Looking to add some spark to what was a stagnant rushing attack last year, coach Brady Hoke has moved junior Larry Bostic from wide receiver to tailback for the duration of spring practice.
According to Hoke, whether or not that move holds when practices resume in August will depend on how far redshirt freshman Ty Simmons has developed, as well as the performance of incoming freshmen Adell Givens and Jovens Degage.
Bostic, the Cardinals No. 2 receiver with 38 catches for 438 yards in 2003, is actually moving back to his old high school position. As a senior at Fort Wayne South Side, the 5-7, 177-pound Bostic rushed for 1,297 yards.
Bostic will compete with senior Scott Blair (640 yards in 2003) and junior Charles Wynn (367), who shouldered much of the rushing load last season.
"We've got two real quality backs in Charles Wynn and Scott Blair," Hoke said on Tuesday, when he announced the move. "They both do an awful lot of good things.
"He gives you a little something different," the second-year coach said of Bostic. "The other two are big physical backs, and Larry has a burst to him and gives us a little better speed out of the backfield. He just gives us a different dimension coming out of the backfield."
Hoke said he is not afraid of using a tailback-by-committee approach as the Cardinals try to better last season's meager rushing average of 114.8 yards.
"At any position you'd like to have a clear-cut individual," he said. But there's no doubt it's a close competition. You always want to utilize what those kids do best, not (necessarily) what you do offensively or defensively."
Another factor that helped Hoke make the decision is the depth at wide receiver even without Bostic. Juniors Dante Ridgeway (89 catches for 1,075 yards) and Ryan Hahaj (29 for 324), and sophomore Bryan Williamson (36 for 481) all return.
"I think Ryan Hahaj's playing as well as I've seen him play," Hoke said. "That position is where we have the most quality depth, and I think it gives (Bostic) an opportunity to help this team."
Hoke added that youngsters Chris Jackson, Terry Moss and Floyd Reddick have also improved at wide-out during spring practice.
Lynch has slight edge at quarterback
With five more practices left before the Spring Game on April 24, Joey Lynch is ahead of fellow third-year sophomore Todd Racine and redshirt Casey Gillen in the battle to be starting quarterback.
"The competition is definitely there," Hoke said. "I think Joey still holds an edge because of his consistency in doing things right.
Casey's got a lot of talent; he's got to make better decisions. Todd is being efficient with the ball, and he can be more of a playmaker. I think it's a close race, with Joey definitely having the lead."
Lynch is the only one of the three who saw action last year. He completed all three of his passes for 47 yards and a touchdown in the fourth quarter at Boston College.
"He may be a little farther along," quarterbacks coach Brent Baldwin said of Lynch, "but I wouldn't say it's a big gap. At this point, Joe's probably handled all the situations and everything we've done a little better than the other two.
"I've seen them all grow since the first day of practice. We're nowhere near where we need to be yet, but all three are getting better."
All three are being supportive of each other, as well.
"That's the one position where you do have a lot of egos," Baldwin said, "but it's amazing -- they're all competing for the job but they're all pulling for one another. Obviously they all want the job, but I don't foresee any problems because we've been so upfront with them."
Whoever the coaching staff names as starter will have to have to fight for it again in the fall, when newly-recruited Warren Suess and Cole Stinson begin practicing with the Cardinals. Hoke said they will have a chance to compete for the job, but he is prepared to save them if necessary.
"There wouldn't be any doubt we'd redshirt them if they weren't ready to play," he said. "It's a tough position to come in and play, learn an offense and physically have the talent to do that."
In the meantime, Baldwin said he is doing everything in his power to make sure Suess and Stinson will be prepared to compete.
"We can talk to them," Baldwin said, "and they come anytime they want to see us. I know Warren Suess is coming to the Spring Game. I've been sending them stuff and trying to get them ready as much as I can before they get here in the summer time."
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