Practice (8/19) observations

[PonyPride]

The Mustangs scrimmaged on Pettus practice field Saturday; head coach Rhett Lashlee said after practice that it likely will be the team's final live scrimmage in preseason camp. Some observations:

• Two key offensive players — RB Camar Wheaton and WR Jordan Hudson were back from injuries, albeit in a limited role. Both were in pads and stretched and warmed up with their teammates. Hudson got on the field for a few snaps, but that was it. Wheaton did not play in any scrimmage drills. RB Jaylan Knighton took a hard fall late in scrimmage, but Lashlee said the apparent injury to Knighton's shoulder was minor.

• Those who think Bryan Massey is the only SMU safety with wheels would have been impressed with Brandon Crossley chaing down Knighton from behind on a sweep.

• Practices have given alternating impressions of what the offense will look like in 2023: one day will feature extensive focus on the running game, the next will include a heavy emphasis on the passing game — which was the case Saturday. The QBs, especially Preston Stone and Kevin Jennings, showed exceptional accuracy on deep balls. Jennings dropped a perfect pass over the outstretched hands of two defenders and into the arms of WR Key'Shawn Smith on the sideline, and later found WR Teddy Knox for a touchdown behind two defenders at the back of the end zone. Keldric Luster was on target with several intermediate and deep passes, including one when freshman WR Case Holleran twisted 180 degrees in the air to haul in a diving catch on the sideline. Most impressive was a throw by Stone: since his arrival at SMU, there has been extensive talk about his running ability, and that was on display Saturday. LB JaQwondis Burns raced around the edge untouched, forcing Stone to sprint to his right. With Burns bearing down on him, Stone kept his eyes upfield and fired a perfect strike of about 50 yards to Smith ... who dropped the pass, but the story was the throw. There are quarterbacks with arm strength and there are quarterbacks with speed. but Stone threw his strike while sprinting and off the wrong foot. The ability to escape a fast linebacker like Burns and still make a throw with that kind of distance and accuracy was extraordinary.

• Elijah Chatman is not the only player dabbling in multi-positional work this season. RB Tyler Lavine got some snaps at linebacker in short yardage, and Stone Eby, the former defensive lineman who moved this year to the offensive line, got in the scrimmage at a fullback/H-back spot. Chatman and Eby both caught touchdowns in the scrimmage — the snag by Eby, who is listed at 6-5 and 268 pounds, might have been the catch of the day, as he went across the the end zone and kept his feet inbounds after making the catch. Up until this point, he has played only on the line of scrimmage, but if Eby proves that he can absorb the nuances of his additional role, he and Chatman could give offensive coordinator Casey Woods even more options with which to cause headaches for opposing defensive coordinators.

• One defender who stood out was CB KD Hall, who at times has been overlooked amid the chatter about all of the Mustangs' new transfer DBs (Hall, of course, also is a transfer — he played at SMU last year after two seasons at Tulane). The 6-3 Hall used his length to reach around and over receivers to knock away several passes, and showed his burst when he stepped inside a receiver to make a diving interception just before it hit the ground.

• Since his arrival as a transfer from Miami, DT Jordan Miller has made a big — literally — impression. He claimed a spot in the middle of the Mustangs' first-team defensive line, quickly establishing himself as a sturdy anchor, stout against interior running plays and pushing back against the interior of the offensive line. But more than in any other scrimmage or live drills this spring, Miller showed his quickness. Whether a missed assignment on the offensive line or created by his power, Miller found gaps several times and launched himself into the backfield to make tackles before plays could really develop. Many defenses ask their big interior linemen to tie up blockers and make tackles when ball carriers come their way. If Miller can do those things and get into the backfield with any regularity, that can add another element to the defense as he disrupts opposing offenses.

• There has been a lot of talk throughout camp about the transfer DBs, and rightly so — several will play, and some will start. One who has grabbed attention since he arrived is S Jonathan McGill, who continues to show that he has quickly absorbed the playbook created by defensive coordinator — and now safeties coach — Scott Symons. McGill has had numerous interceptions in camp, but he also is being more aggressive coming forward; several times Saturday, he read the play as it unfolded and knifed through blockers to make tackles behind the line of scrimmage. Don't read that as more than it is — he and the rest of the defense see the SMU offense every day in practice, and that kind of familiarity allows quicker diagnosis of plays than is possible against an opponent seen after just a few days of film and scouting. But since he arrived, the ex-Stanford player has made a habit of identifying plays and reacting quickly. Considering that only nine of 76 tackles for loss in 2022 came from defensive backs, that recognition could go a long way toward contributing to Symons' desire to see more plays made behind the line of scrimmage and possibly forcing more turnovers.

[BUS]

Thank you

[Roach]

Hope you're right about Hall. He definitely has a prototype NFL body. If he can put it all together, he and Rogers and McMorris and the transfers could give us a solid secondary.