bb-
03-25-2007, 01:40 AM
From Rivals:
Quarterback: Returning starter Stephen McGee has looked like the player that willed the Aggies to several victories in the 2006 season. However, all eyes have been on two freshmen at the position. Redshirt freshman Jerrod Johnson has wowed everybody with his arm strength. At times, the receivers have seemed surprised at the velocity on the ball. While he, like all young quarterbacks, has struggled at times making reads, he is certainly showing why he has become one of the most talked about players on the message boards.
True freshman Ryan Tannehill, a midterm enrollee, has also been a very pleasant surprise. He looks like a prototypical quarterback, standing at 6-foot-5 and has shown nice touch on the ball. Like Johnson, Tannehill has struggled with reading the defenses and sometimes has a tendency to tuck the ball a bit early. However, that is something that can only be improved with experience and repetitions, and the coaches are making sure he receives plenty of those.
Running Back: Sophomore Mike Goodson has shown that the flashes of brilliance that he showed last fall were no fluke. He is an explosive threat unlike any back that A&M has seen in years. He has shown great field vision in finding the holes quickly and showing a quick burst once he hits them. He has also impressed with his hands as a receiver.
The other back that has turned many heads is Cornell Tarrant, a redshirt freshman from Dallas. Tarrant was thought to be purely a speed back but is perhaps the most physically impressive ball carrier, coming in right at 200 pounds. He had his best day by far on Saturday as he took two different carries for 25 yard touchdowns. He had the whole offense excited and many expect big things from him in the future.
Wide Receiver/Tight End: At tight end, Martellus Bennett looks to be in midseason form. He is making the most of his early start to spring practice after deciding to give up basketball. He has shown good hands and looked solid as a blocker as well. However, in the "Aggie Drill" on Saturday, Bennett and linebacker Misi Tupe had a classic battle with Tupe gaining the upper hand on the much bigger Bennett. Perhaps the most classic moment Saturday came as the 6-foot-7, 253 pound Bennett caught a pass from McGee and was promptly drilled by safety Jordan Pugh. While any other player would have buckled under the near textbook hit, Pugh simply bounced off of Bennett.
At wide receiver, Pierre Brown looks ready to step in as the go-to receiver after the loss of Chad Schroeder to graduation. While other receivers such as E.J. Shankle, Jamie McCoy, and Howard Morrow had good weeks, Brown was perhaps the most impressive. However, the catch of the day Saturday probably belonged to Terrence McCoy. After running a fade route to the corner of the endzone, McCoy perfectly timed his jump to haul in a 30 yard touchdown pass from Johnson.
Offensive Line: The big men in the trenches haven't been able to fully show off yet as there have only been two days of practice with pads. However, a few players have still stood out. Travis Schneider looks like the prototypical tackle, standing at an imposing 6-foot-7. His frame still leaves room to fill out despite the fact that he is already up to 297 pounds. He is showing why the coaches took a flier on him when he was a virtually unknown recruit out of Bellville High School.
On Saturday, junior Yemi Babalola was the vocal leader of the offensive line. He showed flashes of what made him a freshman All-American two seasons ago. Babalola has exhibited enough athleticism to play either guard or tackle, depending on where the coaching staff sees the biggest need.
Defensive Line: Just like their offensive counterparts, the defensive linemen have not had as much time to showcase all of their abilities so far. One standout on Saturday was end Paul Freeney. Freeney missed the entire 2006 season so it is refreshing for A&M fans to even see him on the field. He excelled at rushing the passer all day and really gave the opposing tackles fits.
Another end that has also yet to see the field at A&M has looked very impressive through the first four days. Redshirt freshman Cody Williams has put on quite a bit of muscle mass since he arrived from Longview High School. At 6-foot-4 and 253 pounds, Williams looks like he could add even more weight without losing any of his quickness.
Linebacker: Tupe is literally a man amongst boys out on the field, being the next to oldest player on the team (behind fellow linebacker Mark Dodge). Tupe continually makes big hits and is a leader on the defensive side of the ball.
Sophomore Matt Featherston looks to be readying himself to make a major impact on the field in 2007. He looks like the most prototypical linebacker on the team and he has shown maturity in making reads. He has also managed to make a few big time hits the past two practices.
Defensive Back: Jordan Pugh is proving that he can make plays no matter where he plays. After spending his freshman season at cornerback, the sophomore already looks very comfortable at the WHIP position. Pugh has a natural eye for the ball and has also added some very good weight to be more effective at stopping the run. He has the chance to be one of the best defensive backs at A&M in quite a few years.
Alton Dixon is another member of the secondary that has continually impressed. He owns the hit of the week after knocking 270 pound running back Jorvorskie Lane backwards after a Lane caught a swing pass on Thursday. Dixon has more than held his own against a very fast group of Aggie receivers.
Quarterback: Returning starter Stephen McGee has looked like the player that willed the Aggies to several victories in the 2006 season. However, all eyes have been on two freshmen at the position. Redshirt freshman Jerrod Johnson has wowed everybody with his arm strength. At times, the receivers have seemed surprised at the velocity on the ball. While he, like all young quarterbacks, has struggled at times making reads, he is certainly showing why he has become one of the most talked about players on the message boards.
True freshman Ryan Tannehill, a midterm enrollee, has also been a very pleasant surprise. He looks like a prototypical quarterback, standing at 6-foot-5 and has shown nice touch on the ball. Like Johnson, Tannehill has struggled with reading the defenses and sometimes has a tendency to tuck the ball a bit early. However, that is something that can only be improved with experience and repetitions, and the coaches are making sure he receives plenty of those.
Running Back: Sophomore Mike Goodson has shown that the flashes of brilliance that he showed last fall were no fluke. He is an explosive threat unlike any back that A&M has seen in years. He has shown great field vision in finding the holes quickly and showing a quick burst once he hits them. He has also impressed with his hands as a receiver.
The other back that has turned many heads is Cornell Tarrant, a redshirt freshman from Dallas. Tarrant was thought to be purely a speed back but is perhaps the most physically impressive ball carrier, coming in right at 200 pounds. He had his best day by far on Saturday as he took two different carries for 25 yard touchdowns. He had the whole offense excited and many expect big things from him in the future.
Wide Receiver/Tight End: At tight end, Martellus Bennett looks to be in midseason form. He is making the most of his early start to spring practice after deciding to give up basketball. He has shown good hands and looked solid as a blocker as well. However, in the "Aggie Drill" on Saturday, Bennett and linebacker Misi Tupe had a classic battle with Tupe gaining the upper hand on the much bigger Bennett. Perhaps the most classic moment Saturday came as the 6-foot-7, 253 pound Bennett caught a pass from McGee and was promptly drilled by safety Jordan Pugh. While any other player would have buckled under the near textbook hit, Pugh simply bounced off of Bennett.
At wide receiver, Pierre Brown looks ready to step in as the go-to receiver after the loss of Chad Schroeder to graduation. While other receivers such as E.J. Shankle, Jamie McCoy, and Howard Morrow had good weeks, Brown was perhaps the most impressive. However, the catch of the day Saturday probably belonged to Terrence McCoy. After running a fade route to the corner of the endzone, McCoy perfectly timed his jump to haul in a 30 yard touchdown pass from Johnson.
Offensive Line: The big men in the trenches haven't been able to fully show off yet as there have only been two days of practice with pads. However, a few players have still stood out. Travis Schneider looks like the prototypical tackle, standing at an imposing 6-foot-7. His frame still leaves room to fill out despite the fact that he is already up to 297 pounds. He is showing why the coaches took a flier on him when he was a virtually unknown recruit out of Bellville High School.
On Saturday, junior Yemi Babalola was the vocal leader of the offensive line. He showed flashes of what made him a freshman All-American two seasons ago. Babalola has exhibited enough athleticism to play either guard or tackle, depending on where the coaching staff sees the biggest need.
Defensive Line: Just like their offensive counterparts, the defensive linemen have not had as much time to showcase all of their abilities so far. One standout on Saturday was end Paul Freeney. Freeney missed the entire 2006 season so it is refreshing for A&M fans to even see him on the field. He excelled at rushing the passer all day and really gave the opposing tackles fits.
Another end that has also yet to see the field at A&M has looked very impressive through the first four days. Redshirt freshman Cody Williams has put on quite a bit of muscle mass since he arrived from Longview High School. At 6-foot-4 and 253 pounds, Williams looks like he could add even more weight without losing any of his quickness.
Linebacker: Tupe is literally a man amongst boys out on the field, being the next to oldest player on the team (behind fellow linebacker Mark Dodge). Tupe continually makes big hits and is a leader on the defensive side of the ball.
Sophomore Matt Featherston looks to be readying himself to make a major impact on the field in 2007. He looks like the most prototypical linebacker on the team and he has shown maturity in making reads. He has also managed to make a few big time hits the past two practices.
Defensive Back: Jordan Pugh is proving that he can make plays no matter where he plays. After spending his freshman season at cornerback, the sophomore already looks very comfortable at the WHIP position. Pugh has a natural eye for the ball and has also added some very good weight to be more effective at stopping the run. He has the chance to be one of the best defensive backs at A&M in quite a few years.
Alton Dixon is another member of the secondary that has continually impressed. He owns the hit of the week after knocking 270 pound running back Jorvorskie Lane backwards after a Lane caught a swing pass on Thursday. Dixon has more than held his own against a very fast group of Aggie receivers.