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Jay, here.

A couple of weeks ago, a thread (”DuckD’s In-Depth Pre-Spring Depth Chart”) from one of the eDuck message boards came across my desk here at Duck Sports News and caught my attention.

So, I decided to shoot an email to DuckD to see I could share his analysis with other Duck fans through Duck Sports News. Upon completing his preview, he was more than happy to email his entire entry (Thank you, DuckD).

Instead of publishing the entire entry here, I’ve decided to break it up into more bite-size parts over the course of several days. Here’s a look at the schedule:

Offense
Friday, March 21st: Quarterback
Saturday, March 22nd: Running Back
Sunday, March 23rd: Wide Receiver
Monday, March 24th: Tight End, Half Back
Tuesday, March 25th: Offensive Line

Defense
Wednesday, March 26th: Defensive End
Today: Defensive Tackle
Friday, March 28th: Linebacker
Saturday, March 29th: Cornerback
Sunday, March 30th: Safety

Here’s DuckD’s preview of Defensive Tackles:

DuckD’s Spring Preview: DEFENSIVE TACKLE

Probable Starter: Cole Linehan sr., Ra’Shon Harris sr.
Depth: Tonio Celotto so., Simi Toeaina jr.
Incoming: Justin Thompson jr., Blake Ferras jr.

Analysis: Cole Linehan will step into one of the starting tackle spots this year. Cole has been a solid contributor the past 3 years, really seeming ready to take a starting spot in his sophomore year before breaking his foot against ASU. In his senior year he should continue to be his consistent self and help hold the middle for the Ducks.

The other starting spot will go to Sonny Harris, though I have a feeling that both starters will be pushed by the reserves this year. Sonny has shown flashes of being a terrific player, and finally started to show some consistency toward the end of last year sharing defensive player of the game for his performance against UCLA (45 snaps, 4 tackles, 3 unassisted, 2 tackles for loss). Sonny has the size (6′5″ 321) to really be a force in the middle if he can improve upon last years performance.

Tonio Celotto was terrific as a true freshman last year, when not slowed by nagging injuries. He collected 16 tackles, including 4.5 for loss, and we all know DTs don’t tend to get a lot of tackles in our system. He is very strong, and if he can keep bulking up while maintaining his speed, he will be a stud on the line. I expect him to push for a lot of playing time and should be nipping at the starters heels.

Simi Toeaina needs to get a fire lit under his ***. He has good size at 6′4″ 308, and reportedly when properly motivated has made plays in practice. He really needs to figure out how to start translating that to game time and to do it with more consistency.

Justin Thompson has all the credentials to make a serious impact this fall. Unfortunately he won’t be here for spring ball, which would really help give him a jump start on cracking the starting line up, but I would be very surprised if he isn’t a major part of the rotation this fall. He kind of reminds me of a bigger Jeremy Gibbs (hopefully minus the occasional brain-farts resulting in stupid penalties) but with more skills. Gibbs had a pretty good impact his first fall, and I expect a little more out of JT. He has even mentioned that he might play some DE. From Thompson’s bio (I particularly like the TFL, sacks,forced fumbles, and batted down passes numbers): Thompson missed two games last year due to injury, but still ended up with 52 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, six sacks, blocked field goal, safety, five forced fumbles, three recoveries and eight batted down passes. Thompson earned unanimous conference honors, was first team all-California and earned some all-American consideration.

Blake Ferras will reportedly be here for spring ball, and I’m excited to see what we’ve got with him. He has very good measurables (6′5″ 285) and listed as having great speed for a DT (4.8). I haven’t seen any video of him, but he almost signed with Wisconsin which bodes well of his abilities. I would expect him to help provide some decent depth this fall.

Tomorrow: LINEBACKER

Jay, here.

A couple of weeks ago, a thread (”DuckD’s In-Depth Pre-Spring Depth Chart”) from one of the eDuck message boards came across my desk here at Duck Sports News and caught my attention.

So, I decided to shoot an email to DuckD to see I could share his analysis with other Duck fans through Duck Sports News. Upon completing his preview, he was more than happy to email his entire entry (Thank you, DuckD).

Instead of publishing the entire entry here, I’ve decided to break it up into more bite-size parts over the course of several days. Here’s a look at the schedule:

Offense
Friday, March 21st: Quarterback
Saturday, March 22nd: Running Back
Sunday, March 23rd: Wide Receiver
Monday, March 24th: Tight End, Half Back
Tuesday, March 25th: Offensive Line

Defense
Wednesday, March 26th: Defensive End
Thursday, March 27th: Defensive Tackle
Friday, March 28th: Linebacker
Saturday, March 29th: Cornerback
Sunday, March 30th: Safety

Here’s DuckD’s preview of Defensive Ends:

DuckD’s Spring Preview: DEFENSIVE END

Photography courtesy of Oregon Duckcast Network & Cameron Resnick.

Probable Starter: Nick Reed sr., Will Tukuafu jr.
Depth: Kenny Rowe so., Brandon Bair so., Dominic Glover fr., John Laidet fr., Michael Speed sr., Michael DiVincenzo jr.
Incoming: None.

Analysis: Nick Reed was 1st Team All Pac-10 as well as 2nd Team All-American (SI.com) after a junior season where he gathered 60 tackles (22.5 for loss) and 12 sacks. He was a terror as a junior and should only be better as a senior. His motor never stops. He’s quick off the ball, and he has improved every year as a run stopper. He also was named to ESPN the Magazine’s Academic All-America first team with a 3.39 GPA. All around great Duck.

The play of Will Tukuafu as a sophomore is one thing that helped Reed last fall, and I think his likely improvement in his second season of play will make the two of them one of the most feared duos in the Pac-10 (if not nation) next year. Tukuafu made an immediate impact last fall, even playing DT in some pass coverages. Having terrific size (6′4″ 280) and good speed, Tukuafu is a great combination of pass rusher and run stopper. The talented combination of Reed and Tukuafu will help with the transition of 2 new full time starters at DT.

Kenny Rowe was a pass rushing terror as a true freshman, accumulating 5 sacks in his first fall of action. He produced in big game situations, recording a sack at The Big House as well as in the Sun Bowl. The biggest thing Rowe needs is just to get bigger and stronger. He played last fall at only 6′3″ 215 and will need to bulk up considerably in order to garner more playing time, otherwise he will mostly be a passing down specialist.

Brandon Bair has a lot of ability and just needs more refining of technique and game experience. He is outstanding as a punt/field goal blocker and solid in run support. He has terrific size at 6′7″ 250 and could put on more weight without losing a step.

Dominic Glover spent last fall redshirting, trying to gain more knowledge of the the position as well as add to his 6′5″ 230lbs frame. He will be one to keep an eye on to see how much he has improved and how much of an impact he can make in the fall.

Michael Speed may or may not play DE this year. I have included him with the DEs because, unless he gets considerably bigger and stronger, this is the position where he is capable of making the most impact. He has terrific technique and uses his hands well. He could be a solid run support DE.

John Laidet was recently switched from TE to DE. It will be interesting to watch his development, as many were unsure of his placement on offense due to most of his high school acclaim coming from the defensive side of the ball. I say, if DE is where his natural talents lie, this is a great move. He will have an opportunity to play his way into the rotation this year.

I add Michael DiVincenzo into this mix for one reason: that glorious interception for a TD in the Sun Bowl against South Florida. How incredible it must have been for a walk on player, who probably had very faint hopes to even get in for 1 play in the bowl game, to not only play a good amount but to make such a dramatic play and get all that praise afterward from his teammates. It is awesome to see hard work get paid off in such a beautiful way. Way to go, Michael!

Tomorrow: DEFENSIVE TACKLE

Jay, here.

A couple of weeks ago, a thread (”DuckD’s In-Depth Pre-Spring Depth Chart”) from one of the eDuck message boards came across my desk here at Duck Sports News and caught my attention.

So, I decided to shoot an email to DuckD to see I could share his analysis with other Duck fans through Duck Sports News. Upon completing his preview, he was more than happy to email his entire entry (Thank you, DuckD).

Instead of publishing the entire entry here, I’ve decided to break it up into more bite-size parts over the course of several days. Here’s a look at the schedule:

Offense
Friday, March 21st: Quarterback
Saturday, March 22nd: Running Back
Sunday, March 23rd: Wide Receiver
Monday, March 24th: Tight End, Half Back
Tuesday, March 25th: Offensive Line

Defense
Wednesday, March 26th: Defensive End
Thursday, March 27th: Defensive Tackle
Friday, March 28th: Linebacker
Saturday, March 29th: Cornerback
Sunday, March 30th: Safety

Here’s DuckD’s preview of the Offensive Line:

DuckD’s Spring Preview: OFFENSIVE LINE

Photography courtesy of Oregon Duckcast Network & Cameron Resnick.

Probable Starter: Fenuki Tupou sr., Jordan Holmes so., Max Unger sr., Mark Lewis sr., Jacob Hucko sr.
Depth: Jeff “Freaking” Kendall sr., Jon Teague sr., C.E. Kaiser so., Bo Thran so., Darrion Weems fr., Charlie Carmichael fr., Mark Asper fr., Carson York fr.
Incoming: Nick Cody fr., Hamani Stevens fr.

Analysis: Max Unger is an absolute stud. He is an animal anywhere on the line and has the quicks to be a pulling center in a spread offense! There has been talk of possibly moving him to guard or back to tackle, but I think we will be best served by having Max stay at center. In this offense especially, the ability to consistently snap to the QB cleanly can never be understated, and Max was very consistent last fall. And when you add in Max’s tenacity and blocking ability, it is a match made in heaven.

Fenuki Tupou performed brilliantly in his first season as starting left tackle. He is a very large individual at 6′6″ 322, but is still very mobile. His talents are what allowed us the luxury of moving Unger to center last year, and those talents are going to serve our offense very well this fall. He could very easily have a future at the next level. Remember, Tupou dominated All-American George Selvie in only his 13 D1 game. With a full year of D1 football under his belt, as well as another off-season of workouts and conditioning, I expect Tupou to be even better this year.

Mark Lewis finally grabbed a starting spot this past fall after a couple of years of being a key reserve at every position on the offensive line. He has put a lot of time in learning multiple positions but has finally found a home at guard I am interested to see how much he improves with more time at one spot. Mark has always been a very solid contributor, with good skills, and he should have a terrific senior year.

It is finally Jacob Hucko’s time to shine. Jacob has been toiling behind the mammoth Geoff Schwartz since their freshman years at the UO, and it is finally his time to emerge from that rather large shadow. Hucko has comparable height to Schwartz but not quite the same girth, making him slightly lacking (in comparison) with his run blocking but his agility should make him a slightly better pass protector. Not a bad trade off, and with our offensive style and play makers, he doesn’t necessarily have to bulldoze his man everytime as much as get in the way of his man at times. Hucko is fully capable of having a very solid season.

Jordan Holmes may very well be the heir apparent to Max Unger, but I think he is too good to keep out of the starting line up. He gained quite a bit of experience last fall, including 29 snaps at Michigan. In fact, if you have the Michigan game on video still, go back and watch Dixon’s Fake Statue-of-Liberty play: I’m about 99% certain that Holmes was in on that play (my main question is if he was a guard or center on the play). Jordan should step in and be a solid starter from day 1.

Jeff “Freaking” Kendall (after the rant on Jim Rome’s radio show, I will refer to him that way as often as possible!) has had a history of injury problems, but last fall was probably the healthiest he has been as a Duck. If he remains healthy he could push for a starting spot, either at center (pushing Unger to yet another spot) or even at guard. He deserves a healthy year.

Jon Teague is a walk on who has earned playing time over the past few years including a few starts, and with the departure of Josh Tshirgi, will have an opportunity to try to secure a starting spot in his final season of eligibility. He has a good amount of playing time over the past couple seasons and has a very good grasp of the offense.

C.E. Kaiser has experience at both guard and tackle. He is likely to be heavily in the mix at the right tackle position, and if I remember correctly he is actually the one that Geoff Schwartz has picked as his likely successor. That says a lot about the talent, and potential, that this young man possesses. If he doesn’t start this fall, he should be a key backup and is very likely to start in ‘09.

Bo Thran was injured most of last fall, but he made great progress as a redshirt freshman. If he continues to develop he could make a serious push at right tackle and to be Tupou’s backup on the left side.

Darrion Weems has all the potential to be our next great left tackle. The coaches rave about the quickness of his feet, and if he continues to develop and get bigger/stronger he can be very good. It will be interesting to see how far he has come along since last fall. I will definitely be watching him this spring as his future is very bright.

Charlie Carmichael, like Bo Thran, was injured last fall necessitating a redshirt year. He likely would have redshirted his first fall anyway, as most freshmen linemen do, but he has the potential to make an impact this year. I believe he is in line to be a guard, but may get a shot at tackle as well (much like DBs are usually tried at corner first). I saw him recently, and I admit he didn’t seem very “big” (relative term, I know), but he is young and coming off an injury. With more time in the weight room he should be very good.

Mark Asper is big in the mold of Geoff Schwartz (6′7″ 320 as a redshirt freshman). He redshirted last year after returning from his mission and may still need to “knock some rust off”. He will be intriguing to watch as he is physically more “mature” than the other youngsters due to his time away, but needs as much (or possibly more) practice time to really get the most of his abilities.

Carson York had surgery last summer and decided to greyshirt, enrolling this winter in order to retain his year of eligibility as well as participate in winter conditioning in preparation for this coming year. He will be one to watch as he was one of the top rated tackles in high school in ‘06. He is probably a year away from being a regular in the rotation due to his surgery, but I wouldn’t put it past him to make his presence felt this fall.

Nick Cody is already one of my favorite Ducks. He put in a lot of time “on the recruiting trail” this past season, trying to help “recruit” his fellow highly touted seniors to be Ducks. He is already a die-hard Duck, bleeds green and yellow, and has the work ethic to really put his skills to good use.

Hamani Stevens was probably our last “big get” of the recruiting class. He will battle Jordan Holmes to be the guy to take over for Max Unger after this coming fall, assuming he doesn’t make the rotation this year. Hamani is immensely talented and could put himself in the mix as soon as this fall if he can learn the offense and allow his talents to shine early.
I am very excited about the young talent we have been stockpiling on the offensive line and I will be watching to see how quickly that talent starts to shine through.

Tomorrow: DEFENSIVE END

Jay, here.

A couple of weeks ago, a thread (”DuckD’s In-Depth Pre-Spring Depth Chart”) from one of the eDuck message boards came across my desk here at Duck Sports News and caught my attention.

So, I decided to shoot an email to DuckD to see I could share his analysis with other Duck fans through Duck Sports News. Upon completing his preview, he was more than happy to email his entire entry (Thank you, DuckD).

Instead of publishing the entire entry here, I’ve decided to break it up into more bite-size parts over the course of several days. Here’s a look at the schedule:

Offense
Friday, March 21st: Quarterback
Saturday, March 22nd: Running Back
Sunday, March 23rd: Wide Receiver
Monday, March 24th: Tight End, Half Back
Tuesday, March 25th: Offensive Line

Defense
Wednesday, March 26th: Defensive End
Thursday, March 27th: Defensive Tackle
Friday, March 28th: Linebacker
Saturday, March 29th: Cornerback
Sunday, March 30th: Safety

Here’s DuckD’s preview of the Tight End and Half Back positions:

DuckD’s Spring Preview: TIGHT END, HALF BACK

Probable Starter: Ed Dickson jr.
Depth: Malachi Lewis so., Matt Larkin sr., David Paulson fr.
Incoming: Mychal Rivera fr.

Analysis: Ed Dickson had a terrific season as a first year starter. I think we all figured that he would produce like he did, but it is always nice to have a player live up to our expectations on the field. Shoot, I even remember him being used as an option back against Washington! Not your “typical TE”, he is a terrific athlete and great receiver. I look for Dickson to take on more of a leadership role this year as well as improving on his terrific sophomore campaign (43 receptions for 453 yards and 3 TDs, as well as 2 rushes for 10 yards). He will need to continue to develop as a LOS blocker and should be more of a threat in the mid-to-deep middle passing game. Defenses have to take Dickson into their considerations or he will make them pay.

Malachi Lewis is one of those players that has to be on the field. This son-of-a-Duck is so talented that he could have played any number of positions, but seems to have found a home at HB/TE. He will definitely need to add muscle and bulk in order to be a more effective blocker, but I see Chip Kelly coming up with a variety of ingenius ways to get Lewis the ball (can you say “TE Reverse”?). Lewis only had 3 catches last fall, but I see his role expanding considerably as he gets stronger and more knowledgeable of the system. His skills as a highly-rated high school RB could be put to good use the more the ball is in his hands.

Larkin is an unsung role player and special teams standout. He’ll never be the “star” player, but he does a lot of the little things that every team needs.

Paulson, after his redshirt year, finally gets his opportunity to show off the receiving skills that the coaching staff have been raving about. He seems to have the size to be a capable blocker (6′4″ 250), but we’ll have to see if he has the desire to apply the techniques he is taught. With the depth chart at this position, he has every opportunity to see the field and make an impact this year. I could easily see him being the 3rd TE/HB behind Dickson and Lewis.

Rivera will come in and have an opportunity to put himself into the rotation this fall. He played in a run-oriented offense in high school so he should be a decent blocker, which may help him see the field this fall. He was our first commit last year, which says a lot to me about the coaches belief in his potential. He would not have been offered so early if they didn’t think he was worth it.

We are young, and not overly deep at TE/HB, but there is definitely talent there.

Tomorrow: OFFENSIVE LINE

Jay, here.

A couple of weeks ago, a thread (”DuckD’s In-Depth Pre-Spring Depth Chart”) from one of the eDuck message boards came across my desk here at Duck Sports News and caught my attention.

So, I decided to shoot an email to DuckD to see I could share his analysis with other Duck fans through Duck Sports News. Upon completing his preview, he was more than happy to email his entire entry (Thank you, DuckD).

Instead of publishing the entire entry here, I’ve decided to break it up into more bite-size parts over the course of several days. Here’s a look at the schedule:

Offense
Friday, March 21st: Quarterback
Saturday, March 22nd: Running Back
Sunday, March 23rd: Wide Receiver
Monday, March 24th: Tight End, Half Back
Tuesday, March 25th: Offensive Line

Defense
Wednesday, March 26th: Defensive End
Thursday, March 27th: Defensive Tackle
Friday, March 28th: Linebacker
Saturday, March 29th: Cornerback
Sunday, March 30th: Safety

Here’s DuckD’s preview of the Wide Receiver position:

DuckD’s Spring Preview: WIDE RECEIVER

Probable Starter: Jaison Williams sr., Derrick Jones jr., Jeffrey Maehl so.
Depth: Drew Davis so., Jamere Holland so., Terence Scott sr., Aaron Pflugrad so.
Incoming: Ellis Krout jr., Blake Cantu fr., Dion Jordan fr., Garrett Embry fr.

Analysis: Jaison, Jaison, Jaison… If he can pull a Dixon and gain some confidence/consistency for his senior season, I can honestly say that it is entirely possible that he could win the Belitnikoff Award this fall. His size and speed are such a freakish combination that just about anything is possible for J-Will if he can improve upon the mental aspect of the game. Here’s hoping he can put it all together for a season we will all remember for a long, long time.
Jones is a burner, pure and simple. The main issue with Derrick is his commitment to staying out of the doghouse by doing everything that is required of him, and it might not hurt if he stuck around this summer to work out with the rest of his teammates. With Derrick’s mostly off-field issues of the past year, I have to feel that he is walking a pretty thin rope right now. If he can get his head on straight, he has enormous potential on the field. He could make a huge impact at WR as well as in the return game.

Maehl was damn near remarkable last fall. He came in as a true freshman, gained a spot in the rotation at free safety (accumulating 14 tackles including 1 for loss), and then gets switched to WR where he wound up starting (and caught 9 balls for 118 yards and 1 TD, as well as gaining 34 yards on 3 rushing plays). He also showed outstanding hands, getting absolutely drilled against 0S(U) while making the catch. Not only making the catch, but then hopping up and jumping around excitedly as if he hadn’t even been touched! Also doesn’t hurt that he scored a TD against the Beavers. Maehl is going to be very difficult to keep off the field, regardless of if he stays on offense or if he goes back to defense. And either way he is going to be great.

Davis, I think, is poised to make a big push for a starting spot this year. He has a great combination of size, speed, hands, and ability. He didn’t see the field much last year, but that was more due to the extraordinary talents of J-Will and the solid blocking and all-around game of Garren Strong, than the lack of his own ability. Davis will be a solid contributor at the very least this fall.

Jamere Holland will finally get an opportunity to show what he can do this spring and fall. He has been working out with the guys and gaining knowledge of the system. Like Jones, he has outstanding speed. Will be interesting to see how willing a blocker he is and how he handles crossing routes, as well as possibly being a runner on option plays. Massive potential with Holland.

Scott had the “misfortune” of being a true team player last fall. Set to redshirt, he was called upon later in the year due to the injuries at WR thus burning his redshirt year. He only caught 2 balls for 4 yards while reportedly battling his own injury issues, but that is not remotely indicative of the talent that this young man possesses. He looked like a big-play waiting to happen last fall in practices. He has excellent speed and should, like many of the WR, make a push for a starting spot this spring and fall.

Aaron Pflugrad (PFLU!) reminds me a lot of Keenan Howry. Unlike Howry, I think he’s going to have his work cut out for him to gain a starting role but he should be a very solid role player with his terrific hands and excellent route running abilities. You can never have too many guys that can get open and make the clutch catch for the first down!
Ellis Krout is a JC transfer that I honestly know almost zero about. I know that he has good size (6′4″ 190) and reportedly has great speed. I hope that he’s here for spring ball, but I haven’t even heard if he’ll be here for spring or not.

Blake Cantu seems, on film, to be a bigger, faster version of Pflugrad. He runs solid routes, has great hands, and even played in a spread offense in high school so he already has some familiarity with the style. You can never have too many guys that can get open and make the clutch catch for the first down!

Dion Jordan will get tried out at WR first. There is a chance, down the line, that he may be moved to TE/HB, but I like the idea of him at WR. He has great size at 6′6″ 215, and decent speed (4.6). He is reportedly a great (and willing) blocker which will really help him see the field early for us. We need WR who can block in order to get the most effectiveness from the running game in the spread. He could be a great redzone weapon with his size, athleticism, and hands.

Garrett Embry is an intriguing prospect. Initially recruited as a potential safety, he exploded at WR as a senior and really seems to have a lot of potential at the position. Has a great physicality about him, though he will need to work on his speed to get the most of his talents. He has potentially the highest ceiling of this years recruiting class.

Tomorrow: TIGHT END, HALF BACK

Jay, here.

A couple of weeks ago, a thread (”DuckD’s In-Depth Pre-Spring Depth Chart”) from one of the eDuck message boards came across my desk here at Duck Sports News and caught my attention.

So, I decided to shoot an email to DuckD to see I could share his analysis with other Duck fans through Duck Sports News. Upon completing his preview, he was more than happy to email his entire entry (Thank you, DuckD).

Instead of publishing the entire entry here, I’ve decided to break it up into more bite-size parts over the course of several days. Here’s a look at the schedule:

Offense
Friday, March 21st: Quarterback
Saturday, March 22nd: Running Back
Sunday, March 23rd: Wide Receiver
Monday, March 24th: Tight End, Half Back
Tuesday, March 25th: Offensive Line

Defense
Wednesday, March 26th: Defensive End
Thursday, March 27th: Defensive Tackle
Friday, March 28th: Linebacker
Saturday, March 29th: Cornerback
Sunday, March 30th: Safety

Here’s DuckD’s preview of the Running Back position:

DuckD’s Spring Preview: RUNNING BACK

Probable Starter: Jeremiah Johnson sr.
Depth: Andre Crenshaw jr., Remene Alston so.
Incoming: LaGarrette Blount jr., LaMichael James fr.

Analysis: As with the QB position, we should be set at RB if Jeremiah Johnson can fully recover physically and mentally from his knee surgery. JJ has been a terrific player the past 3 (well 2.5 I guess ) seasons, averaging over 6 yards per carry for his career. Career rushing, 181 carries for 1135 yards and 17 TDs. He also is adept as a pass catcher and solid blocker, as well as special teams standout (though I don’t know if he’ll play much ST this fall as the starting RB). Many have felt that JJ’s talents are a better fit for the spread offense than Snoop’s were, and if he can stay healthy we should see a great year out of JJ.

Crenshaw has proven himself to be a capable backup. When JJ went down, he stepped up, and produced solid numbers behind Snoop: 82 carries for 415 yards (including a 39 yard run at The Big House) and scoring 4 TD’s. He could use a little more power for the inside running, but much like JJ, he is a great all-around back. He will battle for #2.

Remene Alston saw very limited action last year. He has shown flashes of being a special player, but it has yet to transfer over from practice to the games. What I have seen in practices leads me to believe that he could be a solid contributor with more experience.

LaGarrette Blount comes in with some pretty sizable expectations. He has been compared to Rueben Droughns by the coaches, and has Jonathan Stewart’s shoes to fill as the “power” back. I think he will be given every opportunity to be the 1B to JJ’s 1A, or at least be the solid #2 back. Blount is a big back, but also has good moves and speed, as well as athleticism. He could be a very special player. He also reportedly would like to return punts and kicks. At 6′2, 230lbs, that is a BIG DAMN punt returner!

LaMichael James is the second of the LaBoys. He’s not a huge guy at 5′9 185, but has terrific quicks, moves, and speed. The coaches have said that he is similar to JJ, so hopefully he can bulk up a bit like JJ did (and it wouldn’t hurt if he could develop his own Stiff Arm of Death!). I think James has the kind of talent that will make it very difficult for the coaches to redshirt him this fall. He could make an instant impact as a return man, if not in the regular rotation in the offensive backfield. Regardless, James looks to be the future at RB. And the future looks bright!

Tomorrow: WIDE RECEIVER