Tanner Rust will be a freshman quarterback at NMSU this season.
He comes with a good reputation, a good athlete who can run. Check out what he did on the baseball field this past weekend.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
I don't think the Aggies....
....will finish last in the Western Athletic Conference in football.
I have been doing some preseason reading. And everything I pick up at the newstand/glance at on the internet, has NMSU finishing in the basement. OK, a few publications has them better than Idaho.
I think the Aggies will definitely be better than the Idaho. Maybe, possibly, this is because I cover the team and my view of them is distorted. But really, I believe that NMSU will have a better record than the Vandals. They have them at home, and I think this is going to be a football team that plays hungry under new coach DeWayne Walker. I won't look at NMSU's win-loss record necessarily, I will look at how they compete on the field. And I think they are going to surprise people with their fight. I think they will fight themselves out of the basement and might even knock off a few teams they shouldn't in the process.
After that, who knows. Utah State is actually a team that intrigues me a bit. First off, they have an exciting player at quarterback in Diondre Borel. He is a tough guy to defend and could make their offense explosive at times. New coach Gary Anderson is similar to Walker - a defensive guy. I like that. Again, I'm not talking bowl here for USU. But I could see the team gutting out 3 or 4 wins. Why not? One of these former Sun Belt teams has to make a move in this conference eventually. Right? Hopefully.
Hawaii could be down. The one thing they will always have going for them is their homefield advantage. The Aggies go to Honolulu this year.
But you know, I think the WAC is tough. Again, maybe this is because I cover the conference and I overate it in my head. But I look at the teams we got here. Boise State speaks for itself. Nevada is going to be a monster this year, particularly if its pass defense pans out. Fresno State is Fresno State. Always solid, no matter the roster. So they will be tough.
This is a big year for Louisiana Tech. Two years ago they were improved. Last year they were solid. They went to a bowl game, they won the bowl game. Where do they go this year? I want to say they keep getting better. But they aren't going to sneak up on anybody anymore, those days are over. Look out for tackle D'Anthony Smith, who is a WAC Defensive Player of the Year candidate. He can move along the interior.
And I think that San Jose State will always be a solid team under Dick Tomey. They will play defense, and they will be able to run the ball. Keep an eye on big-play running back Brandon Rutley, who is always looking to break off a run.
But I think the Aggies are going to be better than people realize too. It will be hard to make a dent this year in the conference. As written above, there are good teams, tough travel and the league goes pretty deep. I believe the overall mentality of NMSU will be better and they will be a tough home team. I think they will be a team Aggie fans can look at with a sense of pride.
I have been doing some preseason reading. And everything I pick up at the newstand/glance at on the internet, has NMSU finishing in the basement. OK, a few publications has them better than Idaho.
I think the Aggies will definitely be better than the Idaho. Maybe, possibly, this is because I cover the team and my view of them is distorted. But really, I believe that NMSU will have a better record than the Vandals. They have them at home, and I think this is going to be a football team that plays hungry under new coach DeWayne Walker. I won't look at NMSU's win-loss record necessarily, I will look at how they compete on the field. And I think they are going to surprise people with their fight. I think they will fight themselves out of the basement and might even knock off a few teams they shouldn't in the process.
After that, who knows. Utah State is actually a team that intrigues me a bit. First off, they have an exciting player at quarterback in Diondre Borel. He is a tough guy to defend and could make their offense explosive at times. New coach Gary Anderson is similar to Walker - a defensive guy. I like that. Again, I'm not talking bowl here for USU. But I could see the team gutting out 3 or 4 wins. Why not? One of these former Sun Belt teams has to make a move in this conference eventually. Right? Hopefully.
Hawaii could be down. The one thing they will always have going for them is their homefield advantage. The Aggies go to Honolulu this year.
But you know, I think the WAC is tough. Again, maybe this is because I cover the conference and I overate it in my head. But I look at the teams we got here. Boise State speaks for itself. Nevada is going to be a monster this year, particularly if its pass defense pans out. Fresno State is Fresno State. Always solid, no matter the roster. So they will be tough.
This is a big year for Louisiana Tech. Two years ago they were improved. Last year they were solid. They went to a bowl game, they won the bowl game. Where do they go this year? I want to say they keep getting better. But they aren't going to sneak up on anybody anymore, those days are over. Look out for tackle D'Anthony Smith, who is a WAC Defensive Player of the Year candidate. He can move along the interior.
And I think that San Jose State will always be a solid team under Dick Tomey. They will play defense, and they will be able to run the ball. Keep an eye on big-play running back Brandon Rutley, who is always looking to break off a run.
But I think the Aggies are going to be better than people realize too. It will be hard to make a dent this year in the conference. As written above, there are good teams, tough travel and the league goes pretty deep. I believe the overall mentality of NMSU will be better and they will be a tough home team. I think they will be a team Aggie fans can look at with a sense of pride.
Some recruiting news
I spoke with Compton College defensive tackle Branden Warner today.
Warner, who, from my interpretations, verbally committed to UCLA, said that he is still exploring his options as far as colleges is concerned. It has been reported that Warner could be on his way to NMSU. He was non-committal about it over the telephone.
“Not right now,” Warner said when asked if he wanted to comment on the Aggies. “I still got other options. Nothing's definite, I'm not sold, not yet.”
Warner seems like a big-time prospect. According to espn.com he had offers from Florida, Arizona and Washington State. You have to go to Page 5 of the ESPN document to view his information. Very interesting stuff.
Warner, who, from my interpretations, verbally committed to UCLA, said that he is still exploring his options as far as colleges is concerned. It has been reported that Warner could be on his way to NMSU. He was non-committal about it over the telephone.
“Not right now,” Warner said when asked if he wanted to comment on the Aggies. “I still got other options. Nothing's definite, I'm not sold, not yet.”
Warner seems like a big-time prospect. According to espn.com he had offers from Florida, Arizona and Washington State. You have to go to Page 5 of the ESPN document to view his information. Very interesting stuff.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Solid Aggie football preview....
http://thequad.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/06/the-quad-countdown-no-118-new-mexico-state/
Will Boise State ever slow down?
Last year was supposed to be a down year. It wasn't. The Boise State Broncos are now supposed to be a top-flight team once again in 2009.
This program continues to bring out blue-chip talent. Last season, the concern was at quarterback. Freshman Kellen Moore made sure to put those concerns to rest, having a standout season.
People said the defense would struggle. Wrong again. The unit gave up over 17 points just twice last year.
Going into this year, some will point to the loss of Ian Johnson. But the Broncos still bring back a team rich in talent. Moore will be better than before. And the loss of Johnson will open things up for Jeremy Avery. He's explosive and will make big plays all season — barring he stays healthy.
The team continues to roll out the weapons offensively. Wide receiver Austin Pettis, tight end Kyle Efaw and center Thomas Byrd are top-notch players in the WAC.
Defensively, this team will have a solid tandem at cornerback in Kyle Wilson and Brandyn Thompson. Jeron Johnson is a big-time safety who will make the secondary the conference's best.
BSU has an interesting schedule this year. They host Oregon to start the season on ESPN. Last year, the Broncos beat the Ducks in Eugene. Oregon's going to be a much different team this year, but having a PAC 10 program come to town is still exciting. They host Miami of Ohio, then get conference play under way, on the road at Fresno State, another ESPN affair. That game promises to be hard hitting. They go to Hawaii, they go to Tulsa, they go to Louisiana Tech. This has been a top-tier program for some time. Those are some tough tests away from the blue turf. But BSU always seems to respond.
Regardless, the Broncos will be strong. Look out for Moore. He's going to have a monster season as he enters Year 2 in the offense.
This program continues to bring out blue-chip talent. Last season, the concern was at quarterback. Freshman Kellen Moore made sure to put those concerns to rest, having a standout season.
People said the defense would struggle. Wrong again. The unit gave up over 17 points just twice last year.
Going into this year, some will point to the loss of Ian Johnson. But the Broncos still bring back a team rich in talent. Moore will be better than before. And the loss of Johnson will open things up for Jeremy Avery. He's explosive and will make big plays all season — barring he stays healthy.
The team continues to roll out the weapons offensively. Wide receiver Austin Pettis, tight end Kyle Efaw and center Thomas Byrd are top-notch players in the WAC.
Defensively, this team will have a solid tandem at cornerback in Kyle Wilson and Brandyn Thompson. Jeron Johnson is a big-time safety who will make the secondary the conference's best.
BSU has an interesting schedule this year. They host Oregon to start the season on ESPN. Last year, the Broncos beat the Ducks in Eugene. Oregon's going to be a much different team this year, but having a PAC 10 program come to town is still exciting. They host Miami of Ohio, then get conference play under way, on the road at Fresno State, another ESPN affair. That game promises to be hard hitting. They go to Hawaii, they go to Tulsa, they go to Louisiana Tech. This has been a top-tier program for some time. Those are some tough tests away from the blue turf. But BSU always seems to respond.
Regardless, the Broncos will be strong. Look out for Moore. He's going to have a monster season as he enters Year 2 in the offense.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Money games; Polo Gutierrez
With the Aggies getting $925,000 for going to the University of Georgia, we take a look at money games.
I, for one, don't have a problem with it. I am not talking about the fact that a school can throw around hundreds of thousands of dollars during a time when many people are struggling to make ends meet. I do have a problem with that. I'm talking about NMSU playing in them. I don't have a problem with that.
First off, I think it's good for the Aggies to play the big schools because it puts them on the map. Some would say that it puts them out there, but not in a good way. They could lose by a ton. But they could be competitive as well. When they went to Auburn a few years ago, the team battled in the first half. The second half, things turned ugly. But there were factors surrounding that defeat.
I also like seeing how NMSU does against the nation's elite. Going to an SEC school, maybe the Aggies can battle. That says a lot about a team. Even if they're competitive, you know they're going to get some national attention. And at a school like NMSU, that's nothing to take for granted. Again, it's a two-way street. If they get pummeled, they will get attention also, just not the way one would hope.
It's also good, in my opinion, to have a variety of competition on your schedule. Just take a look at how things are shaping up for the Aggies. Go to San Diego State. That seems about even. Prairie View A&M. Favor the Aggies. New Mexico and UTEP. Just about a wash if you ask me, particularly with the new coaching situations at UNM and NMSU. And then at Ohio State. You get a little bit of everything. And I like a mix in that respect.
Overall, I don't have a problem with the money game. As long as it's a close one. That sure makes it a lot better to watch.
...
Congrats to Polo Gutierrez getting a tryout with the Buffalo Bills. It's tough not getting a change when you think you deserve at least a look. And Polo is now getting that look.
He's athletic for a lineman and might be able to stick. Polo's pretty versatile and Buffalo likes blue-collar, under-the-radar types. This is the change he's been waiting for.
I, for one, don't have a problem with it. I am not talking about the fact that a school can throw around hundreds of thousands of dollars during a time when many people are struggling to make ends meet. I do have a problem with that. I'm talking about NMSU playing in them. I don't have a problem with that.
First off, I think it's good for the Aggies to play the big schools because it puts them on the map. Some would say that it puts them out there, but not in a good way. They could lose by a ton. But they could be competitive as well. When they went to Auburn a few years ago, the team battled in the first half. The second half, things turned ugly. But there were factors surrounding that defeat.
I also like seeing how NMSU does against the nation's elite. Going to an SEC school, maybe the Aggies can battle. That says a lot about a team. Even if they're competitive, you know they're going to get some national attention. And at a school like NMSU, that's nothing to take for granted. Again, it's a two-way street. If they get pummeled, they will get attention also, just not the way one would hope.
It's also good, in my opinion, to have a variety of competition on your schedule. Just take a look at how things are shaping up for the Aggies. Go to San Diego State. That seems about even. Prairie View A&M. Favor the Aggies. New Mexico and UTEP. Just about a wash if you ask me, particularly with the new coaching situations at UNM and NMSU. And then at Ohio State. You get a little bit of everything. And I like a mix in that respect.
Overall, I don't have a problem with the money game. As long as it's a close one. That sure makes it a lot better to watch.
...
Congrats to Polo Gutierrez getting a tryout with the Buffalo Bills. It's tough not getting a change when you think you deserve at least a look. And Polo is now getting that look.
He's athletic for a lineman and might be able to stick. Polo's pretty versatile and Buffalo likes blue-collar, under-the-radar types. This is the change he's been waiting for.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Robb Williamson
Pierce College defensive end Robb Williamson is coming to NMSU in the summer of 2010.
Williamson said that DeWayne Walker was a huge reason he selected NMSU. He was a sought-after player by a handful of colleges, but the Aggies were willing to be patient with him and wait until next summer to see him on campus.
I have heard that the Los Angeles area is very high on Walker and that NMSU is a topic of conversation. How big of a topic, I'm really not sure, but there is some chatter. And I like the way he is building the team. Williamson is a front-seven player and it seems like Walker is a big believer in establishing good play up front.
Williamson, who stands at 6-foot-3, 260 pounds, had 12 sacks last season, 40 tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Williamson said that DeWayne Walker was a huge reason he selected NMSU. He was a sought-after player by a handful of colleges, but the Aggies were willing to be patient with him and wait until next summer to see him on campus.
I have heard that the Los Angeles area is very high on Walker and that NMSU is a topic of conversation. How big of a topic, I'm really not sure, but there is some chatter. And I like the way he is building the team. Williamson is a front-seven player and it seems like Walker is a big believer in establishing good play up front.
Williamson, who stands at 6-foot-3, 260 pounds, had 12 sacks last season, 40 tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
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