Seconday affected by 4-4 scheme

JMU enters the 2004 season with talent and experience in its secondary.

The Dukes switch to a 4-4 defensive alignment this season, adding pressure to the defensive backfield.
Yet, the secondary appears to be up to the challenge.

The secondary will be led once again by senior safety Rodney McCarter, who was named to the preseason All-Atlantic 10 first-team defense following an impressive 2003 campaign that saw him force three fumbles and block two kicks (five for his career) while recording 94 tackles.

Though he had an injury in his quad and missed spring practice, McCarter has recovered.

"Rodney is at about 95 percent right now," junior cornerback Clint Kent said.

While McCarter is the incumbent starter at one safety position, there currently is an open competition for the other spot between returning starter red- shirt senior Rondell Bradley and red-shirt junior Bruce Johnson.

"Neither player has an advantage at this point," secondary coach Chip West said. "Nothing is written in stone as to who will start."

Free-saftey red-shirt sophomore Tony LeZotte, who is in the mix to play, commented on the competition.

"Rondell is a little more experienced in terms of game experience," LeZotte said. "But other than that there’s really not much difference between the two of them."

LeZotte isn’t having a bad preseason either.

"[Tony] gets better every day," West said.

Things are more secure at the cornerback position, where Kent, who led the Dukes with four interceptions in 2003, and senior Cortez Thompson are firmly entrenched as the starters.

Kent led the Dukes with four interceptions last season.

"In the 4-4 we’re going to be playing more man to man coverage than we used to," Kent said. "But not that much has really changed since Coach West is basically teaching the same stuff.

"In the 4-4 we’re going to be playing more man-to-man coverage then we used to."

This is West’s first season in charge of the secondary.

While West said the secondary still had a lot to learn, he is optimistic.

"[The players are] doing a good job learning and they are improving every day," West said.

Another ingredient in the secondary is sophomore Ardon Bransford, a former wide receiver who has switched to cornerback.

"Bransford’s athletic ability has quickened his learning curve," West said. "It’s a transition since he didn’t have a spring under his belt playing defense, but he’s improving and has a lot of tools."

The secondary will be a focal point of the Dukes’ defense this season, especially with the some of the changes in the defensive scheme.

Last season, the Dukes forced 26 turnovers, 13 of which were interceptions. Also, each defender who had a pick, returns this season.

With McCarter leading the way, and no shortage of talent in the defensive backfield, JMU’s secondary appears up to the challenge of switching schemes.

"Things are going well with the new defense," LeZotte said. "Despite the fact that there’s a little more pressure."