Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Aggies get committment; some other things

The Aggies have received a commitment from an El Paso offensive lineman, Irvin High School product Davonte Wallace.

Wallace stands between 6-4 and 6-6, 260 pounds. From my understanding, he has also been offered by North Texas.

Other schools have toyed with the idea of moving Wallace to the defensive side of the ball but NMSU seems intent on playing him at his current high school position, offensive tackle.

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Ya know, I would like to apologize for not posting for close to a week. I went on vacation last week and had full intentions of blogging from the road, but the trip was much more busy than I anticipated. I'm back now and will be with you throughout the season. It's a very important time for everyone and I understand that.

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Coach DeWayne Walker said that he sees running backs Marquell Colston and Tonny Glynn as co-starters in the backfield. He said the real competition at that position in camp will come down to the No. 3 spot on the depth chart between Seth Smith and Donavan Roberts.

"Who's the next guy after Tonny and Marquell?" Walker said. "That's the question."

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Walker also said that the coaching staff will keep a close eye wide receiver Darrius Preston during fall camp.

I asked about Preston because I am intrigued by him. A player from Florida who was brought to NMSU and redshirted last year. Hal Mumme often found athletes at wide receiver and Preston resembles such - a 6-foot-1 burner on the outside. His senior year at Dunbar High School, Preston caught 62 balls for 1,106 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Walker sounded excited about Preston and said that the wideout would be in the mix for playing time during fall practice.

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Fall practices kick off today and there are story lines throughout camp. A few posts ago I listed what I would keep a close eye on during camp. Again, here's a list:

Quarterback play will be watched closely for obvious reasons. Walker said the other day that he is looking for a full-time starter, not a committee approach. So we will see who comes out on top when the dust settles.

Truthfully, I am looking at every aspect of the team. Offensively, the running back position seems to be a strength and we will see how the team blocks up front. At receiver, players have to prove themselves here and take the burden off the QB.

On defense, every position is inexperienced but that aspect actually has me excited about the unit. The unknown can be appealing, at least initially.

The main thing I will be watching? How much different will this team be compared to the Aggies from years past? There is a new coach in town with new philosophies. How quickly will Walker's philosophies rub off on the team and show on the field? Ultimately, teams are a reflection of their coach.

I expect the practices to be high energy and intense. Spring ball was intense, and, well, I just said it. It was spring ball. This will turn it up a few notches.

New team, new season. And new hope. At least for now.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's about time you posted something!

The season opener is exactly a month away!
I really curious to see the improvement from Spring ball.
I also the passing game to be MUCH improved. No more off-target passes or dropped balls.

Let's surprise some people! Go Aggies!

Anonymous said...

Don't let people get to you about taking some time. That is important. Might save some grief if you'd posted that you would be gone and might or might not be able to post.

With practice starting, I suspect a lot of fans would aprreciate something about who is and who isn't in camp. Did Branden Warner show? Who else is or isn't here that is worthy of note?

Soemosf us would like to knwo what is happenign with season ticket sales. Are they continuing to keep on the record pace they were on? Athletic department folks would probably appreciate a story about that. Might move some fols one way or the other.

I'm really curious about the quarterback situation - that is one that we cannot make a mistake on, I believe. Talent seems to be there in the frontrunners, but how is it b eing developed in the system?

Look forward to seeing a lot in the SN and on the blog. Please keep us informed.

Chile Duck said...

Teddy,
So any word on Branden Warner? My search on the MNSU phonebook turns up a Branden Christopher Warner from Atlanta GA. So it looks like he is enrolled?

Anonymous said...

Warner is from Georgia to, so I do believe that is him.

Anonymous said...

I told you that Walker like the 260-300 pound offensive linemen.