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It's Monday, and I don't really want to work and it's much more exciting getting ready for the season so here's my take after reading all the reports on first week of practice (seeing tweets, reading comments, watching snapchats, etc etc):

Of course, I'm sure even the coaches don't have a solid depth chart yet but here's my take (some great battles going on at QB, DE, LB and all in the secondary except Wyatt and all along the OL except Brown and Pursley probably). What do you think:

OFFENSE

QB: Hicks/Gillins/Peavey
RB: Jones/Freeman/West
LT: Hopkins/Webb?
LG: Smith/Hyder?
C: Brown/Barton
RG: Saena/Todora
RT: Pursley/Wilds?
WR: Sutton/Honey
WR: Proche/Thomas
WR: Quinn/Benson
TE: Epps/Rau/Kaufman/Becker

DEFENSE

DE: Lawler/Badejo
DE: Mixon/Scott
DT: Gary/Biggurs/Davis/Jones
DT: Gentry/Williams/McLaurin
Mike: Rhone/Duke
Will: Spears/Ward
Star: Mitchell/Williams
CB: Sutton/Davis?
CB: Wyatt/Johnson?
S: Onu/Clark
S: Clemons/McQueen

I just read a report that now has me questioning some of my choices (injuries, etc). More insider type info. Anyway, how do you see it all shaking out? I forgot about Natour on the OL and expected that Rau would make more of a push and surprised that Kevin Thomas is still not as featured. Cedric Lancaster is another one that is intriguing where he ends up, if backing up Wyatt, etc. Also, I thought McLaurin would be pushing for more PT by now.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Ward end up at the Mike instead of Will. McNew is somewhere in there I think. McQueen would start at safety. He will start somewhere right out of the gate.

Freeman over West when West was the feature back after Jones went down?

Freeman was a true freshman last year. But it's not like, with the RBs at least, that it's a true depth chart. I think they will all play in and out. I think you'll see Freeman and Jones filing the traditional RB role with West thrown in as a change of pace and a receiving threat out of the backfield to spread out the field. I'm sure he'll get a lot of "traditional" carries also.

I also said that I posted this before I read a little more on the injury situation. Supposedly Jones has a nagging hamstring so we might not get what I thought we'd get out of him unfortunately.

Be careful disclosing information here that you pay for on a premium board, such as the hamstring issue.

That's a bummer. PonyPride had indicated that he was sitting out on Saturday. I think the history under Morris is that when kids have the "sitting out" color on, there is something significant going on. It usually isn't minor because the players always end up missing a couple of weeks. Disappointing that both he and Gentry are out again at the beginning of camp.

I think we'll start hearing more news this week on a final depth chart. But here's my guess:

QB: Hicks
RB: Jones (lots of rotation)
WR: Quinn/Proche/Courtland (some rotation)
LT- Pursley
LG- Natour
C- Brown
RG- Todora
RT- Hopkins
TE: Epps (some rotation)

DE: Mixon/Lawler (Scott and Badejo will play a bunch)
NT: Biggurs/Davis (heavy rotation)
DT: Gary/Gentry (lots of rotation with JT, maybe P. Jones, Neals, etc)
LB: have no idea, but assume Mitchell/Rhone with heavy doses of Spears/Duke/Williams/Ward
CB: Sutton and Wyatt (Lancaster and C. Davis)
Safeties: Clemons and Onu (lots of McQueen and K. Johnson, Clark?)

Todora is the weak spot on the line. Hopkins hasn't nailed down his spot yet.

TE - lots of rotation. Lots of rotation at WR also because of the up tempo and depth.
LB - WIlliams starting right now with Rhone and Mitchell.

McQueen will start somewhere, either Star or Safety. He won't be a bench player. If not day 1 then at least by the time conference starts.

Hard decision - who sits between K Johnson (I think he is ahead of Clemons right now), Onu, Mitchell. Morris might be hinting at something with all the talk about safeties having to run the defense, but I think with Clark injured that McQueen will have to play safety. Rock isn't ready and Clemons and K Johnson are both injury prone.

I have to believe that with the season West had at running back coupled with Jones having a hamstring issue that West will start at RB. I love the way Jones runs but I am worried that he may never be the same if the hamstring continues to be an issue.

Jones falls into the "special" category. When healthy, he is one of the top backs in the country. That is why he starts over the very productive West when healthy...

JasonB wrote:Jones falls into the "special" category. When healthy, he is one of the top backs in the country. That is why he starts over the very productive West when healthy...

Is Jones currently 100%?

Yes

That is good to hear. They have been very quiet about him since saying he tweaked the hamstring again.

mrydel wrote:That is good to hear. They have been very quiet about him since saying he tweaked the hamstring again.

mrydel wrote:That is good to hear. They have been very quiet about him since saying he tweaked the hamstring again.

4:20 in the am Mrydel?