A few highlights, but well worth reading the whole thing...
• Among the players who caught my eye: Wideout Seth Collins, running back Tim Cook, defensive tackle Elu Aydon and linebacker Joan Robinette.
I didn't chime in much after the Bend practice (too busy being in vacation mode) but FWIW I will say Cook caught my eye and that of my buddy that attended practice with me there - not only as a guy that's been well documented as a physical specimen, but seemed completely engaged and working his butt off at all times. We can go "thunder and lightning" mixing guys like Nall and for a contrast Lucas or Pierce, but with Nall and Cook, it reminds me a little of 2000 with SImonton and McCall who were similar backs in terms of size and style (as Nall and Cook are) and if Simonton needed a breather, you had another guy in McCall to bring in that could fill the same role, run the same plays, etc without a huge drop-off - that sort of duplication could pay off big.
[after a discussion on Harlow looking doubtful for this season] That leaves a starting O-line of 6-7, 295-pound redshirt freshman Blake Brandel and 6-6, 305-pound senior Dustin Stanton at tackle, 6-4, 305-pound junior Fred Lauina and 6-6, 235-pound senior Gavin Andrews at guard and 6-3, 305-pound sophomore Yanni Demongerontas at center.
• Andersen expects that seven or eight true freshmen will play this season. Pierce and receiver Trevor Bradford are two. Many of the others are competing for time at outside linebacker behind starters Bright Ugwoegbu and Titus Failauga, including Robinett, Shemar Smith, Andrez Hughes-Murray, Hamilcar Rashad and Kee Whetzel. All of the linebackers are candidates to play on special teams.
Two of the plums of the 2016 recruiting class, cornerback Christian Wallace from Sealy, Texas, and linebacker Isaac Garcia from Bellevue, Washington, have yet to join the program and are not in Corvallis. They are still trying to gain academic eligibility through the NCAA Clearinghouse. Andersen is still hopeful both will soon join the program, though it is likely they will redshirt this season.
[Article Link]
• Among the players who caught my eye: Wideout Seth Collins, running back Tim Cook, defensive tackle Elu Aydon and linebacker Joan Robinette.
I didn't chime in much after the Bend practice (too busy being in vacation mode) but FWIW I will say Cook caught my eye and that of my buddy that attended practice with me there - not only as a guy that's been well documented as a physical specimen, but seemed completely engaged and working his butt off at all times. We can go "thunder and lightning" mixing guys like Nall and for a contrast Lucas or Pierce, but with Nall and Cook, it reminds me a little of 2000 with SImonton and McCall who were similar backs in terms of size and style (as Nall and Cook are) and if Simonton needed a breather, you had another guy in McCall to bring in that could fill the same role, run the same plays, etc without a huge drop-off - that sort of duplication could pay off big.
[after a discussion on Harlow looking doubtful for this season] That leaves a starting O-line of 6-7, 295-pound redshirt freshman Blake Brandel and 6-6, 305-pound senior Dustin Stanton at tackle, 6-4, 305-pound junior Fred Lauina and 6-6, 235-pound senior Gavin Andrews at guard and 6-3, 305-pound sophomore Yanni Demongerontas at center.
• Andersen expects that seven or eight true freshmen will play this season. Pierce and receiver Trevor Bradford are two. Many of the others are competing for time at outside linebacker behind starters Bright Ugwoegbu and Titus Failauga, including Robinett, Shemar Smith, Andrez Hughes-Murray, Hamilcar Rashad and Kee Whetzel. All of the linebackers are candidates to play on special teams.
Two of the plums of the 2016 recruiting class, cornerback Christian Wallace from Sealy, Texas, and linebacker Isaac Garcia from Bellevue, Washington, have yet to join the program and are not in Corvallis. They are still trying to gain academic eligibility through the NCAA Clearinghouse. Andersen is still hopeful both will soon join the program, though it is likely they will redshirt this season.
[Article Link]
