The state of UMass 2010---Linebackers

This will be the fifth unit review for 2010. Previous editions include:

• Defensive Line
• Offensive Line
• Running Backs
• Receivers

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Losses for 2010:

• Eric Dickson -RSSr 10 Starts, 95 TT, 5 BKRP, 2nd on team in TT, 6th in CAA TT

Returning 2010 (class rank for 2010):

• Tyler Holmes- Jr, 10 Starts, 2nd Team All-CAA, Led UMass 110 TT, 2nd in CAA and 8th in NCAA in TT, led UMass in INT's and tied for most BKRP's
• Perry McIntyre -Soph, Played 11 games-started 7, 3rd on team with 64 TT, CAA Rookie-of-the Week Sept 26th Stony Brook
• Kurt Filler - Sr (?) Played 4 games started 4, season ending knee injury 9/26. Not sure if he wants/will get medical redshirt.
• D.J. Adeoba - RSSoph, Played 8 games-started one. CAA Rookie-of-the-week 9/5 Kansas State, injured during that game 12 TT
• Nick Haag - RSSoph , Played 11 games-started 0, 12 TT
• Mike Mele -SR, Played 3 games-started 1, 11 TT
• Scott Duggan -RSSR, Played 8 games-started 0, 8 TT
• Chris Chamberlin -RSSoph, Played 11 games-started 0, 5 TT
• Dawan Nolton -RS Soph, Played 3 games-started 0, 1 TT

Red Shirt Freshmen for 2010:

• Tim Brandt
  
• Tom Brandt, Scout Team Defensive Player-of-the-Year
• Devin Linsey

True Freshman recruits:

• Stanley Andre 6-1 250
• Matt Campbell 6-1 230

Transfers:

• Chad Hunte -Soph, Transfer Northeastern-Played 11 games, 32 TT
  

Notes: Dickson's graduation causes UMass to lose 29% of their 2009 linebacker tackles. A commenter in another post stated that Nick Haag has transferred to Assumption. I have no information about that. We probably won't know if Kurt Filler took a redshirt year until the spring roster comes out.

Even if we are without those two, there will still be seven returning linebackers who played in 2009. Also available will be three redshirt freshmen and one transfer. So we will have at least eleven linebackers and maybe thirteen available in 2010. UMass will have five linebackers (six if you count the Hofstra transfer) who started at least one game in 2009.

The linebacker corps is the only UMass position unit that returns an All-CAA player for 2010: Tyler Holmes. This has to be the deepest unit on the team. It would seem the two true freshmen linebackers will almost certainly be redshirted unless they are switched to another position.

UMass appears to have a lot more linebackers than defensive linemen. Would UMass consider playing a 3-4 defense----or even a 3-5-3 (gaining popularity to defense the spread) ?

Northeastern transfer Chade Hunt played as a true freshman for the Huskies. I wonder if UMass would like him to take a redshirt year? He is more of a safety in size --- 6-0 205. The UMass secondary could probably use him more than the linebacker corps.