Football | August 10, 2016

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan football team has seen its culture and talent level evolve a great deal from head coach P.J. Fleck's staff's first year in 2013. The staff has built three straight No. 1 recruiting classes in the Mid-American Conference and was the top-ranked recruiting class among all Group of 5 schools in 2016 according to Scout.com.

With all the talent assembled in year four, it's a time to reflect during these early days of training camp as to the feeling going into the 2016 season compared to the 2013 season. There aren't many holdovers that have been here all four years due to the normal graduation of classes along with other things such as the normal staff turnover over the course of four years.

One of the players remaining is senior defensive tackle David Curle. Curle is a key starter in the middle of the line, who is just as successful off the field as he is on the field. Last year he was named Academic All-MAC for the second year in a row. He started all 13 games in 2015, helping the Broncos to their first bowl win in program history and remembers how things have changed since the 1-11 start his first season.

"Everyone knows how it's supposed to be done now," Curle said. "Year one we didn't really know what to do and it was a big learning curve. Now everyone knows what is expected of you and how it's supposed to be done."

Perhaps no one has benefitted more from the upgrades in talent on the field than offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca. Ciarrocca led the Broncos to setting numerous offensive records in 2015 including most points scored in a season with 468 and most yards in a single game with 711 against Ball State.

"The assistant coaches have done a great job of developing the players in the program," Ciarrocca said. "As a program we've done a great job of upgrading the talent we have. We always talk about changing our best and we want to find even better players than the ones we have. The other thing now is guys understand the culture so newcomers are able to integrate into the culture even faster now."

Having newcomers integrate into the culture fast has been evidenced by Ciarrocca producing the last three MAC Offensive Freshmen of the year in Corey Davis, Jarvion Franklin and Jamauri Bogan. With all three of those players returning, along with four offensive linemen from a year ago, Ciarrocca has interesting decisions to make about how to best jumpstart the offensive machine that in total has nine starters back from 2015.
 
"We have a chance to be an ELITE offense with our skill positions but our offensive line is really the engine of the jet. The skill guys are the wings of a jet, but the line is really the engine that makes it go and that includes our tight end Donnie Ernsberger.

Defensively, Ed Pinkham has done a remarkable job not only as the defensive coordinator but also as the defensive backs coach. In 2014, Pinkham's group had two players, Ronald Zamort and Donald Celiscar earn the NCAA Statistical Championship for passes broken up. Last year Darius Phillips, who was making the transition from receiver to defensive back, ranked in the top-15 in the country in pass breakups and had five interceptions. After adding some pieces to the front seven in recruiting, Pinkham's defense may be starting to be able to match the impact level of Ciarrocca's offense.

"When we first came, we were fortunate if we had a guy at every position to line up," Pinkham said. "Now I feel we're in a position where we have a real quality at each spot and a guy to back him up that is better than our starters were that first year."

Even more impressive to Pinkham than what is done on the field, is how the players present themselves off the field.

"When you look at things these guys do in the community and you see in the newspaper they've done things even beknownst to me to help out," Pinkham said. "They go to orphanages or a senior citizen center. It's a whole lot different.