Optional conditioning workout / 7-on-7 notes (6/28/12)
Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2012 5:36 pm
The Mustangs gathered Thursday for another round of optional seven-on-seven drills.
• Among those going through drills: former SMU FS Chris Banjo and former SMU CB Richard Crawford, who is sporting his team-issued Washington Redskins workout shorts.
• There are two players on the field going through drills that I don't recognize. Incoming freshmen? One is lining up with the DBs, the other with the WRs. The WR doesn't look like a freshman (he's pretty big) - I obviously don't know all of the incoming freshmen yet, but this guy isn't Colin Lagasse or Gehrig Dieter (who enrolled in January and is on the field with his teammates) or Daijuan Stewart. The mystery DB doesn't look like the pictures of the Mustangs' incoming freshmen, either.
• So far, the players are going through passing routes with QBs Garrett Gilbert, Garrett Krstich and Conner Preston - some with DBs chasing the WRs, some without. Other than QBs, WRs and DBs, the only players on the field at the moment (seven-on-seven isn't supposed to start for another 20 minutes) are centers Blake McJunkin and Taylor Lasecki.
• There haven't been many SMU QBs in recent memory who can throw an intermediate out route (20 yards) with as much zip and accuracy as Garrett Gilbert. No, that doesn't mean he automatically gets the starting job, but his arm is very impressive and doesn't look like an arm belonging to someone who had shoulder surgery less than a year ago.
• Word is OLB Rob Seals has put on a solid 20-25 pounds since he showed up last year as a slender freshman. Sure looks like the reports are not exaggerated.
• Another player who obviously has put in considerable work in the weight room is WR Jeremy Johnson. Remember how skinny he was when he arrived as a freshman? Doesn't look like the same guy.
• Coaches want big WRs to use their size to shield passes from would-be defenders, a concept freshman Gehrig Dieter clearly understands. Dieter just ran a quick crossing route, turned his body in front of CB Richard Crawford as if boxing out on a basketball court and hauled in the pass from QB Conner Preston... Later in the session, Dieter hip-checked CB J.R. Richardson out of the way to snag a touchdown pass from Preston on a post route.
• Moments later, Preston found WR Kyle Guinyard over the middle on a post route. Preston's pass was slightly long, until Guinyard reached out and snatched the back end of the ball as he entered the end zone.
• Accuracy isn't only for fastballs. WR Keenan Holman just got a step on CB Lazarri Middleton down the right sideline and barely had to move his hands at all when he got to the end zone as a soft 40-yard pass from QB Garrett Krstich fell right in his lap.
• So much of the attention in seven-on-seven drills goes to those who throw and catch, but the defense makes plays, too. QB Conner Preston just watched WR Keenan Holman blow past a CB and lofted a 30-yard pass toward the goal line ... only to watch SS Jay Scott race across the field to knock it away at the last second.
• RB K.C. Nlemchi has solid hands as a receiver out of the backfield. He has had several short passes thrown his way, and after watching the ball all the way in, he turns upfield and accelerates very quickly. (As soon as that's written, of course, Nlemchi just assigned himself a few punishment push-ups after letting a pass from QB Conner Preston whistle through his hands on the left sideline.)
• Some of the 2012 freshmen showed up to watch for a while. The group included QB Neal Burcham, OLs Chase Walling and Christian Chamagua, LB Damien Neroes, CB Ajee Montes and WRs Colin Lagasse and Daijuan Stewart. Two other players were there: one, I think, is OL Chauncey Briggs. The other ... I'm not sure.
• Among those going through drills: former SMU FS Chris Banjo and former SMU CB Richard Crawford, who is sporting his team-issued Washington Redskins workout shorts.
• There are two players on the field going through drills that I don't recognize. Incoming freshmen? One is lining up with the DBs, the other with the WRs. The WR doesn't look like a freshman (he's pretty big) - I obviously don't know all of the incoming freshmen yet, but this guy isn't Colin Lagasse or Gehrig Dieter (who enrolled in January and is on the field with his teammates) or Daijuan Stewart. The mystery DB doesn't look like the pictures of the Mustangs' incoming freshmen, either.
• So far, the players are going through passing routes with QBs Garrett Gilbert, Garrett Krstich and Conner Preston - some with DBs chasing the WRs, some without. Other than QBs, WRs and DBs, the only players on the field at the moment (seven-on-seven isn't supposed to start for another 20 minutes) are centers Blake McJunkin and Taylor Lasecki.
• There haven't been many SMU QBs in recent memory who can throw an intermediate out route (20 yards) with as much zip and accuracy as Garrett Gilbert. No, that doesn't mean he automatically gets the starting job, but his arm is very impressive and doesn't look like an arm belonging to someone who had shoulder surgery less than a year ago.
• Word is OLB Rob Seals has put on a solid 20-25 pounds since he showed up last year as a slender freshman. Sure looks like the reports are not exaggerated.
• Another player who obviously has put in considerable work in the weight room is WR Jeremy Johnson. Remember how skinny he was when he arrived as a freshman? Doesn't look like the same guy.
• Coaches want big WRs to use their size to shield passes from would-be defenders, a concept freshman Gehrig Dieter clearly understands. Dieter just ran a quick crossing route, turned his body in front of CB Richard Crawford as if boxing out on a basketball court and hauled in the pass from QB Conner Preston... Later in the session, Dieter hip-checked CB J.R. Richardson out of the way to snag a touchdown pass from Preston on a post route.
• Moments later, Preston found WR Kyle Guinyard over the middle on a post route. Preston's pass was slightly long, until Guinyard reached out and snatched the back end of the ball as he entered the end zone.
• Accuracy isn't only for fastballs. WR Keenan Holman just got a step on CB Lazarri Middleton down the right sideline and barely had to move his hands at all when he got to the end zone as a soft 40-yard pass from QB Garrett Krstich fell right in his lap.
• So much of the attention in seven-on-seven drills goes to those who throw and catch, but the defense makes plays, too. QB Conner Preston just watched WR Keenan Holman blow past a CB and lofted a 30-yard pass toward the goal line ... only to watch SS Jay Scott race across the field to knock it away at the last second.
• RB K.C. Nlemchi has solid hands as a receiver out of the backfield. He has had several short passes thrown his way, and after watching the ball all the way in, he turns upfield and accelerates very quickly. (As soon as that's written, of course, Nlemchi just assigned himself a few punishment push-ups after letting a pass from QB Conner Preston whistle through his hands on the left sideline.)
• Some of the 2012 freshmen showed up to watch for a while. The group included QB Neal Burcham, OLs Chase Walling and Christian Chamagua, LB Damien Neroes, CB Ajee Montes and WRs Colin Lagasse and Daijuan Stewart. Two other players were there: one, I think, is OL Chauncey Briggs. The other ... I'm not sure.