The countdown rolls on today and we've been sucked back into the abyss of the Bronco D-line. You know what they say..."the higher the weight, the higher the jersey number." They say that, right?
We've got 93 days until kickoff...so today we'll be taking a look at number 93 on the Bronco roster—Justin Jungblut
#93, Justin Jungblut, Sophomore, DT
Stats
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 269 lbs.
High School: Saguaro High School, Scottsdale, AZ
How'd he get to The Blue™?
Jungblut tore things up in a big way at Saguaro High school, helping lead his team to 3 straight State Championships. As a senior, Jungblut was named first team all-state, all-conference and all-defensive line after racking up 72 tackles (23 for loss) and 12 sacks. The four-year letter winner was named the 116th best defensive end in the nation heading into a recruiting season that saw him offered by Air Force, Oregon State, UNLV, Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho. Jungblut picked the Broncos in July of 2008 and remained firm on his commitment. The Broncos immediately penciled the big DE in at DT.
Nickname
Youngblood [yuhng-bluhd
]
Any German to English dictionary will tell you that Jungblut means, literally, "Youngblood". Justin certainly represents a youth movement on the Bronco D-line. It was meant to be.
Look-alike
Bull from Night Court
Career Highlights
Three straight high school State Championships must've been pretty sweet.
Career Lowlight
Being offered a scholarship by Idaho.
2011 Prospectus
At least you can say that Jungblut got some in-game experience in 2010, because he didn't get much else. Playing time was scarce and I only found him credited with 2 tackles on the year. Nonetheless, garbage time is still playing time, and if I'm being honest...I didn't expect Jungblut to really crack the 2-deep last year against the likes of Billy Winn, Chase Baker, Ricky Tjong-A-Tjoe, Old Man Nisby, and company. Alas, 2011 is a brand new year...and since Nisby got all chokey at a Boise bar, that's one less man Jungblut to contend with, although with Michael Atkinson coming off his suspension he's kinda back at square one. Sledding won't get any easier either, as two highly regarded DTs will be in Fall Camp in the form of Robert Ash and Jeff Worthy. The Bronco coaching staff has never shied away from playing true freshman and they've all but assured the media that this year they're actively looking to do so. Nevertheless, I don't think the Broncos have started a true freshman on the interior D-line since Alex Guerrero way back in 2002.
Jungblut is up 28 lbs. from last year and got a good amount of reps in the Spring. I suspect he's right on the cusp of meaningful game minutes this season. Remember, Atkinson is far from a lock on the D-line's second tier given his history of injury and "brain cramps". This leaves a slot ripe for the taking alongside one presumptive number 2, Ricky Tjong-A-Tjoe, and Greg Grimes will be battling as well. Ultimately, I think the D-line rotation probably will end up being Winn, Baker, Atkinson, and Tjong-A-Tjoe...but I've been wrong before (just ask my wife). Indeed, we've got impressive depth on the D-line of late, but we've also been stung by the injury bug early and often. Reasonably, anyone that separates themselves into the top 6 slots is going to play at one point or another. Look for Jungblut to easily double or even triple his minutes and output from last season.
Completely made up fact
Note: this is the same "fact" as last year, but I just can't bear to part with it.
Jungblut went to high school with current Bronco O-lineman Joe Kellogg. During their playing days, the duo were known as "Ginger and the German".