Tuesday March 09, 2010

Spring Practice Impressions-Offense

Spring Practice Impressions-Offense
I had a chance to get out to football practice for about an hour and 45 minutes Monday and wanted to share some observations on the offensive players. Tomorrow we will look at the defense.

First the team was in shorts but will go full pads Wednesday night which is also open to the public.

Kyle Parker missed Sunday’s practice but was back out there Monday. It has to be hard to grasp all of the mental stuff involved with being a quarterback at this level and still play at a high level in baseball. He has so many checks, so many formations, so many motions, so many pre-snap reads, etc. Parker’s footwork looked good and his arm strength is always noticeable. Every once in a while he tried to fit a ball into coverage but most strong armed quarterbacks do. I am amazed how he is about to play a three-game series in three different parks in three different cities against your arch-rival in baseball Friday thru Sunday and then look as good as he did on the football practice field Monday. He goes from hitting the cut-off man to hitting the Z receiver in 24 hours. Amazing.

I was thoroughly impressed with Tajh Boyd Monday. I did not see him Sunday when he got all of the first-team reps but his second practice was a step in the right direction. Boyd has lost his baby fat and looks much stronger. He also looked more comfortable on his surgically repaired knee. There were times last fall where I thought he may have been favoring it but that was not the case Monday. He looked very comfortable. Boyd arm strength is right next door to Parker’s. he has a very strong arm. I know he lacks experience and it was just shorts but I thought he looked terrific. In fact, he looked a lot like Parker did this time last spring. There are so many signs that the physical tools are there. He is an advanced quarterback and you can see why he was a national recruit. Tommy Bowden mentioned in Kyle Parker’s freshman season that Kyle just had “It.” I think the same thing can be said for Boyd. He just has something about him that makes him special.

Michael Wade is splitting time at quarterback, holder and safety. I am not sure I have seen a quarterback that played on special teams and defense too.

The running backs are always tough to evaluate in shorts but it is easy to see Andre Ellington has added size and muscle. He looks like he added about 10 pounds to his frame mostly in his arms, chest and shoulders. He looks like he is physically ready to take his game to the next level.

Jamie Harper always looks heavy to me but one team official told me he is just a big body that really will never weigh under 225 pounds. He has a great burst for a big back but I would like to see him catch the football better.

Speaking of catching the ball, Rod McDowell is a natural catching the ball out of the backfield. He is the kind of back that should look good in shorts because of his style but he has exceptional quickness. I think McDowell will have a chance to compete for playing time in the fall.

Since they were in shorts, I spent a lot of time watching the wide receivers and came away less concerned about some and more concerned about others. I think Bryce McNeal has a chance to be a very good player. He is light in his legs and butt but he is smooth in running his routes and catches the ball well. McNeal is a natural receiver of the ball. He makes things look easy. I am not sure how will be able to block and I have no way of knowing how he will mentally grasp the offense but in shorts he looks good running routes and catching the football.

I thought Jaron Brown had a good day. Brown is athletic enough to play at this level and only lacks experience. There are times where he is a little inconsistent but I think he has a big upside when he gets more confident.

Xavier Dye and Terrence Ashe are solid. They are perhaps the most dependable receivers on scholarship at this point. Neither are all-conference candidates but both are solid.

I think Marquan Jones really looks good at times. He will occasionally drop a pass but he looks like he may be making some strides. I am still wondering why he has not progressed but I think the light may come for him soon.

I keep watching Brandon Ford and I see a guy that does not run well but I also see the best hands of the receivers. I also see all of these possession wide outs playing at other places and wonder if Ford can make a push for more playing time. He really catches it well in traffic. I still think he has a chance despite his lack of speed because he has terrific ball skills.

Maybe I am Brandon Clear’s bad luck charm but every time I go to practice I see him struggle to catch the ball. He is not a natural athlete at receiver. H will make one spectacular catch on one play and drop the next two easier balls.

At tight end the Tigers have Dwayne Allen and …….(insert crickets). Allen has a chance to be a very good one if he improves his ball skills. He has so much potential but he needs to work hard to make that progress. He also needs to stay healthy because tight end is the thinnest position.

The offensive line is difficult to judge in shorts but I thought David Smith and Antoine McClain improved their bodies. I thought those two and Dalton Freeman looked like a very athletic group of interior linemen.

I think one of the few ways to evaluate offensive linemen in shorts is to watch the coaching staff. We don’t know what their assignments are and we are not experts in looking at the footwork. So I just watch the coaches and see who is getting praise or criticism. I heard a lot more criticism of the second team guys which was understandable. The first unit was LT-Chris Hairston, LG-David Smith, C-Dalton Freeman, RG-Antoine McClain, RT-Landon Walker. The second team unit included Brandon Thomas, Matt Sanders, Phillip Price, Wilson Norris and Ben Ramsey.

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Those who need our prayers include:
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