It’s only been one week and four practices, with only two of them being fully-padded, but some progress has been made. Visually, the most notable thing is the overall physical size of this team. You can see the results of the strength program from the offseason as the majority of the guys have out on some “good” weight.
Notes and observations of what we saw and heard after the first week of practice:
Offensive line – This is a huge group of human beings. Emmett Lynch, Brandon Quesenberry and Jake Hoerchner have stood out so far after week #1. Hoerchner is a bit of a pleasant surprise in our eyes. Mammoth tackle Darren Deneui is still adjusting to the OL after playing some DL last season and is making progress. The flexibility and depth of this group is at an all-time high with the younger guys gaining valuable reps and experience. The first year freshman will have plenty of time to develop (Pecosky, Walker). Of note: freshman tackle Darren Peterson is out for all of spring while he rehabs a knee injury. He should be ready to again by fall camp.
QB – Brent Goska remains #1 on the depth chart based on his experience, leadership and solid first week of practice throwing the ball. Joey Bradley looks a little rusty after adjusting to taking more snaps under center, but definitely has the throwing capability we saw on his highlight film. He’s had some fumbled exchange problems with his 2nd and 3rd team centers. This will obviously improve with time and reps. The offense will be under center more this spring so that they have the “slow down” option to complement what they did last year in the pistol. Freshman Chris Comes looks the part on the field and has been practicing well. He seems to have a very high QB and football acumen and really comprehends what the coaches are teaching him very well. Look for him to be a contender heading in to the fall camp.
RB – Mitch Sutton continues to be the solid oak leader at this position and will continue to be the #1 guy. Jake Miller looks more athletic and explosive after a year in the weight room and will definitely get a considerable amount of carries at the #2 spot. Breon Butler came on late in the week to show some of what he is capable of. He needs more reps to breed confidence and really needs to work on his pass protection.
FB – Catlin Solum and Ethan Magstadt have been the guys in 2 back sets so far at the non-glamorous FB position. Good to see Magstadt back on the field after the achilles injury last spring.
TE – The biggest surprise of spring so far has been the play of former QB Seth Nichols. With his 6-5, 240 pound frame, Nichols has the body for the position and made some plays catching the ball in the passing game. The staff seems to love his potential. He will obviously have to figure out how to block up front and has only been at the position for 4 practices. Taylor Grant is in the mix as well and making progress. It’s only been one week, but this position already has much more depth this year.
WR – RJ McGill has really stepped up his game so far and looks more confident and impressive physically. He will be counted on to be a big factor in the intermediate passing game next season. Tyhre Ivery has some serious talent. He struggles a bit mentally right now as expected and needs to understand the playbook a bit better. By game one, this kid needs to be on the field and we think Coach Belmore will have him ready. Jon Heimler had a good first week of practice and seems to be over his injuries. He will add some much needed depth and should challenge for playing time this fall.
Up next:Â an update on defense…
