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Phone: 281-971-3362
Email: paul@westhoustonsf.com
Projected two-deep going into the second scrimmage/end of camp
QB: Conner Weigman/Marcel Reed
RB: Le'Veon Moss/Amari Daniels
TE: Tre Watson/Shane Calhoun
TE: Theo Ohstrom/Jaden Platt
WR (X): Noah Thomas/Jake Bostick
WR (SLOT): Micah Tease OR Moose Muhammad
WR (Z): Jahdae Walker/Cyrus Allen
(NOTE on the WRs: they move around. The five to watch at this point are Thomas, Tease, Muhammad, Walker and Allen.)
LT: Trey Zuhn/Dametrious Crownover
LG: Chase Bisontis/Aki Ogunbiyi
C: Koli Faaiu/TJ Shanahan
RG: Mark Nabou/Kam Dewberry
RT: Ar'Maj Reed-Adams/Deuce Fatheree
DE: Nic Scourton/Rylan Kennedy
NT: Albert Regis/DJ Hicks
DT: Shemar Turner/Rodas Johnson OR Gabe Dindy
DE: Shemar Stewart/Cashius Howell
WILL: Daymion Sanford/Solomon DeShields
MIKE: Taurean York/Scooby Williams
NICKEL: Tyreek Chappell/Jaydon Hill
CB: Will Lee/Jayvon Thomas
FS: Bryce Anderson/Marcus Ratcliffe
SS: Trey Jones/Dalton Brooks
CB: BJ Mayes/Dezz Ricks
P: Tyler White
PK: Randy Bond
KO: Jared Zirkel
KOR: Terry Bussey, Cyrus Allen
PR: Moose Muhammad OR Terry Bussey
To address the elephants in the room
Reed-Adams is no longer a supposition at right tackle. He's been there for the better part of two weeks, and Crownover has been backing up Zuhn. If you look carefully at the practice videos, it's all there. Nabou was bumped over to right guard with Reed-Adams moving outside, and Faaiu has been the center. That grouping has worked well enough that it hasn't really been screwed with for 10 days (and I'll explain more on that in a second). At first, we weren't sure if it was mix and match or just cross-training, but as time went on and you see it over and over, you know. So, while I'm not thrilled with it, this seems to be the best grouping at the moment.
Donovan Green simply has not recovered well enough to play serious minutes right now. I didn't forget him. Elko said it was going to be a process to get him back to 100% and it remains so.
Dindy has made the move that many people have hoped he would and he's starting to get PT with the second team. So he's been added to the rotation (IMO). Regis has had a great summer and looks very different after being in Tommy Moffit's S&C program. Hicks, on the other hand, hasn't become the explosive beast everyone was expecting. He's still going to play, and a lot, but so far Regis has looked better.
I think time is going to run out on DeShields getting fully used to the A&M defense, and Sanford isn't making it easy on him to take the job anyway. Sanford and Nabou are probably the surprises of the offseason.
Tease could well move to slot and bump Moose out of the starting lineup. He's had that good of a summer. Moose looks like a very different guy and the competitive juices are flowing, so he's going to be out there; Tease is just really, really fast and the Aggies are still looking for a breakaway receiver.
Terry Bussey isn't moving to running back.
Not a single true freshman is in the two-deep. Not one. In fact, it's possible that Bussey is the only true freshman to play in non-garbage minutes this season. This team has a lot more depth than we're used to -- or, at least, it seems that way.
Ricks has really had an impressive summer. Talent-wise, he may be the best corner. And I think based on sheer performance, he's bumped Donovan Saunders out of the two-deep. Thomas has done well too, showing a progression that would be hard to anticipate after last year. But I think Saunders is still going to play and they could go five deep at corner.
So what's up with EJ?
We've been told by people very close to the situation that EJ Smith's role will be pretty much like the one I'd guessed at since the spring -- he'll be the third down back, used primarily as a receiver. He's gotten a lot of praise for his willingness to block, and he's also run with more authority of late. That may get him some carries as well. But, as things stand now, Moss and Daniels will be the ones getting the lion's share of the carries.
Guess on the redshirt status of the freshmen
OL Ashton Funk: RS
OL Blake Ivy: RS
OL Papa Ahfua: RS
OL Robert Bourdon: RS
WR Ashton Bethel-Roman: could play and be used on special teams
WR Ernest Campbell: RS
WR Izaiah Williams: could play and be used on special teams
QB Miles O'Neill: RS
LB Jordan Lockhart: could play, also could be used on special teams
LB Tristan Jernigan: could play, also could play special teams
Terry Bussey: Will play
S Jordan Pride: could play on special teams
S Myles Davis: could play on special teams
DT Dealyn Evans: RS
DE Solomon Williams: RS
DE Kendall Jackson: RS
Status of Rueben Owens
This will be addressed tomorrow at what should be a very interesting press conference held by coach Elko, but from what we can determine, the outcome of this wasn't good in terms of him playing this year. But the knee wasn't damaged, I can say that. All the same, any of the possibilities of what the injury is will take several months to recover, so this is Moss' and Daniels' ballgame.
On Jonah Williams' recruitment
One of just a few remaining targets currently uncommitted, Williams continues to vacillate (that means, to be wishy-washy) about where he wants to go to school. It was OU for a while, and then they fell out. Then it was Oregon and A&M, and Oregon got Trey McNutt and they're out. Now LSU and Texas are making a run, and two weeks ago LSU was the big threat. Now it's Texas. Texas needs a big splash on the recruiting front, because their class to this point has been a disappointment. So they're making a serious push, and I think it should be taken just as seriously. This could be an NIL deal, so we will see who ponies up. Landy believes A&M is still in front, but as you all know I'm more conservative and, frankly, I don't know if there is a leader at this point.
And you thought A&M had OL issues
At yesterday's practice, Notre Dame's first team offensive line was LT Anthonie Knapp, LG Sam Pendleton, C Ashton Craig, RG Billy Schrauth and RT Aamil Wagner.
Knapp is a true freshman and a 5.7 3-star recruit. He weighs maybe 280 pounds. Pendleton is a redshirt freshman. Craig started three games last year and is a redshirt sophomore. Schrauth started three games last year and is a redshirt sophomore. Wagner has no starts and is a redshirt sophomore.
Notre Dame is still mixing and matching with their OL with 15 days to go before playing the Aggie defensive line. They could start a group that has a left side with zero starts and a line with six total. For the sake of comparison, Trey Zuhn has started 24 games, including 13 in a row, by himself. Faaiu, who may be the last experienced of A&M's starters, started the last 8 games last year for Utah.
Phone: 281-971-3362
Email: paul@westhoustonsf.com
Projected two-deep going into the second scrimmage/end of camp
QB: Conner Weigman/Marcel Reed
RB: Le'Veon Moss/Amari Daniels
TE: Tre Watson/Shane Calhoun
TE: Theo Ohstrom/Jaden Platt
WR (X): Noah Thomas/Jake Bostick
WR (SLOT): Micah Tease OR Moose Muhammad
WR (Z): Jahdae Walker/Cyrus Allen
(NOTE on the WRs: they move around. The five to watch at this point are Thomas, Tease, Muhammad, Walker and Allen.)
LT: Trey Zuhn/Dametrious Crownover
LG: Chase Bisontis/Aki Ogunbiyi
C: Koli Faaiu/TJ Shanahan
RG: Mark Nabou/Kam Dewberry
RT: Ar'Maj Reed-Adams/Deuce Fatheree
DE: Nic Scourton/Rylan Kennedy
NT: Albert Regis/DJ Hicks
DT: Shemar Turner/Rodas Johnson OR Gabe Dindy
DE: Shemar Stewart/Cashius Howell
WILL: Daymion Sanford/Solomon DeShields
MIKE: Taurean York/Scooby Williams
NICKEL: Tyreek Chappell/Jaydon Hill
CB: Will Lee/Jayvon Thomas
FS: Bryce Anderson/Marcus Ratcliffe
SS: Trey Jones/Dalton Brooks
CB: BJ Mayes/Dezz Ricks
P: Tyler White
PK: Randy Bond
KO: Jared Zirkel
KOR: Terry Bussey, Cyrus Allen
PR: Moose Muhammad OR Terry Bussey
To address the elephants in the room
Reed-Adams is no longer a supposition at right tackle. He's been there for the better part of two weeks, and Crownover has been backing up Zuhn. If you look carefully at the practice videos, it's all there. Nabou was bumped over to right guard with Reed-Adams moving outside, and Faaiu has been the center. That grouping has worked well enough that it hasn't really been screwed with for 10 days (and I'll explain more on that in a second). At first, we weren't sure if it was mix and match or just cross-training, but as time went on and you see it over and over, you know. So, while I'm not thrilled with it, this seems to be the best grouping at the moment.
Donovan Green simply has not recovered well enough to play serious minutes right now. I didn't forget him. Elko said it was going to be a process to get him back to 100% and it remains so.
Dindy has made the move that many people have hoped he would and he's starting to get PT with the second team. So he's been added to the rotation (IMO). Regis has had a great summer and looks very different after being in Tommy Moffit's S&C program. Hicks, on the other hand, hasn't become the explosive beast everyone was expecting. He's still going to play, and a lot, but so far Regis has looked better.
I think time is going to run out on DeShields getting fully used to the A&M defense, and Sanford isn't making it easy on him to take the job anyway. Sanford and Nabou are probably the surprises of the offseason.
Tease could well move to slot and bump Moose out of the starting lineup. He's had that good of a summer. Moose looks like a very different guy and the competitive juices are flowing, so he's going to be out there; Tease is just really, really fast and the Aggies are still looking for a breakaway receiver.
Terry Bussey isn't moving to running back.
Not a single true freshman is in the two-deep. Not one. In fact, it's possible that Bussey is the only true freshman to play in non-garbage minutes this season. This team has a lot more depth than we're used to -- or, at least, it seems that way.
Ricks has really had an impressive summer. Talent-wise, he may be the best corner. And I think based on sheer performance, he's bumped Donovan Saunders out of the two-deep. Thomas has done well too, showing a progression that would be hard to anticipate after last year. But I think Saunders is still going to play and they could go five deep at corner.
So what's up with EJ?
We've been told by people very close to the situation that EJ Smith's role will be pretty much like the one I'd guessed at since the spring -- he'll be the third down back, used primarily as a receiver. He's gotten a lot of praise for his willingness to block, and he's also run with more authority of late. That may get him some carries as well. But, as things stand now, Moss and Daniels will be the ones getting the lion's share of the carries.
Guess on the redshirt status of the freshmen
OL Ashton Funk: RS
OL Blake Ivy: RS
OL Papa Ahfua: RS
OL Robert Bourdon: RS
WR Ashton Bethel-Roman: could play and be used on special teams
WR Ernest Campbell: RS
WR Izaiah Williams: could play and be used on special teams
QB Miles O'Neill: RS
LB Jordan Lockhart: could play, also could be used on special teams
LB Tristan Jernigan: could play, also could play special teams
Terry Bussey: Will play
S Jordan Pride: could play on special teams
S Myles Davis: could play on special teams
DT Dealyn Evans: RS
DE Solomon Williams: RS
DE Kendall Jackson: RS
Status of Rueben Owens
This will be addressed tomorrow at what should be a very interesting press conference held by coach Elko, but from what we can determine, the outcome of this wasn't good in terms of him playing this year. But the knee wasn't damaged, I can say that. All the same, any of the possibilities of what the injury is will take several months to recover, so this is Moss' and Daniels' ballgame.
On Jonah Williams' recruitment
One of just a few remaining targets currently uncommitted, Williams continues to vacillate (that means, to be wishy-washy) about where he wants to go to school. It was OU for a while, and then they fell out. Then it was Oregon and A&M, and Oregon got Trey McNutt and they're out. Now LSU and Texas are making a run, and two weeks ago LSU was the big threat. Now it's Texas. Texas needs a big splash on the recruiting front, because their class to this point has been a disappointment. So they're making a serious push, and I think it should be taken just as seriously. This could be an NIL deal, so we will see who ponies up. Landy believes A&M is still in front, but as you all know I'm more conservative and, frankly, I don't know if there is a leader at this point.
And you thought A&M had OL issues
At yesterday's practice, Notre Dame's first team offensive line was LT Anthonie Knapp, LG Sam Pendleton, C Ashton Craig, RG Billy Schrauth and RT Aamil Wagner.
Knapp is a true freshman and a 5.7 3-star recruit. He weighs maybe 280 pounds. Pendleton is a redshirt freshman. Craig started three games last year and is a redshirt sophomore. Schrauth started three games last year and is a redshirt sophomore. Wagner has no starts and is a redshirt sophomore.
Notre Dame is still mixing and matching with their OL with 15 days to go before playing the Aggie defensive line. They could start a group that has a left side with zero starts and a line with six total. For the sake of comparison, Trey Zuhn has started 24 games, including 13 in a row, by himself. Faaiu, who may be the last experienced of A&M's starters, started the last 8 games last year for Utah.
