Coming off a rare two-day practice break, Tulane had a light workout Friday morning in preparation for Saturday's scrimmage. They spent plenty of time on kickoff coverage and kickoff returns, just making sure everyone was in the right spot on both teams as they ran down the field and set up the blocking. Since this is a full-service site, I wrote down the first-and second-team units.
Merek Glover is handling kickoffs after producing 35 touchbacks on 69 attempts last year, which was extremely impressive considering he was not even supposed to have that duty. Walk-on Sterling Stockwell secured the job in the 2019 preseason and was absolutely booming his kicks, earning praise from Willie Fritz for being able to kick the ball where he was supposed to, an apparent issue for Zach Block in 2018 even though he produced 35 touchbacks in 60 tries.
Stockwell's ascendance did not last long. In the opener against FIU, his first kick resulted in a 4-yard return to the 14 and his second kick went for a touchback. His next two were sky kicks that appeared pre-planned and were fair caught at the 25--the same spot that touchbacks go to--but Glover replaced him to start the second half and produced touchbacks on two of his three kicks.
That was essentially the end of Stockwell. He kicked off twice in the second half of the blowout win against Missouri State, producing touchbacks on both, and once late in the blowout loss to Memphis, having it come down at the 3 and returned 18 yards. He also converted one extra point against Missouri State and Memphis, but that was his last appearance. By the end of the year, Casey Glover was the No. 2 kickoff man, attempting two. Merek Glover did an outstanding job, but I've always been curious what happened there with Stockwell.
Today, Stockwell, now a redshirt sophomore, watched the kickoff from the sideline. The rest of the kickoff coverage unit, from left to right, was Willie Langham, Larry Brooks, Dorian Williams, Cameron Carroll and Marvin Moody to the left of Merek Glover and Nick Anderson, Jaetavian Toles, Chase Kuerschen, Kevin Henry and Jaylon Monroe to his right. That's four linebackers, five defensive backs and a running back.
The second-team kickoff coverage unit had Phat Watts, Ajani Kerr, Sam Bruchaus, Angelo Anderson, K.J. Vault to the left of Casey Glover and Cornelius Dyson, Logan Ammons or Jonathan Mestayer (both walk-ons wear No. 30 and I did not mark down the color of the jersey), Christian Daniels, Kiland Harrison and Kyle Meyers.
When they practiced kickoff returns, they did not have the coverage unit on the field, just having the kickoff specialist boot it deep because some guys did double duty. The first-team kickoff return unit had Langham, Brooks, Kuerschen and Daniels up front, with Tyrek Presley and Dorian Williams behind them, Noah Seiden and Tyrick James behind them, Connor Pruett as the upback and Amare Jones and Stephon Huderson as the deep men.
The second-team return unit had Angelo Anderson, Cameron Carroll, Ajani Kerr and Mestayer or Ammons up front, Cornelius Dyson and Marvin Moody behind them, Will Wallace and Darius Hodges behind them, Larry Brooks as the upback and Jha'Quan Jackson and Tyjae Spears as the deep men.
Tulane will be expecting more from Jones on kickoff returns than it got last year, when his average return dipped to 21.7 from 27.9. I guaranteed he would return at least one for a touchdown in the preseason, but instead, Huderson did the honors against UCF. Teams did not kick away from Jones, who had 34 returns to Huderson's six, and Tulane's blocking might have been the issue, but his lack of success was surprising given his success as a freshman, when his average was 8.3 yards better than Huderson's.
The other guys used as kickoff returners were Mykel Jones and Jaetavian Toles.
After the special teams work, they had a short 7-on-7 segment, but I had to take a phone call and did not see what went on. They did not have any 11-on-11 work.
In individuals, Drew Harris was out there. When I covered Florida, there was an NCAA rule that limited teams to 105 players in preseason drills before classes started, with an extras allowed to join once school was in session. It was a big deal one year because Steve Spurrier did not put two of his scholarship players on the practice 105 because they were out of shape physically. I'm not sure that rule still exists, but it could explain why Harris was out there today in the first practice since classes began. The quarterbacks were Keon Howard, Michael Pratt, Justin Ibieta, Cameron Dartez, Josh Hall and Harris. Ibieta was wearing a jersey with no number on it instead of his normal 13.
NOTES
--Monroe being on the kickoff team was significant because he missed Tuesday's practice. Clearly it was nothing significant. The Wave appears very healthy after the two-day respite, although wide receiver Sorrell Brown sat out. He was in uniform but with no helmet and was walking fine.
--The scrimmage tomorrow will have a media blackout because they will be running stuff they do not want reported in any form. I have a feeling the concern is more directed at TV people who might shoot something they are not supposed to if allowed to attend--an issue in the past--but it also extends to print media as well. It's a bummer, but media access to preseason practice has been outstanding to this point. I requested Ajani Kerr for a Zoom session after practice today, and when they found out he had to lift, they put him on th phone with me for a one-on-one right before he lifted. Fritz did a Zoom call after practice today, and the next Zoom call will be after Sunday morning's practice.
--Tulane which used a four days on, one day off schedule before classes started, is switching to three days on and one day off with the revised opener still more than three weeks away. The Wave will be off Monday before practicing Tuesday and Wednesday at Yulman Stadium and then having its first indoor workout at the Superdome on Thursday.
Merek Glover is handling kickoffs after producing 35 touchbacks on 69 attempts last year, which was extremely impressive considering he was not even supposed to have that duty. Walk-on Sterling Stockwell secured the job in the 2019 preseason and was absolutely booming his kicks, earning praise from Willie Fritz for being able to kick the ball where he was supposed to, an apparent issue for Zach Block in 2018 even though he produced 35 touchbacks in 60 tries.
Stockwell's ascendance did not last long. In the opener against FIU, his first kick resulted in a 4-yard return to the 14 and his second kick went for a touchback. His next two were sky kicks that appeared pre-planned and were fair caught at the 25--the same spot that touchbacks go to--but Glover replaced him to start the second half and produced touchbacks on two of his three kicks.
That was essentially the end of Stockwell. He kicked off twice in the second half of the blowout win against Missouri State, producing touchbacks on both, and once late in the blowout loss to Memphis, having it come down at the 3 and returned 18 yards. He also converted one extra point against Missouri State and Memphis, but that was his last appearance. By the end of the year, Casey Glover was the No. 2 kickoff man, attempting two. Merek Glover did an outstanding job, but I've always been curious what happened there with Stockwell.
Today, Stockwell, now a redshirt sophomore, watched the kickoff from the sideline. The rest of the kickoff coverage unit, from left to right, was Willie Langham, Larry Brooks, Dorian Williams, Cameron Carroll and Marvin Moody to the left of Merek Glover and Nick Anderson, Jaetavian Toles, Chase Kuerschen, Kevin Henry and Jaylon Monroe to his right. That's four linebackers, five defensive backs and a running back.
The second-team kickoff coverage unit had Phat Watts, Ajani Kerr, Sam Bruchaus, Angelo Anderson, K.J. Vault to the left of Casey Glover and Cornelius Dyson, Logan Ammons or Jonathan Mestayer (both walk-ons wear No. 30 and I did not mark down the color of the jersey), Christian Daniels, Kiland Harrison and Kyle Meyers.
When they practiced kickoff returns, they did not have the coverage unit on the field, just having the kickoff specialist boot it deep because some guys did double duty. The first-team kickoff return unit had Langham, Brooks, Kuerschen and Daniels up front, with Tyrek Presley and Dorian Williams behind them, Noah Seiden and Tyrick James behind them, Connor Pruett as the upback and Amare Jones and Stephon Huderson as the deep men.
The second-team return unit had Angelo Anderson, Cameron Carroll, Ajani Kerr and Mestayer or Ammons up front, Cornelius Dyson and Marvin Moody behind them, Will Wallace and Darius Hodges behind them, Larry Brooks as the upback and Jha'Quan Jackson and Tyjae Spears as the deep men.
Tulane will be expecting more from Jones on kickoff returns than it got last year, when his average return dipped to 21.7 from 27.9. I guaranteed he would return at least one for a touchdown in the preseason, but instead, Huderson did the honors against UCF. Teams did not kick away from Jones, who had 34 returns to Huderson's six, and Tulane's blocking might have been the issue, but his lack of success was surprising given his success as a freshman, when his average was 8.3 yards better than Huderson's.
The other guys used as kickoff returners were Mykel Jones and Jaetavian Toles.
After the special teams work, they had a short 7-on-7 segment, but I had to take a phone call and did not see what went on. They did not have any 11-on-11 work.
In individuals, Drew Harris was out there. When I covered Florida, there was an NCAA rule that limited teams to 105 players in preseason drills before classes started, with an extras allowed to join once school was in session. It was a big deal one year because Steve Spurrier did not put two of his scholarship players on the practice 105 because they were out of shape physically. I'm not sure that rule still exists, but it could explain why Harris was out there today in the first practice since classes began. The quarterbacks were Keon Howard, Michael Pratt, Justin Ibieta, Cameron Dartez, Josh Hall and Harris. Ibieta was wearing a jersey with no number on it instead of his normal 13.
NOTES
--Monroe being on the kickoff team was significant because he missed Tuesday's practice. Clearly it was nothing significant. The Wave appears very healthy after the two-day respite, although wide receiver Sorrell Brown sat out. He was in uniform but with no helmet and was walking fine.
--The scrimmage tomorrow will have a media blackout because they will be running stuff they do not want reported in any form. I have a feeling the concern is more directed at TV people who might shoot something they are not supposed to if allowed to attend--an issue in the past--but it also extends to print media as well. It's a bummer, but media access to preseason practice has been outstanding to this point. I requested Ajani Kerr for a Zoom session after practice today, and when they found out he had to lift, they put him on th phone with me for a one-on-one right before he lifted. Fritz did a Zoom call after practice today, and the next Zoom call will be after Sunday morning's practice.
--Tulane which used a four days on, one day off schedule before classes started, is switching to three days on and one day off with the revised opener still more than three weeks away. The Wave will be off Monday before practicing Tuesday and Wednesday at Yulman Stadium and then having its first indoor workout at the Superdome on Thursday.
