Labrum tears an age issue?
Rob made a note of this in Tidbits, and it was something I hadn't thought about until he did. He said that the shoulder injuries that have popped up tend to be with underclassmen who haven't had time to develop physically as they've been pushed out on the field. I think he may be on to something, as you look at the list of guys who have been injured the past couple of years.
Daeshon Hall: true freshman
Otaro Alaka: true freshman
Shaan Washington: sophomore
Jay Arnold: sophomore
Darrell Jackson: redshirt freshman
A.J. Hilliard: redshirt sophomore
Donovan Wilson: true freshman
While there are certainly exceptions to the rule, a lot of these guys who have endured labrum tears are tall, thin and still developing in their upper bodies. In the case of Arnold, you're taking a guy who played defensive end as a true freshman and was moved inside as a sophomore, leaving him pretty undersized. Hilliard may just be flat-out snakebit, but keep in mind that he missed a lot of workout time as he rehabbed his ankle. That may have left his shoulders and upper body weaker than it should have been.
People have been wondering if there's a problem with A&M's workout regimen because of all these shoulder injuries, and I don't think that's the case. Instead, I think Rob hit on it in that the Aggies have had to throw talented players out on the field before they're really physically ready. Hopefully, that problem will diminish as time goes on.
Justin Manning returns?
We've heard that the big defensive tackle is back on campus, and could return to practice soon. We've also learned that his situation wasn't academic -- he's doing quite well in school, in fact -- and really wasn't anything that had to do with him. He had some family matters that needed taking care of, and he stood up and dealt with them. Good for him, and hopefully he'll be able to return to the field this spring. In any event, the defensive front will certainly be deeper by the time fall practice begins.
Competitions halfway through camp
Camp actually goes until April 11, so it's around halfway. In any case, there were some competitions going on when camp began, and here's where I think things stand now.
Left tackle: Avery Gennesy and Germain Ifedi have both taken snaps there. Both have apparently done fine, but Gennesy is getting strong reviews for his natural strength. He spent an entire redshirt season preparing to take over on the left side, and nothing has really changed so far, which is to his advantage. If the season started tomorrow, I think he'd be the guy at left tackle.
Left guard: Joe Cheek has gotten some snaps with Jermaine Eluemunor, and this one is not over yet. Again, however, Eluemunor spent all 2014 getting ready to take that job and has worked alongside Gennesy. Cheek, on the other hand, has worked on the right side with Ifedi. An educated guess would put Eluemunor in the driver's seat, and if Gennesy wins the starting job at left tackle, it improves his chances here.
linebacker: Well, everyone got hurt. Claude George is going to get a lot of snaps somewhere, and it looks like SAM at this point. Josh Walker was the man in the middle before he got banged up. Hilliard was playing extremely well at WILL before he got hurt again. There's still a need to establish a backup and middle linebacker, and maybe that's going to be a guy like George and Hilliard, who can play multiple positions, but at least there should be respectable competition at both outside spots in the fall.
Safety: Armani Watts is almost certainly the starting free safety, and he's had a good camp. Donovan Wilson has been out, and JUCO transfer Justin Evans has shown range and athleticism. Strong safety has the potential to be a good competition this fall.
Corner: Nick Harvey and Victor Davis got the first shots, but Noel Ellis is making a push. This one is not going to be decided for some time.
Rob made a note of this in Tidbits, and it was something I hadn't thought about until he did. He said that the shoulder injuries that have popped up tend to be with underclassmen who haven't had time to develop physically as they've been pushed out on the field. I think he may be on to something, as you look at the list of guys who have been injured the past couple of years.
Daeshon Hall: true freshman
Otaro Alaka: true freshman
Shaan Washington: sophomore
Jay Arnold: sophomore
Darrell Jackson: redshirt freshman
A.J. Hilliard: redshirt sophomore
Donovan Wilson: true freshman
While there are certainly exceptions to the rule, a lot of these guys who have endured labrum tears are tall, thin and still developing in their upper bodies. In the case of Arnold, you're taking a guy who played defensive end as a true freshman and was moved inside as a sophomore, leaving him pretty undersized. Hilliard may just be flat-out snakebit, but keep in mind that he missed a lot of workout time as he rehabbed his ankle. That may have left his shoulders and upper body weaker than it should have been.
People have been wondering if there's a problem with A&M's workout regimen because of all these shoulder injuries, and I don't think that's the case. Instead, I think Rob hit on it in that the Aggies have had to throw talented players out on the field before they're really physically ready. Hopefully, that problem will diminish as time goes on.
Justin Manning returns?
We've heard that the big defensive tackle is back on campus, and could return to practice soon. We've also learned that his situation wasn't academic -- he's doing quite well in school, in fact -- and really wasn't anything that had to do with him. He had some family matters that needed taking care of, and he stood up and dealt with them. Good for him, and hopefully he'll be able to return to the field this spring. In any event, the defensive front will certainly be deeper by the time fall practice begins.
Competitions halfway through camp
Camp actually goes until April 11, so it's around halfway. In any case, there were some competitions going on when camp began, and here's where I think things stand now.
Left tackle: Avery Gennesy and Germain Ifedi have both taken snaps there. Both have apparently done fine, but Gennesy is getting strong reviews for his natural strength. He spent an entire redshirt season preparing to take over on the left side, and nothing has really changed so far, which is to his advantage. If the season started tomorrow, I think he'd be the guy at left tackle.
Left guard: Joe Cheek has gotten some snaps with Jermaine Eluemunor, and this one is not over yet. Again, however, Eluemunor spent all 2014 getting ready to take that job and has worked alongside Gennesy. Cheek, on the other hand, has worked on the right side with Ifedi. An educated guess would put Eluemunor in the driver's seat, and if Gennesy wins the starting job at left tackle, it improves his chances here.
linebacker: Well, everyone got hurt. Claude George is going to get a lot of snaps somewhere, and it looks like SAM at this point. Josh Walker was the man in the middle before he got banged up. Hilliard was playing extremely well at WILL before he got hurt again. There's still a need to establish a backup and middle linebacker, and maybe that's going to be a guy like George and Hilliard, who can play multiple positions, but at least there should be respectable competition at both outside spots in the fall.
Safety: Armani Watts is almost certainly the starting free safety, and he's had a good camp. Donovan Wilson has been out, and JUCO transfer Justin Evans has shown range and athleticism. Strong safety has the potential to be a good competition this fall.
Corner: Nick Harvey and Victor Davis got the first shots, but Noel Ellis is making a push. This one is not going to be decided for some time.
