Practice notes: Walker's thoughts; o-line/d-line; the offense

Hello.

First things first, someone brought to my attention that the story on Darrius Preston and Marcus Allen never made it online in its entirety. Here it is, now in its full-length version. Sorry about that.....

Anyway, about the Aggies. First off, DeWayne Walker had mixed feelings about Wednesday's practice sessions. Walker said that the morning session was crisp but that he thought the team was sloppy during the afternoon workout.

Walker said that offensively, he felt like the quarterbacks were too willing to tuck the ball and run with it instead of being patient in the pocket. I asked if it was the quarterbacks themselves being impatient or the offensive line not holding its blocks and he said it was a combination of both. None-the-less, he would like to see improvement.

“Our QBs, they're running too much,” Walker said. “They need to learn to be patient and the offensive line needs to do a better job at certain times. If we don't do a better job, we could be in trouble.”

Walker added that on defense, he wants to see his linebackers more effective in their coverage responsibilities.

Kyle Hipp: If you go out to practice, keep an eye on this kid (he's No. 89).

Hipp is a big tight end, and I mean big. He's also athletic. He made some nice grabs on Wednesday, including one over the middle on a crossing route. Hipp went low to the ground to scoop the Trevor Walls pass and hung onto the football. I was impressed.

Hipp has been seeing more time, as Kyle Nelson nurses an injury which has forced him to sit out of practice this week.

“He's definitely going to contribute,” Walker said of Hipp. “With Nelson out, it's nice to have (Hipp) to solidify the position.”

Walker said that he expects Nelson to be back on the practice field soon.

Offensive line: Getting time on the offensive line during Wednesday's practice was Dwayne Barton (left tackle), Joseph Palmer (left guard), Mike Grady (center), Sioeli Fakalata (right guard) and David Norman (right tackle).

Kyle Smith (asthma) and Patrick Blount (plantar fasciitis) remain out of the lineup.

“They're jelling, they've had some injuries there,” Walker said. “Coach Lenzmeier, he's done a good job there, he's getting what he can. And we still have some time to put it together.”

Defensive line: The defensive front saw a lot of Kawika Shook at end and E.J. Cannon at tackle.

Vincent Frederico was also involved in the action at tackle, along with Donte Savage and Pierre Fils at end.

Don't panic about Branden Warner. The defensive tackle has been sitting out with an injury, although Walker expects him back soon.

“It's minor,” Walker said. “We just don't want to rush him back. He's one of our core guys.”

William Bullock: Bullock is still working out academic issues with his old school, El Camino College. While Walker still expects Bullock to play for the Aggies, he did say the receiver is behind his fellow teammates simply due to missed practice time.

“It’s a concern,” Walker said. “Our receiving unit is starting to jell. Of course, we still expect him to be a part of that unit.”

The offense: I thought it looked better on Wednesday.

Tonny Glynn had a long touchdown run.

Marcus Allen dropped some balls. Still, he's had a good camp.

Trevor Walls made some good throws, hitting receivers in stride including a long touchdown pass to Kenny Evora.

Side note: Aggie camp has been much more physical this year. There is a lot of hitting and a lot of intensity. Players are visibly gassed following practice.

This isn't a bad thing. Walker has spoken a lot about being tough mentally and on the field. These practices should build such a mindset.