I really apologize for the lack of content in regards to Navy football as of late. I know its been some time since I posted something of particular relevance, but there really hasn't been much to post recently. I will be making the yearly expedition down to the Magazine store on US 40 sometime this week to scout out some of the preseason publications, although the recently much-maligned Phil Steele guide probably won't be in stores until the first full week of June (It's been my experience that they come out a few days early.) Whatever the case may be, I'll buy whatever looks good, and have a full report of all the major publications. Until then we're all just going to have to sit tight, but keep in mind we're now under 100 days until the season opener at Temple.
On another note, congratulations and Godspeed to the United States Naval Academy Class of 2007. Not only has the class of 2007 returned the Naval Academy's football program to the forefront of Service Academy football, but the entire class of 2007 has distinguished itself and made citizens like myself incredibly grateful for their commitment to serving our great country.
Showing posts with label spring is in the air. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spring is in the air. Show all posts
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Spring Game Report
The sun was shining on Saturday afternoon in Annapolis, Maryland, as Navy’s Blue team bested the Gold team in the intrasquad matchup at Navy-Marine Crops Memorial Stadium in front of, well, I’d say a few hundred folks, give or take. And while the game was more of a reward for the hard work of the past month or so, for what it’s worth I took some notes, and have recorded my impressions below.
I guess I’ll begin with the quarterbacks, since that’s where these reports usually start out. Both Kaipo-Noa and Troy Goss sat out, which made for an interesting matchup between Jarod Bryant on the Blue team and Greg Zingler on the Gold team. Both however, were marked with a degree of inconsistency, although one would think Zingler was much more inconsistent than Bryant. Jarod made some good throws, including the game’s only touchdown, going 9-15 for 135 yards on the day. As noted before, Bryant has really improved in the running the option, although he did make a few mistakes in the scrimmage, including a fumbled exchange and a couple of poor pitches. With all the talk about his arm strength, I think we as fans underestimate his athletic ability, and a performance like the one he had today reminds us that when it comes to eluding tacklers, Jarod is second to none on this team. He shows good quickness at hitting the hole, and really impressed me with his ball fakes and head fakes. His reads were shaky at times, and I thought he could have gone to the fullback more when the defense walked people up from the ends. While he’ll get another chance to challenge Kaipo during fall practice, he’s a solid number two quarterback for the time being. Zingler was, well, up and down. I thought when he threw the ball well his receivers failed to make plays, and when he threw the ball poorly bad things happened (five picks, although one was clearly not his fault.) He did not get a ton of help from the Gold team offensive line, but than again he held onto the football way too long at times and was unable to avoid sacks.
The fullbacks, as you can expect, played well as usual, although Adam Ballard left the game in the second quarter with a limp. Eric Kettani continued to impress, bouncing off tackles and picking his way through the Blue defense for. Kevin Campbell also did well, rushing for. 35 yards on 1 carries.
At the risk of making a statement much too broad, Reggie Campbell really seems like he’s on another planet in terms of pure, unadulterated athletic ability. Maybe it’s the fact that he out-jumped Jeff Deliz (who happens to be five inches taller than Reggie) on a pass downfield, or maybe it’s the fact that he simply eludes tackles at will, but the guy is special. He did not see a ton of time in the game, but, as always, he was electric whenever he touched the ball. Zerb Singleton played well in limited time as well, and Jon Forbes showed some good moves.
I was very much impressed with Greg Sudderth, who looks much more comfortable as a receiver than he did at defensive back. Sudderth showed us all why he was so highly touted out of High School during the Blue-Gold game, getting separation downfield and picking up tough yards after the catch. I think he’s going to solidify his spot as the team’s third receiver, and could even push an often injured Tyree Barnes for playing time in the fall. He certainly has the big-play potential in the receiving department, and is showing himself to be a decent downfield blocker.
Speaking of wide receivers, how about O.J. Washington? He nearly makes a great catch on the first play of the day, and avoided the obvious drops that plagued many of the backup wideouts. We all know he’s excellent blocker, but the strides he’s made in the receiving facet of his game have really come alive. He is clearly the number one guy at receiver, and is probably one of the only “sure things” on the offensive depth chart.
As mentioned before, the other wideouts played somewhat inconsistently. Nick Henderson did show the ability to create separation, but also fell down on a route which led to a pick. The blocking by the receivers could also improve as well/
Both teams showed a couple of different looks in the defensive backfield, and despite having a fairly quiet day, FS Jeff Deliz has probably earned the starting job with a solid overall spring. 5-7 Darius Terry showed some ability at corner with an interception, as did rising senior Jordan Reagan. I’m really high on Reagan, who is also one of the fastest players on the team. He’s a smart player with good athleticism who also shows the ability to come off the edge on blitzes. He recorded one interception in the game, and has put himself in a position to further challenge for playing time this fall.
One of the most enjoyable aspects of watching the game was the battle that was going on between NT Nate Frazier and C Antron Harper. And when I say battle, I’m not exaggerating. These guys have gone after it all spring, with the 5-11 Harper really taking it to the highly touted 6-3 Frazier. Frazier made some good plays in the backfield as the game progressed, but you could really see him having problems with Harper early, even when the converted center was isolated on him. This is great news for both players, who will instrumental on their respected parts of the line next year.
The play between the “O” and “D” lines was, in my estimation anyway, very back and forth. I guess that’s what you can expect in a game like this, which Johnson has continually said was “just for fun.” Still, the offensive lines on both teams committed several penalties, including some silly false starts that must be corrected.
At linebacker, Clint Sovie continued to distinguish himself, as did Jon Alvarado, who shows a real ability to read plays and come off of blocks. He finished the day with 13 tackles and two sacks. Matt Humiston was also impressive, and has the athletic ability necessary to anchor the outside linebacker position. Jesse Iwuji, Scott Reider, and Arti Pauls all made some eye-opening hits, as did Ross Pospisil, who had eight tackles and two sacks.
Overall, it was a good day to get out and watch a little football, and considering the team avoided any major injuries, a good day in the development of this particular team.
I’ll be back later to share more thoughts on both the Spring Game and Spring Practices in general. Until then you can read the official release of the game from Navysports.com or head over for continued coverage at GoMids.com.
I guess I’ll begin with the quarterbacks, since that’s where these reports usually start out. Both Kaipo-Noa and Troy Goss sat out, which made for an interesting matchup between Jarod Bryant on the Blue team and Greg Zingler on the Gold team. Both however, were marked with a degree of inconsistency, although one would think Zingler was much more inconsistent than Bryant. Jarod made some good throws, including the game’s only touchdown, going 9-15 for 135 yards on the day. As noted before, Bryant has really improved in the running the option, although he did make a few mistakes in the scrimmage, including a fumbled exchange and a couple of poor pitches. With all the talk about his arm strength, I think we as fans underestimate his athletic ability, and a performance like the one he had today reminds us that when it comes to eluding tacklers, Jarod is second to none on this team. He shows good quickness at hitting the hole, and really impressed me with his ball fakes and head fakes. His reads were shaky at times, and I thought he could have gone to the fullback more when the defense walked people up from the ends. While he’ll get another chance to challenge Kaipo during fall practice, he’s a solid number two quarterback for the time being. Zingler was, well, up and down. I thought when he threw the ball well his receivers failed to make plays, and when he threw the ball poorly bad things happened (five picks, although one was clearly not his fault.) He did not get a ton of help from the Gold team offensive line, but than again he held onto the football way too long at times and was unable to avoid sacks.
The fullbacks, as you can expect, played well as usual, although Adam Ballard left the game in the second quarter with a limp. Eric Kettani continued to impress, bouncing off tackles and picking his way through the Blue defense for. Kevin Campbell also did well, rushing for. 35 yards on 1 carries.
At the risk of making a statement much too broad, Reggie Campbell really seems like he’s on another planet in terms of pure, unadulterated athletic ability. Maybe it’s the fact that he out-jumped Jeff Deliz (who happens to be five inches taller than Reggie) on a pass downfield, or maybe it’s the fact that he simply eludes tackles at will, but the guy is special. He did not see a ton of time in the game, but, as always, he was electric whenever he touched the ball. Zerb Singleton played well in limited time as well, and Jon Forbes showed some good moves.
I was very much impressed with Greg Sudderth, who looks much more comfortable as a receiver than he did at defensive back. Sudderth showed us all why he was so highly touted out of High School during the Blue-Gold game, getting separation downfield and picking up tough yards after the catch. I think he’s going to solidify his spot as the team’s third receiver, and could even push an often injured Tyree Barnes for playing time in the fall. He certainly has the big-play potential in the receiving department, and is showing himself to be a decent downfield blocker.
Speaking of wide receivers, how about O.J. Washington? He nearly makes a great catch on the first play of the day, and avoided the obvious drops that plagued many of the backup wideouts. We all know he’s excellent blocker, but the strides he’s made in the receiving facet of his game have really come alive. He is clearly the number one guy at receiver, and is probably one of the only “sure things” on the offensive depth chart.
As mentioned before, the other wideouts played somewhat inconsistently. Nick Henderson did show the ability to create separation, but also fell down on a route which led to a pick. The blocking by the receivers could also improve as well/
Both teams showed a couple of different looks in the defensive backfield, and despite having a fairly quiet day, FS Jeff Deliz has probably earned the starting job with a solid overall spring. 5-7 Darius Terry showed some ability at corner with an interception, as did rising senior Jordan Reagan. I’m really high on Reagan, who is also one of the fastest players on the team. He’s a smart player with good athleticism who also shows the ability to come off the edge on blitzes. He recorded one interception in the game, and has put himself in a position to further challenge for playing time this fall.
One of the most enjoyable aspects of watching the game was the battle that was going on between NT Nate Frazier and C Antron Harper. And when I say battle, I’m not exaggerating. These guys have gone after it all spring, with the 5-11 Harper really taking it to the highly touted 6-3 Frazier. Frazier made some good plays in the backfield as the game progressed, but you could really see him having problems with Harper early, even when the converted center was isolated on him. This is great news for both players, who will instrumental on their respected parts of the line next year.
The play between the “O” and “D” lines was, in my estimation anyway, very back and forth. I guess that’s what you can expect in a game like this, which Johnson has continually said was “just for fun.” Still, the offensive lines on both teams committed several penalties, including some silly false starts that must be corrected.
At linebacker, Clint Sovie continued to distinguish himself, as did Jon Alvarado, who shows a real ability to read plays and come off of blocks. He finished the day with 13 tackles and two sacks. Matt Humiston was also impressive, and has the athletic ability necessary to anchor the outside linebacker position. Jesse Iwuji, Scott Reider, and Arti Pauls all made some eye-opening hits, as did Ross Pospisil, who had eight tackles and two sacks.
Overall, it was a good day to get out and watch a little football, and considering the team avoided any major injuries, a good day in the development of this particular team.
I’ll be back later to share more thoughts on both the Spring Game and Spring Practices in general. Until then you can read the official release of the game from Navysports.com or head over for continued coverage at GoMids.com.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Navy Spring Practice Update: 4/16
Paul Johnson Quote of the Week:
"My job is to try and win games. I will let the marketing department sell the tickets. "
Disturbing Fan House Post of the Week:
Navy's Bowl Invite Another Example of Broken Bowl System
I admire Bill as a blogger and have worked with him in the past before, but I'm really not sure where he's going with this. First off, I can't figure out what he's actually trying to say. It sounds like he's saying Navy's recent agreement with the P-Bowl is just another example of how money has come to dominate college football, and how teams that travel well get priority in Bowl games. Ok, fair enough, what else is new? The thing is he also seems to say Navy doesn't deserve to play in a Bowl game, which is nonsense. Sure, the Mids may take away a "spot" from a lesser BCS conference team, but so do many other non-BCS teams. How many 6-6, Bowl eligible teams missed out on a Bowl last year? One, two? All I can think of is Wyoming, and they can complain to the folks at the New Mexico Bowl, since 6-6 UNM had no business in a Bowl game after getting defeated soundly by Portland St. Furthermore, Bill attempts to make the connection between Navy playing in the P-Bowl and the inability of the NCAA to ever form a playoff. I don't even know how to respond to this, because the subjects seem completely apart.
The Skinny:
Navy held its first spring scrimmage on April 8th, although I was unfortunately not present.
To risk maybe making a few mistakes or omissions based on my absence, I'll nevertheless try my best to run through some of the highlights. The actual report can be found at Navysports.com.
As you can expect, the offense (in particular the first string) continues to have an advantage over the defense, which makes sense when you consider the disparity in experience that exists between the units. The offense scored seven times out of seventeen possessions in total, including two touchdowns by the first team offense in six attempts. Both incumbent Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada and challenger Jarod Bryant led the first team offense to a score, while third string quarterback and former North Carolina "Mr. Football" Troy Goss was unable to direct a scoring drive on two attempts. As the official transcript reports, the second team offense scored three out of five times on the second team defense, while the third team "O," led by Severna Park native Greg Zingler, scored on two of its three possessions against the third team defense.
"My job is to try and win games. I will let the marketing department sell the tickets. "
Disturbing Fan House Post of the Week:
Navy's Bowl Invite Another Example of Broken Bowl System
I admire Bill as a blogger and have worked with him in the past before, but I'm really not sure where he's going with this. First off, I can't figure out what he's actually trying to say. It sounds like he's saying Navy's recent agreement with the P-Bowl is just another example of how money has come to dominate college football, and how teams that travel well get priority in Bowl games. Ok, fair enough, what else is new? The thing is he also seems to say Navy doesn't deserve to play in a Bowl game, which is nonsense. Sure, the Mids may take away a "spot" from a lesser BCS conference team, but so do many other non-BCS teams. How many 6-6, Bowl eligible teams missed out on a Bowl last year? One, two? All I can think of is Wyoming, and they can complain to the folks at the New Mexico Bowl, since 6-6 UNM had no business in a Bowl game after getting defeated soundly by Portland St. Furthermore, Bill attempts to make the connection between Navy playing in the P-Bowl and the inability of the NCAA to ever form a playoff. I don't even know how to respond to this, because the subjects seem completely apart.
The Skinny:
Navy held its first spring scrimmage on April 8th, although I was unfortunately not present.
To risk maybe making a few mistakes or omissions based on my absence, I'll nevertheless try my best to run through some of the highlights. The actual report can be found at Navysports.com.As you can expect, the offense (in particular the first string) continues to have an advantage over the defense, which makes sense when you consider the disparity in experience that exists between the units. The offense scored seven times out of seventeen possessions in total, including two touchdowns by the first team offense in six attempts. Both incumbent Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada and challenger Jarod Bryant led the first team offense to a score, while third string quarterback and former North Carolina "Mr. Football" Troy Goss was unable to direct a scoring drive on two attempts. As the official transcript reports, the second team offense scored three out of five times on the second team defense, while the third team "O," led by Severna Park native Greg Zingler, scored on two of its three possessions against the third team defense.
The second scrimmage of the year, held yesterday morning, was much more balanced, and saw a strong performance by the much-maligned defense. The first team offense scored only twice in eleven tries, as the first team defense forced two turnovers, including two interceptions by rising junior Clint Sovie. Sovie is a player I and many other fans are very high on, as he combines great athletic ability with the hard nosed playing style we've come to expect from Naval Academy linebackers. Nate Frazier is also showing some ability, and while he's struggled against Antron Harper during the scrimmages, he's proven that when he can get his 6-3, 285-lb frame in the backfield he can cause some serious havoc. Jeff Deliz has continued to post solid performances in the secondary, and probably will go into the fall as the starting free safety. Linebacker Jon Alvarado has also played well, and has shown a great nose for the ball thus far.
While the defense played better in Saturday's performance, the offense struggled with a host of turnovers. Quarterback Kaipo-Noa still has a solid hold on the starting job, but shows he still has a lot of room for improvement after throwing two horrible interceptions to Clint Sovie. Jarod Bryant has gotten better on making his option reads and also thrown some good balls, but still displays the inconstancy to make smart plays all the time. While the interception wasn't necessarily his fault, he needs to do a better
job of holding onto the ball, something he struggled with last year and continues to struggle with. I think by this point Troy Goss has probably taken himself out of the race for the starting job, and may very well end up being moved back to wideout to try to get him more time on the field. Severna Park native and fourth string quarterback Greg Zingler has looked impressive in his handling of the third team defense, and has many Navy fans intrigued at his ability to lead this team a couple of years down the road.
job of holding onto the ball, something he struggled with last year and continues to struggle with. I think by this point Troy Goss has probably taken himself out of the race for the starting job, and may very well end up being moved back to wideout to try to get him more time on the field. Severna Park native and fourth string quarterback Greg Zingler has looked impressive in his handling of the third team defense, and has many Navy fans intrigued at his ability to lead this team a couple of years down the road. As expected, Navy's group of slotbacks and fullbacks looks very good early, even though a number of the slotbacks have been sitting out due to injury. Eric Kettani continues to impress with his explosive, aggressive style of running, while a not quite fully healthy Adam Ballard has still shown off his rumbling, hard-nosed style. Rising sophomore Kevin Campbell has looked good as well. As far as the slotbacks are concerned, both Bobby Doyle and Jon Forbes has looked good during their reps, although Reggie Campbell, Shun White, and Zerb Singleton are all but "penciled in" as the starters.
You can read the official transcript of the second scrimmage right here, and don't forget to stop by Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium next Saturday for the annual Blue and Gold game.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Navy Football Spring Practice: The Week that Was 3/31
Quote of the Week:
"They are freaking awful" - Navy HC Paul Johnson, on his entire team, but specifically his defense.
The Skinny:
It's been about what you would expect from the first week of spring practices at the Naval Academy. Paul Johnson has been critical of his entire team as usual (which he should be) while the local papers have been setting the scene for a 2007 season which figures to see an explosive offense but a rather "green" defense. Much of the talk in the papers seems to be about incoming defensive back Corey Johnson, who traded in t
hree years on the hardwood with the Mids for a final chance to play football. Johnson, a 6'2 192-lb defender from Indiana, received several partial scholarships to play football out of High School, and according to Coach Johnson "has a chance" to see playing time in 2007. You can read more about Corey here and here.
Speaking of Coach Johnson, it seems as though he is really high on Antron Harper at center. Careful observers of his media transcripts will note he seems to indicate Antron is the only bright spot on his roster on daily basis. Just take a look at the latest presser, where Johnson indicates the only player he saw doing well was Antron. This could mean one of three things in my estimation. 1) Someone might just as well hand Antron the Remington trophy right now, 2) The defense must really suck, or 3) Coach Johnson spends 98% of practices watching Antron. Take your pick based on your own preference, but I'll take the optimistic route and say we are set at center for 2007.
Overall, Johnson seems to be content with where the first team offense stands. That makes sense considering the Mids are returning basically all their skill players from the Nation's top-ranked rushing team, and are fairly solid up front on the O-Line. However, he does seem very displeased with the defense, which he described as playing "with their pads too high" and playing with "not much intensity." Considering the Mids have to replace their entire defensive line from last year and half their linebacker corps, this is not exactly unexpected. I'll have more on this next week, after I speak with a High school coach I know who went to observe practice this past week.
Hey, is anyone else as excited as I am to watch the fullback position this spring? Incumbent Adam Ballard (792 rush yards last year) returns after a season ending injury late last year, while challenger Eric Kettani seems poised to push for even more playing time. Johnson was very high on Kettani, who he declared a "physical specimen" in his presser last weekend. Kettani, who at 231-lbs runs a sub 4.6/40 and benches 400-lbs, came on strong in limited time last year due to Ballard's injury, showcasing good cutting ability and great hips. Coach Johnson has indicated both of these fullbacks could see playing time in 2007, although I'll go on record of saying I think Ballard is going to have a HUGE year next season, and not just because he enjoyed all the publicity I threw his way last season on the Fan House.
Oh yea, speaking of 40 times. I think we are all learning a valuable lesson in that football players are never as fast as they say they are. Coach Johnson indicated he has three guys who ran sub 4.6/40's, although pointed often to the discrepancy of times based on running conditions and human subjectivity. Apparently, in the "magic gym" we have a plethora of people who runs in the 4.5 range. Those of you who have been following the combine know that even some of the best college football stars run in the 4.6's, including former USC receiver Dwayne Jarrett, who ran a 4.67/40 and still is considering a late first round/low second round pick. I'm not losing any sleep over these kinds of things though. This is a fast team at what it does, and as long as the offense is executing efficiently I could care less if they ran 4.8's.
Kaipo-Noa is still ahead of Jarod Bryant as far as QB is concerned. He did some good things this week according to Johnson, but when you consider the cats of players around him compared to what the first string defense is looking like, this shouldn't come as a huge shock.
Lastly, this blog is still alive, despite being relatively inactive for periods of up to a week. I'm really very sorry, but I happen to be in the middle of an athletic season and its tough for me to update happenings on a nightly basis. So for the remainder of the spring I'll shoot for a mid-week update and a big Saturday recap like I did today. (Photo from NavySports.com)
Newspaper Coverage:
Last Year's Starters Not Safe At Navy (Washington Times)
At Navy, Johnson Issues Call to Action To Young Defense (Baltimore Sun)
Offense Starting Quickley for Mids (Washington Times)
Navy Like to Take Fresh Spring Tack (Annapolis Capital)
"They are freaking awful" - Navy HC Paul Johnson, on his entire team, but specifically his defense.
The Skinny:
It's been about what you would expect from the first week of spring practices at the Naval Academy. Paul Johnson has been critical of his entire team as usual (which he should be) while the local papers have been setting the scene for a 2007 season which figures to see an explosive offense but a rather "green" defense. Much of the talk in the papers seems to be about incoming defensive back Corey Johnson, who traded in t
hree years on the hardwood with the Mids for a final chance to play football. Johnson, a 6'2 192-lb defender from Indiana, received several partial scholarships to play football out of High School, and according to Coach Johnson "has a chance" to see playing time in 2007. You can read more about Corey here and here.Speaking of Coach Johnson, it seems as though he is really high on Antron Harper at center. Careful observers of his media transcripts will note he seems to indicate Antron is the only bright spot on his roster on daily basis. Just take a look at the latest presser, where Johnson indicates the only player he saw doing well was Antron. This could mean one of three things in my estimation. 1) Someone might just as well hand Antron the Remington trophy right now, 2) The defense must really suck, or 3) Coach Johnson spends 98% of practices watching Antron. Take your pick based on your own preference, but I'll take the optimistic route and say we are set at center for 2007.
Overall, Johnson seems to be content with where the first team offense stands. That makes sense considering the Mids are returning basically all their skill players from the Nation's top-ranked rushing team, and are fairly solid up front on the O-Line. However, he does seem very displeased with the defense, which he described as playing "with their pads too high" and playing with "not much intensity." Considering the Mids have to replace their entire defensive line from last year and half their linebacker corps, this is not exactly unexpected. I'll have more on this next week, after I speak with a High school coach I know who went to observe practice this past week.
Hey, is anyone else as excited as I am to watch the fullback position this spring? Incumbent Adam Ballard (792 rush yards last year) returns after a season ending injury late last year, while challenger Eric Kettani seems poised to push for even more playing time. Johnson was very high on Kettani, who he declared a "physical specimen" in his presser last weekend. Kettani, who at 231-lbs runs a sub 4.6/40 and benches 400-lbs, came on strong in limited time last year due to Ballard's injury, showcasing good cutting ability and great hips. Coach Johnson has indicated both of these fullbacks could see playing time in 2007, although I'll go on record of saying I think Ballard is going to have a HUGE year next season, and not just because he enjoyed all the publicity I threw his way last season on the Fan House.
Oh yea, speaking of 40 times. I think we are all learning a valuable lesson in that football players are never as fast as they say they are. Coach Johnson indicated he has three guys who ran sub 4.6/40's, although pointed often to the discrepancy of times based on running conditions and human subjectivity. Apparently, in the "magic gym" we have a plethora of people who runs in the 4.5 range. Those of you who have been following the combine know that even some of the best college football stars run in the 4.6's, including former USC receiver Dwayne Jarrett, who ran a 4.67/40 and still is considering a late first round/low second round pick. I'm not losing any sleep over these kinds of things though. This is a fast team at what it does, and as long as the offense is executing efficiently I could care less if they ran 4.8's.
Kaipo-Noa is still ahead of Jarod Bryant as far as QB is concerned. He did some good things this week according to Johnson, but when you consider the cats of players around him compared to what the first string defense is looking like, this shouldn't come as a huge shock.
Lastly, this blog is still alive, despite being relatively inactive for periods of up to a week. I'm really very sorry, but I happen to be in the middle of an athletic season and its tough for me to update happenings on a nightly basis. So for the remainder of the spring I'll shoot for a mid-week update and a big Saturday recap like I did today. (Photo from NavySports.com)
Newspaper Coverage:
Last Year's Starters Not Safe At Navy (Washington Times)
At Navy, Johnson Issues Call to Action To Young Defense (Baltimore Sun)
Offense Starting Quickley for Mids (Washington Times)
Navy Like to Take Fresh Spring Tack (Annapolis Capital)
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Three Defensive Players to Watch This Spring
DL Nate Frazier : For as valiant of a job that John Chan, Tye Adams, and David Wright did last year in Navy's 3-4 scheme, the reality was that they just didn't fit the mold of the the kind of linemen you need in that kind of defense. While their grit and determination helped give Navy a respectable rush defense, it was apparent against teams like Notre Dame that stopping the run and getting pressure on the quarterback were increasingly difficult. At 6'3, 285 Frazier is, physically at least, a grown man. But he's more then just a really big dude down on the line, as he combines great speed for his side with excellent strength. Consider for a second that while at prep school at Wyoming Seminary Frazier actually played lacrosse. No, that's not a typo, the guy played LAX! If that's not athleticism for his size, I don't know what is. Frazier goes into the spring as the starter at nose guard, and if he can show two-gap potential in practices, this could end up being much better Navy defensive line then people expect.
CB Blake Carter- We've been hearing a lot about Blake Carter ever since the freshmen from Stillwater, Oklahoma impressed the coaching staff last year during fall practices. As a freshmen he cracked the three deep, which is very difficult to do at a Service Academy. This year he'll be asked to step in and compete for a starting job at cornerback after the departure of two year starter Keenan Little, and if the buzz around fan circles in accurate, he should be able to do so. Yet even for all the hype building around the 5-11, 184-lb corner, he's still relatively untested on the field, seeing only mop-up duty and special teams work. He doesn't need to be a lights out, shut-down corner, but he does need to prove he can be a regular player with the potential to improve. He should be pushed by senior Greg Thrasher, who himself needs to prove he's fully returned to form after a year off from football.
OLB Matt Humiston- I was actually going to include OLB Matt Wimsatt here, but since Wimsatt will be sitting out this spring due to injury, I thought it apt to go with the other main contender at OLB. Humistan's a good athlete who played defensive back in High School, and has the versatility you like to see from a Navy outside linebacker. While he isn't likely to make anyone forget about Dave Mahoney (and who can, really?) he should be able to step into the defense and come out of spring as the starter. He will however be challenged by several young and very talented players, including Ian Meredith, Ross Pospisil, and perhaps Bayard Roberts.
Other to Watch: CB Greg Thrasher, OLB Matt Humistan, LB Ross Pospisil, LB Ian Meredith, DL Bayard Roberts, OLB Dell Robinson.
CB Blake Carter- We've been hearing a lot about Blake Carter ever since the freshmen from Stillwater, Oklahoma impressed the coaching staff last year during fall practices. As a freshmen he cracked the three deep, which is very difficult to do at a Service Academy. This year he'll be asked to step in and compete for a starting job at cornerback after the departure of two year starter Keenan Little, and if the buzz around fan circles in accurate, he should be able to do so. Yet even for all the hype building around the 5-11, 184-lb corner, he's still relatively untested on the field, seeing only mop-up duty and special teams work. He doesn't need to be a lights out, shut-down corner, but he does need to prove he can be a regular player with the potential to improve. He should be pushed by senior Greg Thrasher, who himself needs to prove he's fully returned to form after a year off from football.
OLB Matt Humiston- I was actually going to include OLB Matt Wimsatt here, but since Wimsatt will be sitting out this spring due to injury, I thought it apt to go with the other main contender at OLB. Humistan's a good athlete who played defensive back in High School, and has the versatility you like to see from a Navy outside linebacker. While he isn't likely to make anyone forget about Dave Mahoney (and who can, really?) he should be able to step into the defense and come out of spring as the starter. He will however be challenged by several young and very talented players, including Ian Meredith, Ross Pospisil, and perhaps Bayard Roberts.
Other to Watch: CB Greg Thrasher, OLB Matt Humistan, LB Ross Pospisil, LB Ian Meredith, DL Bayard Roberts, OLB Dell Robinson.
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