Florida International
Florida International

Florida International Team Report

Updated: April 26, 2012 03:08 EST

Florida International will go into the 2012 season with a new starting quarterback taking over for Wesley Carroll on a full-time basis, but coach Mario Cristobal has confidence in the likely man for that job, sophomore Jake Medlock.

Actually, Medlock got one start late in the season, directing a 41-7 victory over Florida Atlantic by completing 18 of his 24 passes for 135 yards and a touchdown and rushing for 47 yards on seven runs.

He started the next week against Louisiana-Monroe but hurt his shoulder in the first quarter after completing his only pass attempt and gaining nine yards on one run. He didn't play against Middle Tennessee in the regular-season finale and made only a brief appearance in the bowl game loss to Marshall.

But that exposure will help him in 2012, he said.

"I gained a lot of confidence," Medlock said. "I gained a lot of playing time experience.

"From the high school games to college is a lot different. The speed is fast, a lot faster than in practice. You've got to realize that once a receiver makes his cut you've got to go or otherwise you're either going to get him killed or get a turnover."

Medlock had only a so-so performance in FIU's spring game but remains No. 1 on the depth chart heading into the fall.

"Jake's got a big-league arm," Cristoball said. "He did well in his start last year against FAU. It's a shame he got hurt because he was continuing to develop.

"I think Wesley helped him a lot because he helped him in his developing, helped his football IQ. He can't get enough reps out here, but he has a big arm, a live arm."

Cristobal has equal confidence in potential backups, Loranzo Hammonds, a redshirt freshman, and E.J. Hilliard, a true freshman who enrolled early to take part in spring drills. Hammonds had a 69-yard run in the spring game called back by a holding penalty.

The coach said walk-ons Akil Dan-Fodio and Fred Porter have had their moments in the spring as well. Porter didn't gain a lot of experience throwing the ball in high school (Ruskin, Fla.), but could help "down the road," Cristobal said.

"So we're pretty excited about the guys we have on the roster right now," Cristobal said.

--RB Kedrick Rhodes, a 1,000-yard rusher in 2011, did not play in the spring game because of a slight injury (he would have played in a regular-season game), and that allowed FIU to show off backups Jeremiah Harden and Shane Coleman. Harden is a senior who has battled injuries but has a big upside. Coleman is a redshirt freshman and "has proven he can be one of those guys," coach Mario Cristobal said when it comes to getting more speed on the field.

--FIU's 2012 schedule has no Tuesday night games (it had two back-to-back in 2011) but it does have a Thursday game (Oct. 4 at home against Arkansas State) and a Friday contest (Nov. 16 at Florida Atlantic). The season opener is at Duke on Sept. 1.

SPRING MOVERS:

LB Jordan Hunt -- A starter last year, Hunt had a terrific spring and showed he is a legitimate candidate for all-conference honors on a defense that has the potential to be the best in the Sun Belt Conference. He had three tackles for losses in the final scrimmage.

WR Wayne Times -- Somewhat unappreciated playing alongside T.Y. Hilton, Times had an outstanding spring, coach Mario Cristobal said. Times enters the season after catching 54 balls for 540 yards last year as a junior. Like Hilton, he also will figure in the return game because of his overall speed.

RG David Delsoin -- He was a backup at right tackle as a redshirt freshman but came out of the spring as a starter at guard.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "We can run. We can run, we're athletic, we're explosive. Returning a 1,000-yard rusher who has put on another 10 pounds and has gotten faster makes us a tough offense to deal with." -- Coach Mario Cristobal, referring to RB Kedrick Rhodes, on the confidence he feels heading into the summer program.

2012 OUTLOOK: A third consecutive bowl appearance for FIU is a very realistic opportunity. Though explosive receiver T.Y. Hilton and QB Wes Carroll are gone, the Panthers are still have plenty of weapons on offense, and the defense should take another step up after making a big improvement in 2011 over the numbers for the 2010 season.

SCOUTING THE OFFENSE: Sophomore QB Jake Medlock will step in for Carroll. Medlock had two starts late in 2011 before going out with a shoulder injury. Senior Wayne Times offers many of the same possibilities as Hilton did when it comes to big plays. TB Kedrick Rhodes rushed for 1,149 as a sophomore and has become stronger through the offseason program. Four starters return up front.

SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: This unit returns all 11 from those who started in the bowl game against Marshall and held opponents to just 19.5 points a game, best in the Sun Belt Conference. In fact, with the potential return of S Chuck Grace, only two players are gone from the 2011 two-deep. Among all-conference candidates include DE Tourek Williams, DT Isame Faciane, LB Winston Frazier, L Jordan Hunt, SS Jonathan Cprien and CB Sam Miller.

SCOUTING THE SPECIAL TEAMS: PK Jack Griffin, who kicked the deciding field goal in the 2010 bowl win over Toledo, is an accurate kicker with a strong leg. He was 22-of-26 on field goals last year, including 6-of-7 from 40-49 yards. P Josh Brisk averaged 42.3 with 16 of his 61 attempts downed inside the opponent's 20-yard line against nine touchbacks. Hilton, obviously, will be missed in the return game, but WR Wayne Times has the speed to break long kickoff returns. Sam Miller and Richard Leonard will handle punt returns.

TOP NEWCOMERS:

QB E.J. Hilliard -- A February signee who enrolled early to take part in spring drills, Hilliard is competing for the backup spot behind starter Jake Medlock and looks even with redshirt freshman Lorenzo Hammonds, who showed off his running skills in the spring game.

LB Patrick Jean -- Earning three stars from both Scout.com and Rivals.com, Jean was the highest rated among the six linebackers FIU signed. He had looked to be headed for Louisville at one time.

WR De'Andre Jasper -- At 5-9, 180, Jasper is about the same size as T.Y. Hilton, FIU's all-time leading receiver. He comes out of Miami's Jackson High.

ROSTER REPORT:

--LG Giancarlo Revilla has moved over a step in the offensive line after starting at center in 2011.

--RT Aaron Nielsen moved from defense and was running second team at the end of spring drills.

--LT Caylin Hauptman, a starter the last two years, sat out the spring recovering from a shoulder injury.

-- S Chuck Grace took part in spring drills but had not yet been approved by the NCAA for an extra year of eligibility. He missed all but three games because of a knee injury.

-- TB Kedrick Rhodes bruised his tailbone two days earlier and did not take part in the spring game.