Our game week series continues with “What to Watch”. In this blog, the Jackrabbit Illustrated team provides a few things that they will be keeping an eye on.
The Jackrabbits open up their season with D2 Western Oregon on Thursday night. It will be a fun celebration of the National Championship but it will also offer the first glimpse of this rendition of the Jackrabbits and fans should get their first glimpse of young players who have not yet seen the field. So, here are the things we are watching.
Special Teams
Much has been made about the addition of Pat Cashmore and the focus he has brought to the Jackrabbit special teams units. As we have mentioned previously, the 2022 special teams were not good enough in nearly all phases and statistically, the opponents were better. Who are the standouts on the coverage units? Who gets the first crack at return duties?
Focus
The pregame festivities around the facility announcement and recognition of the 2022 National Championship team will certainly add a distraction factor to the pregame warmup. The Jackrabbits should take care of business but they must show up, focus, and play hard from the start. Penalties were an issue for much of 2022. Can they come out and play clean to start the season? The Jacks are expected to rotate in younger players in this game. Can they come in and play fast and focused football? We will see!
Trench Depth
The Jacks were incredibly fortunate in 2022 to remain healthy on the offensive line for a majority of the season. The opportunities that the second string offensive line received last season did not always go well. This group will need to be more ready in 2023.
The defensive line is different. Gone are two terrific players, but returning are tons of guys who were part of the rotation in previous season. I think Cade Terveer takes a step in his final season but how does the rest of the depth handle an increased role? We’ll soon find out!
Chase Mason
Jackrabbit nation is not pushing Mark out the door by any means but there is certainly a curiosity about Chase Mason. Most fans only exposure to him is through his highlight tape and the state championship game from his junior year. The spring game provided a taste of what he can do as an athlete. Tanner Castora shared in his recent blog that Chase has room for improvement with his accuracy and consistency. This is a game where Chase should get plenty of live reps and we’re excited to see what those reps look like.
Offensive Skill Depth
Yes, the Jacks return Isaiah, Amar, Jaxon, Jadon, and Zach. That is a bevy of talent that few teams in the country can match. However, much of the depth is different in 2023 and they also lost a star in Tucker Kraft. Who emerges as wide receiver 3, 4, and 5? Grahm Goering has created a ton of buzz during spring, into summer, and throughout fall camp. Can it carry over onto the field? Devin Cole worked his way into the rotation towards the end of 2022. Griffin Wilde has a ton of buzz but coaches will have to make the decision if burning his redshirt this season is worth it. Marcus Preston, the UND transfer, has a reputation as a worker and terrific blocker. Can he make plays when given the chance?
The young tight ends are intriguing but who separates themselves from the group? This is a group of studs that will definitely have a role this year but we just don’t know who will perform when actually given the chance under the bright lights.
Angel Johnson is also intriguing. at running back He’s one of the fastest guys on the team and in my interview with Coach Rouse it sounded like there would be an effort to get him the ball in space. The same can be said for Derrick Johnson at running back. He looked phenomenal in the spring game before exiting with an injury.
Gameday is finally here. We should find some answers by the end of the day! Above all else, we want the team to stay healthy. It is a long season and this is just the first step in attempting to repeat as National Champions!
Go Jacks,
Ben, Brendan, Chad, Dallas, Matt