A.J. Harris has been spotted at the NMSU facility. He is not practicing with the team but it appears as if he is going through solo workouts.
I was declined my interview request with Chris Woods during today’s practice. Take that for what it is. But it’s one of the only times I have not been allowed to speak with a player.
And I guess my other question is, is this team going to be able to stop the run? That was a major weakness last year and what have they done to correct that? If one of their starters at middle linebacker goes down, in steps Chris Nwoko. He was a power running back in the spring.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Thursday, August 9, 2007
McMullen
An article from the Santa Monica Mirror.....
http://www.smmirror.com/MainPages/DisplayArticleDetails.asp?eid=6075
The bench — Pompey, Matt Grady, McMullen and Marvin Menzies
http://www.smmirror.com/MainPages/DisplayArticleDetails.asp?eid=6075
The bench — Pompey, Matt Grady, McMullen and Marvin Menzies
Some thoughts
Tight end Kyle Nelson is big for a freshman and he’s kind of a freak. He made a ridiculous catch in practice the other day. I was impressed.....
Kramer Winingham went down with an apparent leg injury (8/9/07). He walked off on his own power. I’ll monitor his progress. The team can’t afford a loss at MLB.....
The team loves Vince Butler. And they need Chris Woods out there. Those two will be huge for survival. If not, torch city.....
Spoke with Mike Martinez. He said he was real surprised with redshirt freshman Patrick Blount. Blount has been the top reserve on the O-line in camp. He’s given the team flexibility at tackle. Martinez also said that freshman Michael Grady has been a solid contributor thus far.....
Kramer Winingham went down with an apparent leg injury (8/9/07). He walked off on his own power. I’ll monitor his progress. The team can’t afford a loss at MLB.....
The team loves Vince Butler. And they need Chris Woods out there. Those two will be huge for survival. If not, torch city.....
Spoke with Mike Martinez. He said he was real surprised with redshirt freshman Patrick Blount. Blount has been the top reserve on the O-line in camp. He’s given the team flexibility at tackle. Martinez also said that freshman Michael Grady has been a solid contributor thus far.....
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Depth could be an issue
Some key areas on the NMSU football team would be devastated if injuries hit or players are forced to miss time for an extended period.
Just about every unit on defense would be crushed by injuries. The linebackers need to stay healthy as does the secondary. If people start dropping, the talent falls off quickly. Also, many young players are backups and will need to be eased into roles. A depleted group would throw those players into the fire too quickly.
Obviously, an injury to Chase Holbrook would cripple the Aggies’ season. Better protection is a must. He can’t be sacked 40 times again this year. Granted, when you pass that many times you’ll be put on the ground. But he needs better protection. Alex Gibson looked good in the spring, but he’s done for the year with a torn ACL. And J.J. McDermott might be talented. But he’s a freshman.
With that being said, the O-line will have to stay fresh.
Running backs and receivers actually go relatively deep. And though the defensive line isn’t supremely talented, there will be a rotation in place. Those areas seem all right in terms of numbers.
Just about every unit on defense would be crushed by injuries. The linebackers need to stay healthy as does the secondary. If people start dropping, the talent falls off quickly. Also, many young players are backups and will need to be eased into roles. A depleted group would throw those players into the fire too quickly.
Obviously, an injury to Chase Holbrook would cripple the Aggies’ season. Better protection is a must. He can’t be sacked 40 times again this year. Granted, when you pass that many times you’ll be put on the ground. But he needs better protection. Alex Gibson looked good in the spring, but he’s done for the year with a torn ACL. And J.J. McDermott might be talented. But he’s a freshman.
With that being said, the O-line will have to stay fresh.
Running backs and receivers actually go relatively deep. And though the defensive line isn’t supremely talented, there will be a rotation in place. Those areas seem all right in terms of numbers.
Monday, August 6, 2007
Aggies add defensive lineman
The Aggies have added former University of Miami defensive lineman Rhyan Anderson to their football team for the upcoming season. The move was confirmed by NMSU Associate AD Braun Cartwright.
Anderson is a big kid – 6-foot-5, 245. Those measurements are from his Miami bio but others have him listed in the high 200’s.
Anderson was apparently one of the top prospects coming out of high school in Oak Creek, Wisc., and a national Top 100 player. He saw limited action at Miami and graduated in three years. He’s going to attend NMSU as a graduate student but still has two years of eligibility remaining.
Anderson is a big kid – 6-foot-5, 245. Those measurements are from his Miami bio but others have him listed in the high 200’s.
Anderson was apparently one of the top prospects coming out of high school in Oak Creek, Wisc., and a national Top 100 player. He saw limited action at Miami and graduated in three years. He’s going to attend NMSU as a graduate student but still has two years of eligibility remaining.
Watch out for Fonoti
One player on the Aggie defense this year that could make some major noise is linebacker La’Auli Fonoti.
The coaching staff is high on Fonoti who possesses size and athleticism. Woody Widenhofer has coached some great linebackers in his career and believes Fonoti could be an impact player. His development will be key.
The Aggies will need to cook up an increased pass rush from last year and will ask their outside linebackers to attack the backfield. One of those players will be Fonoti. At 6-foot-5, 250 pounds, he could be a breakout player in 2007.
The coaching staff is high on Fonoti who possesses size and athleticism. Woody Widenhofer has coached some great linebackers in his career and believes Fonoti could be an impact player. His development will be key.
The Aggies will need to cook up an increased pass rush from last year and will ask their outside linebackers to attack the backfield. One of those players will be Fonoti. At 6-foot-5, 250 pounds, he could be a breakout player in 2007.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Nelson’s gone
You can’t be surprised by the decision to drop Tyrone Nelson by the NMSU administration.
I don’t think McKinley Boston and Marvin Menzies would have done it if they didn’t feel comfortable with what they have in place. They will lean heavily on Herb Pope as a freshman and have nice depth upfront. Wendell McKines will also see time and they expect him to be a rugged player who could mix it up down low if need be.
Obviously Tyrone is talented and averaged close to a double-double two years ago. You don’t just find players who average 17 and 9 and pick them up off the street. But he became a liability and the staff could not count on him after a period of time. It’s a talented team with a strong freshman class coming in. You can’t have bad examples polluting the roster and sending a message of accountability was a must. And there was no guarantee that Nelson would even return to previous form – his performance slipped last year.
Having him around would have been nice if they knew what they were going to get. But things became too unpredictable with Tyrone. They couldn’t rely on him. Now, they’ll play without him.
I don’t think McKinley Boston and Marvin Menzies would have done it if they didn’t feel comfortable with what they have in place. They will lean heavily on Herb Pope as a freshman and have nice depth upfront. Wendell McKines will also see time and they expect him to be a rugged player who could mix it up down low if need be.
Obviously Tyrone is talented and averaged close to a double-double two years ago. You don’t just find players who average 17 and 9 and pick them up off the street. But he became a liability and the staff could not count on him after a period of time. It’s a talented team with a strong freshman class coming in. You can’t have bad examples polluting the roster and sending a message of accountability was a must. And there was no guarantee that Nelson would even return to previous form – his performance slipped last year.
Having him around would have been nice if they knew what they were going to get. But things became too unpredictable with Tyrone. They couldn’t rely on him. Now, they’ll play without him.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
