Aggies down one going into camp
When the new roster was released this morning and DE Darrell Jackson wasn't on it, I cautioned not to read too much into it because last year, Qualen Cunningham wasn't on the original list as was added once it was pointed out. As it turns out, though, there wasn't a goof this time. Jackson, who was missed the spring after knee and shoulder surgeries, has been forced to retire due to his knee's inability to recover fully. That's a severe disappointment, in my opinion, because this seemed like a defense were he could seriously do some damage. In any event, the role for James Lockhart and Jarrett Johnson just got a whole lot bigger, and could explain why A&M is suddenly a lot more interested in defensive ends after supposedly laying off some 2016 prospects for a while.
Guys I'm really interested to see this summer
The first few days of camp are always really cool because you're interested in seeing the new additions and what, if anything, is different. Here are some of the guys I'm most interested in seeing:
Auburn is having an annoying summer practice, and one player is causing the annoyance. When the annoyance is one of your best players, it's a real problem. WR D'haquille Williams has been benched so far through camp and has been criticized through "anonymous" sources for being what we call here a "pre-Madonna". Gus Mahlzahn appears to be really fed up with Williams and he could be done, period, well before A&M plays the Tigers.
Alabama has made a move that will probably send some of you into cursing fits. Deionte Thompson, who A&M craved as a defensive back, has been moved to wide receiver. Former Oregon State WR Richard Mullaney is running fourth team, while Thompson is already with the 2s.
Arkansas RB Alex Collins has dropped from 224 pounds last fall to 210 now. He said he cut out the junk food. Rawleigh Williams, a freshman RB, has made a strong impression with his speed.
LSU has an odd practice schedule, running morning and afternoon sessions with the starters in the morning and the backups in the afternoon. Brandon Harris has been running with the ones while Anthony Jennings is with the twos. On defense, Corey Thompson has been relegated to afternoon workouts and there are supposed to be serious concerns about linebacker depth.
Mississippi State is looking to replace 15 (!) starters from last year. Cornerback Taveze Calhoun and linebacker Dez Harris are out with injuries, and Leo Lewis, who A&M was after, apparently isn't adapting well in his first fall practice. Then again, he's being shoved right into the fire.
Ole Miss has Laramey Turnsil back at full speed, but fellow tackle Aaron Morris is still slowed after a second ACL injury. Redshirt freshman D.K. Buford is doing the reverse Brandon Williams, switching from corner to running back.
Go figure
There's a lot of hubbub today about Stewart Mandel of FoxSports.com picking A&M to win the SEC (not the west, the whole thing) and going 11-1. His argument is solid: explosive offense, improved defense, and very favorable schedule. At the same time, Sam Khan of ESPN picked A&M 10th in the SEC, arguing that the offense won't be that much better and there's no guarantee the defense will improve. I tend to lean closer to Mandel's thinking (duh), but it goes to show just how much uncertainty there is about this football team.
When the new roster was released this morning and DE Darrell Jackson wasn't on it, I cautioned not to read too much into it because last year, Qualen Cunningham wasn't on the original list as was added once it was pointed out. As it turns out, though, there wasn't a goof this time. Jackson, who was missed the spring after knee and shoulder surgeries, has been forced to retire due to his knee's inability to recover fully. That's a severe disappointment, in my opinion, because this seemed like a defense were he could seriously do some damage. In any event, the role for James Lockhart and Jarrett Johnson just got a whole lot bigger, and could explain why A&M is suddenly a lot more interested in defensive ends after supposedly laying off some 2016 prospects for a while.
Guys I'm really interested to see this summer
The first few days of camp are always really cool because you're interested in seeing the new additions and what, if anything, is different. Here are some of the guys I'm most interested in seeing:
- Daylon Mack. The guy was a beast when I saw him in high school. I really want to see how much stronger he is now and what he can do against the big boys. I'm almost as excited to see him as I was to see Myles last year.
- James Lockhart. He's going to have to play, so let's see what he's got.
- Brandon Williams. Is he going to be backpedaling? If yes, how good is he going to be?
- Nick Harvey. What's he got? Can he win a job?
- Kendall Bussey. He's supposed to be explosive, and without Trey around, he's got to be that change of pace back.
- Speedy Noil. He's just fun to watch.
- Kyle Allen. He was really good in the spring. Now that you've got some competition, what's he going to do?
- The new linebackers. All of them.
Auburn is having an annoying summer practice, and one player is causing the annoyance. When the annoyance is one of your best players, it's a real problem. WR D'haquille Williams has been benched so far through camp and has been criticized through "anonymous" sources for being what we call here a "pre-Madonna". Gus Mahlzahn appears to be really fed up with Williams and he could be done, period, well before A&M plays the Tigers.
Alabama has made a move that will probably send some of you into cursing fits. Deionte Thompson, who A&M craved as a defensive back, has been moved to wide receiver. Former Oregon State WR Richard Mullaney is running fourth team, while Thompson is already with the 2s.
Arkansas RB Alex Collins has dropped from 224 pounds last fall to 210 now. He said he cut out the junk food. Rawleigh Williams, a freshman RB, has made a strong impression with his speed.
LSU has an odd practice schedule, running morning and afternoon sessions with the starters in the morning and the backups in the afternoon. Brandon Harris has been running with the ones while Anthony Jennings is with the twos. On defense, Corey Thompson has been relegated to afternoon workouts and there are supposed to be serious concerns about linebacker depth.
Mississippi State is looking to replace 15 (!) starters from last year. Cornerback Taveze Calhoun and linebacker Dez Harris are out with injuries, and Leo Lewis, who A&M was after, apparently isn't adapting well in his first fall practice. Then again, he's being shoved right into the fire.
Ole Miss has Laramey Turnsil back at full speed, but fellow tackle Aaron Morris is still slowed after a second ACL injury. Redshirt freshman D.K. Buford is doing the reverse Brandon Williams, switching from corner to running back.
Go figure
There's a lot of hubbub today about Stewart Mandel of FoxSports.com picking A&M to win the SEC (not the west, the whole thing) and going 11-1. His argument is solid: explosive offense, improved defense, and very favorable schedule. At the same time, Sam Khan of ESPN picked A&M 10th in the SEC, arguing that the offense won't be that much better and there's no guarantee the defense will improve. I tend to lean closer to Mandel's thinking (duh), but it goes to show just how much uncertainty there is about this football team.
