Bearcats Football 2013; Projected Linebacker Depth Chart

Starters

WILL -- Jeff Luc, MIKE -- Greg Blair; SAM -- Nick Temple

The only thing that will stop this group from taking the field as a unit would be an injury. Blair is basically unassailable, Luc is playing slightly out of position* but he ended any semblance of competition. Temple is just as safe as the other guys, his coverage ability, coupled with his newfound disruptiveness -- 3.5 TFL, 1 Sack and 2 passes defended over the last month of the season -- gives the Bearcats a ton of versatility.

WILL -- Clemente Casseus; MIKE -- Solomon Tentman; SAM -- Corey Mason

If that Injury comes the Bearcats could be forced into a position of depending on a walk on to produce. The Bearcats have done that before, but its not what anyone would consider ideal. Of the three back ups Tentman is the most ready. He is fully healthy for perhaps the first time in his Bearcat career and could capably fill in for Blair if need be. Casseus is a walk on, but the dude can play. He played in 11 games last year as a walk on, and almost came up with the play of a lifetime in the Belk Bowl. Alas his scoop and score was ruled an incomplete pass. Regardless I think Casseus is capible of doing a reasonable Jeff Luc impression. Mason is a talented guy for a walk on, but the gap between Temple's skill set and his is perhaps the biggest. It is easy to under estimate the value that Temple's multifaceted skill set brings to the defense, it also makes him very hard to replace.

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