Southern Illinois University football coach Dale Lennon announced he plans to play six true freshmen this fall at his weekly press conference on Monday.
The Salukis open the season at Indiana on Saturday at 3 p.m. The game will air on ESPNews.
As expected, Lennon will have two true freshmen running backs in the rotation, 5-foot-8, 172-pound Daquan Isom from Orlando and 5-8, 201-pound Chris Perkins from Carmel, Indiana. Isom was listed as the team's starting kick returner in the first two-deep of the season.
Cody Crider, a 6-foot, 203-pound inside linebacker from Mayfield, Kentucky, was listed as a backup for the Indiana game. Lennon laughed a bit when some people asked him a few weeks about Crider moving from running back to linebacker for the Salukis.
"This is a linebacker that was playing running back," Lennon said. "He has some very natural instincts that you just can't coach. He has a physicality. He loves to hit. He has a nose for the football. He's not scared about going up against anybody. He's fearless."
Crider was one of two freshman inside linebackers Lennon expects to play this year. Withney Simon, a 5-10, 215-pound Orlando native, is the other one. Both impressed the coaching staff at the two scrimmages, when they were among the leading tacklers. Freshmen Nate Sylvester, a 6-1, 315-pound defensive lineman from Belleville, and cornerback Torian Lewis are also expected to play this fall.
SIU took Monday off and are scheduled to get back to preparing for the Hoosiers on Tuesday afternoon.
http://thesouthern.com/news/local/s...cle_ba96f7dc-17b1-57e2-897a-46439b529d44.html
The Salukis open the season at Indiana on Saturday at 3 p.m. The game will air on ESPNews.
As expected, Lennon will have two true freshmen running backs in the rotation, 5-foot-8, 172-pound Daquan Isom from Orlando and 5-8, 201-pound Chris Perkins from Carmel, Indiana. Isom was listed as the team's starting kick returner in the first two-deep of the season.
Cody Crider, a 6-foot, 203-pound inside linebacker from Mayfield, Kentucky, was listed as a backup for the Indiana game. Lennon laughed a bit when some people asked him a few weeks about Crider moving from running back to linebacker for the Salukis.
"This is a linebacker that was playing running back," Lennon said. "He has some very natural instincts that you just can't coach. He has a physicality. He loves to hit. He has a nose for the football. He's not scared about going up against anybody. He's fearless."
Crider was one of two freshman inside linebackers Lennon expects to play this year. Withney Simon, a 5-10, 215-pound Orlando native, is the other one. Both impressed the coaching staff at the two scrimmages, when they were among the leading tacklers. Freshmen Nate Sylvester, a 6-1, 315-pound defensive lineman from Belleville, and cornerback Torian Lewis are also expected to play this fall.
SIU took Monday off and are scheduled to get back to preparing for the Hoosiers on Tuesday afternoon.
http://thesouthern.com/news/local/s...cle_ba96f7dc-17b1-57e2-897a-46439b529d44.html
