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Word is that he's playing offensive tackle, and doing very well.
Also, apparently Mitch Enright is looking very good early in spring ball.

Can Chase Smith move, or is he just the purest of power blockers?

I've also heard David Allison looks really good this spring -- in part because he's lost some weight. Can anyone confirm?

Yes, David has dropped a few pounds. He reported to camp in the fall @ about 325 & is now down to around 308. Like every other Mustang in Coach Faucett's weight program he is getting stronger by the day. As for Chase Smith I think he is listed @ left guard on the depth chart & I have "herd" nothing but good things about him. In addition ,I'm hearing that all of last years redshirt o-lineman are looking good this spring.

Herd Backer wrote:Yes, David has dropped a few pounds. He reported to camp in the fall @ about 325 & is now down to around 308. Like every other Mustang in Coach Faucett's weight program he is getting stronger by the day. As for Chase Smith I think he is listed @ left guard on the depth chart & I have "herd" nothing but good things about him. In addition ,I'm hearing that all of last years redshirt o-lineman are looking good this spring.

I peeked through the fence at practice the other day, and Chase Smith was playing right tackle, I think .... and he was holding his own in his battles with Cory Muse.

David Allison is just a man. The guy is absolutely huge, and I don't mean he's a big fat guy. Sure, a lot of young linemen have some pounds that could stand to be turned into muscle. But he's very tall (6'5"? 6'6"?), has very wide shoulders and extremely long arms, which suggests to me that as he works with Coach Faucette, he could get back to the weight he had last fall .... and be extraordinarily strong. I don't know how good he is, but damn, he sure looks the part.

The two guards who redshirted last year (Josh Hickman and Brad Lankford) both look like they need to add weight. But they're both pretty lean, seem to move well and appear to be pretty strong. We just might have gotten an entire offensive line in last year's signing class. Not that they'll all play -- I hope we sign better players at every position, every year -- but it looks like the makings of some good blockers.

Redshirt OL positions on depth chart:

LT- Lankford, Nigh
LG- Smith
C- None
RG- Enright, Hickman
RT- Allison

Well, I'm not sure about depth charts. I saw Lankford playing guard, and Smith at RT. Then again, as young as these guys are, I'm sure they'll get a crack at a lot of different positions, until Coach V determines where they fit best.

When is the next practice and at what time? If I can make it, I will check this out myself.

Mickey wrote:When is the next practice and at what time? If I can make it, I will check this out myself.

3:30 today I believe and then they are on spring break until the 21st or so.

If we can keep most of these guys in the program, sounds like we are very close to having a competitive herd up front. Could this FINALLY be the year we have two full units to give each other a breather? Sure would be nice to have a ball control offense to help a new QB get settled in.

I think it might be. When you consider a group with Darrin Johnson, Tommy Poynter, Ben Poynter, Caleb Peveto, Kenard Burley, Joe Holmes, Sean Lobo, Dustin Morton, Chase Smith, Ross Nigh, David Allison, Brad Lankford, Mitch Enright, Josh Hickman (and Paulius Ritter?) -- that's 15 guys. I'm hopeful there's at least 10 good ones in there.

I guess I missed something, when was Chase Smith converted to an offensive lineman? Last I heard he was still on the defensive line

Just started this spring -- he's had three practices (in pads) on the OL.

what's so great about having 15 bodies-we've had that every year. What I want to know is if we have 8 football players. Only a couple have shown they can excell -and remember that is what we need to reach the next level. I thought the offensive line was just as weak last year as they have been in previous years except DeMyron Martin and a stronger defense made them look better. We didn't exactly light the world on fire last year at any position on offense-I'm talking offensive groups not individuals- last year except at RB. That's why we finished last in total offense in the entire league. I do have some hope that a couple of the young guys can become players but we are no where close to having a championship offensive line from my perspective.

That's true, we've always had the bodies, but I think it's safe to say that the group we have now is bigger and stronger than any post-DP group. Hopefully they have the ability to go with that.