Observations from practice (8/7/21)
Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2021 5:22 pmSome notes from Saturday's practice:
• Sometimes players just pass the eye test. Freshman DEs Jayden Jones and Je'lin Samuels have impressive frames (Jones is listed at 6-4, 245, and Samuels at 6-7, 247) with tons of room to grow and add strength ... but they also both move quickly and smoothly. Not coincidentally, both were standout basketball players in high school.
• Speaking of players who jump out immediately: OT Marcus Bryant was listed last year at 6-6 and 260 — decent size for a true freshman. Now entering his sophomore season, he is listed at 6-8 and 314. Not sure how precise those number are, but the first time I saw him, I was sure someone else was wearing his old number.
• Along the same lines, DL Elijah Chatman has put on 17 pounds, according to the official roster, to 289. He was always strong — he arrived at SMU two years ago with a reputation for living in the weight room — but he just looks different with the added bulk. Some guys add size in the cafeteria — no doubt that's part of it, but he looks much more powerful, and appears to have retained his quickness.
• Since his arrival at SMU, head coach Sonny Dykes consistently an desire for two things when it comes to roster management: getting bigger, especially along the lines of scrimmage, and deeper. That is especially evident on the offensive line, where OL coach A.J. Ricker now has more than three full lines full-grown linemen to train in drills. No, a larger population does not necessarily translate to superior in-game performance, but it does do two things: allows the players to practice harder with fresher legs as they rotate, and it means even the backups are going against legitimate college-size players. Seems like a small deal to some, but there were years when the Mustangs welcomed freshman linemen who were 6-1 and 220 or 230 and insisted "don't worry — they'll grow." Fans were pessimistic, and quarterbacks were nervous.
• Several players have switched numbers this year, including:
— WR Reggie Roberson has gone from 8 back to 21, which he wore when he first transferred to SMU
— CB Bryan Massey has gone from 8 to 0
— WR Beau Barker has gone from 42 to 9
— TQ Jackson has moved from receiver to safety, and switched from 3 to 6
— Keke Burns switched from receiver to linebacker, and from 16 to 15
— LB Preston Ellison has moved from 41 to 31
— Toby Endukwe has moved from defensive end to linebacker, and from 38 to 32
• Good to see WR Reggie Roberson running with his teammates again. He didn't cut loose for one of his leave-the-defense-behind sprints — perhaps at the orders of the training staff to protect him from himself.
• Dykes said at American Athletic Conference Media Daythat he feels he could play and compete with any of the Mustangs' three quarterbacks: Tanner Mordecai, Derek Green or Preston Stone. They all practiced Saturday, but didn't show a lot. Mordecai appeared to read the defense and get rid of the ball quickly, suggesting a good understanding of the offense. Green looks physically stronger, and his arm strength seems stronger. Word was out about Stone's ability to run, but he isn't just a straight-line runner. He seems to change direction pretty smoothly and threw fairly well on the run a few times. No, none of those individual comments will determine who starts.
• Another SMU lineman who has earned a measure of acclaim for strength in the weight room is defensive tackle Terrance Newman. He is one of the team's strongest players in the weight room, but that power translates to the field. Twice Saturday, when the lines engaged in a pass rush/block drill, he basically forklifted offensive linemen off the ground, dropped them back on their heels and had the balance and composure to get around them and in to the backfield. It's one thing to be strong, and another to do something effective with that strength.
• In that same drill, Bryant — all 6-8, 314 of him — lined up against linebacker Delano Robinson. Bryant obviously has a significant size advantage over the 6-2, 244-pound Robinson, but what was impressive was that he was able to stay in front of Robinson, steering him away — far away — from where the quarterback would be. Guys that big can struggle against fast, athletic linebackers like Robinson, and while it was just one play, it was indicative of the athleticism Bryant has.
• At AAC Media Day, Dykes also talked about how there is more competition than there has been since his arrival in the secondary. In live 11-on-11 drills, CB Sam Westfall twice used the sideline as an extra defender and then running alongside his receiver, hip-checking him out of bounds to end the threat of a completion before it started. CB Brandon Crossley made one of the nicer defensive plays of the day when he cut in front of a receiver on the sideline to tip the ball away. The ball went straight up in the air, and Crossley appeared to lose it temporarily, but he was able to relocate it and make the interception.
• One addition to the defensive line: defensive end Stephon Wright, a transfer from Arizona State. According to his bio on the ASU website, he was listed last year at 6-4 and 285 pounds. The site says the Los Angeles (Cathedral), Calif., grad "appeared in four games and made a tackle (in 2019), retaining his freshman eligibility for the 2020 season" ... but then doesn't appear in ASU's 2020 stats. This article on si.com says he was limited to six games over two seasons because of operations on both shoulders, and said he had offers from Oregon, Alabama, Oklahoma and USC, among others, before signing with the Sun Devils.
• Sometimes players just pass the eye test. Freshman DEs Jayden Jones and Je'lin Samuels have impressive frames (Jones is listed at 6-4, 245, and Samuels at 6-7, 247) with tons of room to grow and add strength ... but they also both move quickly and smoothly. Not coincidentally, both were standout basketball players in high school.
• Speaking of players who jump out immediately: OT Marcus Bryant was listed last year at 6-6 and 260 — decent size for a true freshman. Now entering his sophomore season, he is listed at 6-8 and 314. Not sure how precise those number are, but the first time I saw him, I was sure someone else was wearing his old number.
• Along the same lines, DL Elijah Chatman has put on 17 pounds, according to the official roster, to 289. He was always strong — he arrived at SMU two years ago with a reputation for living in the weight room — but he just looks different with the added bulk. Some guys add size in the cafeteria — no doubt that's part of it, but he looks much more powerful, and appears to have retained his quickness.
• Since his arrival at SMU, head coach Sonny Dykes consistently an desire for two things when it comes to roster management: getting bigger, especially along the lines of scrimmage, and deeper. That is especially evident on the offensive line, where OL coach A.J. Ricker now has more than three full lines full-grown linemen to train in drills. No, a larger population does not necessarily translate to superior in-game performance, but it does do two things: allows the players to practice harder with fresher legs as they rotate, and it means even the backups are going against legitimate college-size players. Seems like a small deal to some, but there were years when the Mustangs welcomed freshman linemen who were 6-1 and 220 or 230 and insisted "don't worry — they'll grow." Fans were pessimistic, and quarterbacks were nervous.
• Several players have switched numbers this year, including:
— WR Reggie Roberson has gone from 8 back to 21, which he wore when he first transferred to SMU
— CB Bryan Massey has gone from 8 to 0
— WR Beau Barker has gone from 42 to 9
— TQ Jackson has moved from receiver to safety, and switched from 3 to 6
— Keke Burns switched from receiver to linebacker, and from 16 to 15
— LB Preston Ellison has moved from 41 to 31
— Toby Endukwe has moved from defensive end to linebacker, and from 38 to 32
• Good to see WR Reggie Roberson running with his teammates again. He didn't cut loose for one of his leave-the-defense-behind sprints — perhaps at the orders of the training staff to protect him from himself.
• Dykes said at American Athletic Conference Media Daythat he feels he could play and compete with any of the Mustangs' three quarterbacks: Tanner Mordecai, Derek Green or Preston Stone. They all practiced Saturday, but didn't show a lot. Mordecai appeared to read the defense and get rid of the ball quickly, suggesting a good understanding of the offense. Green looks physically stronger, and his arm strength seems stronger. Word was out about Stone's ability to run, but he isn't just a straight-line runner. He seems to change direction pretty smoothly and threw fairly well on the run a few times. No, none of those individual comments will determine who starts.
• Another SMU lineman who has earned a measure of acclaim for strength in the weight room is defensive tackle Terrance Newman. He is one of the team's strongest players in the weight room, but that power translates to the field. Twice Saturday, when the lines engaged in a pass rush/block drill, he basically forklifted offensive linemen off the ground, dropped them back on their heels and had the balance and composure to get around them and in to the backfield. It's one thing to be strong, and another to do something effective with that strength.
• In that same drill, Bryant — all 6-8, 314 of him — lined up against linebacker Delano Robinson. Bryant obviously has a significant size advantage over the 6-2, 244-pound Robinson, but what was impressive was that he was able to stay in front of Robinson, steering him away — far away — from where the quarterback would be. Guys that big can struggle against fast, athletic linebackers like Robinson, and while it was just one play, it was indicative of the athleticism Bryant has.
• At AAC Media Day, Dykes also talked about how there is more competition than there has been since his arrival in the secondary. In live 11-on-11 drills, CB Sam Westfall twice used the sideline as an extra defender and then running alongside his receiver, hip-checking him out of bounds to end the threat of a completion before it started. CB Brandon Crossley made one of the nicer defensive plays of the day when he cut in front of a receiver on the sideline to tip the ball away. The ball went straight up in the air, and Crossley appeared to lose it temporarily, but he was able to relocate it and make the interception.
• One addition to the defensive line: defensive end Stephon Wright, a transfer from Arizona State. According to his bio on the ASU website, he was listed last year at 6-4 and 285 pounds. The site says the Los Angeles (Cathedral), Calif., grad "appeared in four games and made a tackle (in 2019), retaining his freshman eligibility for the 2020 season" ... but then doesn't appear in ASU's 2020 stats. This article on si.com says he was limited to six games over two seasons because of operations on both shoulders, and said he had offers from Oregon, Alabama, Oklahoma and USC, among others, before signing with the Sun Devils.