For a first practice, the team was surprisingly very active and got a lot of work done considering the circumstances. They kind of have no choice but to work at a fast pace since the first scrimmage in full pads will be on Saturday during the fanfest. Usually fanfest is held later on in camp but Qualcomm wasn't available I believe, probably for Chargers preseason/events.
Although it was a relatively fast paced practice, it was still a first practice. So there wasn't much contact at all but there was still plenty of observations to be made.
-The first thing of note is how in shape everybody is looking, specifically the skill position players such as the wide receivers and the secondary. Countless players are looking much more leaner and cut compared to last spring. A lot of the sophomores and juniors in particular have made big jumps. One of the most obvious is Rashaad Penny but the overall bulk of the team looks very fit entering camp.
-Another observation was how much energy there was, especially during the team periods (offense vs. defense). There was no tackling allowed but both sides talked trash more and more as the practice went on.
-Another big note was how the freshmen class really stood out to me. None of them stuck out as "newbies" and they all were very physical on the field and mentally seemed well prepared for what's to come. No one seemed lost (although the defensive players did make some mistakes during the assignment and alignment drills). Safety Dwayne Johnson in particular really got after it during 7v7s and his physicality should get him on the field soon. Malik Smith like but seems a little more controlled at this stage.
-The closest thing to actual football we got to see were one on ones and 7v7s and all the skill players fought for every ball. The offense dominated early on but things seemed to even out by the middle of practice.
Holder is still the most elusive receiver and gets the best separation but so many other guys have stepped it up and will stay in the mix. Favreau as always was very consistent, Judge did well with the first team, Kendrick Mathis really improved his route running, Jerry Chaney looks like he can crack the rotation this year as a slot guy.
But what really should get you guys excited is the two freshmen. Isaiah Macklin and Tim Wilson aren't stiffs and actually do have some speed hidden somewhere in their 6-5 frames. That was honestly my biggest concern with them but I withheld judgement until seeing them in person and watching their feet/leg overturn which happened today. Wilson in particular has a chance to be special. He has a crazy long wingspan and I can see him becoming a very big target sooner rather than later. I know saying that they have impressive catch radius' is obvious but I want to point out that they each get serious hang time going up for catches, even when running at full speed or jumping at awkward/off balance angles. Very impressive for a first day.
The tight ends also had a good day. Darryl Richardson got open fairly often during 1v1s - we just need to continue to see him hang onto the ball. David Wells and Kahale Warring also went after every pass and showed off their athleticism, including a couple dives and outstretched arm catches. And while there were a few drops being made, it's safe to say this tight end group will be the most comfortable/natural pass catchers SDSU has seen at the position in quite some time.
-On defense, it's worth noting that Trey Lomax is back running with the ones (but it's possible he and Kam Kelly will switch back and forth during each practice) and looked comfortable and reactive as usual. Billy Vaughn Jr., based off today, looked like the guy who will start. His physicality really really bothered every receiver he matched up against and he made it very hard for QBs to complete passes.
Ron Smith, by the way, is sticking at corner and he looks more comfortable pressing and getting physical with receivers. Ball skills continue to improve as well.
Kalan Montgomery also got himself in position to make plays on the ball nearly every rep but came up just short of grabbing picks on a handful of occasions. He shouldn't be slept on in the Vaughn/Babiash battle.
With SDSU's options at corner, I fully understand the argument to redshirt Tayler Hawkins rather than wasting his talent on special teams. But he's a very good player regardless and his pure athleticism will be hard to pass up on Bobby Hauck.
-FYI, SDSU didn't do much place kicking stuff but ended practice with Tanner Blain punting to Pumphrey, Holder and Babiash.
-On the QBs, the first day is always the worst time to do an evaluation because a lot of those guys handle camp differently and need time to shake off the rust. Basically it's never a fair evaluation. That said, my biggest takeaway is that I wouldn't be surprised if Brandon Jones leap frogs Ryan Agnew pretty soon. He's much more accurate than I thought. I don't think anyone will challenge Chapman at all though.
Like I mentioned, it's not fair to evaluate QBs on the first day but I want to note that I like the trend of the QBs holding onto the ball and not forcing any throws if nobody is open during these practices. Maybe it's a Blane Morgan thing, maybe a Jeff Horton thing. But all I know is that this offense depends on limiting turnovers and playing it relatively safe in the passing game and that culture/idea has definitely been instilled in all the QBs. I like the trend.
Some depth chart notes:
-RG Antonio Rosales is indeed with the first team.
-The second team o-line looked like: LT Ryan Krum, (??? Need to confirm with my video - will update), C Derrick Achayo, RG Daishawn Dixon and RT Joe Salcedo.
-DB Trey Lomax was with the first team.
-Kameron Kelly was with the twos, joined by Parker Baldwin and Jeff Clay.
-Babiash and Vaughn seemed to take turns with the first team. I don't think you can go wrong with either and we will probably see a situation like what is going with the nose tackles and the two will split time all season.
-LB Austin Wyatt Thayer was with the first team.
-Tezino and Lakalaka played alongside each other with Dunn on the edge with the second unit. I feel like that's the lineup that will play out entering the season.
-Fred Melifonwu is indeed back and he looked very happy and energetic. That means a lot since he has to work his way back up and is running with the younger unit which includes Dru Mathis, Forrest Hanlon etc.
-NT Sergio Phillips was with the first team, Noble Hall was with the twos.
Notes
-Will Stricklin, Ryan Pope, Trenton Fincher, John Carroll, Tyler Morris, Jay Williams were at practice but watched from the bleachers.
-Scouts from the Jets, Chargers and Titans were at practice.
Although it was a relatively fast paced practice, it was still a first practice. So there wasn't much contact at all but there was still plenty of observations to be made.
-The first thing of note is how in shape everybody is looking, specifically the skill position players such as the wide receivers and the secondary. Countless players are looking much more leaner and cut compared to last spring. A lot of the sophomores and juniors in particular have made big jumps. One of the most obvious is Rashaad Penny but the overall bulk of the team looks very fit entering camp.
-Another observation was how much energy there was, especially during the team periods (offense vs. defense). There was no tackling allowed but both sides talked trash more and more as the practice went on.
-Another big note was how the freshmen class really stood out to me. None of them stuck out as "newbies" and they all were very physical on the field and mentally seemed well prepared for what's to come. No one seemed lost (although the defensive players did make some mistakes during the assignment and alignment drills). Safety Dwayne Johnson in particular really got after it during 7v7s and his physicality should get him on the field soon. Malik Smith like but seems a little more controlled at this stage.
-The closest thing to actual football we got to see were one on ones and 7v7s and all the skill players fought for every ball. The offense dominated early on but things seemed to even out by the middle of practice.
Holder is still the most elusive receiver and gets the best separation but so many other guys have stepped it up and will stay in the mix. Favreau as always was very consistent, Judge did well with the first team, Kendrick Mathis really improved his route running, Jerry Chaney looks like he can crack the rotation this year as a slot guy.
But what really should get you guys excited is the two freshmen. Isaiah Macklin and Tim Wilson aren't stiffs and actually do have some speed hidden somewhere in their 6-5 frames. That was honestly my biggest concern with them but I withheld judgement until seeing them in person and watching their feet/leg overturn which happened today. Wilson in particular has a chance to be special. He has a crazy long wingspan and I can see him becoming a very big target sooner rather than later. I know saying that they have impressive catch radius' is obvious but I want to point out that they each get serious hang time going up for catches, even when running at full speed or jumping at awkward/off balance angles. Very impressive for a first day.
The tight ends also had a good day. Darryl Richardson got open fairly often during 1v1s - we just need to continue to see him hang onto the ball. David Wells and Kahale Warring also went after every pass and showed off their athleticism, including a couple dives and outstretched arm catches. And while there were a few drops being made, it's safe to say this tight end group will be the most comfortable/natural pass catchers SDSU has seen at the position in quite some time.
-On defense, it's worth noting that Trey Lomax is back running with the ones (but it's possible he and Kam Kelly will switch back and forth during each practice) and looked comfortable and reactive as usual. Billy Vaughn Jr., based off today, looked like the guy who will start. His physicality really really bothered every receiver he matched up against and he made it very hard for QBs to complete passes.
Ron Smith, by the way, is sticking at corner and he looks more comfortable pressing and getting physical with receivers. Ball skills continue to improve as well.
Kalan Montgomery also got himself in position to make plays on the ball nearly every rep but came up just short of grabbing picks on a handful of occasions. He shouldn't be slept on in the Vaughn/Babiash battle.
With SDSU's options at corner, I fully understand the argument to redshirt Tayler Hawkins rather than wasting his talent on special teams. But he's a very good player regardless and his pure athleticism will be hard to pass up on Bobby Hauck.
-FYI, SDSU didn't do much place kicking stuff but ended practice with Tanner Blain punting to Pumphrey, Holder and Babiash.
-On the QBs, the first day is always the worst time to do an evaluation because a lot of those guys handle camp differently and need time to shake off the rust. Basically it's never a fair evaluation. That said, my biggest takeaway is that I wouldn't be surprised if Brandon Jones leap frogs Ryan Agnew pretty soon. He's much more accurate than I thought. I don't think anyone will challenge Chapman at all though.
Like I mentioned, it's not fair to evaluate QBs on the first day but I want to note that I like the trend of the QBs holding onto the ball and not forcing any throws if nobody is open during these practices. Maybe it's a Blane Morgan thing, maybe a Jeff Horton thing. But all I know is that this offense depends on limiting turnovers and playing it relatively safe in the passing game and that culture/idea has definitely been instilled in all the QBs. I like the trend.
Some depth chart notes:
-RG Antonio Rosales is indeed with the first team.
-The second team o-line looked like: LT Ryan Krum, (??? Need to confirm with my video - will update), C Derrick Achayo, RG Daishawn Dixon and RT Joe Salcedo.
-DB Trey Lomax was with the first team.
-Kameron Kelly was with the twos, joined by Parker Baldwin and Jeff Clay.
-Babiash and Vaughn seemed to take turns with the first team. I don't think you can go wrong with either and we will probably see a situation like what is going with the nose tackles and the two will split time all season.
-LB Austin Wyatt Thayer was with the first team.
-Tezino and Lakalaka played alongside each other with Dunn on the edge with the second unit. I feel like that's the lineup that will play out entering the season.
-Fred Melifonwu is indeed back and he looked very happy and energetic. That means a lot since he has to work his way back up and is running with the younger unit which includes Dru Mathis, Forrest Hanlon etc.
-NT Sergio Phillips was with the first team, Noble Hall was with the twos.
Notes
-Will Stricklin, Ryan Pope, Trenton Fincher, John Carroll, Tyler Morris, Jay Williams were at practice but watched from the bleachers.
-Scouts from the Jets, Chargers and Titans were at practice.
