Today's scrimmage in Vaught-Hemingway was certainly a let down. While many players had good days and showed great potential, an upsetting large majority of the scrimmage was dedicated to third team vs. third team plays which is pretty damned boring. Here are our notes:
1. Jevan Snead didn't throw very much. He was only in for a couple of drives and most of the plays called during his drives were either runs or short pass plays. The same goes for Tapp. Stanley was in for a half-dozen drives or so and threw a great deal more than the other quarterbacks. He was mediocre as he threw a few picks (at least one was most certainly the fault of the receiver) and occassionally underthrew his targets.
2. All of the runningbacks had great days. Brandon Bolden and Devin Thomas got a lot of reps and both ran very hard. Bolden played especially well as he continued to demonstrate just how hard he can be to bring down.
3. Andrew Harris, while currently on the third team, showed incredible athleticism and was able to evade several defenders after the catch. Yeah, the defenders were also third teamers, but some of the moves he made took a great deal of skill.
4. I saw no fewer than three different t-shirts which utilized some sort of Houston Nutt related pun. Everything from "The Rebels are NUTTY" to "Welcome to the NUTT HOUSE" is seemingly printed on a t-shirt. Thankfully I saw nobody older than 13 wearing one of these shirts but I was still a bit disappointed. Seriously everyone, stop buying these damned things.
5. Jerrell Powe was a wrecking ball out there, against an offensive line made of walk-ons and freshmen. We, as a fan base, have shamefully hyped this kid to mythical heights. He's got potential and most certainly can contribute on our defensive front, but he's no messiah. During the scrimmage he got an encroachment penalty called against him for jumping the snap early and knocking Billy Tapp (who was wearing a red jersey) to the ground. Shortly after this penalty, several hundred people cheered, clapped, et cetera. One woman in my viscinity even said she was "glad to have him here." What the Hell, people? He committed a damned penalty and knocked over a guy who he wasn't even supposed to touch. That is absolutely nothing to cheer over.
6. Joshua Shene did not miss a single field goal. Being as how we haven't had a seriously capable kicker in several seasons, it would be nice to see Shene show up as a true special teams weapon this fall.
7. Jeremy McGee took a big hit and was escorted off of the field after being attended to for a couple of minutes. Hopefully he's alright.
Honestly, that's about it. Having third teamers practice against one another does not really lend to noteworthy practices or detailed and relevant practice reports. I understand that the coaches didn't want to have a lot of potential starters out there in order to avoid the injury bug so I'll forgive them, this time.
Showing posts with label Practice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Practice. Show all posts
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Thursday Practice Report
This evening's practice was moved into the indoor practice facility due to heavy rains in and around Oxford throughout the afternoon. The practice was a bit different than the previous practices likely due to the fact that the players and coaches had only one field to work with as opposed to three. Despite this, it was still a productive practice. Here are some things we noticed:
1. Jevan had a decent practice today. He showed decent pocket presence and put great zip on his throws, especially in the 11-on-11 drills. During warmups he showed that he is truly the most athletically gifted quarterback on the team by really putting heat on his throws.
2. Nathan Stanley should be pushed into the second spot on the depth chart. We know a lot of us want to redshirt him but he would not disappoint as a backup.
3. In the halfback drills, Cordera Eason consistently showed the best footwork. Enrique Davis showed great speed, especially for his size but he wasn't really on top of things. We saw him running a lap around the inside of the IPF during rushing drills, likely because of poor performance.
4. Demareo Marr has a lot of work to do. He had difficulties in the tackling drills and did not show great coverage skills in the pass skeletons and 11-on-11 drills. At this rate, he could be stuck as a third-teamer for the rest of the fall.
5. Dustin Mouzon really had an excellent practice. He was on top of everything and even had an incredible pass deflection.
6. Patrick Trahan showed incredible defensive presence during this practice. He blitzed well during 11-on-11 drills and had a pass deflection in the pass skeletons. He worked out with the second team as the will linebacker and will add very significant depth to our linebacker corps. We know a lot of people saw linebacker as being a weak spot for our team for this upcoming season but we feel that the potential is there for a few of these kids to emerge as playmakers.
7. The wideouts did not perform as well as one would have hoped. There were some inexcusable dropped passes and a few just did not put forth an incredible effort. Mike Wallace had a few good grabs and Lionel Breaux pulled in a deep touchdown throw from Billy Tapp during the pass skeletons.
8. For a little guy, Marshay Green has some serious pop. He knocked H.R. Greer, a freshman fullback, clear onto his back during the pass skeletons. I'm sure we'd all love to see him to hit like that during an actual game situation.
9. Allen Walker had a sick, sick one-handed interception during the 11-on-11 drills. He was moving to his left and the ball was thrown to his right. He more-or-less flung his right arm at the ball and came down with it. The kid's incredibly athletic and, thanks to Don Decker's strength and conditioning program, has really put on some solid weight. Hopefully he'll make similar plays this fall.
10. There were a few injured players. LaMark Armour is slated to have surgery so he did not dress out. Johnny Brown was nowhere to be seen. Our guess is that he was in some sort of therapy during the practice. Greg Hardy was not in cleats, but rather basketball shoes and had a bit of a limp. Reid Neely was not wearing pads and had a boot on his right foot. Kendrick Lewis was taken out of practice with a rolled ankle but came back shortly thereafter. He's likely okay.
Let us know what you think and enjoy your evenings.
EDIT: We were recently contacted by the remote controlled spy plane pilot and it turns out the fella's a Rebel through and through. He runs a small aerial photography business and was simply testing out his equipment and enjoying himself some Ole Miss football. Below is one of the photographs he took. If you'd like to purchase a larger copy of this photograph or procure the services of a Rebel-owned-and-operated aerial photography business then visit his website here.
I mean, we accused the guy of Hobby-Lobby based clandestine espionage. The least we could do was plug his business.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Tuesday Practice Report
As with yesterday, here is our fall practice report. Keep in mind, this is only day two of practice. We're not going to attempt to make any predictions for the season based on what we've seen. We're just gonna call it like we see it. So, without further ado, here are our practice notes:
-I'm sorry Spirit board posters, but Trahan has yet to gain the 15 pounds he needs to catch up with Palmer and Walker. Maybe tomorrow. We'll keep you updated on that. Okay, his size aside, we will say that he is very fundamentally sound. The linebackers ran a tackling drill which require the players to do pushups and then run the drill again if they ran the drill poorly. He was the only linebacker never to have to run the drill again. His tackling is not suspect at all. Nor is his speed. He, Allen Walker, and Ashlee Palmer are by far the fastest linebackers on the team.
-While we're on linebackers, it's important to note that Allen Walker and Ashlee Palmer have very soft hands for linebackers. In a drill where the linebackers were catching laser passes thrown their way, they both showed incredible consistency and pulled in all of the passes thrown their way.
-Markeith Summers showed out today with great positioning and good speed. He had a sick lay out in the pass skeleton. We at the Cup like this kid a lot.
-Nathan Stanley had excellent placement on the deep ball and threw with a consistently excellent spiral. He ran the third team offense and performed admirably
-Jevan was uninspiring again. He threw a pick and had several bad throws. His control was lacking, especially during the 11-on-11 drills. In the pass skeleton he had a few stellar passes, including one to Dexter "da lil' bastid" McCluster.
-Enrique Davis runs really well. He keeps his shoulders low and runs hard through the hole. We're very much looking forward to him running with pads. He was working with the second team.
-Marcus Tillman stayed at defensive tackle. He and Justin Sanders were working back and forth for the other spot at D Tackle alongside Peria Jerry.
-They shuffled the defensive ends around a good bit. Greg Hardy practiced some with the first team, but saw most of his time on the second team.
-McCluster had some great catches in the pass skeleton. He and Marshay showed great quickness in the return drills and both of them really seem to have great football instincts.
-Speaking of Marshay. He was a ball hawk today at his cornerback spot. He's got his first team position more or less locked down.
-Lionel Breaux made a few good catches. We didn't feel they threw to him enough during the pass skeletons.
-Powe looked like there might have been some technique returning to him. He's still pretty slow though and he saw most of his action on the third team.
-Kendrick Lewis made the only pick of the day. He has a knack of getting pick-6's in practices. We have to get that guy on the field. He's a safety with wide receiver skills. If you'll recall, we even recruited the kid to play wideout. Although he's temporarily occupying Johnny Brown's spot, it wouldn't be shocking to see him take the spot over for the Memphis game.
That's all I can think of for now. If you have any questions, comments, criticisms, et cetera please do not hesitate do direct them our way.
-I'm sorry Spirit board posters, but Trahan has yet to gain the 15 pounds he needs to catch up with Palmer and Walker. Maybe tomorrow. We'll keep you updated on that. Okay, his size aside, we will say that he is very fundamentally sound. The linebackers ran a tackling drill which require the players to do pushups and then run the drill again if they ran the drill poorly. He was the only linebacker never to have to run the drill again. His tackling is not suspect at all. Nor is his speed. He, Allen Walker, and Ashlee Palmer are by far the fastest linebackers on the team.
-While we're on linebackers, it's important to note that Allen Walker and Ashlee Palmer have very soft hands for linebackers. In a drill where the linebackers were catching laser passes thrown their way, they both showed incredible consistency and pulled in all of the passes thrown their way.
-Markeith Summers showed out today with great positioning and good speed. He had a sick lay out in the pass skeleton. We at the Cup like this kid a lot.
-Nathan Stanley had excellent placement on the deep ball and threw with a consistently excellent spiral. He ran the third team offense and performed admirably
-Jevan was uninspiring again. He threw a pick and had several bad throws. His control was lacking, especially during the 11-on-11 drills. In the pass skeleton he had a few stellar passes, including one to Dexter "da lil' bastid" McCluster.
-Enrique Davis runs really well. He keeps his shoulders low and runs hard through the hole. We're very much looking forward to him running with pads. He was working with the second team.
-Marcus Tillman stayed at defensive tackle. He and Justin Sanders were working back and forth for the other spot at D Tackle alongside Peria Jerry.
-They shuffled the defensive ends around a good bit. Greg Hardy practiced some with the first team, but saw most of his time on the second team.
-McCluster had some great catches in the pass skeleton. He and Marshay showed great quickness in the return drills and both of them really seem to have great football instincts.
-Speaking of Marshay. He was a ball hawk today at his cornerback spot. He's got his first team position more or less locked down.
-Lionel Breaux made a few good catches. We didn't feel they threw to him enough during the pass skeletons.
-Powe looked like there might have been some technique returning to him. He's still pretty slow though and he saw most of his action on the third team.
-Kendrick Lewis made the only pick of the day. He has a knack of getting pick-6's in practices. We have to get that guy on the field. He's a safety with wide receiver skills. If you'll recall, we even recruited the kid to play wideout. Although he's temporarily occupying Johnny Brown's spot, it wouldn't be shocking to see him take the spot over for the Memphis game.
That's all I can think of for now. If you have any questions, comments, criticisms, et cetera please do not hesitate do direct them our way.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Monday Practice Report
So a couple of the writers and I went out to see the first practice live and in person. We just wanted to see for ourselves how some of the newcomers would look and how other players had progressed over the summer. Obviously, there's only so much you can tell from an hour. Especially when that hour is almost all early drills and stretching. Some worthwhile notes:
Returnees:
Jevan Snead - Snead was unimpressive today. He's obviously the best passer on the team (we know, Layton Jones is still there, but trust us) but we don't feel he showed up in full today. It's early and he'll hopefully get the rust shaken off.
Dexter McCluster - McCluster is so damn quick. Good gravy. If you've ever wondered what a ball of fast-twitch muscles with dreads looked like this is it. He was not perfect as he dropped a pass that he really had no business dropping, but he still showed us that he's the Dex we remember. He's quick, agile, and not at all scared to go over the middle. The little bastard's tough, and we love him for it. Before you ask, no, they did not run the WildRebel today.
Markeith Summers - The best wide receiver of the spring really didn't do much today. There were a lot of dumps today, and the wide receivers didn't get a lot of chances to excel. One-on-one, he was locked up by Dustin Mouzon twice but did beat his defender deep on one drill, only to be overthrown by an overzealous Snead.
Marshay Green - We were really looking forward to seeing him at cornerback. I remember during the spring that he quickly took control of the position and got rowdy. Today, he was the fastest corner on the field. He has great hip swivel, and he is already a player in the game. He was lined up as a starter and we expect him to hold onto that spot until the season starts. Also, during tackling drills, he showed incredible ferocity. For a little dude, he's not afraid to mess someone up.
Allen Walker - this guy showed out today. It was great to see a returning linebacker really step it up. I wonder if he's feeling the Trahan pressure. Walker made a sick leap into the air and batted a ball down that was nowhere near where your average linebacker could get to it (very EA Sports of him). The fact that Walker is a converted safety is going to be an enormous asset to us this year. At one moment during the practice, a helmet-less Walker strode past us towards the IPF. We were worried that he was hurt, overheated, or something else along those lines. As it turns out, the poor guy needed to piss. We worry too much, it seems.
Marcus Tillman - In order to fill in the temporary vacancy left by Ted Laurent and his ailing meniscus, Tillman worked at defensive tackle today. Obviously, he excelled in drills and, while he is slated to start as a strongside end, he has the skills necessary for any spot on the line. Ted Laurent was at the practice but, being three days removed from surgery, he wasn't dressed out or doing any work.
Newcomers:
Patrick Trahan - Tubberville called Partick Trahan the best defensive player he has ever coached. That may be the case, but to us, he looked a little small. He's wearing number 7 which may hurt him. The last junior college player we had who went to number 7 wasn't so great. He is in great shape though, and he's also a bit taller than we expected. We hope to see more of him this week. Perhaps we'll pay more attention to the linebacker drills during the upcoming practices.
Demareo Marr - If there's a newcomer that we desperately need help from more than Trahan, it's Marr. Today, he showed great potential but it is obvious that he desperately needs to get accustomed to SEC football. He's got decent size and long arms so we see him as being loaded with potential.
Enrique Davis - The "savior" of Ole Miss football has arms the size of tree trunks. He's lean, but he's really well built. He made a few catches in the pass skeleton drills and showed quickness during halfback drills but we didn't get to see enough of him today to tell you much more.
Jerrell Powe - After waiting on bended knee for three years, Powe looked... well, not a lot like Jerrell Powe. He has visibly lost weight. That's a great sign for the season. I saw him out there in the spring and thought he must have eaten 2.7 Ole Miss girls (the rough equivalent of one Arkansas girl). The guy was HUGE. Today, he's smaller. Obviously, he's not Dexter McCluster smaller, but he's much healthier looking. The coaches got all over him today, since he didn't have much burst in his step. More than anything, it was just great to see the big guy out there with the team. Hopefully he'll begin to impress us more and more as practices wear on.
Justin Smith - while we didn't pay extra close attention to him, he's big, strong, and really fast. He was certainly a surprise out there.
Jeremy Parnell - 6'8"? Really? He actually looked pretty good out there for someone so far removed from football. BTW, he is a DE... not a TE. We don't know how much he'll play or even if he plays at all, but he's certainly got athleticism.
Melvin Harris - Melvin Harris is rail thin. Seriously, teeny-weeny. I weigh 190, and two of him could fit into my shorts. He's 6'7, but he has got to gain weight. I smell a redshirt.
Gerald Harris - Big and cut. Looks to have really crafted his body over the summer. Hopefully he can show up at tight end and give Jevan a solid red zone threat.
Andrew Harris - Harris made one spectacular catch coming out of a wheel route. He got distance from his corner (don't remember who) and came down with a well placed ball. He's tall and has decent size. We know it's been said time and time again, but these wideouts are good.
Nathan Stanley - Mechanics are good, but he had trouble with the speed of the game in the passing skeleton. He really does throw a nice ball and has great height but, as HDN would put it, is a whole tube of biscuits shy of having legitimate SEC quarterback size. Fortunately, his mom is still hot.
Remember, these are all based on one day of practice. Actually one hour of practice. Actually, one hour of drills. Don't get too excited about this one day or too upset about newcomers not living up to expectations. For many, it's their first day to practice in a college atmosphere. There are going to be growing pains. Overall, we were impressed with the team and drills. We have high, yet unsubstantiated, hopes for the season.
Oh, and not to make a mountain out of a mole or anything, but these kids look great on the hoof. Many of them have big feet, to boot. Quite an impressive group of kids. More to come tomorrow, faithful cuppers.
Returnees:
Jevan Snead - Snead was unimpressive today. He's obviously the best passer on the team (we know, Layton Jones is still there, but trust us) but we don't feel he showed up in full today. It's early and he'll hopefully get the rust shaken off.
Dexter McCluster - McCluster is so damn quick. Good gravy. If you've ever wondered what a ball of fast-twitch muscles with dreads looked like this is it. He was not perfect as he dropped a pass that he really had no business dropping, but he still showed us that he's the Dex we remember. He's quick, agile, and not at all scared to go over the middle. The little bastard's tough, and we love him for it. Before you ask, no, they did not run the WildRebel today.
Markeith Summers - The best wide receiver of the spring really didn't do much today. There were a lot of dumps today, and the wide receivers didn't get a lot of chances to excel. One-on-one, he was locked up by Dustin Mouzon twice but did beat his defender deep on one drill, only to be overthrown by an overzealous Snead.
Marshay Green - We were really looking forward to seeing him at cornerback. I remember during the spring that he quickly took control of the position and got rowdy. Today, he was the fastest corner on the field. He has great hip swivel, and he is already a player in the game. He was lined up as a starter and we expect him to hold onto that spot until the season starts. Also, during tackling drills, he showed incredible ferocity. For a little dude, he's not afraid to mess someone up.
Allen Walker - this guy showed out today. It was great to see a returning linebacker really step it up. I wonder if he's feeling the Trahan pressure. Walker made a sick leap into the air and batted a ball down that was nowhere near where your average linebacker could get to it (very EA Sports of him). The fact that Walker is a converted safety is going to be an enormous asset to us this year. At one moment during the practice, a helmet-less Walker strode past us towards the IPF. We were worried that he was hurt, overheated, or something else along those lines. As it turns out, the poor guy needed to piss. We worry too much, it seems.
Marcus Tillman - In order to fill in the temporary vacancy left by Ted Laurent and his ailing meniscus, Tillman worked at defensive tackle today. Obviously, he excelled in drills and, while he is slated to start as a strongside end, he has the skills necessary for any spot on the line. Ted Laurent was at the practice but, being three days removed from surgery, he wasn't dressed out or doing any work.
Newcomers:
Patrick Trahan - Tubberville called Partick Trahan the best defensive player he has ever coached. That may be the case, but to us, he looked a little small. He's wearing number 7 which may hurt him. The last junior college player we had who went to number 7 wasn't so great. He is in great shape though, and he's also a bit taller than we expected. We hope to see more of him this week. Perhaps we'll pay more attention to the linebacker drills during the upcoming practices.
Demareo Marr - If there's a newcomer that we desperately need help from more than Trahan, it's Marr. Today, he showed great potential but it is obvious that he desperately needs to get accustomed to SEC football. He's got decent size and long arms so we see him as being loaded with potential.
Enrique Davis - The "savior" of Ole Miss football has arms the size of tree trunks. He's lean, but he's really well built. He made a few catches in the pass skeleton drills and showed quickness during halfback drills but we didn't get to see enough of him today to tell you much more.
Jerrell Powe - After waiting on bended knee for three years, Powe looked... well, not a lot like Jerrell Powe. He has visibly lost weight. That's a great sign for the season. I saw him out there in the spring and thought he must have eaten 2.7 Ole Miss girls (the rough equivalent of one Arkansas girl). The guy was HUGE. Today, he's smaller. Obviously, he's not Dexter McCluster smaller, but he's much healthier looking. The coaches got all over him today, since he didn't have much burst in his step. More than anything, it was just great to see the big guy out there with the team. Hopefully he'll begin to impress us more and more as practices wear on.
Justin Smith - while we didn't pay extra close attention to him, he's big, strong, and really fast. He was certainly a surprise out there.
Jeremy Parnell - 6'8"? Really? He actually looked pretty good out there for someone so far removed from football. BTW, he is a DE... not a TE. We don't know how much he'll play or even if he plays at all, but he's certainly got athleticism.
Melvin Harris - Melvin Harris is rail thin. Seriously, teeny-weeny. I weigh 190, and two of him could fit into my shorts. He's 6'7, but he has got to gain weight. I smell a redshirt.
Gerald Harris - Big and cut. Looks to have really crafted his body over the summer. Hopefully he can show up at tight end and give Jevan a solid red zone threat.
Andrew Harris - Harris made one spectacular catch coming out of a wheel route. He got distance from his corner (don't remember who) and came down with a well placed ball. He's tall and has decent size. We know it's been said time and time again, but these wideouts are good.
Nathan Stanley - Mechanics are good, but he had trouble with the speed of the game in the passing skeleton. He really does throw a nice ball and has great height but, as HDN would put it, is a whole tube of biscuits shy of having legitimate SEC quarterback size. Fortunately, his mom is still hot.
Remember, these are all based on one day of practice. Actually one hour of practice. Actually, one hour of drills. Don't get too excited about this one day or too upset about newcomers not living up to expectations. For many, it's their first day to practice in a college atmosphere. There are going to be growing pains. Overall, we were impressed with the team and drills. We have high, yet unsubstantiated, hopes for the season.
Oh, and not to make a mountain out of a mole or anything, but these kids look great on the hoof. Many of them have big feet, to boot. Quite an impressive group of kids. More to come tomorrow, faithful cuppers.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Spring Practice
Since we're halfway through spring football practice, I thought I could summarize what I've seen out of practices. We'll go position by position. Today, the offensive skill positions. Tomorrow, the lines. Wednesday, the defensive skill positions.
- QB -
Jevan Snead:
The Positives: Very Quick Release; Throws on a rope; Can thread the needle; excellent arm strength
The Negatives: In a limited number of practices, Jevan looked pretty bad. This could hint towards some inconsistency. When he played well, he was excellent. When he played poorly, he threw two picks to Fon Ingram (who may be good eventually, but still... he's third string on a bad cornerback unit.)
RSC Analysis: We expect Jevan to excel. This season, he will be better than anything we've had since No. 18's boy graced us with his presence. Still, to expect top of the SEC numbers this year is way too much. Our hope is simply that he's in the top half of the SEC in QB rating.
Billy Tapp:
The Positives: Good decision-making; Good accuracy
The Negatives: Slow release; Lacks significant arm strength
RSC Analysis: Billy Tapp has actually played quite well through practice so far. Our guess is that he's not quite as good as Seth Adams was last year, but hey... that's not too bad for a backup who was only recruited by Columbia.
Anyone Else:
Yikes.
- RB -
Cordera Eason:
The Positives: Runs with power; Good speed; Able to hit the holes quickly and get to the second level.
The Negatives: Doesn't read holes well; Impatient
RSC Analysis: Eason may not be as good as many had hoped when we recruited the 4* from Meridian, but he is the most complete back that is currently on campus. The chances of us using him in a feature back role are zip, but he will be the first running back used in a by-committee system. Eason has broken several insanely long runs, a good sign for his speed. Also, he can get the nitty-gritty yards. If Eason can get better at allowing blocks to set up, he could be phenomenal.
Derrick Davis:
The Positives: Runs with power; Patience
The Negatives: Lacks top-end speed
RSC Analysis: People weren't just pumping kool-aid when they said that Davis was as good as Eason when both were juniors at Meridian. He is a great second runningback, as is evidenced by Nutt's faith in moving Jeremy McGee to corner, leaving us with two runningbacks. Davis has overcome the injury that had him riding the bench for two years at Ole Miss, and he appears ready to show that he wasn't just part of a package deal for Eason.
Dexter McCluster:
The Positives: Excellent vision when running with the ball; patience; Top-end speed
The Negatives: Ability between the tackles; Durability
RSC Analysis: I know it's not fair to talk about McCluster's inability to run between the tackles, but he's going to be asked to do that some running the "Wild Rebel" and out of the I. He has to be able to put up with some damage across the middle, and we worry he won't be able to do so. Still, he is the biggest playmaker on the field, and has done an excellent job of getting short and long runs out of the wild rebel.
Jason Cook:
The Positives: Blocking; Strength; Experience; Powerful Runner
The Negatives: Speed; Inexperience with the ball
RSC Analysis: Jason Cook should have been used a lot more for the past three years. It's good to see Nutt wanting to get him the ball in the flats. Let's hope that Cook can make the most of it.
Reggie Hicks:
The Positive: Speed; Strength; Good with the ball
The Negatives: Blocking
RSC Analysis: Hicks can be used more as an offensive threat than as a lead blocker. Look for him to come in on some third downs.
Andy Hartmann:
The Positives: Strength; Blocking
The Negatives: Speed
RSC Analysis: Hartmann has been too slow in practice to effectively lead block. I guess if we need a pass blocking FB, we can go with him.
- WR -
Mike Wallace:
The Positives: Top-end speed; Height
The Negatives: Does not run crisp short routes; Sometimes drops sure catches
RSC Analysis: Mike Wallace is the epitome of a deep threat. This practice, he has repeatedly put a move on his d-back in one-on-ones and gone long. Unfortunately, Wallace is just not physical enough to run across the middle effectively. Still, it's great to have a threat to go deep with Wallace's speed.
Markeith Summers:
The Positives: Height; ability to use body; goes up and gets the ball; runs crisp routes
The Negatives: None so far
RSC Analysis: It's always interesting to see which players step up when there's a coaching change. Obviously, Markeith Summers is one of those players. Summers has developed into the most complete receiver in a corps ripe with talent. He has not disappointed in a single practice.
Shay Hodge:
The Positives: Ability to use body; goes up and gets the ball; runs crisp routes; makes the tough catch
The Negatives: Drops sure catches; Top-speed
RSC Analysis: Shay Hodge is very similar to Chris Collins. He gets the ball a lot just because he's so good at running routes. The only devastating problem Shay has is his hands. One play, he'll catch the ball over a corner's back. The next, he'll drop one that hits him in the numbers.
Dexter McCluster:
The Positives: Speed; Route-Running; Elusive
The Negatives: Size
RSC Analysis: McCluster will continue to be used in unconventional ways. He will see screens, reverses, etc. and will be given the opportunity to make a play with the ball in his hands. With his ability to make a player miss, he should be good.
Lionel Breaux:
The Positives: Speed
The Negatives: Doesn't show up some days
RSC Analysis: Breaux could be a good player, but right now, he just gets lost in the shuffle.
Michael Hicks:
The Positives: Height; Ability to use his body
The Negatives: Everything else
RSC Analysis: Has he even been at practice? Seriously, what happened to this guy?
- TE -
David Traxler:
The Positives: Blocking
The Negatives: Speed; Receiving
RSC Analysis: This is where the team starts sounding a lot less like a national championship contender. The TE position is REALLY thin. Traxler has made a few catches, but he usually looks lost in space.
Gerald Harris:
The Positives: NA
The Negatives: NA
RSC Analysis: I've seen him make one catch for about 6 yards. Comments?
Cecil Frison:
The Positives: ...
The Negatives: Speed
RSC Analysis: Jevan Snead put out a gorgeous pass one day for Cecil, and he couldn't even find it. Note: There was no problem with the sun or lights.
- QB -
Jevan Snead:
The Positives: Very Quick Release; Throws on a rope; Can thread the needle; excellent arm strength
The Negatives: In a limited number of practices, Jevan looked pretty bad. This could hint towards some inconsistency. When he played well, he was excellent. When he played poorly, he threw two picks to Fon Ingram (who may be good eventually, but still... he's third string on a bad cornerback unit.)
RSC Analysis: We expect Jevan to excel. This season, he will be better than anything we've had since No. 18's boy graced us with his presence. Still, to expect top of the SEC numbers this year is way too much. Our hope is simply that he's in the top half of the SEC in QB rating.
Billy Tapp:
The Positives: Good decision-making; Good accuracy
The Negatives: Slow release; Lacks significant arm strength
RSC Analysis: Billy Tapp has actually played quite well through practice so far. Our guess is that he's not quite as good as Seth Adams was last year, but hey... that's not too bad for a backup who was only recruited by Columbia.
Anyone Else:
Yikes.
- RB -
Cordera Eason:
The Positives: Runs with power; Good speed; Able to hit the holes quickly and get to the second level.
The Negatives: Doesn't read holes well; Impatient
RSC Analysis: Eason may not be as good as many had hoped when we recruited the 4* from Meridian, but he is the most complete back that is currently on campus. The chances of us using him in a feature back role are zip, but he will be the first running back used in a by-committee system. Eason has broken several insanely long runs, a good sign for his speed. Also, he can get the nitty-gritty yards. If Eason can get better at allowing blocks to set up, he could be phenomenal.
Derrick Davis:
The Positives: Runs with power; Patience
The Negatives: Lacks top-end speed
RSC Analysis: People weren't just pumping kool-aid when they said that Davis was as good as Eason when both were juniors at Meridian. He is a great second runningback, as is evidenced by Nutt's faith in moving Jeremy McGee to corner, leaving us with two runningbacks. Davis has overcome the injury that had him riding the bench for two years at Ole Miss, and he appears ready to show that he wasn't just part of a package deal for Eason.
Dexter McCluster:
The Positives: Excellent vision when running with the ball; patience; Top-end speed
The Negatives: Ability between the tackles; Durability
RSC Analysis: I know it's not fair to talk about McCluster's inability to run between the tackles, but he's going to be asked to do that some running the "Wild Rebel" and out of the I. He has to be able to put up with some damage across the middle, and we worry he won't be able to do so. Still, he is the biggest playmaker on the field, and has done an excellent job of getting short and long runs out of the wild rebel.
Jason Cook:
The Positives: Blocking; Strength; Experience; Powerful Runner
The Negatives: Speed; Inexperience with the ball
RSC Analysis: Jason Cook should have been used a lot more for the past three years. It's good to see Nutt wanting to get him the ball in the flats. Let's hope that Cook can make the most of it.
Reggie Hicks:
The Positive: Speed; Strength; Good with the ball
The Negatives: Blocking
RSC Analysis: Hicks can be used more as an offensive threat than as a lead blocker. Look for him to come in on some third downs.
Andy Hartmann:
The Positives: Strength; Blocking
The Negatives: Speed
RSC Analysis: Hartmann has been too slow in practice to effectively lead block. I guess if we need a pass blocking FB, we can go with him.
- WR -
Mike Wallace:
The Positives: Top-end speed; Height
The Negatives: Does not run crisp short routes; Sometimes drops sure catches
RSC Analysis: Mike Wallace is the epitome of a deep threat. This practice, he has repeatedly put a move on his d-back in one-on-ones and gone long. Unfortunately, Wallace is just not physical enough to run across the middle effectively. Still, it's great to have a threat to go deep with Wallace's speed.
Markeith Summers:
The Positives: Height; ability to use body; goes up and gets the ball; runs crisp routes
The Negatives: None so far
RSC Analysis: It's always interesting to see which players step up when there's a coaching change. Obviously, Markeith Summers is one of those players. Summers has developed into the most complete receiver in a corps ripe with talent. He has not disappointed in a single practice.
Shay Hodge:
The Positives: Ability to use body; goes up and gets the ball; runs crisp routes; makes the tough catch
The Negatives: Drops sure catches; Top-speed
RSC Analysis: Shay Hodge is very similar to Chris Collins. He gets the ball a lot just because he's so good at running routes. The only devastating problem Shay has is his hands. One play, he'll catch the ball over a corner's back. The next, he'll drop one that hits him in the numbers.
Dexter McCluster:
The Positives: Speed; Route-Running; Elusive
The Negatives: Size
RSC Analysis: McCluster will continue to be used in unconventional ways. He will see screens, reverses, etc. and will be given the opportunity to make a play with the ball in his hands. With his ability to make a player miss, he should be good.
Lionel Breaux:
The Positives: Speed
The Negatives: Doesn't show up some days
RSC Analysis: Breaux could be a good player, but right now, he just gets lost in the shuffle.
Michael Hicks:
The Positives: Height; Ability to use his body
The Negatives: Everything else
RSC Analysis: Has he even been at practice? Seriously, what happened to this guy?
- TE -
David Traxler:
The Positives: Blocking
The Negatives: Speed; Receiving
RSC Analysis: This is where the team starts sounding a lot less like a national championship contender. The TE position is REALLY thin. Traxler has made a few catches, but he usually looks lost in space.
Gerald Harris:
The Positives: NA
The Negatives: NA
RSC Analysis: I've seen him make one catch for about 6 yards. Comments?
Cecil Frison:
The Positives: ...
The Negatives: Speed
RSC Analysis: Jevan Snead put out a gorgeous pass one day for Cecil, and he couldn't even find it. Note: There was no problem with the sun or lights.
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