June Jones notes (8/15/11)

[PonyPride]

SMU head coach June Jones offered a few notes of interest after practice (some are actual quotes — others are paraphrasing:

• Some of the freshman kids have started to show up. (Linebacker Stephon) Sanders, (wide receiver) Arrius Hollemon, (offensive lineman) Dontae Levingston, before he jammed his thumb — he was showing some ability. (Cornerback) J.R. Richardson, too. Sanders, Jones said, has a chance to get some reps with the second-team defense at the WILL LB spot.

• Jones said he thinks 10-15 freshman will not redshirt this season. That number is affected, of course, by the health of the team, but that's his initial projection.

• While potential starter Keith Robinson has been injured, Kenneth Acker has been working with the first-team defense, and Jones said he has been impressed with Acker's performance. "He's just a good football player, and he really has worked hard," Jones said. "He doesn't even look like the same player as last year. Plus ... he went to my high school." (Jones and Acker both played for Grant HS in Portland, Ore.)

• Jones said the idea that freshman Jared Williams has separated himself from a group that also includes Bryce Lunday, Billy Dugal and K.C. Nlemchi to be Zach Line's primary backup is inaccurate. Jones said he has been pleased with what he has seen from Williams, but that does not mean the No. 2 RB job is his. Dugal "does a great job in pass porotection," Jones said. Williams, he said, gives the offense "a change-of-pace guy." Lunday is a tireless worker who, as the lone senior in the group, "probably knows the offense better than any of them." Nlemchi has been hurt and missed several days of workouts.

• Jones stopped short of saying he wants a second running back to play a lot, although he did allow that "historically, one guy usually takes about 75 percent of the snaps, and the other 25 percent go to somebody else." In 2010, Line had 244 of the Mustangs' 404 rushing attempts (60.4 percent). However, three other RBs combined for 44 carries, so among RBs, Line had 84.7 percent of the carries last season.

[SMU 86]

I heard Coach Jones make a comment on CB Daren Kitchen some time ago. How is he doing?

[PonyPride]

Kitchen has looked good. He was one of the first true freshmen to arrive before the majority arrived to begin summer conditioning work, and he immediately opened some eyes. Kitchen appears to be a very instinctive coverage guy, with good speed and height and long arms. He turns quickly when breaking out of his backpedal, and has appeared able to stay with receivers so far. He also has pretty good hands when the ball is in the air.