First, let's just get it out of the way that I applied for membership in the moron of the month club by taking Willie Fritz literally after practice yesterday when he joked that he had ordered the fighter jet flyby. Of course he didn't, but I lacked a sense of humor detector at the time because I was ready to write a feature on Charles Jones and did not even notice that he was out injured. I was thinking what the heck am I going to write about after Fritz said he would be out about three weeks, so common sense went out the window.
OK, on to today's practice, which was conducted other much less brutal heat than yesterday's and ended early, around 9:45, after being listed as ending at 10:15. I saw about the last 30 minutes as a result instead of the hour I planned.
With three more practices left before beginning significant prep work for Wake Forest, Tulane still has time to tinker with its depth chart. Today, KJ Vault and Lawrence Graham practiced together at linebacker while Marvin Moody and La'Dedric Jackson practiced together. Both duos got work with the first and second teams, while Zach Harris did not get any reps that I saw. He was in uniform, but as a fifth-year senior, he can sit out some drills to give the young guys more time.
They ran a drill today where each quarterback had six plays against the defense in a hurry-up mode. Jonathan Banks began by hitting Darnell Mooney on the sideline for about 20 yards. Mooney bobbled the ball but brought it in while keeping a foot inbounds. Corey Dublin messed up a snap, something I've rarely seen in camp, and Jacob Robertson dropped an easy pass on a quick out. Banks then hit Jaetavian Toles on the sideline. Of the healthy receivers, I'd say Toles has been the most impressive other than Encalade and Mooney.
Dane Ledford was next, and he did not have a good day. He overthrow walk-on Ryan Thompson deep on his first play, missed another pass on the sideline and then finally threw a pretty one, which Miles Lapeyre dropped. Obviously Ledford was not working with the same caliber of receiver as Banks, but too many of his passes still come off funny. He threw one deep pass later in the practice that was wobbling the second it left his hand.
When Christian Daniels went in, he threw a pass that running back Andrew Zuckerman dropped. The three drops were the most I've seen in a cluster this preseason, but two of the drops were from walk-ons.
When Banks went in for a second stint, he made the play of the day, leading Toles perfectly on a crossing route while getting the ball in between a linebacker and a safety with little space. Those are the throws he needs to make to take the offense to another level, and he has proven he is capable of doing it.
The depth at cornerback continues to allow the coaches to experiment with different combinations. P.J. Hall got some reps at cornerback with the first-team defense today, with Donnie Lewis playing safety. Thakarius Keyes, who sat out the end of Wednesday's workout, was back on the field.
Offensive tackle Noah Fisher was in uniform for the first time in a while with a little brace on his left knee. He did not take any reps, but he stood next to offensive line coach Alex Atkins to get mental reps while Joey Claybrook continued to work with the first team. Look for Fisher to return imminently.
Cam Sample was not in uniform today, and neither was Jabril Clewis. Running back Corey Dauphine sat out, too, after returning from a minor injury yesterday and looking sharp.
Kendall Ardoin, as expected, is working with the first team at tight end.
The third-team offensive line is Michael Remondet at left tackle, Ben Bratcher at left guard, Stephen Lewerenz at center, Timothy Shafter at right guard and Nik Hogan at right tackle. Other than Fisher, the only lineman not practicing is Brian Webb, a redshirt junior on scholarship who never has been a factor. I doubt he will be back last year, leaving Tulane with only three scholarship guys from Orleans Parish for 2019--Dublin, Jamiran James and Juan Monjarres--plus whoever signs in the next class. A handful of New Orleans guys are senior this year--Rod Teamer, Devin Glenn, Harris, Peter Woullard and Charles Jones. Then there is Cameron Jackel, a redshirt freshman from nearby Marrero.
Practice had just ended when lightning in the area forced the team to leave the field, meaning a rare day when Banks did not stay to work extra time.
FRITZ
How did you feel about practice today?
"It was good. We had a little more pep in our step. We started off good and were getting a lot of good drill work done--special teams situations, offensively we worked a little four-minute drill, we worked some option period today defensively. You don't see that every week, but it's good to put your base rules in for playing option and also the four-minute offense as well. We did a few special teams drills. You just don't have time to do them once you get into the season. It's a lot more schemes. It's the second time we've done some of those drills, so I think we're going to get some good feedback on it from watching the tape."
John Leglue will have started at tackle, center and guard for you after the opener. You want guys to be versatile, but what allows him to be that versatile?
"Number one, he's real smart, and number two, he can snap a football, and that's the first key with playing center. He's a smart kid. He's going to graduate with his MBA in four months. He understands what we're doing. He stayed relatively healthy. He's been banged up like everybody, but he's done a good job of staying healthy. I'd say the biggest deal is he's a smart kid student-wise, but he's also a smart football player. Sometimes those don't always go hand in hand, but it sure does with him."
What do you like about him at guard?
"He's got some mass. He doesn't look like it, but he's 310 pounds, 6-foot-5, 6-6, a big guy. With us and what we're doing, we need some mass inside of getting some movement. We're running that inside zone play."
Noah Fisher was taking mental reps today. Is he about to return to practice?
"Yeah, he's close. He's' real close."
Do you know when Cam Sample will return?
"Hopefully here in the next day or two."
LEGLUE
(who was proud to announce that his little brother just had a baby girl, Leah Jane, and sai he wanted to give a shout-out to him).
Alexandria was not an area that Tulane recruited much under Curtis Johnson. How did you end up here?
"When I was in the recruiting process, my parents wanted to focus on education, so I went to a few camps going into my senior year. I went to Tulane, UL-Lafayette, Monroe and all the Division 1-AA schools. I never made it out to LSU and the bigger programs. and all the camps I went to I ended up getting scholarships to. I committed to Lafayette and then de-committed about four or five days before signing day. My parents just wanted me to really consider the next 40 to 50 years, and ever since I came here, I was able to get my undergrad in three years and I'm getting my master's is business right now. I only have two classes in the fall, so I'm really excited about my future on and off the field. Tulane just puts their recruits and all their student-athletes on a whole another level when it comes to job success."
You will end up having started extensively at guard, center and tackle in your career. How versatile do you have to be to play all three spots?
"It's just the way coach Atkins and coach Mack Helms (graduate assistant on offense) teaches everything. Versatility's huge. He says even at the next level everybody plays every position, so if you really want to strive to go to the NFL you have to learn how to play all three positions. You have to do whatever is best for the team. Whatever they want me to do, I'm willing to do."
What do you want to do better this year than last year?
"I want to continue to be more consistent and just keep dropping my feet on pass contact and do everything I can to become all-conference and help lead this team to a bowl game."
There aren't many guys left who were around here before Yulman Stadium debuted. You're one of the nine (along with Donnie Lewis, Terren Encalade, Zach Harris, Peter Woullard, Devon Johnson, Charles Jones, Kendall Ardoin and Robert Kennedy). Do you have a special bond?
"Oh for sure. We've been through so much in five years and built a brotherhood. It's just like we're best friends every time we see each other on campus and around the city. We're always excited to hang around one another, and we're ready to get this program going in the right direction."
How has Tulane's position changed within the spectrum of Louisiana football since you arrived?
"You can tell from all the recruits that come to the summer camps and all that aspect. It's coach Fritz and the culture that they bring here, everybody respects it. Everywhere coach Fritz has been, he's changed the program and for the past two years you can tell there's a huge increase of awareness in the city and people backing us. We're going to have a great year this year."
What would say to people who say this is a one-school state (not my question)? Is there room for Tulane to grow here?
"Oh, no doubt. Especially nobody in the state can compete with our academics. A lot of the recruits need to understand that football is going to end one day and having that Tulane degree, you'll get a job over other people in the state. I had a class in Paris, and everybody in France knew what Tulane was. If I would have said I went to the University of Louisiana-Lafayette, they would have been, what is that? It's a world renowned program, and on and off the field it's going to be really big time for Tulane."
OK, on to today's practice, which was conducted other much less brutal heat than yesterday's and ended early, around 9:45, after being listed as ending at 10:15. I saw about the last 30 minutes as a result instead of the hour I planned.
With three more practices left before beginning significant prep work for Wake Forest, Tulane still has time to tinker with its depth chart. Today, KJ Vault and Lawrence Graham practiced together at linebacker while Marvin Moody and La'Dedric Jackson practiced together. Both duos got work with the first and second teams, while Zach Harris did not get any reps that I saw. He was in uniform, but as a fifth-year senior, he can sit out some drills to give the young guys more time.
They ran a drill today where each quarterback had six plays against the defense in a hurry-up mode. Jonathan Banks began by hitting Darnell Mooney on the sideline for about 20 yards. Mooney bobbled the ball but brought it in while keeping a foot inbounds. Corey Dublin messed up a snap, something I've rarely seen in camp, and Jacob Robertson dropped an easy pass on a quick out. Banks then hit Jaetavian Toles on the sideline. Of the healthy receivers, I'd say Toles has been the most impressive other than Encalade and Mooney.
Dane Ledford was next, and he did not have a good day. He overthrow walk-on Ryan Thompson deep on his first play, missed another pass on the sideline and then finally threw a pretty one, which Miles Lapeyre dropped. Obviously Ledford was not working with the same caliber of receiver as Banks, but too many of his passes still come off funny. He threw one deep pass later in the practice that was wobbling the second it left his hand.
When Christian Daniels went in, he threw a pass that running back Andrew Zuckerman dropped. The three drops were the most I've seen in a cluster this preseason, but two of the drops were from walk-ons.
When Banks went in for a second stint, he made the play of the day, leading Toles perfectly on a crossing route while getting the ball in between a linebacker and a safety with little space. Those are the throws he needs to make to take the offense to another level, and he has proven he is capable of doing it.
The depth at cornerback continues to allow the coaches to experiment with different combinations. P.J. Hall got some reps at cornerback with the first-team defense today, with Donnie Lewis playing safety. Thakarius Keyes, who sat out the end of Wednesday's workout, was back on the field.
Offensive tackle Noah Fisher was in uniform for the first time in a while with a little brace on his left knee. He did not take any reps, but he stood next to offensive line coach Alex Atkins to get mental reps while Joey Claybrook continued to work with the first team. Look for Fisher to return imminently.
Cam Sample was not in uniform today, and neither was Jabril Clewis. Running back Corey Dauphine sat out, too, after returning from a minor injury yesterday and looking sharp.
Kendall Ardoin, as expected, is working with the first team at tight end.
The third-team offensive line is Michael Remondet at left tackle, Ben Bratcher at left guard, Stephen Lewerenz at center, Timothy Shafter at right guard and Nik Hogan at right tackle. Other than Fisher, the only lineman not practicing is Brian Webb, a redshirt junior on scholarship who never has been a factor. I doubt he will be back last year, leaving Tulane with only three scholarship guys from Orleans Parish for 2019--Dublin, Jamiran James and Juan Monjarres--plus whoever signs in the next class. A handful of New Orleans guys are senior this year--Rod Teamer, Devin Glenn, Harris, Peter Woullard and Charles Jones. Then there is Cameron Jackel, a redshirt freshman from nearby Marrero.
Practice had just ended when lightning in the area forced the team to leave the field, meaning a rare day when Banks did not stay to work extra time.
FRITZ
How did you feel about practice today?
"It was good. We had a little more pep in our step. We started off good and were getting a lot of good drill work done--special teams situations, offensively we worked a little four-minute drill, we worked some option period today defensively. You don't see that every week, but it's good to put your base rules in for playing option and also the four-minute offense as well. We did a few special teams drills. You just don't have time to do them once you get into the season. It's a lot more schemes. It's the second time we've done some of those drills, so I think we're going to get some good feedback on it from watching the tape."
John Leglue will have started at tackle, center and guard for you after the opener. You want guys to be versatile, but what allows him to be that versatile?
"Number one, he's real smart, and number two, he can snap a football, and that's the first key with playing center. He's a smart kid. He's going to graduate with his MBA in four months. He understands what we're doing. He stayed relatively healthy. He's been banged up like everybody, but he's done a good job of staying healthy. I'd say the biggest deal is he's a smart kid student-wise, but he's also a smart football player. Sometimes those don't always go hand in hand, but it sure does with him."
What do you like about him at guard?
"He's got some mass. He doesn't look like it, but he's 310 pounds, 6-foot-5, 6-6, a big guy. With us and what we're doing, we need some mass inside of getting some movement. We're running that inside zone play."
Noah Fisher was taking mental reps today. Is he about to return to practice?
"Yeah, he's close. He's' real close."
Do you know when Cam Sample will return?
"Hopefully here in the next day or two."
LEGLUE
(who was proud to announce that his little brother just had a baby girl, Leah Jane, and sai he wanted to give a shout-out to him).
Alexandria was not an area that Tulane recruited much under Curtis Johnson. How did you end up here?
"When I was in the recruiting process, my parents wanted to focus on education, so I went to a few camps going into my senior year. I went to Tulane, UL-Lafayette, Monroe and all the Division 1-AA schools. I never made it out to LSU and the bigger programs. and all the camps I went to I ended up getting scholarships to. I committed to Lafayette and then de-committed about four or five days before signing day. My parents just wanted me to really consider the next 40 to 50 years, and ever since I came here, I was able to get my undergrad in three years and I'm getting my master's is business right now. I only have two classes in the fall, so I'm really excited about my future on and off the field. Tulane just puts their recruits and all their student-athletes on a whole another level when it comes to job success."
You will end up having started extensively at guard, center and tackle in your career. How versatile do you have to be to play all three spots?
"It's just the way coach Atkins and coach Mack Helms (graduate assistant on offense) teaches everything. Versatility's huge. He says even at the next level everybody plays every position, so if you really want to strive to go to the NFL you have to learn how to play all three positions. You have to do whatever is best for the team. Whatever they want me to do, I'm willing to do."
What do you want to do better this year than last year?
"I want to continue to be more consistent and just keep dropping my feet on pass contact and do everything I can to become all-conference and help lead this team to a bowl game."
There aren't many guys left who were around here before Yulman Stadium debuted. You're one of the nine (along with Donnie Lewis, Terren Encalade, Zach Harris, Peter Woullard, Devon Johnson, Charles Jones, Kendall Ardoin and Robert Kennedy). Do you have a special bond?
"Oh for sure. We've been through so much in five years and built a brotherhood. It's just like we're best friends every time we see each other on campus and around the city. We're always excited to hang around one another, and we're ready to get this program going in the right direction."
How has Tulane's position changed within the spectrum of Louisiana football since you arrived?
"You can tell from all the recruits that come to the summer camps and all that aspect. It's coach Fritz and the culture that they bring here, everybody respects it. Everywhere coach Fritz has been, he's changed the program and for the past two years you can tell there's a huge increase of awareness in the city and people backing us. We're going to have a great year this year."
What would say to people who say this is a one-school state (not my question)? Is there room for Tulane to grow here?
"Oh, no doubt. Especially nobody in the state can compete with our academics. A lot of the recruits need to understand that football is going to end one day and having that Tulane degree, you'll get a job over other people in the state. I had a class in Paris, and everybody in France knew what Tulane was. If I would have said I went to the University of Louisiana-Lafayette, they would have been, what is that? It's a world renowned program, and on and off the field it's going to be really big time for Tulane."
