With Bland Out, is it Darren Markle Time?

So after some real promise with young Jeff Tuel vs. Cal?  Now the bad news.  Louis Bland, yeah, you know, probably the best defensive player on the roster?  That guy.  He’s pretty much done for ’09.  In fact, Grippi speculates that not just for ’09, but, perhaps even spring ball is going to be a big question mark.  Sounds like that pesky PCL in the knee has finally run it’s course.  All the best in a speedy recovery to Louis Bland. 

This loss hurts.  I mean hey, they ALL hurt.  But losing Bland off a defense that needs his fire, passion and intensity, not to mention he’s a pretty damn good football player?  Not good.  So what does that mean?  Well, the weekly depth chart has Alex Hoffman-Ellis back atop the middle linebacker spot, but he’s battled the staph infection injury in his arm and still may not be all the way back to full strength.  This probably means a lot more PT for Mike Ledgerwood, the sophomore who led the linebackers in tackles with eight vs. Cal last week.  But man oh man, the linebackers are looking awfully thin all of a sudden.  Grippi also reported that Andy Mattingly is banged up with a left knee bruise.  And last week they had moved Myron Beck back to safety, but this week he is right back to linebacker.  Thin, thin, thin.

So here’s a question for you Coug Nation.  There’s a reason I picked the picture above, with Louis Bland and the youngster next to him.  This is right up Sutra’s alley in regards to redshirt-burning, but, is it time for Darren Markle, the super-strong true frosh, to play?  There is still a lot of football left, five full games.  The linebackers are just battered right now, and you wonder who else may go down in the coming weeks?  Maybe more so than even the young true frosh DB’s in Washington and Carpenter, Darren Markle is needed RIGHT NOW!  Now Markle wasn’t listed on the depth chart this week, so he may not even make the trip to San Antonio.  But you have to wonder if things might change, sooner rather than later? 

You probably remember Darren Markle.  All-everything linebacker from Meridian, Idaho, and he has made a great impression in his first go-around with the Cougar coaches.  But he really turned some heads back in high school with his weight-room prowess, sporting a 400+ pound bench, and a 600+ pound squat??  Here he is doing 615 pounds on the squat rack in January.  This is when he was still a high school senior! 

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVblKeAZhtw&w=425&h=344]

That’s a lot of weight.  You know, for some people maybe…..

Anyway, that’s about it for now, a pretty light post today.  And no, sorry, but we didn’t get the radio show covered last night.  Hopefully we are back at it next week.

Enjoy your Wednesday, and of course, GO COUGS!