Monday voluntary workout notes

[PonyPride]

• Ran into CB Keith Robinson, who had abdominal surgery earlier this month. Robinson said he is rehabbing well, and said he did some sprints Sunday, and felt no pain. He said he still expects to be back in time to participate fully in SMU's preseason workouts in August.

• Also ran into DE Taylor Thompson, who was in the middle of a workout in the weight room. Taylor is another of the Mustangs who recently went went under the knife, when he had a torn labrum in his shoulder repaired in April. Thompson said his strength is back to "about 90 percent" of what it was before the injury, and said he no longer feels any discomfort. "The important thing is just to make sure I stretch it out really well" before working out, he said.

• Taylor Reed is not the only linebacker who has bulked up in preparation for his junior season. Fellow junior Ja'Gared Davis reported that he also is up to 231 pounds, a jump from his sophomore playing weight of "between 215 and 220.

• Speaking of players who have gained weight, DL Aaron Davis, who was listed last year at 242, weighed in Monday at 276. Meanwhile, strength and conditioning coach Mel de Laura reported that his offensive linemen are in better shape, too. LT Kelvin Beachum, Jr. is 311 pounds, LG Josh LeRibeus is 312, C Blake McJunkin is 305 and RT J.T. Brooks is 318.

• A total of 38 players — 36 undergraduates, plus LB Youri Yenga and CB Sterling Moore — took part in Monday's seven-on-seven drills. CB Daren Kitchen, who took part last week, sat out Monday's workout as he and the rest of the freshmen had to leave to get their dorm keys Monday night. Kitchen watched with two other freshmen from his home state of Louisiana: WR Nyle Johnson and CB J.R. Richardson.

• One of the nicest plays of the day was one of the first, when QB Kyle Padron found WR Jeremy Johnson streaking up the left side of the field. Padron fired the ball over Johnson's outside shoulder, where he made the catch and used his body to shield the pass from SS Ryan Smith, who was covering on the play.

• For most of the seven-on-seven drills, the quarterbacks simulated the snaps by simply tossing the ball underhand to whichever passer was running the offense on a specific play. But at the beginning of the session, two linemen took turns snapping the ball: Blake McJunkin and Ashton Duhe.

• Toward the end of last season, coaches and teammates raved about how much WR Keenan Holman had improved over the course of the season, developing from a guy who played on a high school offense involved little passing to one of Padron's more reliable targets. In Monday's drills, Holman ran an otherwise unremarkable "in" route, but when QB Steve Kaiser's pass was deflected by a linebacker, Holman quickly broke off his route, running back toward the quarterback and made the grab, anyway. A year ago, that pass would have fallen incomplete or been intercepted.

• Moments later, SS Ryan Smith returned the favor, jumping in front Holman on a crossing route at the back of the end zone to intercept a Kaiser pass.

• LB Randy McKinnon showed some of his DB skills when he patiently sat back while Kaiser prepared to throw a screen pass to WR Cole Loftin before racing forward to knock the ball away at the goal line.

• The defensive play of the day was turned in by FS Chris Banjo. WR Jeremy Johnson caught a pass right at the goal line, only to have Banjo punch the ball free. After the ball was popped loose, Banjo reached for it overhead, tipped it and then hauled it in for the interception.

[Corso]

Glad to here Robinson is getting better. CB is one of those positions where it's impossible to have too many talented players.

[Vitale]

Glad to hear Thompson is on the mend. We need a big year out of him this season.

[cutter]

good stuff.
thanks.

[Junior]

nice to see Spike put on a few pounds. hopefully, he can maintain that during the season.

[StallionsModelT]

Sounds like Kaiser blows.

[sbsmith]

Sounds like Kaiser blows.

Haven't heard anything good about him since he got here.

[EastStang]

J'Gared put on an extra 15 of power. Whoa, I pity opposing offensive linemen and QB's.