Toledo
Toledo

Toledo Team Report

Updated: April 26, 2012 02:36 EST

The Rockets used the spring of 2012 to get comfortable with the coaching style of new boss Matt Campbell, but the transition was a fairly simple one since Campbell was this team's offensive coordinator for the past three years, and was the players' clear choice to replace former head coach Tim Beckman, who is now at Illinois.

Campbell made it clear this spring that he will keep the Rockets in overdrive offensively, and keep the emphasis on speed and swarming to the ball on defense. Despite the coaching change and a major revamping of the staff, the Rockets went through spring with few growing pains since so much of what they do execution-wise has remained the same.

Although he was replacing seven offensive starters and six on defense as the Rockets assembled this spring, Campbell said he was not overly concerned about fielding a team this fall that lacked playing experience.

"One thing we have been able to do here is play a lot of kids, whether as starters or in critical game situations," Campbell said. "From a defensive standpoint, we have a wealth of experience, guys who have played a lot of football and have been extremely productive."

Campbell will stay the course at the quarterback position, where for the past two seasons Austin Dantin and Terrance Owens have shared the starting role. Both offer too many positives and have too much experience to pick one and bench the other, so Campbell will go into the fall camp intending to run his offense with both quarterbacks at the controls.

The young head coach also showed the courage this spring to tinker with the resources he has on hand, boldly moving backup quarterback Dwight Macon to wide receiver to get Macon's unique talents out on the field.

Toledo won nine games in 2011, pushed for a Mid-American Conference West Division title until very late in the season, and scored a bowl victory over Air Force. The Rockets have to adjust to a coaching change, the early loss of All-American WR/KR Eric Page to the NFL, and heavy graduation losses on the offensive line, and deal with lingering questions in the defensive backfield.

Campbell has the smarts and the confidence to keep Toledo one of the dominant programs in the MAC. His team emerges from spring practice very much looking the part. The experience with Campbell as head coach in the bowl win, followed by a month of robust workouts this spring, puts the Rockets on solid ground heading into the fall of 2012.

--WR/QB Dwight Macon was moved to receiver this spring and quickly made an impression. In the spring game, Macon had a 70-yard touchdown reception as one of his seven catches that gained 114 yards.

--RB David Fluellen played cornerback for a portion of the spring game, due to a rash of injuries in the Toledo secondary. Fluellen, who will be the Rockets' starting tailback in the fall, intercepted a pass during his brief stint in the defensive backfield.

--Toledo head coach Matt Campbell, who was rushed into the job in advance of the bowl game in December after former head coach Tim Beckman left for Illinois, finally had his contract completed while the Rockets went through spring ball. Campbell gets a five-year deal with a $360,000 guarantee the first year. A laundry list of incentive clauses could push Campbell over $500,000.

SPRING MOVERS:

WR/QB Dwight Macon -- Instead of languishing on the bench for another season behind co-starting quarterbacks Austin Dantin and Terrance Owens, Macon moved to wide receiver this spring and was the clear-cut MVP of the month of practice. The Rockets expect Macon and WR Bernard Reedy to give them a pair of dynamic play-makers.

RB/WR Cassius McDowell -- The Florida product has scary speed and has presented the Rockets with something of a predicament. He can play either running back or receiver, and his big-play explosiveness has forced the Toledo coaching staff to get creative with its use of McDowell.

DB Cheatham Norrils -- The athletic sophomore playing in his hometown is making a push for a prominent role in the Toledo secondary after a very strong showing throughout the spring. The former standout point guard is a thinking-man's defender and that's what the Rockets need running the show in the secondary.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "We let everybody compete, and the guys that have won those competitions are the guys who play. I think that's the only way to do it." -- Toledo coach Matt Campbell on his approach to spring practice

2012 OUTLOOK: The Rockets have been on a very deliberate march to regain their status as the top dog in the Mid-American Conference, and they expect new head coach Matt Campbell, the youngest FBS head coach in the nation, to continue that effort and not miss a stride. Former head coach Tim Beckman put a rock solid foundation in place before leaving for Illinois, saw Campbell does not have to rebuild. The Toledo offense lost All-American WR/KR Eric Page to the NFL a year early, but does not lack play-makers. If the offensive line comes together after significant graduation losses, and the secondary finds a good chemistry with several savvy veterans and dynamic younger players, the Rockets could return to the MAC title game. If the Rockets can weather a rough season-opener on the road against Arizona with their confidence and lineup intact, they could improve on 2011's nine wins that included a bowl victory.

SCOUTING THE OFFENSE: The offense will again benefit from the wealth of talent and experience on hand, led by quarterbacks Austin Dantin and Terrance Owens, who both have extensive experience as starters. New head coach Matt Campbell will stick with the shared starting role for the duo, since that formula has worked the past two seasons. RB David Fluellen appears ready to take on the workhorse role, while WR Bernard Reedy is the top play-maker outside. Converted former quarterback Dwight Macon moves to receiver with lots of promise. Returning starters C Zac Kerin and RG Greg Mancz will anchor the line, where the hope is that OL Jeff Myers, OL A.J. Lindeman, and OL Josh Hendershot are prepared to assume starting roles after gaining their stripes working as backups.

SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: Despite the loss of a half dozen starters, the Toledo staff is not in panic-mode over rebuilding this unit. The format with the Rockets in recent years has been to play a ton of guys and stockpile experience. "We have a wealth of experience (on the defensive side)," Toledo coach Matt Campbell said. The strength and depth up front was evident during spring ball, even with stud pass rusher DE T.J. Fatinikun limited as he continues to recover from an elbow injury. The linebackers showed promise as a dominant unit, led by veterans LB Dan Molls and LB Robert Bell, while the secondary will continue to evolve throughout fall camp. Senior S Jermaine Robinson had a terrific spring and will likely join S Mark Singer in the back end as Singer continues to recover from an injury that wiped out his 2011 season. CB Byron Best is back on the edge after spending last season at linebacker, while CB Keith Suggs appears to have the inside track on starting opposite Best.

SCOUTING THE SPECIAL TEAMS: Toledo is quite comfortable with PK Jeremiah Detmer, who solidified his role over the course of the spring and confidently knocked through field goals of 37 and 29 yards in the spring game. Junior college transfer P Brad Dunavant is pushing P Vince Penza for that job, and Toledo will likely let their work in fall camp decide the starter. WR Bernard Reedy and RB David Fluellen came out of spring as the top return men.

TOP NEWCOMERS:

WR Corey Jones -- This star of the Pennsylvania high school ranks arrives at a time when the Rockets need immediate help at this position. When All-American WR/KR Eric Page announced he was leaving a year early to enter the NFL draft, the door opened for the next dynamic playmaker to take over the lead role in the Toledo offense. That gave Jones (5-8, 165), the top-rated recruit in the Toledo class, the opportunity to follow Page's track into the Toledo record book, and possibly to the NFL beyond. In high school, Jones had 2,135 receiving yards on 160 receptions and 39 touchdowns. He is explosive and instinctive and in the right place to showcase those skills.

OL Storm Norton -- Fresh off appearances in the state playoffs in both football and basketball in his senior season, hometown product Norton gives the Rockets great size (6-8, 310) and is very athletic. Besides being the type of huge, physical force the Rockets have utilized to make their offense go, Norton is also a gifted athlete with letters in basketball and track. If the Rockets can afford to give him a redshirt year, Norton likely has multiple all-conference seasons ahead of him.

QB Brian Blackburn -- Toledo needs to develop the next generation of field leaders for its offense, and Blackburn seems headed for that kind of training. The Rockets have at least two starter-caliber quarterbacks in the program, so they bring in the big, physical Blackburn (6-6, 225) with the intention of giving him a redshirt year to learn the system. Blackburn passed for 2,539 yards and 20 touchdowns as a senior, and added five rushing touchdowns. He possesses a big-time arm and the size to see over the offensive front while working from the pocket.

ROSTER REPORT:

--TE Cordale Scott has moved inside from the wide receiver corps where his 6-4 frame and 220 pounds should fill the bill. The Rockets were thin at this position due to graduation losses, and the athleticism of Scott should help secure things a bit.

--CB Jordan Haden suffered a minor injury late in spring camp and was not available for the spring game. Haden is expected to be healthy and again compete for a starting role in fall camp.

--DE T.J. Fatinikun had his practice routine limited over the course of the spring as he continues to recover from a separated elbow that forced him to end his 2011 season in October. Fatinikun is expected to be cleared for all contact work by the start of fall camp.

--S Mark Singer missed all of the 2011 season with a shoulder injury and had his participation in spring workouts limited, but the veteran is part of every discussion as the Rockets map out plans for 2012. Singer had 73 tackles and two interceptions in 13 starts at free safety in 2010.