Scrimmage #1 is in the books and the Spiders have completed eight practices so far. Position battles are ongoing, a few younger guys are making the most of their reps, and we’ve seen bright spots on both sides of the ball.

1st scrimmage

Pretty solid scrimmage on both sides of the ball – the defense had been winning the first week and a half of camp but a good showing by the offense. Play calling was by no means boring, as we saw our mix of screens but also plenty of shots down the field. Defense staying with the base 4-3 for now, curious if we start seeing a little more nickel/4-2-5 as we approach the halfway point.

Aidan Murray and Aaron Banks did not participate – looked purely precautionary but if you didn’t see those guys out there, that’s why. Savon played some and I would say he’s very much on track to be full go come September. We did get to see a few drives from the freshman squad – a few guys have really looked good early on so although we won’t see much of them starting soon it’s nice to know we’ve got some solid pieces in this class.

Thoughts

Isaiah Wilson – #17 is really starting to establish himself. Great route runner and has made some phenomenal catches. Still waiting to see how they split the snaps between these receivers but Wilson is making it difficult to take him off the field.

Jerry Garcia Jr. – I mentioned him in the first update but have to bring up #4 again. Continues to create big plays and will be used in both the passing and running game. Veney will still get a lot of snaps in the slot but the way they use these two through various motions and different elements of the passing game will be fun to watch.

Kicking game – Lopez and McManus both kicked and have done well so far, so while it’s difficult to assess where that battle is at I can confidently say they’re both in it. McManus will likely handle kickoffs.

Offensive creativity – Coach October and Ross have implemented a variety of formations and packages, and early on we’re seeing more pre-snap motion than last year. They’re definitely going to try and create advantages any way they can, and so far they’ve done a nice job getting playmakers in space or in 1-on-1 situations downfield. If this team can establish the run the way they’re supposed to it makes this passing attack exponentially harder to cover.

Wickersham is going to run – Huesman said he wants to run Kyle roughly 8-10 times per game but I’ll go on record as predicting that number will be higher. He’s looked smooth running the draw up the middle and when he gets to the edge he won’t be easy to bring down. Once we start facing someone other than ourselves I’d guess his running numbers only go up.

Linebacker depth – It’s hard to talk about anyone but Tristan Wheeler but this room is deep. Zach Chambers continues to progress in the Mike linebacker role, while Quantraill Morris-Walker has been playing the Will linebacker spot exclusively. He’s got great size and range so feels like he’ll fit in well there. Right now the second string group is Wayne Galloway, Zach Chambers, and QMW and if you rolled those guys out with the 1s you’re still going to win a lot of games. The way this linebacker room has developed, along with the defense as a whole, shows just how good of a job Justin Wood is doing (defensive coordinator/linebackers coach).

Donovan Hoilette – Quickly becoming one of my favorite defenders and he continues to fly around the field each practice. Fans will remember #34 for his reserve role last year, stepping in when Phil O’Connor was hurt at LB and stepping in as a pass rusher on 3rd downs. Despite being the starting middle linebacker this season I don’t think we’ve seen the last of Hoilette pass rushing. Crazy athlete no matter what role he’s in.

Parker Mitchell – I was harsh on the O-line during the spring about not having a backup center but Mitchell clearly put some work in this summer. He’s stepped into that #2 center role and while he has been working at a few other positions it seems he’s set to take over the starting spot next year. I thought we might see transfer Scott Hummel work some at C but Mitchell has done a nice job. Cade Salyers likely would slide over if we needed someone to step in during an actual game, so no matter how they play it those are both viable options.

Offensive Line – Thought the D-line won the matchups early in camp but things are starting to even out. It’s two incredibly strong units facing each other each day, which is a great thing overall for both sides. There’s been a fair amount of shuffling between the positions, and while that’s understandable with such a large group this season I’m hoping we lock that down by scrimmage #2. Ryan Coll continues to get reps at LG and RT but I do think he ultimately stays at right tackle.

Secondary battles – The level of competition is really refreshing. We’re no longer looking for guys who are good enough to start, instead we’re sorting out all the available options. A nice change from some previous fall camps. Angelo Rankin Jr. & Stefan Black II at boundary corner, Trae Tomlinson & D’Angelo Stocker at field corner, and Bryson Parker & Mikey Jarmolowich at strong safety. Great competition on a daily basis and fun to watch them against this younger but developing receiving corps. Really hoping I can see some other packages soon and how the staff manages all the possible combinations.

Next Post

Position Overviews are coming this week – here’s the intended schedule over the next few:

• 8/15 – Defensive Line
• 8/16 – Offensive Line
• 8/17 – Specialists
• 8/18 – Quarterbacks
• 8/21 – 3rd fall camp update (scrimmage #2 is on 8/19)
• 8/22 – Running backs
• 8/23 – Linebackers
• 8/24 – Wide receivers
• 8/25 – Safeties
• 8/28 – Tight ends
• 8/29 – Cornerbacks
• 9/1 – Morgan St. preview