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A quick glance at the roster shows the following guys gearing up for their final season:

QB Tony Eckert
LB Rico Harris
CB Charles Akinyemi
QB Ashton Nixon
QB Jerad Romo
S Jamey Harper
DB Travis Hunt
CB Ro Humphrey
DB/Lb Alvin Nnabuife
WR Chris Foster
DE Don Ieremia-Stansbury
PK Chris McMurtray
P Ryan Mentzel
OL Brad Kieschnick
WR Cedric Vinson

Is that it? 15 guys? And I think some of this year's signees (Alexander, Dizer, Hickman) count against next year's class. Sounds like we won't have a lot to give. I assume that normal attrition will free up a couple more. But next year's class looks like it will be small.

Never thought I'd say this: we need to sign a punter -- preferably one who can handle punting AND placekicking.

From the looks of your list, it appears next year we will have more than just two senior starters like we did this year. That's got to help.

PonyTales wrote:A quick glance at the roster shows the following guys gearing up for their final season:...
Never thought I'd say this: we need to sign a punter -- preferably one who can handle punting AND placekicking.

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Tales, have you checked the 04 Roster?

There are 7 K/P on the roster not counting Mentzel & McMurtray.

Wasn't Brent Karrington going to be a senior in 2005, too?

SWC2010 wrote:

PonyTales wrote:A quick glance at the roster shows the following guys gearing up for their final season:...
Never thought I'd say this: we need to sign a punter -- preferably one who can handle punting AND placekicking.

--
Tales, have you checked the 04 Roster?

There are 7 K/P on the roster not counting Mentzel & McMurtray.

That's true, but has any of them ever kicked/punted in a game? Ryan Wolcott and the rest of them might well have the ability to do the job, but we don't know that (being able to kick or punt in practice does NOT necessarily mean that will translate to game success.) Depending on the size of the class, I don't think adding a combo PK/K is a bad idea at all.

giacfsp wrote:

SWC2010 wrote:

PonyTales wrote:A quick glance at the roster shows the following guys gearing up for their final season:...
Never thought I'd say this: we need to sign a punter -- preferably one who can handle punting AND placekicking.

--
Tales, have you checked the 04 Roster?

There are 7 K/P on the roster not counting Mentzel & McMurtray.

That's true, but has any of them ever kicked/punted in a game? Ryan Wolcott and the rest of them might well have the ability to do the job, but we don't know that (being able to kick or punt in practice does NOT necessarily mean that will translate to game success.) Depending on the size of the class, I don't think adding a combo PK/K is a bad idea at all.

giacfsp, you're logic for taking a K/P is: but has any of them ever kicked/punted in a game?

Cmon, they've kicked in as many HS games as the recruit you want to go after-- and they have also kicked for a season in practice "off the ground", something HS players don't.

I really don't think kicking was/is our most serious issue. As I recall McMurtray (sp?) made all but 1 fg & had a fair amount of KO touchbacks.

Areas of emphasis (for recruiting): we need 1st down makers & defensive stoppers. With what appears to be a limited amount of scholarships for '06, we need to be selective. Maybe one of the half- dozen current K/P guys will step up during Spring Ball.

And I think there are two kickers walking on in the fall. Not sure what their names are, but I think they're from Flower Mound HS and Trinity Christian Academy (in Addison).
I have no idea if they're good.

OK, what we need next year...... BIG MEN

BIG MEN can kick too. Kick some But.

We need another 10 to 12 BIG MEN next year and every year.

Keep them coming and we will win.

GO MUSTANGS

SWC2010 wrote:giacfsp, you're logic for taking a K/P is: but has any of them ever kicked/punted in a game?

Cmon, they've kicked in as many HS games as the recruit you want to go after-- and they have also kicked for a season in practice "off the ground", something HS players don't.

I really don't think kicking was/is our most serious issue. As I recall McMurtray (sp?) made all but 1 fg & had a fair amount of KO touchbacks....

You're both right -- in the games I saw, Mentzel was fine and McMurtray was terrific. That clearly is not a weakness.

However, giacfsp also is right. Just about every player we have (at any position) was a star in high school, and therefore played in a lot of games. But it's human nature that not all recruits pan out (I know .... groundbreaking news there, huh?) I tend to agree that while you want, of course, guys who were great HS players, you can't count too heavily on them until they prove it in a game at SMU. (We all can think of a guy who we thought was a sure-fire stud because of gaudy HS numbers ..... who turned out not to be.) Therefore, if we can stockpile more punters and kickers (especially as walk-ons), I say "the more the merrier."

And let's not forget BUS -- bring in more big, thick, nasty dudes for the lines.

Finally, I can't speak for all of the Houston-area recruits (Allison, Hudman), but PonyFans are going to absolutely love Patrick Handy. He's a big, strong guy who played a lot of OL this year, and he moves like a FB. I can't remember an OL who could run anywhere NEAR the way he moves. Whether he plays DE or DT -- he'll get after guys. Plays mean. Nasty streak. Whatever you want to call it. He's a terrific athlete.