Tribune file photo by Jayson Mellom

Storyline:

A year ago, when Cal Poly was making the switch from Rich Ellerson’s three-man defensive front to Tim Walsh’s four-man line, the biggest concern was a shortage of big men.

The Ellerson defense relied on a flurry of smaller, faster guys creating havok and his recruiting classes reflected it. The big quantity of down linemen Walsh would have wanted just weren’t in the program.

But now it seems, if anything, coaches will have more than enough options to choose from, especially at defensive end. It’s probably enough to expect an improvement on the 17 sacks the team compiled last season.

Outlook:

Defensive tackle James Chen (6-2, 270) is back from chronic knee problems for his senior season. The line play may well hinge on his health. Erich Klemme (6-2, 270) will likely join him inside.

Ryan Shotwell and Carlton Gillespie, the team’s two leaders in sacks (9 combined) last year, are gone, but Gavin Cooper (6-3, 240), who missed all of last season with a shoulder injury, is back and coaches are heaving big expectations upon him.

Cooper, a junior, had five sacks in his first two seasons combined, but he’s never been let loose on the edge like he will be this year.

Redshirt freshman Sullivan Grosz (6-4, 265) has also received rave reviews from coaches for his disruptive abilities.

Nobody knows what the Mustangs are truly going to get from Baylor transfer Matt Singletary (6-3, 250), but he also has the potential to be a devastating pass rusher.

I’ve already mentioned five guys, and that’s still not including Brandon Roberts (6-2, 245) of Atascadero, Karl Winkleman (6-3, 245) and Bobby Best (6-3, 240) — who all got major playing time last season — or redshirt freshmen Amir Tadros (6-3, 255) and Nick Leyden (6-2, 250) of Pioneer Valley, junior college transfer Kyle Murphy (6-4, 260) and converted offensive lineman Troy Shotwell (6-3, 235).

It’s almost straight out of a Jesus parable, the way the Cal Poly defensive linemen have been multiplied this year. I don’t know if any single one could be Chris Gocong, but the group looks good.

Freshman Factor:

Chris Lawrence (6-2, 255) of Danville is the only freshman listed at defensive line, but with all the options, I doubt the team will need an immediate contribution from him.

Tribune file photo by Jayson Mellom

Storyline:

The top two tacklers from the team, senior Marty Mohamed and sophomore Kenny Jackson, are back and appear entrenched at the middle and sam linebacker spots. And the will position is perhaps the most deep and competitive spot of any on the team.

The concerns at this point are the depth behind the two returning starters and the question of who will win the spot on the weak side.

Outlook:

The main competition is between converted safety Johnny Millard (6-3, 220), a redshirt freshman, and junior Quentin Greenlaw (6-0, 220), a once-prized Rich Ellerson recruit who played as a true freshman but has yet to find his way into the starting lineup.

The third man in the mix is converted receiver Max Schulz (6-1, 206), who because of his size is probably better suited to play against passing teams or on passing downs.

All three seem likely to play, and the competition to see which gets the starting nod should be one of the most entertaining in camp.

Millard’s father Keith was a thin guy at 6-6 when he entered college at Washington State, but he filled out to become a nine-year NFL pro who set the record for sacks by a defensive tackle.

Johnny is hoping the family genes allow him to gain enough bulk to make him a formidable linebacker.

Mohamed’s younger brother Kyle (6-2, 225) is someone head coach Tim Walsh is hoping can compete for a backup role, and so is redshirt freshman middle linebacker Cole Stanford (6-2, 220), a high school receiver and safety at Nevada Union who is playing linebacker for the first time.

Freshman Factor:

Former Mission Viejo standout Nick Dzubnar (6-2, 220) could be a candidate for a backup role if the reserves already in the program can’t sew up their spots. You may also see Dzubnar redshirt if everyone stays healthy.

Tribune file photo by Jayson Mellom

Storyline:

The secondary appeared to suffer a blow when two-year part-time starter Greg Francis was not with the team in the spring. I saw him in street clothes at the spring game, where he told me he was sorting out some academic issues.

Whatever the issue was, it must be taken care of because Francis is back on the roster and appears to be a front-runner for one of the teams two starting spots.

The Mustangs lost three-year starter David Fullerton to graduation (and wedding engagement to former Cal Poly softball player Cristen Lee), and were looking to replace him.

There will be no shortage of inexperienced players trying to get any snaps not snatched up by Francis and senior Scottie Cordier.

Outlook:

Cordier, who led the team with four interceptions in 2009, had been battling Francis each of the past two seasons for time at free safety as Fullerton was a fixture at strong safey.

While those position distinctions seemed to matter more under former head coach Rich Ellerson, current defensive coordinator Greg Lupfer’s system — which keeps both safeties in coverage a lot more often — seems to blur the lines.

Francis and Cordier are penciled in to start together for the first time. Behind them is a glut, and playing time could well depend on training camp performance. This is one of the interesting backup battles to watch on defense.

Angel Morales (5-11, Jr.) has impressed head coach Tim Walsh’s staff since it came on prior to last season. Locals will likely never forget the name of former Morro Bay standout Logan Budd (6-2, Jr.), who led the Central Coast with nine interceptions in 2007. And redshirt freshman Xavier Ramos, a former Oregon recruit, got first-team reps during the spring.

Freshman Factor

Those names above aren’t even including highly touted incoming freshman Dave Douglas (5-11, 196), who Walsh projected as a potential four-year starter. This many safeties would be great for a TCU-style 3-3-5.

Tribune file photo by Joe Johnston

Storyline:

The team’s top three cornerbacks each missed most of spring drills because of injury, including two-time All-Great West honoree Asa Jackson (wrist), a junior. Sophomore Bijon Samoodi (hamstring) and senior Brandon Williamson (collarbone) were the other two.

In a freak string of events, the trio were all hurt early on and were ruled out for the rest of the spring, leaving coaches scrambling to temporarily convert other guys just to be able to scrimmage.

Sophomore Nico Molino was the only “true” corner out there at times.

Essentially what it meant back then was that the Mustangs didn’t have any experienced cover men to test their offense against. That might have contributed to a distorted view of what the offense looked like, but that hardly matters now.

All three are reportedly healthy going into camp and are all expected log consistent playing time this season.

Outlook:

Jackson (5-11, 188) is the headliner here. He burst on the scene two years ago, starting every game as a true freshman out of tiny Christian Brothers High in Sacramento.

In his first game, his confidence soared after an interception in the red zone denied San Diego State a score and helped Cal Poly upset the Aztecs.

Early in 2009, it was the opposite. Jackson got beat on some jump balls and burned in some one-on-one situations, leading him to rededicate himself. He finished tied fourth on the team with 48 tackles and had two interceptions.

Samoodi, who emerged as a part-time starter as a true freshman, had 44 tackles and an interception in a breakout season.

Cal Poly ranked in the bottom five in the FCS in passing yards allowed (more than 264 per game), and these guys will be the ones to watch if that number is going to improve.

It’s hard not to improve on last season’s numbers. The only way I can imagine them not doing it is if injuries crop up again.

Freshman Factor:

Coaches expect Vante Johnson, a 5-9, 170-pounder from Fresno Edison, to compete for playing time in camp. Also, former Nipomo High standout Kevin Britt (6-1, 160) could earn his way on the field as a true freshman.

Tribune file photo by Nick Lucero

Cal Poly football training camp starts August 9, and I’m going to spend these next couple weeks counting down to the first practice by giving you my take on the players, position battles and storylines to watch when it kicks off.

Every day or two, I’ll discuss a different position — starting with defense and wrapping up with the one you all really want to talk about. (Hint: It rhymes with schmorterback.)

So, bookmark me, be sure to come back often and please leave your assessments under the comments section. It all kicks off Monday with cornerbacks. Let me know what you think.

Former Cal Poly fullback Jon Hall (pictured above on the far left) seems to have moved on from football quite nicely.

Hall, a senior last season, was part of an ensemble that sang backup during the MLB All-Star Game last week, and he’s also had a couple of new songs put up on YouTube.

Hall has been singing professionally since grade school and has worked on some pretty well-known projects. See the video interview I did with him last season on the sidebar to the right.

You might have heard him sing the national anthem at last season’s home finale … or at one of the home wrestling meets … or at the Fight for Wrestling MMA event at Mott Gym in the spring.

Now that he’s no longer focused on playing for the Mustangs, Hall is free to put all his energy into his music career. Here are the two YouTube songs. I’m partial to the first one. The second is a duet with aspiring singer Jay Saint.

You can follow Jon on Twitter HERE.

Tribune file photo

Mark Rodgers is still coming to Cal Poly. The only question is when.

When word broke that Cal Poly would be adding a speedy running back from the Division I-Football Bowl Subdivision ranks around signing day in February, it was exciting news for Mustangs followers.

Rodgers, a prolific high school running back/track star from Los Angeles who was originally recruited by Cal Poly coach Tim Walsh before he left Portland State for Army in 2007, was going to reunite (or unite as the case may be) with Walsh after a couple of seasons in a reserve role at West Virginia.

The immediate success of UCLA transfer Dominique Johnson, a Moreno Valley product who led the Mustangs in in receptions and touchdowns in his first season at Cal Poly in 2009, inspired hope that Rodgers could also make a similar impact.

Rodgers still hasn’t been added to the Mustangs’ roster for next season — and since there was a minor snafu with his original commitment — it’s left some to question whether he is indeed going to join the Vikings instead.

I talked to Rodgers this past week, and he let me know the holdup. He’s still finishing an online math course he needs to complete the transfer. And, yes, he’s set on Cal Poly.

“I’m trying to knock it out within two weeks,” Rodgers said last Friday.

“I talk to the coaches pretty much almost every day. They helped me out a lot keeping me focused. They just tell me to stay on it.”

It sounds like Rodgers can take as much time as he needs to wrap up the course before Cal Poly classes start in late September, even if that means he misses the start of training camp on Aug. 9. The Mustangs open the season Sept. 4 against visiting Humboldt State.

Walsh said the running back might be afforded some leeway.

“He may not finish right when we start,” Walsh said. “But I’m not worried about him and nine practices.”

There’s still a chance that Rodgers would need to redshirt this season, similar to the way junior college transfer Amaurys Fermin did for the Cal Poly men’s basketball team last year. Rodgers grayshirted in 2007 before exhausting two seasons of eligibility at West Virginia.

He could redshirt 2010 and still have two more seasons left to play.

But Rodgers said he expects to be suited up for that first practice.

Back home in the L.A. area after leaving West Virginia following the 2009 season, Rodgers said he has been doing track workouts and cone drills to stay sharp.

“I’m not in the shape that I want to be in, but I’m not out of shape,” he said.

“I’m ready to go up there and play, try to earn my position. So if there’s high expectations, I got high expectations myself, and I plan on fulfilling them.”

Tribune file photo

Yeah, OK, I know nobody really wants to go to Fresno, especially when it’s 105 degrees there and it hardly breaks 80 south of the grade.

But don’t we owe something to the Fresnans? I mean, they pretty much keep Splash Cafe in business all on their own.

Getting to the serious note: Cal Poly is playing Fresno State for the first time in a quarter century this year, and if you want to see the game, you have to go to Fresno on Oct. 2.

It could be worse. My wife is a Cal Poly alumna who’d been to some Mustangs sporting events during her college years, but when I took her to her first FBS football game — also at Fresno State — she was blown away.

Walking around the wall-to-wall barbecues, bounce houses, big screen TVs, radio station remotes, live music and people of all ages playing catch, it was as if she was strolling along the Yellow Brick Road.

The tailgating alone is a football event on a whole different level.

I have to admit that Montana has a pretty good fan experience there, but if you didn’t make that trip last season — when temperatures were 15 below freezing in Missoula — then you’d have to go back to the Wisconsin game in 2008 to the last time Cal Poly was at a venue with that kind of atmosphere. How many of you went to that one?

Cal Poly’s alumni club is already taking reservations for its official tailgate. The $45 seems a little steep for just food and drink, but $90 for the bus ride, tickets and the meal might be a better value if you’re looking to support Cal Poly athletics.

Fresno State has also been promoting season ticket packages for $100, so cheap tickets may not be that hard to find.

As far as the product you’ll see on the field, we should know a lot more about both teams by then. It will be the fifth game of the season for Cal Poly and the third of a brutal five-game road stretch. After consecutive trips to Texas State and McNeese State (Lake Charles, La.), a two-hour drive might not seem so bad.

I watched Fresno State pummel UC Davis 51-0 in the season opener last season. (It was a bye week for the Mustangs, and I also saw several Cal Poly players in the stands as well.) UC Davis then went on to beat the Mustangs 23-10 in November.

Fresno State will be returning home after a two-game road swing at Utah State (Sept. 18) and Ole Miss. (Sept. 25). The Bulldogs open the season hosting Cincinnati.

Bottom line: I think Cal Poly got a little bit of a break since this game won’t be the season opener. We saw what Fresno State did to a solid FCS team with nothing else to prepare for. But even without Ryan Mathews, the Bulldogs should still be heavy favorites.

I just got word on the time and place for former Cal Poly football player Ernie Cooper’s memorial service. For details, see below, and you can find more specific information HERE.

Cooper’s service will be held on Thursday at noon at Westminster Memorial Park in Westminster. Following will be a celebration of life at the club Cooper worked at in Huntington Beach.

Family has requested instead of flowers, donations be made payable to “La Serna High School TD Club” for Student Athletic Scholarships in memory of Ernie, class of 2004. Donations and condolences can be mailed to:
Ernie Cooper
1801 E. Katella Ave, #4135
Anaheim, CA 92805
(562) 728-3339

Tribune file photo by Jayson Mellom.

If you read this story about former Cal Poly football player Ernie Cooper, who died unexpectedly at 25 this week, I hope this excerpt stood out to you.

[Former Cal Poly linebacker Mark] Restelli … counts his shared sushi infatuation with Cooper and an afternoon the pair battled wits with the SWAT team in a training exercise at Camp San Luis Obispo among his favorite memories.

More on that SWAT episode in a moment.

I didn’t know Cooper. When I took over the Cal Poly beat from longtime reporter Brian Milne for the first time in 2008, it took all of my focus just to bone up on the stars of former coach Rich Ellerson’s Mustangs, guys like Ramses Barden.

Cooper was not a star. On a roster of more than 100 guys, it might have taken me months to talk to him if I interviewed a different player every day in the order of their contributions on the field that year.

But the more I talked to his friends this past week after learning about his death, the more I wished I had been able to become acquainted with Cooper.

His once promising career as a Cal Poly quarterback, ultimately derailed by injuries and filled with multiple position changes, doesn’t tell you that he was a guitarist who’s proudest accomplishment was starting a band that he left to come play football at Cal Poly.

It doesn’t reveal that he was a skilled artist and tattoo enthusiast, who was just back in San Luis Obispo just a couple weeks ago to get art completed on his arm at Traditional Tattoo on Foothill. Or that he was an avid golfer, who played twilight golf in Avila Beach and hit other local courses in San Luis Obispo and Morro Bay.

Restelli did say at any time in his career, Cooper was one one of the best athletes on the team. That’s why he was so easy to shuffle around. Cooper did score five career touchdowns on only 21 touches, as the indomitable Harry P. picked up on over at the Poly Report.

But Restelli’s favorite memory of Cooper was not football related. It was the SWAT episode. It only got a brief mention in the print story, but I’ve really been wanting to share it.

Cooper, Restelli, and former Cal Poly quarterback Keoni Akina had the chance to drill with local law enforcement at Camp San Luis Obispo, posing as dangerous criminals that needed to be subdued. I’ll let Restelli’s own words tell the tale.

“The SWAT team needed guinea pigs to act as whatever they wanted: Bank robbers and murderers — anything,” Restelli said. “They brought us over to the military base, and they set up a three-story brick building set up for war-game scenarios.

“They gave me, Ernie and Keoni these Berettas that had simulated paint bullets, and this became the Wild West. They told us you guys are bank robbers, we have you trapped in this place, do whatever you want to do. Pretty much, we thought we were Rambo. We just took on the SWAT team four about four hours straight.

“I know we didn’t do too well. I got shot right between the eyes. At the end of the day, Ernie ended up with several welts all over his body — because they were good. They even went as far as to throw flash bangs at us. Even with a warning those flash bangs hurt.

“One of the last scenarios, they had pinned me and Ernie in the basement. We crawled out of the basement windows, ran around the building, ran back into the building and came around the SWAT team and started firing.

“Whatever it was that was going to be fun, new or different, me and Ernie were always up to do it.”

Details about Cooper’s death are still coming out, and I haven’t yet heard about a memorial service. But I will do my best to make future information available on the blog.