They're generally going to have weekly media availability each Tuesday during the spring, so today was our first chance to get down there to catch the last 20-30 minutes of practice.
Some items and first impressions to pass along:
- The team will not be in pads until Saturday, so a lot of what we saw today was team-drill and 7-on-7 stuff.
- Matt Rhule said several players will be limited this spring due to offseason surgeries, most of which were minor. Tavon Young had his knee scoped after the season, so he's been limited but is expected to be fine. Linebacker Jarred Alwan had shoulder surgery and will not hit during the spring. Kisery Terry, Julian Taylor, Hershey Walton, Brodrick Yancy and Sharif Finch are all resting or practicing in limited capacities due to resting injuries or recovering from minor procedures. Walton is working through back issues and Finch had his knee cleaned out after playing through knee issues last season. Rhule said Jabo Lee did run around a bit today.
- Along the injury front, linebacker Buddy Brown had another knee issue and is retiring from playing at Temple, Rhule said. He will keep his scholarship (and his scholarship will not count against Temple's total), and the team hopes to keep him around as a student assistant like it did with Damiere Shaw.
- Rob Dvoracek had his knee injury and subsequent infection last season and stayed with the team as a student assistant. Rhule said his linebacker has made some progress, but he's still pretty far away from being a full practice participant.
- It looks like Zaire Williams has grown up and is running with some burst again. Like I've said several times, part of the issue last season was his back and part of it was immaturity. He seems to have made progress in both areas. He had a couple of runs that popped in some drills and he routinely finished first or among the first three when the team ran sprints at the end of practice. (During the sprints, a few coaches seemed to be rooting on Freddie Booth-Lloyd.)
- When it came time for 7-on-7s, the quarterback depth chart went as follows: 1. P.J. Walker, 2. Logan Marchi, 3. Lenny Williams, 4. Frank Nutile, 5. Tim DiGiorgio, 6. John Loughery, but Rhule later said during his post-practice interview that DiGiorgio has run with the twos in some team drills and that all of the quarterbacks will continue to rotate into different spots at various times.
- During the 7-on-7s, neither side really stood out. Rhule said either the offense or defense could cut down on its sprints and conditioning for the day if it made three big plays, but that didn't happen. Walker hit a few short throws and checked down when he was supposed to, and he did also miss a wide-open Nate Hairston on a deep ball down the right side. On another play, Marchi lofted a nice deep ball that was a tad underthrown but still complete to Marshall Ellick. You can see some skill and promise with Marchi, but Marcus Satterfield described him as "raw" in our interview. I'll have audio of Rhule, Walker and that 1-on-1 with Satterfield posted over the next few hours. Nutile had Romond Deloatch on a nicely-thrown deep ball, but Deloatch got tripped (couldn't see the DB who got him) on a play that would have drawn a flag had it been in a game.
- If the team is indeed without Dion Dawkins at tackle (arrested last week, as I'm sure you all know, along with Haason Reddick and suspended from the team) heading into the season, Rhule said Leon Johnson will have to step up in his place. Johnson, Rhule said, sprained his ankle playing basketball, but he was out there today trying to run sprints with a noticeable slower step. Rhule said he'll also look for more at that spot from redshirt freshmen James McHale and Jaelin Robinson. When I asked Satterfield about who was in "put up or shut up" territory this spring, he mentioned Johnson's name.
- If you're looking for a breakout candidate at receiver, redshirt freshman Ventell Bryant seems to be the early favorite. He's running with the 1s, looks pretty smooth and stronger than last season. Walker said Bryant has "sure hands" and is "three reps stronger" in putting up 225 pounds.
- Walker spoke to the media and was very blunt and hard on himself in terms of evaluating last season. He used phrases like "could have been better," "I lost my swagger" and "I just didn't feel right" in describing his play. He said he has talked to Glenn Thomas and Satterfield a lot about getting the ball out quicker. Most of his mistakes - both he and Rhule said - came when he was out of the pocket.
- Rhule and Satterfield seemed encouraged by Jamie Gilmore and his overall consistency. Satterfield knows he'll have a lot of options at running back but said "the guy that gets four yards per carry" will start/play.
