Observations from Spring 'Game'

[PonyPride]

The SMU Mustangs wrapped up their first spring workouts under first-year head coach Rhett Lashlee with the 2022 Red/Blue "Game." In actuality, it was more of a practice, with some scrimmage situations interspersed with position group drills.

Some observations:

• Great turnout by former SMU players, including current NFL players LB/DE Delontae Scott (Pittsburgh Steelers), RB Xavier Jones (Los Angeles Rams), WR Courtland Sutton (Denver Broncos), WR James Proché (Baltimore Ravens), QB Shane Buechele (Kansas City Chiefs), TE Ryan Becker (Atlanta Falcons), DB Rodney Clemons (Tennessee Titans) and DB Brandon Stephens (Baltimore Ravens).

• Numerous players sat out Saturday for various reasons, including WR Beau Corrales, LB Gary Wiley, RB Tre Siggers, LB JaQwondis Burns, WR Roderick Daniels, S Karl Taylor, DB Jadarius Thursday, DT Elijah Chatman, OL Justin Osborne, DE Warren Walls, DL Ricky Cole, OL Henry Mossberg, OL Danielson Ike, DE Je'lin Samuels, TE Simon Gonzalez, TE Gage Haskin, DL Stephon Wright, DL Bobby Duncum, LB Turner Coxe and DE Jay Bell.

• Sr. Assistant for Player Development and Dallas Recruiting Relations Scott Nady took on the role of de facto in-game host, wandering the field with a public address microphone for jobs like play-by-play announcer for the marketing department's activities between breaks (i.e. watching fans try to catch punts and kick field goals). But with a crowd that include a couple hundred recruits and their families, Nady ramped up the sales pitch by interacting on the mic — and on camera — with some of the SMU NFL players in attendance. At one point, former SMU players were given headsets and allowed to call plays for the 2022 Mustangs. First, it was Coach Xavier Jones and Coach James Proché. When Coach Shane Buechele took the headset, Nady remarked something about "I wonder what he's going to call?" Before Buechele could respond, future Coach Reggie Roberson leaned into the microphone and declared "we're throwing bombs."

• With so many players sidelined, a lot of reserves got a lot of reps. The position battle getting the most attention, of course, is at quarterback, where Tanner Mordecai took the first snaps. The next series went to transfer Owen Easley, and no, that is not a statement about Preston Stone. Easley played behind the second offensive line; when the starting line returned, it was Stone under center.

• If the spring scrimmages are any indication, notable differences in this year's offense include faster tempo and more deep balls. In other words, it will look more like the offense Lashlee ran when he was the Mustangs' offensive coordinator.

• One player who stood out on defense was DE Junior Aho. That he can run is no secret: he regularly got into the backfield for "sacks" (QBs were not getting taken down). But perhaps more important was the play when he got locked up (some would argue he was held), shook free from the blocker, turned around and chased down RB Zane Minors from behind. Minors had slipped through the line of scrimmage and appeared to have plenty of room to run ... before Aho tracked him down.

• Siggers did not suit up during the spring, but he did run with the other RBs in drills — in a jersey, but no helmet or pads.

• For much of the evening, DBs had good coverage, shadowing WRs and watching away multiple passes ... but also dropped a few passes that could (should) have been interceptions. S Bryan Massey did thwart a would-be touchdown with an interception when QB Josh Stupin tracked a WR across the end zone and never saw Massey coming from the other side of the field.

• Since his arrival, WR Dylan Goffney has been hailed for his talent, and specifically for his versatility and ability to play in multiple roles. Goffney showed off his versatility Saturday, running past defenders and out-muscling DBs for 50-50 balls. But he also showed off an improved elusiveness, starting and stopping, changing direction to shake would-be tacklers. On one play, he caught a short pass on the left side and flung CB Ben Furgal into the bench with a stiff-arm before heading upfield.

• DE DeVere Levelston has gotten notably stronger since his arrival at SMU. On one play, he got underneath the pads of OL Tai Brooks and drove Brooks back toward the quarterback. Because of the angle he took, Levelston got Brooks back on his heels and was able to extend his left arm up to put Brooks in a vertical stance — a far cry from the repeated instructions from coaches to their linemen to "stay low." Once Levelston had Brooks backpedaling, he ran through Brooks and planting him on his back. Yes, the laws of physics come into play — when backpedaling, it's virtually impossible to regain stable footing — but Brooks is listed at 6-4 and 335, making Levelston's one-armed power rush exceptionally impressive.

• Speaking of the offensive line, the first unit consisted of LT Thalen Robinson, LG Cameron Ervin, C Branson Hickman, RG Jaylon Thomas and RT Marcus Bryant. With Osborn sitting out Saturday and transfers Joe Bissinger (Virginia) and Owen Condon (Georgia) not yet on campus, it is fair to say the line will look somewhat different in September. Who — if anyone — will be swapped out remains to be seen.

• Lashlee talked after practice about his new habit of wearing NFL jerseys from former SMU players during practice — a not-so-subtle reminder to the current players about where top players can end up. During Saturday's practice, he started in an Eric Dickerson jersey, before representing Buechele and eventually Sutton.

• Catch of the Day: WR Austin Upshaw scored on a diving grab in the back corner of the end zone on a pass that looked like it was out everyone's — including his — reach. Honorable mention: touchdown grab by WR Rashee Rice, who went up and over a defender and then twisted his body between the ball and the defender, so that either Rice would catch it or nobody would.

• Of those were the best catches of the day, maybe the best pass of the day was by Stone, who rolled out to his right to elude the rush and found WR Jayleen Record streaking across the back of the end zone for a touchdown, despite the fact that there were four defenders within close range.

[Dark Horse]

If Upshaw raises his consistency and becomes a legit starter-caliber player, that changed the vibe of that group. Rice, Gaffney, Corrales, Upshaw ... solid group.