tag-team partner at Will the past two
seasons — is the swingman at both.
Fox sat out the spring while recovering
from offseason shoulder surgery, and
that allowed Grace to receive extensive
reps. Ask veteran players who might
be the top surprise of 2013 and Grace's
name is often mentioned.
"Jarrett Grace is a really physical
player," praised fifth-year senior left
offensive guard Chris Watt. "He runs
faster than he looks and will relentlessly chase down the running back,
even if he's behind him 20 yards. He's
a rabid dog out there when he wants
to be."
Grace tied junior Cat linebacker/defensive end Ishaq Williams with the
most tackles in the Blue-Gold Game
(eight, one for lost yardage) and plays
with unbridled joy.
"Not one guy has to fill those shoes,"
Grace said of replacing Te'o. "The defense has 11 guys out there on the field,
and it takes every guy doing his job."
Grace will be expected to be among
them.
4. S Elijah Shumate
The sophomore is not an unfamiliar
face in the lineup. Shumate's physical
style and playmaking skills instantly
put him on the field from game one
last year on special teams and as the
top nickel back. The nickel was ideal
for him because his job description was
condensed into elementary form while
taking advantage of his skills.
"[The coaches] didn't want to make
it so hard for me coming in my first
year," said Shumate, who broke up
three passes and made nine tackles.
"Playing the nickel position, they just
wanted me to be down there to play
