Tulane conducted a light practice in the Superdome this morning after a hard workout at Yulman Stadium yesterday and will begin norrmal game-week preparation for Southern Miss tomorrow, mirroring the weekly schedule during the year when the first practice is on Monday for a Saturday game.
The Wave is a little thin at wide receiver entering the game. Today, the starters were Jalen McCleskey, Darnell Mooney and Jacob Robertson, with Jaetavian Toles also getting reps and that's about it. With Dane Ledford and Sorrell Brown injured and Jorrien Valien and Kevin LeDee in the transfer portal, little-used freshmen Tyrek Presley and Jhaquan Jackson are the only other scholarship receivers, and I did not see them get reps.
It has to be tough to be a non-freshman scholarship scout-team player, but that was safety Sean Harper's role today. He has not made an impact defensively in three years. The other scholarship defenders on the scout team were freshmen safety William Judson and defensive tackle Eric Hicks, with eight walk-ons filling out the rest of the unit.
The scout-team offensive line was, from left to right, Nik Hogan, Michael Remondet, Trace Oldner, Ben Bratcher and Colby Orgeron. The second-team line from left to right was Timothy Shafter, Stephen Lewerenz, Sincere Haynesworth (getting those extra reps at center, his future position), Ben Knutson and Cameron Jackel.
Tulane never broke from its scout-team work in the last 45 minutes of practice. Offensive coordinator Will Hall loves to shout out specific situations, and when he said "third-and-2 for the win," tight end Keshon Williams jumped early. That was not a good look for Williams. Hall did not shout out," third-and-7 for the win." They simply ran the play again, with Amare Jones turning the corner for a first down. Look for Jones to have a big bowl game. His ankle was not healthy in the second half of the year and his production tailed off. He's healthy now and should get plenty of opportunities. Tyjae Spears cannot play and still be redshirted, so the running back rotation will be Darius Bradwell, Corey Dauphine, Cam Carroll, Stephon Huderson and Jones. Tulane's depth at the position is incredible.
I missed the last two practices because I was in Denver, but I got back last night (the temperature in New Orleans was 75 and it was 20 in Denver when Ieft). I fly to Fort Worth on New Year's night and will have full coverage on the 2nd and 3rd leading up to the game.
Haynesworth was my focus after practice today. He is one of three true freshmen who will not be redshirted, and the other two, linebacker Dorian Williams and wide receiver Jha'Quan Jackson, played small roles. I've always wondered about Haynesworth's first name, and I got the answer today--his mother chose it because she wanted him to live a sincere life. Here are my interviews with him and Willie Fritz:
FRITZ
You've had the luxury of being able to redshirt almost all of your freshmen this year, but Sincere Haynesworth has earned his role as a starter the last four games. What do you like about him?
"He's got great feet and great mass and strength. He's tough and very smart. Not a whole lot of freshmen are ready to go into combat, but he is. He will be a great player here."
Is the plan for him at center or guard?
"Center. After this year he'll probably play more center. Right now him and Christian are rotating at guard and center."
How has he played in those four starts?
"Awesome. He's played well. He's definitely one of our five best, and there are some gameshe's in our top two."
HAYNESWORTH
Almost all the freshmen are redshirting, but you're starting. What is the feeling like for you?
"It's been very exciting. Just being able to play with the older guys and doing my thing. They are doing their thing and helping me out a lot. I feel like I'm levels ahead of where I started."
How quick were you able to pick up stuff?
"I feel like I was able to pick it up fairly quick. Just getting in there watching film and soaking up everything I can was the only way to do it."
The plan is for you to be a starting center. How much of an adjustment for you was playing guard with Christian Montano playing center this year?
"It was a little bit of an adjustment just having to learn center and guard, but when you're playing up front, you have to know all five positions, and playing center helps that, so I was able to move easily to guard."
What are your strengths?
"I feel like my hands, being able to get my hands on people and locking up. That and probably being able to bring my hips back to where they need to be."
Where do you need to improve the most?
"Footwork for sure and just knowledge of the game and being able to pick up this higher level of speed."
How would you grade yourself on your four starts?
"I can get better. I can always keep improving. No matter how good you play, there's always something you can get better at."
What do you consider your best game?
"I would say probably Tulsa. I was just carrying out my assignments. We game planned for them a certain way and just being able to execute that. We had one play where Steph (Huderson) broke up the middle and that was just pure game plan and how it was schemed up to be and I feel like we executed that."
What were your primary reasons for coming to Tulane (he told me he picked the Wave over Louisiana Tech, North Texas and Texas State when he committed in July of 2018)?
"Just the culture around here. It's a higher conference and I wanted to be able to play at the highest level of football offered to me and education. The pure education here was better than all the other offers I had."
The second half of the season hasn't gone as you guys wanted. How important is it to bounce back against USM?
"This bowl game means a lot. It sets the tone for next year. We have to wash the second half of the season away and play to the best of our abilities in this bowl game. I feel like our success here determines our start for next season and how we'll go into this offseason. We'll feel like we did something or not."
What have you learned from Montano?
"He's taught me a lot. There's a lot of just little techniques and being able to have that endurance is what he's taught me the most, to be able to push through. He's been playing college football for six years, and this being my first year, he has taught me to put your head down and grind and get through it to the best of your ability."
What is the hardest thing about playing as a true freshman?
"Just people know about the game than you do. Coming in you think you know all you can know, but there's so much more to learn and speed, just the game's at so much of a faster pace. The hardest thing is to be able to adjust to that."
How much do you need to work on your snaps for next year?
"You can't start the play without a good snap. I have to keep working on that. They are getting better, but every now and then they'll still be out of whack. You get tired and and you're focused on a million other things and calling stuff, so I just have to be able to do that second nature and just be able to not think about it."
"
The Wave is a little thin at wide receiver entering the game. Today, the starters were Jalen McCleskey, Darnell Mooney and Jacob Robertson, with Jaetavian Toles also getting reps and that's about it. With Dane Ledford and Sorrell Brown injured and Jorrien Valien and Kevin LeDee in the transfer portal, little-used freshmen Tyrek Presley and Jhaquan Jackson are the only other scholarship receivers, and I did not see them get reps.
It has to be tough to be a non-freshman scholarship scout-team player, but that was safety Sean Harper's role today. He has not made an impact defensively in three years. The other scholarship defenders on the scout team were freshmen safety William Judson and defensive tackle Eric Hicks, with eight walk-ons filling out the rest of the unit.
The scout-team offensive line was, from left to right, Nik Hogan, Michael Remondet, Trace Oldner, Ben Bratcher and Colby Orgeron. The second-team line from left to right was Timothy Shafter, Stephen Lewerenz, Sincere Haynesworth (getting those extra reps at center, his future position), Ben Knutson and Cameron Jackel.
Tulane never broke from its scout-team work in the last 45 minutes of practice. Offensive coordinator Will Hall loves to shout out specific situations, and when he said "third-and-2 for the win," tight end Keshon Williams jumped early. That was not a good look for Williams. Hall did not shout out," third-and-7 for the win." They simply ran the play again, with Amare Jones turning the corner for a first down. Look for Jones to have a big bowl game. His ankle was not healthy in the second half of the year and his production tailed off. He's healthy now and should get plenty of opportunities. Tyjae Spears cannot play and still be redshirted, so the running back rotation will be Darius Bradwell, Corey Dauphine, Cam Carroll, Stephon Huderson and Jones. Tulane's depth at the position is incredible.
I missed the last two practices because I was in Denver, but I got back last night (the temperature in New Orleans was 75 and it was 20 in Denver when Ieft). I fly to Fort Worth on New Year's night and will have full coverage on the 2nd and 3rd leading up to the game.
Haynesworth was my focus after practice today. He is one of three true freshmen who will not be redshirted, and the other two, linebacker Dorian Williams and wide receiver Jha'Quan Jackson, played small roles. I've always wondered about Haynesworth's first name, and I got the answer today--his mother chose it because she wanted him to live a sincere life. Here are my interviews with him and Willie Fritz:
FRITZ
You've had the luxury of being able to redshirt almost all of your freshmen this year, but Sincere Haynesworth has earned his role as a starter the last four games. What do you like about him?
"He's got great feet and great mass and strength. He's tough and very smart. Not a whole lot of freshmen are ready to go into combat, but he is. He will be a great player here."
Is the plan for him at center or guard?
"Center. After this year he'll probably play more center. Right now him and Christian are rotating at guard and center."
How has he played in those four starts?
"Awesome. He's played well. He's definitely one of our five best, and there are some gameshe's in our top two."
HAYNESWORTH
Almost all the freshmen are redshirting, but you're starting. What is the feeling like for you?
"It's been very exciting. Just being able to play with the older guys and doing my thing. They are doing their thing and helping me out a lot. I feel like I'm levels ahead of where I started."
How quick were you able to pick up stuff?
"I feel like I was able to pick it up fairly quick. Just getting in there watching film and soaking up everything I can was the only way to do it."
The plan is for you to be a starting center. How much of an adjustment for you was playing guard with Christian Montano playing center this year?
"It was a little bit of an adjustment just having to learn center and guard, but when you're playing up front, you have to know all five positions, and playing center helps that, so I was able to move easily to guard."
What are your strengths?
"I feel like my hands, being able to get my hands on people and locking up. That and probably being able to bring my hips back to where they need to be."
Where do you need to improve the most?
"Footwork for sure and just knowledge of the game and being able to pick up this higher level of speed."
How would you grade yourself on your four starts?
"I can get better. I can always keep improving. No matter how good you play, there's always something you can get better at."
What do you consider your best game?
"I would say probably Tulsa. I was just carrying out my assignments. We game planned for them a certain way and just being able to execute that. We had one play where Steph (Huderson) broke up the middle and that was just pure game plan and how it was schemed up to be and I feel like we executed that."
What were your primary reasons for coming to Tulane (he told me he picked the Wave over Louisiana Tech, North Texas and Texas State when he committed in July of 2018)?
"Just the culture around here. It's a higher conference and I wanted to be able to play at the highest level of football offered to me and education. The pure education here was better than all the other offers I had."
The second half of the season hasn't gone as you guys wanted. How important is it to bounce back against USM?
"This bowl game means a lot. It sets the tone for next year. We have to wash the second half of the season away and play to the best of our abilities in this bowl game. I feel like our success here determines our start for next season and how we'll go into this offseason. We'll feel like we did something or not."
What have you learned from Montano?
"He's taught me a lot. There's a lot of just little techniques and being able to have that endurance is what he's taught me the most, to be able to push through. He's been playing college football for six years, and this being my first year, he has taught me to put your head down and grind and get through it to the best of your ability."
What is the hardest thing about playing as a true freshman?
"Just people know about the game than you do. Coming in you think you know all you can know, but there's so much more to learn and speed, just the game's at so much of a faster pace. The hardest thing is to be able to adjust to that."
How much do you need to work on your snaps for next year?
"You can't start the play without a good snap. I have to keep working on that. They are getting better, but every now and then they'll still be out of whack. You get tired and and you're focused on a million other things and calling stuff, so I just have to be able to do that second nature and just be able to not think about it."
"