Tuesday (4/9/13) practice report

[PonyPride]

• SMU alumni are making more frequent appearances at practice. Today's visitors included QB J.J. McDermott, RB Zach Line, LB Ja'Gared Davis and DE Margus Hunt.

• The wind played a role in early passing drills, as gusts out of the south end of the stadium helped several passes during skeleton (no defense) drills sail over their targets when heading into the north end zone.

• Rishaad Wimbley is back on defense, escaping the Mustangs' crowded backfield to play inside linebacker.

"We're just trying to get the best players on the field, like we are with Kenneth Acker at receiver," head coach June Jones said. "(Wimbley) just wants to play, and we have a lot of running backs, and he sees that this might be the best chance to play."

Jones said Wimbley also might get a look at defensive line, and that the coaches will sort out his 2013 role after the conclusion of spring workouts.

• The linebackers and running backs engaged in a spirited drill pitting a pass-rushing linebacker against a blocking back. Some of the more impressive performances came from Wimbley; RB K.C. Nlemchi, who held his own and planted one would-be pass rusher on his back, and OLB Stephon Sanders, who ran right over and through walk-on RB Dylan Dickman.

• Nlemchi was hobbling after practice after he pulled his left hamstring, an injury he said he hopes isn't serious.

"They I'll be out a couple of days, maybe through the end of the week," Nlemchi said. "It's frustrating, because I can't afford to miss out, so I'm going to try to get back as soon as possible."

Nlemchi is part of a swarm of running backs vying for playing time. Even with Wimbley's departure to the defense, the list of candidates includes Nlemchi, transfer Traylon Shead, Jared Williams, Prescott Line, Ronnell Sims, Luke Seeker, Tanner Rice and Dickman. Whether one back will assume most of the carries, as Zach Line did in recent years, or the backs will be rotated is not yet clear, but Nlemchi said he is improving his overall game in hopes of cracking the rotation.

"I've been working hard, and I'm playing better," Nlemchi said. "One thing I'm doing better is catching the ball out of the backfield. My friend from high school, Bobby Waid, used to play here (Waid transferred to Tyler Junior College), and he was a really good receiver and helped me get better. We'd get on the Jugs Machine and catch, and he helped me a lot with just looking (the ball) in, or my hand placement - things like that. I've kind of gotten to the point where I feel like I'm mastering it.

"I have to get better at catching the ball, and get better at everything. We have a lot of guys who can play, and we're all competing."

• Other members of the M*A*S*H unit was WR Arrius Holleman, who sat out after straining his left hamstring Monday, and CB Ajee Montes, who strained his right hamstring Tuesday while chasing WR Jeremy Johnson on a deep post route.

"I hope I'm only out for a couple of days," Holleman said, "but you never know until you get back out there and run."

Montes said his hamstring was strained before the play that ended with him limping (and then being carried by LB Lincoln Richard) off the field.

"I was chasing (Johnson), but it was sore already because I tweaked it earlier in blocking drills," Montes said. "I just didn't want to sit out, because I'm trying to play. I think I'm out for the week. I'll find out in a couple of days."

• NT Nick Reed sat out practice with a muscle strain in his back, but said it is unrelated to the back injury that shelved him during the 2012 season.

• CB Horace Richardson, whose 2012 season was cut short by a knee injury, is being cautious with his knee again after twisting it in Thursday's practice ... and is grateful that his new injury isn't more serious.

"I went up for a ball with Colin (Lagasse), and when we came down, my knee brace exploded," Richardson said. "It saved my leg. I'll be OK, but they ordered a new brace, and I'm just waiting for it to get here."

Richardson said his recovery from last season's torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) has gone well, and that until his new injury, his strength and mobility were steadily improving.

"When I'm going straight ahead, it feels fine," he said. "When I stop ... sometimes I want to stop on a dime, and it doesn't let me, but it has been getting better. When I get the new brace, I'll be OK. The brace really saved my left knee."

• Ben Hughes, a highly-regarded center in high school, has been working primarily at guard this spring but took some snaps at backup center Tuesday.

• There's no argument about the catch of the day Tuesday. QB Neal Burcham fired a deep pass (about 40 yards) into the right side of the end zone, where freshman WR Nate Halverson made a diving catch despite having CB Blake Poston draped all over him.

Halverson, a versatile athlete from the same high school that produced SMU CB Kenneth Acker and head coach June Jones (Grant High School in Portland, Ore.), said he is getting comfortable at receiver and learning the offense.

"I played receiver my senior year of high school, but I was recruited as a DB," Halverson said. "(The SMU coaches) saw my senior tape, and I think they went back and forth a little about where to play me. I actually wanted to play DB, but Coach Jones said he thought I had a chance to play early on offense. He's the man, and when he said that ... I want to play wherever I can to get on the field."

At Grant HS, Halverson played mostly as an outside receiver spot, although he did get a little time in the slot in Grant's spread offense.

"I like (playing) outside better," he said. "I don't like getting hit by those big 'backers in the middle of the field."

Halverson knew Acker for years in Portland (Acker's father is a coach at Grant), and he admitted that he's a little disappointed that Acker played receiver this spring (before Tuesday's hernia surgery), eliminating the chance for the two to go head-to-head in practice. Like Acker, Halverson is fast and athletic ... and talkative to opponents.

"I do," Halverson said, laughing, when asked if all Grant players talk to their opponents. "I like to get in players heads. If you get in players' heads, mentally, they can't play, physically."

• Sometimes it's not a reception that merits attention, but what a player does after the ball is caught. Tuesday marked the third straight practice in which the Mustangs were hitting a little more than usual, but that didn't seem to affect WR Kyle Guinyard, who made a nice lunging catch on a crossing route during team (11-on-11) drills from QB Neal Burcham, absorbed simultaneous hits from LB Ben Sellers and S A.J. Justice and hung on to the ball long enough to scramble forward for a few yards.

• The best defensive play of the day came in 11-on-11 drills, when OLB Jarvis Pruitt dropped into coverage and leaped to intercept a Garrett Gilbert pass that was intended for WR Jeremy Johnson in the middle of the end zone.

• CB Ty Law made several nice plays in coverage drills and in 11-on-11.

• Head coach June Jones has said since the day he arrived at SMU that the top priority for running backs is understanding blocking and protection schemes, a point driven home on a nondescript reception by RB Jared Williams. During the 11-on-11 drills, Williams drifted out to the left to catch a short pass from Burcham - a play that was possible only because Williams picked up a rushing linebacker and forced him to take a longer outside route to get to Burcham ... thereby freeing up the space to turn and make the catch.

• The loudest sound during practice was either the hit CB J.R. Richardson put on WR Deion Sanders, or the "oohs" and "aaahs" from teammates after the hit. Richardson said after practice that the hit was clean, with his shoulder pad hitting Sanders in the chest, and of course he had no intention of hurting his new teammate. But the hit was delivered with such force that the players were cautioned after practice about hitting each other so hard that they might risk injury.

• Defensive coordinator Tom Mason has said that above all else, he prefers players with speed and relentless hustle, even over size and brute strength. Those characteristics are part of the reason Mason is impressed with redshirt freshman DE Elie Nabushosi, who has bulked up (he says his weight is around 260 pounds) and still has the motor to pursue and sometimes chase down ball carriers from behind.

• Jones said he has been impressed by transfer RB Traylon Shead through the first half of spring workouts.

"He's in better shape now than when he first got here," Jones said. "But when I looked at his JC tape, he looked fast, and he is. He's smooth, and has some quickness - he changes direction pretty well, and he's picking up our blocking, our schemes."

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

It's great to hear Shead is looking good at RB and that June is happy with him.

That's too bad about Niemchi. I was just starting to get excited about his positive performance today and then the next thing I see is the news about the hamstring. Hopefully he is ok. I still think at some point he is a big contributor.

It's awesome to read about Richardson laying the wood. The Ponies need more of that!

[Casey]

I agree about Nlemchi. I also think he comes up big for us, but I worry that Shead might have the leg up at the moment on the starting job. That's not a bad thing, I hope whoever starts is great. No disrespect meant to Shead, either -- I just always had a feeling Nlemchi could be that guy.

Too bad Bobby Waid transferred, too. With his height and speed, I always thought he had a chance to be good.

The note about Nick Reed is a little scary. He needs to be healthy in the middle with Darrian Wright.

[mavsrage311]

A lot of us thought Wimbley should be moved back to defense, but I don't think anyone suggested linebacker. He might have lost too much weight to be put back on the DL right away.

[Treadway21]

A lot of us thought Wimbley should be moved back to defense, but I don't think anyone suggested linebacker. He might have lost too much weight to be put back on the DL right away.

Glad he made the switch back to D. We cannot afford to waste guys riding the bench when we are stacked at a position. Good luck to him at his new position - again.

[Ikus]

I wonder if his size (still 260-ish?) and RB-ish speed might allow him to toggle back and forth between DLine and LB.

Thanks for the updates!

[Alaric]

I agree about Nlemchi. I also think he comes up big for us, but I worry that Shead might have the leg up at the moment on the starting job. That's not a bad thing, I hope whoever starts is great. No disrespect meant to Shead, either -- I just always had a feeling Nlemchi could be that guy.

Too bad Bobby Waid transferred, too. With his height and speed, I always thought he had a chance to be good.

The note about Nick Reed is a little scary. He needs to be healthy in the middle with Darrian Wright.

Seems like a lot of "weight room" guys get injured a lot. Nlemchi and Wimbley were both powerlifters I think...too much strain on ligaments and tendons or starting too early?

[Dement-ed]

I'm no expert, but it doesn't seem like lifting is the issue with Nlemchi. He's really fast, and sometimes those thoroughbreds have quirky muscles that twitch and twist when they're not supposed to. Sure hope this isn't a lingering issue.

[Stallion]

I don't think he's particularly fast for a Division 1A RB but he fits what we do in this offense

[PonySnob]

I don't think he's particularly fast for a Division 1A RB but he fits what we do in this offense

"Diamond in the rough"

[Junior]

I don't think he's particularly fast for a Division 1A RB but he fits what we do in this offense

Apparently he doesn't fit it too well given that he never sees the field after August.

[Scoops]

Just because he didn't unseat Zach Line does not mean the guy can't play or "doesn't fit."

[Junior]

Just because he didn't unseat Zach Line does not mean the guy can't play or "doesn't fit."

Did he even see the field? We had walk-ins getting carries ahead if him. Wimbley and Seeker didn't u seat Kine either, but they were both clearly ahead of Nlemchi. By a mile. Obviously, something wasn't working.

[Junior]

Just because he didn't unseat Zach Line does not mean the guy can't play or "doesn't fit."

Did he even see the field? We had walk-ins getting carries ahead if him. Wimbley and Seeker didn't u seat Kine either, but they were both clearly ahead of Nlemchi. By a mile. Obviously, something wasn't working.

Wow, three spelling errors in one post. A new PR.