Tulane began preparing for Wake Forest today, so the tenor of practice changed. The Wave is getting healthier, too. Noah Fisher practiced from the beginning to the end at left offensive tackle. Corey Dauphine practiced. Charles Jones and Cam Sample were in uniform. I hear Sample did some work before I got there, although he remained on the sideline for the final hour. Jorrien Vallien was back, too.
The one position that was light today was defensive tackle, where 5-foot-9, 280-pound Country Day product Avery Jenkins got reps with the second team. He's a redshirt freshman who will not play, but I did not spot Alfred Thomas or Jamiran James, while Robert Kennedy moved to defensive end (a position he played in the spring) on a first-team line that included De'Andre Williams and Jeffery Johnson inside and Patrick Johnson at OLB.
Others who did not practice in the last hour were Terren Encalade, who was not in pads, and Darius Bradwell, who was in full uniform. I've heard nothing to indicate either one of them is significantly hurt.
The coaches still have not set up traditional scout teams yet, with the defense practice against itself to simulate some of Wake Forest's stuff before the 11-on-11 at the end had first-team guys going against second-teams guys in prep work for Wake Forest.
I've covered six head coaches extensively--Steve Spurrier, Ron Zook, Urban Meyer, Bob Toledo, Curtis Johnson and Fritz--and Fritz goes to the traditional scout-team stuff (offensive players who will not play in games simulating Wake's offense against the defense and defensive players who will not play in games providing the offense a simulation of Wake's defense) later than any of them. All coaches are different, and that's one unique feature about him.
Fritz certainly prepares for a lot of different situations, though. Today he had different up backs on the kickoff return team field balls in case of a pooch kick and had everyone know their blocking assignments on returns if the ball went to difference places. That's attention to detail.
Wide receiver Brian Newman had a tough day, dropping two passes in a row he should have caught. He then made a sweet diving catch out of bounds, but Tulane will be counting on him to play a role this year. He gets open quite a bit and has to take advantage of those opportunities.
When I got there, I watched three consecutive incomplete passes from Jonathan Banks, with a throw glancing off Newman's hands (not counting that one as a drop), a throw slightly behind running back Cameron Carroll that he could not hold on to, an overthrow out of bounds for Kendall Ardoin deep.
Dane Ledford went in and threw a jump ball to the sideline that Newman pulled down with Donnie Lewis in coverage. That right there has been Lewis' bugaboo since he started playing--failing to make a play on the ball in the air.
SECONDARY ANALYSIS
With the practice emphasis changing, I will focus on one area each day this week and give some analysis. Today it is the secondary, which I believe can make or break the season for the Wave. I've really liked what I've seen since the beginning of camp, but there is no way to know for sure what we will see when the season starts.
Unlike last year, when Parry Nickerson was a surefire star before the season began, all eight guys who will get time at cornerback and safety have question marks to go along with their strengths. On the back end, Rod Teamer is playing a new spot (free safety) after an injury-affected junior season when he struggled in coverage because he was not 100-percent healthy. P.J. Hall has been outstanding in practice at strong safety. but he did not set the world on fire in his limited action his first two years.
The backups have plenty of experience, but Taris Shenall, though versatile, has been average in game action through his junior year. Chase Kuerschen was boom or bust as a true freshman, showing excellent instincts to make 60 tackles but also getting beaten often enough that the coaches tried to move him to linebacker this spring before deciding he was better at safety.
At cornerback, Thakarius Keyes has looked good almost every day, but he is an unproven junior. Lewis, who has a ton of ability, has given up some plays in preseason camp and still has to prove he can be a consistent big-time cover guy. Second-teamer Jaylon Monroe has looked good--I would have bet on him starting after the first week of camp--but has very little experience. And the other second-teamer, Willie Langham, continues to make plays each day, but he has never played in a college game.
Those eight guys could be terrific--in a case of too much verbal confidence, both Teamer and Keyes predicted Tulane could have the best secondary in American today--or they could struggle in new roles. I believe they will be good, but that assumes they will carry their performance on the practice field to games and that Lewis will live up to his potential.
Then there is the nickel spot. With the depth at defensive back, one of these guys could end up starting there because it's impossible to predict how Larry Bryant, Tirise Barge or Will Harper will perform. If the coaches want a fifth cover guy on the field, it only makes sense to use one of the corners or safeties because they are the best cover guys on the team. If they want a bigger guy who can rush the quarterback, Bryant makes sense, and Barge, though smaller, was a good blitzer in the spring. As I've said several times, I have no idea what the coaches will do at nickel. They have a lot of different options.
NOTES
--I did not see Jason Swann practicing with the offensive line, so he's either hurt or not around. I will have an answer by tomorrow.
--That third receiver spot remains a question mark. Jaetavian Toles had a nice gain on an inside route today and has looked pretty good, though not great, for most of camp. Newman seems to get open the most of these guys, but his hands were a concern today. Chris Joyce had a catch but has only been at the position for four practices. I have not seen much out of Jacob Robertson in camp even when he practiced, but Fritz said he was not totally healthy on Saturday. Clewis is back but not totally healthy either, wearing a red jersey.
--Tulane will practice again tomorrow at Yulman Stadum, spend the next two days at the Saints facility, get Friday off and then have a pair of afternoon practicing on the weekend that I assume will be the equivalent of the first two game-week practices for a Saturday game.
--Backup defensive back Sean Harper and backup wide receiver D.J. Owens still are not practicing with injuries.
The one position that was light today was defensive tackle, where 5-foot-9, 280-pound Country Day product Avery Jenkins got reps with the second team. He's a redshirt freshman who will not play, but I did not spot Alfred Thomas or Jamiran James, while Robert Kennedy moved to defensive end (a position he played in the spring) on a first-team line that included De'Andre Williams and Jeffery Johnson inside and Patrick Johnson at OLB.
Others who did not practice in the last hour were Terren Encalade, who was not in pads, and Darius Bradwell, who was in full uniform. I've heard nothing to indicate either one of them is significantly hurt.
The coaches still have not set up traditional scout teams yet, with the defense practice against itself to simulate some of Wake Forest's stuff before the 11-on-11 at the end had first-team guys going against second-teams guys in prep work for Wake Forest.
I've covered six head coaches extensively--Steve Spurrier, Ron Zook, Urban Meyer, Bob Toledo, Curtis Johnson and Fritz--and Fritz goes to the traditional scout-team stuff (offensive players who will not play in games simulating Wake's offense against the defense and defensive players who will not play in games providing the offense a simulation of Wake's defense) later than any of them. All coaches are different, and that's one unique feature about him.
Fritz certainly prepares for a lot of different situations, though. Today he had different up backs on the kickoff return team field balls in case of a pooch kick and had everyone know their blocking assignments on returns if the ball went to difference places. That's attention to detail.
Wide receiver Brian Newman had a tough day, dropping two passes in a row he should have caught. He then made a sweet diving catch out of bounds, but Tulane will be counting on him to play a role this year. He gets open quite a bit and has to take advantage of those opportunities.
When I got there, I watched three consecutive incomplete passes from Jonathan Banks, with a throw glancing off Newman's hands (not counting that one as a drop), a throw slightly behind running back Cameron Carroll that he could not hold on to, an overthrow out of bounds for Kendall Ardoin deep.
Dane Ledford went in and threw a jump ball to the sideline that Newman pulled down with Donnie Lewis in coverage. That right there has been Lewis' bugaboo since he started playing--failing to make a play on the ball in the air.
SECONDARY ANALYSIS
With the practice emphasis changing, I will focus on one area each day this week and give some analysis. Today it is the secondary, which I believe can make or break the season for the Wave. I've really liked what I've seen since the beginning of camp, but there is no way to know for sure what we will see when the season starts.
Unlike last year, when Parry Nickerson was a surefire star before the season began, all eight guys who will get time at cornerback and safety have question marks to go along with their strengths. On the back end, Rod Teamer is playing a new spot (free safety) after an injury-affected junior season when he struggled in coverage because he was not 100-percent healthy. P.J. Hall has been outstanding in practice at strong safety. but he did not set the world on fire in his limited action his first two years.
The backups have plenty of experience, but Taris Shenall, though versatile, has been average in game action through his junior year. Chase Kuerschen was boom or bust as a true freshman, showing excellent instincts to make 60 tackles but also getting beaten often enough that the coaches tried to move him to linebacker this spring before deciding he was better at safety.
At cornerback, Thakarius Keyes has looked good almost every day, but he is an unproven junior. Lewis, who has a ton of ability, has given up some plays in preseason camp and still has to prove he can be a consistent big-time cover guy. Second-teamer Jaylon Monroe has looked good--I would have bet on him starting after the first week of camp--but has very little experience. And the other second-teamer, Willie Langham, continues to make plays each day, but he has never played in a college game.
Those eight guys could be terrific--in a case of too much verbal confidence, both Teamer and Keyes predicted Tulane could have the best secondary in American today--or they could struggle in new roles. I believe they will be good, but that assumes they will carry their performance on the practice field to games and that Lewis will live up to his potential.
Then there is the nickel spot. With the depth at defensive back, one of these guys could end up starting there because it's impossible to predict how Larry Bryant, Tirise Barge or Will Harper will perform. If the coaches want a fifth cover guy on the field, it only makes sense to use one of the corners or safeties because they are the best cover guys on the team. If they want a bigger guy who can rush the quarterback, Bryant makes sense, and Barge, though smaller, was a good blitzer in the spring. As I've said several times, I have no idea what the coaches will do at nickel. They have a lot of different options.
NOTES
--I did not see Jason Swann practicing with the offensive line, so he's either hurt or not around. I will have an answer by tomorrow.
--That third receiver spot remains a question mark. Jaetavian Toles had a nice gain on an inside route today and has looked pretty good, though not great, for most of camp. Newman seems to get open the most of these guys, but his hands were a concern today. Chris Joyce had a catch but has only been at the position for four practices. I have not seen much out of Jacob Robertson in camp even when he practiced, but Fritz said he was not totally healthy on Saturday. Clewis is back but not totally healthy either, wearing a red jersey.
--Tulane will practice again tomorrow at Yulman Stadum, spend the next two days at the Saints facility, get Friday off and then have a pair of afternoon practicing on the weekend that I assume will be the equivalent of the first two game-week practices for a Saturday game.
--Backup defensive back Sean Harper and backup wide receiver D.J. Owens still are not practicing with injuries.
