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EGR impact/skill position players this year: Josh Drummond (RB/FB/DB), Voss brothers Colin and Trent (TE, RB, DE, LB), AJ McEwen (WR, QB, DB), Ryan Elble (QB likely), Kirk Spencer, (RB, DB). There may be others coming up from JV that will have an impact but these are the "for sure's" barring injury.
No superstars like Glendenning's or Grady's but all very good players, all with shots at being All Metro GR players.
Interestingly, there is one more Grady in the pipeline and he will be a Soph this year. Don't know if he will make the move up or not. Good athlete that saw significant PT on Varsity Basketball so it is very possible that Stuursma will bring him up.

As far as EGR getting knocked off...certainly anything is possible. EGR's run will end sometime. No one stays on top forever.

After last years drubbing, I can't really get my mind around a Mt. Pleasant or Bay City Glenn pulling some kind of upset. Those teams had pretty good seasons last year and they were not on the same level by a mile. Nor any teams from the North (Gaylord, Cadillac, etc.). I could see Stevensville Lakeshore doing it. They have had enough shots at us that they are no longer awestruck. Maybe St. Joe - ditto above. Chelsea, maybe DeWitt, they will both likely have some firepower that could make a win possible. As far as OLSM....I don't know what to think. Bolden is scary but to listen to others on this board, they may not have much else. Last years OLSM JV did not show much against the EGR JV that's for sure. I guess we'll find out week one. EGR will be solid this year and probably next but it will NOT be a foregone conclusion that they make it back to Ford Field.

BTW, to all the Lakeshore and St. Joe players and alum... don't take the "awestruck" comment wrong. I don't think any of your players played scared. All of those games were hard fought and you guys were very good. But, there is a certain amount of human nature in all of us and the difference between winning and losing is sometimes razor thin and can hinge on just a few intangibles. East's playoff history is to some degree their twelfth man. Between the overwhelming confidence it breeds in the young players minds and the always denied, but still real, intimidation factor of all those titles, it gives them that little edge in big contests that usually leaves the winner saying "I knew we would" and the loser saying, "dang, we almost had 'em". Both Lakeshore and St. Joe have had enough shots at us now that I don't think that edge exists (it's been long gone with Lowell for example). That's why I could see either of those teams beating East this year.