We got the surprise of a full practice today, even if we could only photograph or video the first few segments. And it was hot, as you'd expect.
First off, I want to mention two guys who have been the subjects of significant discussion on here: Micah Tease and Gabe Dindy. "Where are they?"
I can answer that -- making moves up the depth chart. I've been telling you Tease looks good over the last week or so, and Dindy has apparently done the same. Both of the are getting snaps now that would make me think that they'd be in a two-deep if one were put out today.
Coming into camp, I was worried about depth at defensive tackle, but Albert Regis has had a great summer and Dindy has come on strong. That gives A&M five really, really good defensive tackles to rely on, along with Shemar Turner, DJ Hicks and Rodas Johnson.
On Monday, I said A&M needs to find explosiveness. Tease brings it. He's running better routes and finds ways to get open, so he's definitely shaken things up in a good way. The coaches want experience out there if they can get it, and right now I think they've got a rotation that is freshman-free.
Another positive: EJ Smith showed me something today. He ran with more authority between the tackles and didn't show any hesitation. I hadn't been all that impressed with him so far, but I was today. He showed what the Aggies need from him.
We got some looks at the placekickers early in practice. Randy Bond was 4-4, with a long of 52. Jared Zirkel was 3-4, shanking a short one badly. Bond didn't miss at all until very late in practice.
The more I see of the offense, I think they're closing in on their offensive line and that Ar'maj Reed-Adams is going to be the right tackle. That was absolutely not expected coming into the summer.
We saw a couple of really nice catches today from Jahdae Walker and Cyrus Allen. Walker made a one-handed catch turning around as he went out of bounds, but got a foot in. It was really nice. Moose Muhammad caught a really nice deep ball from Jaylen Henderson. Jake Bostick had a really good diving catch going out of bounds. Most of the guys had at least one notable play, but there were some drops in there too, unsurprisingly.
Watching the quarterbacks, it's really remarkable how much faster Conner Weigman's release is than everyone else's. You can tell he was a middle infielder in baseball, because he gets the ball up to his chest quickly, doesn't fully extend his arm but gets it up to shoulder level and fires. It looks more than a little bit like Dan Marino's release, to be honest. The other quarterbacks take significantly longer to get the ball out, but they're comparable to most quarterbacks. Weigman just gets the ball out really fast.
It is ridiculous how fast A&M's defensive front is, and I'm not just talking about the starters. They've got the ability to get faster if they want to by bringing in reserves. We talk about how fast Shemar Stewart and Nic Scourton are, but it's just talk until you see it. And then they bring in Cashius Howell and Rylan Kennedy and they get faster.
During one series we watched, Deuce Fatheree must have gotten a good block in at right tackle. I say that because OL coach Adam Cushing came running off the sideline to pull him up off the turf. Now that's positive reinforcement.
I think Jayvon Thomas is going to be one of the guys in the cornerback rotation. I don't know if he'll start, but he's going to play. He's come a long way from last year and has improved even during camp.
I think the offense has enough to be solid and score points, if the offensive line holds up. Going up against a stout defensive front every day will either make them improve or scar their psyche. They have guys who can get deep, the question is whether they have the ability to get five yards behind a guy without a blown coverage. That's where I think they're lacking.
The defense really could be one of the nation's best. The line is just phenomenal. The secondary may not have any superstars, but they've got guys who play at a high level and don't have much dropoff when the backups come in. That's been a huge problem for about a decade. Two guys to watch as potential breakout candidates are Dalton Brooks and Dezz Ricks. Those guys can get after it and have amazing athletic ability.
First off, I want to mention two guys who have been the subjects of significant discussion on here: Micah Tease and Gabe Dindy. "Where are they?"
I can answer that -- making moves up the depth chart. I've been telling you Tease looks good over the last week or so, and Dindy has apparently done the same. Both of the are getting snaps now that would make me think that they'd be in a two-deep if one were put out today.
Coming into camp, I was worried about depth at defensive tackle, but Albert Regis has had a great summer and Dindy has come on strong. That gives A&M five really, really good defensive tackles to rely on, along with Shemar Turner, DJ Hicks and Rodas Johnson.
On Monday, I said A&M needs to find explosiveness. Tease brings it. He's running better routes and finds ways to get open, so he's definitely shaken things up in a good way. The coaches want experience out there if they can get it, and right now I think they've got a rotation that is freshman-free.
Another positive: EJ Smith showed me something today. He ran with more authority between the tackles and didn't show any hesitation. I hadn't been all that impressed with him so far, but I was today. He showed what the Aggies need from him.
We got some looks at the placekickers early in practice. Randy Bond was 4-4, with a long of 52. Jared Zirkel was 3-4, shanking a short one badly. Bond didn't miss at all until very late in practice.
The more I see of the offense, I think they're closing in on their offensive line and that Ar'maj Reed-Adams is going to be the right tackle. That was absolutely not expected coming into the summer.
We saw a couple of really nice catches today from Jahdae Walker and Cyrus Allen. Walker made a one-handed catch turning around as he went out of bounds, but got a foot in. It was really nice. Moose Muhammad caught a really nice deep ball from Jaylen Henderson. Jake Bostick had a really good diving catch going out of bounds. Most of the guys had at least one notable play, but there were some drops in there too, unsurprisingly.
Watching the quarterbacks, it's really remarkable how much faster Conner Weigman's release is than everyone else's. You can tell he was a middle infielder in baseball, because he gets the ball up to his chest quickly, doesn't fully extend his arm but gets it up to shoulder level and fires. It looks more than a little bit like Dan Marino's release, to be honest. The other quarterbacks take significantly longer to get the ball out, but they're comparable to most quarterbacks. Weigman just gets the ball out really fast.
It is ridiculous how fast A&M's defensive front is, and I'm not just talking about the starters. They've got the ability to get faster if they want to by bringing in reserves. We talk about how fast Shemar Stewart and Nic Scourton are, but it's just talk until you see it. And then they bring in Cashius Howell and Rylan Kennedy and they get faster.
During one series we watched, Deuce Fatheree must have gotten a good block in at right tackle. I say that because OL coach Adam Cushing came running off the sideline to pull him up off the turf. Now that's positive reinforcement.
I think Jayvon Thomas is going to be one of the guys in the cornerback rotation. I don't know if he'll start, but he's going to play. He's come a long way from last year and has improved even during camp.
I think the offense has enough to be solid and score points, if the offensive line holds up. Going up against a stout defensive front every day will either make them improve or scar their psyche. They have guys who can get deep, the question is whether they have the ability to get five yards behind a guy without a blown coverage. That's where I think they're lacking.
The defense really could be one of the nation's best. The line is just phenomenal. The secondary may not have any superstars, but they've got guys who play at a high level and don't have much dropoff when the backups come in. That's been a huge problem for about a decade. Two guys to watch as potential breakout candidates are Dalton Brooks and Dezz Ricks. Those guys can get after it and have amazing athletic ability.
