A reminder, this Saturday starting at 4pm the GSA will kick off it's tailgate party and then the spring game gets rolling at 6pm. Funds raised from the tailgate and from the game go towards our student athletes and facility improvements. The GSA is hoping to break the FCS spring game attendance record... which was set by Montana two years ago at 8000 people.
We're about 48 hours out from the spring game and one player on defense I'm really thinking will impress Griz Nation is #35, Kendrick Van Ackeren. Van Ackeren came to the Griz last season as a hopeful option at safety, after transferring out of Hawaii where he was playing as a linebacker. In last year's spring game due to injuries at the spot Van Ackeren lined up and played outside linebacker. He had a huge day and returned in the fall slated to play OLB.
Many times you see great special teams players make a great transition to becoming great defensive starters. I hope that Kendrick will continue that tradition. He was awarded "Special Teams Player of the Year" in 2013 and is now slated to start as one of the Grizzlies outside linebackers.
Kendrick is listed as 6-1, 195... I think he's got to have a little more weight on him than that, he looks a little bigger/stronger than some of the other outside linebackers we have, but who knows. In the first spring scrimmage and in practices he's shown really good range, he's FAST to the ball carrier just like he has been on special teams. He's pretty good in pass coverage too, can stop and change direction fast, wraps up nicely and from what this observer sees, he's a pretty good tackler. While Gamboa and Lebsock are having issues being continually aggressive in rush-defense Kendrick doesn't. He rushes strong into running lanes and has been fairly good at being disruptive.
He's not "the next Tripp" or "the next JP" because he has his own style, IMO. Kendrick could turn out to be better than either Tripp or JP in pass coverage, but I'll have to see more from him to make that a solid statement. I'd also like to see him put a little more muscle/strength on his frame, I'm overall worried that our outside linebackers might not currently have the size/strength to hold up for a full season. Hopefully the summer/fall strength program can help that to happen.
We're about 48 hours out from the spring game and one player on defense I'm really thinking will impress Griz Nation is #35, Kendrick Van Ackeren. Van Ackeren came to the Griz last season as a hopeful option at safety, after transferring out of Hawaii where he was playing as a linebacker. In last year's spring game due to injuries at the spot Van Ackeren lined up and played outside linebacker. He had a huge day and returned in the fall slated to play OLB.
Many times you see great special teams players make a great transition to becoming great defensive starters. I hope that Kendrick will continue that tradition. He was awarded "Special Teams Player of the Year" in 2013 and is now slated to start as one of the Grizzlies outside linebackers.
Kendrick is listed as 6-1, 195... I think he's got to have a little more weight on him than that, he looks a little bigger/stronger than some of the other outside linebackers we have, but who knows. In the first spring scrimmage and in practices he's shown really good range, he's FAST to the ball carrier just like he has been on special teams. He's pretty good in pass coverage too, can stop and change direction fast, wraps up nicely and from what this observer sees, he's a pretty good tackler. While Gamboa and Lebsock are having issues being continually aggressive in rush-defense Kendrick doesn't. He rushes strong into running lanes and has been fairly good at being disruptive.
He's not "the next Tripp" or "the next JP" because he has his own style, IMO. Kendrick could turn out to be better than either Tripp or JP in pass coverage, but I'll have to see more from him to make that a solid statement. I'd also like to see him put a little more muscle/strength on his frame, I'm overall worried that our outside linebackers might not currently have the size/strength to hold up for a full season. Hopefully the summer/fall strength program can help that to happen.