in handy after first and second stringers Dennis Kennedy and Alex Allen suffered injuries.

"You better be three-deep minimum at tailback or you're in trouble," Brookhart said.

Along with a healthy Kennedy and Allen, the coaches can call upon Andre Walker, who has had a fantastic spring, Joe McDaniel, who looked pretty solid today, and Joe Tuzze, a capable bruiser.

That's not to mention Bryan Williams and Aaris Reed, who could earn carries during the summer.

When I asked Brookhart about Williams, he let out a good chuckle. He knows he has a great problem on his hands.

Notes:

Brookhart said the lack of depth at wide receiver has made it difficult for the healthy receivers to keep up. When the team runs three- or four-receiver sets, fatigue becomes a major issue. Getting Jabari Arthur, Jermaine Lindsey and David Harvey back should work wonders for the passing game.

Chris Jacquemain looked pretty good today. He threw some nice passes and led the team to the 4-yard line during the 10 minute scrimmage that concluded practice. Truthfully, it's the first time Jacquemain has impressed me all spring.

Brookhart called a holding penalty on the defense that kept that drive going in the red zone. Quipped big Nate Robinson: "Take that guy off the payroll!" Actually, big Nate is still big. He's just not as enormous around the waist. It looks like the guy really shaped up.

Carlton Jackson captained the final drive of the day, which ended in a fumbled snap or some sort of confusion about the handoff.

Athletic director Mack Rhoades was in attendance. I tried to pick his brain a little about conferences and such, seeing as how it's not a very well kept secret that Akron is unhappy with the MAC.

Rhoades was at Texas-El Paso when the university moved from the WAC to Conference USA. He said there are seven categories a conference looks for when choosing a new team (In parenthesis, I'll comment on how I think Akron fares): community support (poor), athletic success (below average), facilities (good, soon to be excellent with a new stadium and renovations to Rhodes Arena), TV market (decent, if you count Cleveland), geography (good, if we're talking about the Big East), athletes' academics (better than you would think) and transportation access (excellent with two airports within an hour).

So it's not really all about having a football powerhouse or 30,000 fans at every game. Mainly, you want a well-rounded institution. My concern is, how will Akron improve in community support? Rhoades said he's been working on that until 10 p.m. each night. While he was at UTEP, football attendance jumped from 15,000 to 47,000 in five years. His plan at Akron is to start a grassroots campaign, sending staffers out to the community and using a telemarketing company to make calls. The new slogan for this season is "Roo Town." I haven't seen any posters yet, but it seems like a good idea.

The team will practice without pads tomorrow. Every team must have three helmet-only practices out of the 15. It is one of the NCAA's silly rules about spring football. Since Brookhart has an ultimate frisbee game planned for tomorrow, I'm not bothering to show up.

Saturday is much different. At 11 a.m., the team will conclude the spring season with a 100-play scrimmage. Although it's outdoors, the event is closed to the public. Brookhart hopes to figure out the quarterback and offensive line position battles during the scrimmage.

Golf

The Buchtelite's Jeff Thomas talked to coach Tom Porten about the team's historic string of success.

The team hopes to win its first-ever home event at Firestone Country Club and Windmill Lakes Golf Course on Sunday.

Baseball

The Buchtelite's Josh Volchko discussed the team's upcoming gauntlet of MAC East teams with coach Pat Bangtson.

The most prominent of these games is the matchup against Kent State Tuesday at Canal Park. Proceeds will go to Akron Children's Hospital.

Football

The offense scored a bit of revenge from the spring game today, going on a streak of about 15 minutes where the passes crisply hit their marks and running backs broke free for first downs.

As Carlton Jackson and Sean Hakes moved the ball, the offense's sidelines looked like a team counting down the seconds before being handed the MAC Championship.

Of course, the defensive captain (and craziest man on the field), John Mackey, didn't like that. He fired up the defense, which began to blitz, and the defense regained its dominance for the remainder of the fourth-to-last spring practice.

Notes:

Dennis Kennedy continues to look really good. He doesn't possess LaDanian Tomlinson's speed, Jerome Bettis' force or Barry Sanders' vision, but he does each of those things pretty well.

Also notching some impressive runs were Joe McDaniel and Joe Tuzze. Both are superb blockers, but you're not handing the ball to either on first-and-10. That brings me to my next point…

The run blocking has really improved. The holes are wide up the middle and running backs have even more space to the outside. Kennedy's longest run was off tackle left. Coach J.D. Brookhart said run blocking has been the focus so far in spring. It shows.

The downside to that is the pass blocking is subpar, and even inoperable at times. "Pass protection in general (is struggling)," Brookhart said.

Hopefully, it's a sign the Zips defense will start blitzing more. With two exceptional pass rushers (linebackers Doug Williams and Brion Stokes), the Zips might as well have five men on the line for some plays.

Defensive highlights include back-to-back pops on the ball carrier by Al-Teric Balaam and Yamari Dixon. Neither of these guys have a problem firing themselves like a rocket right at your helmet. Those consecutive hits swayed the celebration back to the defense's sideline.

It's sort of a shame the quarterbacks are protected by red jerseys. I really want to see the them run more in the open field. It's one thing to slide through a hole in the line and hear the whistles blow. It's another to run the option, knowing a linebacker wants to stick his helmet into your jaw.

Speaking of the option, the Zips ran a nifty reverse option today. It didn't really go anywhere, however, because the defense did not overpursue.

I talked to Brookhart a bit about recruiting, which always fascinates me. I asked him how his coaches decipher whom to pursue. They can't go after the blue chippers, because Ohio State, Penn State, etc. will beat them out. So how do you find that second tier, yet keep your eyes open for guys who might want to choose Akron over the big boys? "You have to ask the tough questions," the coach said.

He means he tells his coaches not to fear rejection. Just ask Chris Wells, for example, if he would consider the Zips. You'll hear a lot of "no"s, but every once in a while, you'll find a Paul Simkovich who will say "yes."

Most recruiting trips are done in the winter months following the season. Then the coaches set sail again in May and June. Brookhart named Indiana, Illinois and Connecticut as three high-majors with whom the Zips regularly duel. It couldn't hurt to beat two of those teams in their own stadiums this season.

Golf

Never in the 50-year history of the program have the Zips won three events until this season.

Akron bested 13 other schools to win the Wolf Run Intercollegiate in Zionsville, Ind.

Brad Wright won medalist honors at eight-over par.

The Zips have two more tuneups before the MAC Championship on May 2.

Football

The Buchtelite's Adam Ferrise went in-depth about how Akron's offense will change this year.

It's definitely worth reading.

The ABJ's David Lee Morgan also wrote about the topic, but added information about Joe Moorhead, who will call plays this year, rather than J.D. Brookhart.

Also read Morgan's story about the spring game. It has some quotes I didn't throw on the blog.

Miscellaneous

In the final installment of a three-part series about life as a UA athlete, the Buchtelite's Vincent Dorsey writes about how Zips cope with the end of a career.

It's another worthwhile read.

Football

Before you read my column, take a grain of salt.

I'm no football expert or coach and only a semi-observant fan. Still, after watching plenty of all three quarterbacks, I have come to a conclusion as to who the starter should be…

In the coming months, football coach J.D. Brookhart will make a decision arguably more important to the campus community than anything that comes before president Luis Proenza's desk.

Brookhart will decide who will quarterback the Zips for the next few years.

With three underclassmen vying for the role - the most vital spot on the team - the coaching staff isn't just choosing its starter for this year, but the quarterback until that person graduates three or four years down the line.

Indeed, judging QB potential is crucial. It is the difference between Ryan Leaf and Peyton Manning.

And you can't just go by the quantifiable measures. All three candidates for Akron's job possess strong arms, elusive running ability and decent field vision. They wouldn't be NCAA Bowl Division quarterbacks if they didn't. Intangibles, such as leadership and character, should also weigh heavily.

After watching several hours of spring football practice the past two weeks, I have come to a conclusion and am prepared to endorse one player. Before I do, here are my scouting reports on all three:

Carlton Jackson - Coming into the spring, "CJ" was No. 1 on the depth chart. A few practices into camp, he suffered a concussion that knocked him out of commission for about a week. Still, he has had plenty of time to show why Brookhart recruited him out of Pompano Beach, Fla.

Jackson shows great poise in the pocket for a sophomore. He appears calm and doesn't fret when his inexperienced offensive line allows defensive penetration. His best gift is a speed more commonly seen from a wide receiver. Jackson might not be thick enough, however, to take a pounding that usually comes with being a running quarterback.

Coaches also have had off-the-field problems with Jackson that may have kept him out of a couple games last season.

Chris Jacquemain - Last season, Jacquemain lost the battle for the backup job to Jackson. He has missed significant time this spring with a minor shoulder injury.

He showed off his good arm when he was healthy. The sophomore's downfield running vision and above average athleticism allow him to gain chunks of yards when receivers are covered. Accuracy is a point of concern, though. He overthrew several passes. One example is the interception Jacquemain threw during the spring game Sunday.

Sean Hakes - Hakes redshirted last season, meaning he did not play, nor did he expend a year of eligibility. Although the injuries to Jackson and Jacquemain limited the team's options the past two weeks, Hakes has taken advantage of the extra snaps to catch up to the other quarterbacks' experience.

Hakes, who also played strong safety at Nolan Catholic High School in Texas, likes to run with the ball. Unlike most quarterbacks, however, the athletic Hakes doesn't mind contact. Nearing the sidelines on one play this spring, Hakes trucked over a linebacker, rather than daintily stepping out of bounds.

Hakes also reminds coaches he's just a freshman almost daily. On many plays, he found an open receiver a blink too late. Rather than look for another target, Hakes tried to force the ball to him anyhow. That was a concoction for several interceptions, but Hakes has worked to cut down on them.

My endorsement - Not that it matters, but I think I have the answer to this pivotal question.

It's Hakes.

Of course, he must continue to eliminate the "what are you thinking?" passes. But he has demonstrated a humble confidence that makes him receptive to the coaches' teaching, yet is assured his teammates will follow his leadership.

Hakes says he has a genuine passion for taking Akron to another level in college football. Ever since his freshman year of high school, he has dreamt of leading a college team to a bowl game, he said.

Being a redshirt freshman, rather than a sophomore like his competitors, Hakes has an extra year of eligibility. Although Brookhart denies that will play a role in his decision, it is logical that should be a tiebreaker.

In the end, the quarterback decision won't be as consequential as Leaf vs. Manning. All three candidates are capable of being solid Mid-American Conference quarterbacks.

The goal, however, is to tap the next great MAC quarterback to lead the Zips.

I believe that's Sean Hakes.

Football

Doug Williams emphatically capped a sensational spring with two sacks and a blocked field goal in the Blue-Gold game.

The defense won 28-10. The only offensive points came from a Sean Hakes-to-Marcus Patterson touchdown and 49-yard Matt Domonkos field goal.

Let's get back to Williams, though, who showed that he can go beyond being serviceable, and perhaps become a star.

"Doug has had the best spring on anyone on the team," coach J.D. Brookhart said. "It's great to have a big body at linebacker who can cover and blitz."

Overall, spring football games are fairly dull. You try to watch specific positions and players, but that is difficult for anyone (like me) who's not a scout.

Here are some notes:

Earlier this week, Brookhart mentioned Yamari Dixon's progress. I tried to watch him a bit. He's the type of safety who swarms to the ball and uses the crown of his helmet as a sledgehammer. Although Andre Jones is ahead of him on the depth chart, it might be hard to keep Dixon off the field.

Speaking of Jones, he had a nice leaping interception on a Chris Jacquemain pass.

Some of the snaps in the shotgun set were a bit off. Not every bad snap results in a turnover or lost down, but each takes a fraction of a second away from the offense. To the coaching staff's credit, they have been working on it every practice.

I have never been so excited to see a kicker as I am about Igor Iveljic. Both of his field goal attempts were blocked. Williams batted down the first. Nate Robinson got a finger on the second.

It's time for my daily "the sky is falling" chat about the defensive line. Actually, they didn't look bad today. They plugged some holes and allowed playmakers to roam more freely. I'm becoming more confident in the front three. After that, it's a real crap shoot. And we all know Robinson has shown the conditioning of Homer Simpson in the past, so depth will be crucial. Robinson, Jared Cecchetti and Eric Lively should be OK, "then you've got a ways to go with the others," Brookhart said.

The offense appeared fairly conservative. That could be for two reasons: the quarterbacks are inexperienced or the top playmakers (Jabari Arthur and David Harvey) are missing. Brookhart acknowledged his play calling was about 85 percent run.

Sean Hakes is looking better each practice. He needs to learn the lesson Charlie Frye learned last year, however. Not every play can go for a touchdown, or even be completed. He did that once and nearly plugged the tuba player's instrument, which gave me a chuckle.

At halftime, there was a field-goal kicking contest. I think I heard the participants were Akron soccer players. Anyhow, one guy drilled a 35 yarder and was only a yard short for a 45 yarder. I wish I had a dollar for everyone in the field house who turned to a buddy and said, "Can we sign this guy up?"

Andrew Johnson got a lot of carries for a guy who won't play for 16 months. Dennis Kennedy played the first few series and looked decent. I don't remember seeing him much more than that. Nor do I remember Alex Allen.

After a couple John Stec punts dinged the ceiling, the punters began to use a roundhouse-type motion for kicks that kept balls pretty low. The punts weren't that effective, so I hope it was done only to combat the ceiling.

Matt Domonkos' 49-yard field goal showed the coaching staff was right about his improved leg strength. Of course, distance was never really his problem.

I caught up with Andy Alleman after the game. His agent is telling him he will be drafted somewhere between pick 45 and 70. No. 65 is the Browns' third-round selection. The team's offensive assistant, Frank Verducci, helped to train Alleman before the draft before Verducci started that job. Alleman is leaving tomorrow for New Orleans to work out for the Saints.

I also chatted with Hakes and Carlton Jackson after the game. I think I'm going to write my column on those conversations (somehow).

Men's basketball

Marquise Simmons is a 6-foot-7 forward from Maryland whom Akron hopes to reel in this recruiting year.

The Zips have offered a scholarship to Simmons, a three-star player, according to Scout.com.

Here are some other recruiting updates:

Brian Walsh, the sharpshooter with high-majors all over him, is still deciding between about 10 schools. Rivals.com calls him the 35th best shooting guard in the nation. Teams that have offered him include Memphis, Maryland, Xavier, Penn State, Pittsburgh, West Virginia and Ohio. The Pennsylvania native says Maryland and Xavier are the leaders.

Cincinnati might hold the advantage for 6-9 Drazen Zlovaric, who plays like a typical European with great shooting and fundamentals. Zlovaric plans to attend the same prep school as a Bearcats 2008 recruit. That could seal it.

Anthony Hitchens, whom Rivals.com calls Ohio's top true point guard, holds only an offer from Akron.

In the near future, I plan to figure out what's up with Lance Jeter, the Zips' 2006 target who chose football at Cincinnati, rather than basketball at Akron. He's transferring, and the prevailing rumor says he wants to be a Zip.