The first preseason practice of the Jon Sumrall era began at 8 and ended at exactly 10:08 on a typically hot, humid late July morning in New Orleans but nowhere near as brutal as this time a year ago, which was the most sweltering weather I've ever experienced. A few players like Rayshawn Pleasant and Lu Tillery succumbed to cramps, but that's normal on the first day. Jesus Machado was walking stadium steps in rehab when I arrived. Shazz Preston was on crutches with what I learned after practice was a hamstring injury.
"He had a hammy (injury) in June, was with the athletic trainers doing some rehab stuff and then had a setback about 10 days ago, a week ago," Sumrall said. "Timeline (for recovery) to be determined. It should not be any season-long issue, but it's one of those deals with hamstrings where it could be a week, it could be two weeks or it could be four weeks. Those soft tissue deals are always tricky. They thought they got it to a turning point a week-and-a-half ago or so and then they had a little setback here recently. He had a history going back to high school. I think spring in track of his senior year he had one, and once you get one, sometimes those things you have to manage them. He was fine the whole time he's been here until this summer in a drill we had. He should be back. I don't have a timeline yet."
Tulane's motto under Sumrall, which repeated on rotating message on the scoreboard with the letters A, T, D and L in a clock-like pattern, is Attitude, Toughness, Discipline and Love. Preston was wearing a T-shirt with that phrase, and it's what Sumrall wants to see every session. The play of the day was a pass from Ty Thompson to tight end Alex Bauman in the back corner of the end zone during a seven-on-seven drill. I'm making no predictions about Bauman after saying he would lead the team in catches last year and being way off, but man, he made a terrific catch in traffic, look easy, pulling it in with one hand at first before getting both hands on the ball. If he can stay healthy, he will be a huge plus for this team.
Thompson also had some shaky moments, including a force into coverage over the middle of the field when no one was open that could have been intercepted but ended up being a harmless incomplete pass and a miscommunication with Mario Williams on a deep sideline throw on the next play. The ball went well behind Williams as he looked to the inside. Williams had a leg issue early in practice but did not miss much time and returned at full strength. Near the end of practice, in a red zone drill, Thompson scrambled to the end zone for a touchdown. As Sumrall pointed out in Arlington, he is very fast.
Soon after Thompson and Bauman's TD hookup, Kai Horton overthrew transfer tight end Anthony Miller on a very similar play. He then completed a pass to Shaadie Clayton-Johnson in the flat, and I definitely see Clayton-Johnson's primary role as a receiver out of the backfield this season. He is better at it than the other running backs.
My very first impression was Tulane's net gain at wide receiver with the addition of Khai Prean and Sidney Mbanasor in place of spring departures Trez Traynor and Jaylon Griffin, neither of whom did much in spring drills before leaving a few months after they arrived. Prean is fast and smooth. The 6-5 Mbanasor uses his height well and could be a real factor near the goal line on alley oops. Both of them were more impressive on day 1 than Traynor and Griffin ever were, and if Prean is comfortable with the playbook, I could see him starting.
Yulkeith Brown, whose one full year of playing time gives him the most Tulane experience of any of the wideouts, made a nice catch early in practice. Bryce Bohanon, a possession type who had a strong spring, picked up where he left off. Shaun Nicholas, a true freshman who was a revelation in the first half of spring drills before tailing off a bit, still has very thin legs. It will be interesting to see how much he has progressed.
The two transfer cornerbacks Sumrall cited as potential starters in Arlington last week--Johnathan Edwards and Micah Robinson--lined up with the first unit. Jack Tchienchou, who was locked in a tight battle with Jalen Geiger at strong safety in the spring, got the nod on the first team at the start of practice, with Bailey Despanie at free safety, Dickson Agu joining Tyler Grubbs at linebacker and Caleb Ransaw at nickelback (spear in Sumrall's terminology). The defensive line units rotated a lot and I did not get a good look on the first unit, so I will wait until tomorrow to provide an early depth chart there. I know Matthew Fobbs-White was running with the second team at rush end (bandit in the new terminology), which means Adin Huntington likely was on the first unit, but I did not notice in time before they started rotating guys. The other guys with Fobbs-White were Angelo Anderson, Adonis Friloux and Elijah Champaigne. Another unit working together was Gerrod Henderson, Parker Peterson, Kam Hamilton and Michael Lunz.
The backup cornerbacks were Rishi Rattan and E'Zaiah Shiine with Tillery and Pleasant out with cramps. Kevin Adams and Joshua Moore were on that unit at safety. .
The starting offensive line, which is set in stone barring injury, was Derrick Graham, Shadre Hurst, Vincent Murphy, Josh Remetich and Rashad Green from left to right. The second team had Reese Baker, Landry Cannon, Caleb Thomas, Dominic Steward and Darion Reed from left to right, with Elijah Baker and Tristen Fortenberry getting some reps, too.
I had a brief conversation with Ed Orgeron, who stopped to talk to Steve Barrios early in the workout, and Orgeron said he was very impressed with the offensive scheme in spring practice. A little later, as Orgeron was walking along the sideliine, Sumrall told him "always make yourself at home."
Lester Ricard attended the practice in a coat and tie. I would have passed out in those clothes, but he looked sharp.
If you hadn't heard, Ed Daniels had a heart attack two days ago in California, where he was attending Saints camp. It sounds like it could be a really serious issue. Prayers go out to him and his family. Sumrall addressed it with his opening statement to reporters after practice (I will have the full transcript later).
"He had a hammy (injury) in June, was with the athletic trainers doing some rehab stuff and then had a setback about 10 days ago, a week ago," Sumrall said. "Timeline (for recovery) to be determined. It should not be any season-long issue, but it's one of those deals with hamstrings where it could be a week, it could be two weeks or it could be four weeks. Those soft tissue deals are always tricky. They thought they got it to a turning point a week-and-a-half ago or so and then they had a little setback here recently. He had a history going back to high school. I think spring in track of his senior year he had one, and once you get one, sometimes those things you have to manage them. He was fine the whole time he's been here until this summer in a drill we had. He should be back. I don't have a timeline yet."
Tulane's motto under Sumrall, which repeated on rotating message on the scoreboard with the letters A, T, D and L in a clock-like pattern, is Attitude, Toughness, Discipline and Love. Preston was wearing a T-shirt with that phrase, and it's what Sumrall wants to see every session. The play of the day was a pass from Ty Thompson to tight end Alex Bauman in the back corner of the end zone during a seven-on-seven drill. I'm making no predictions about Bauman after saying he would lead the team in catches last year and being way off, but man, he made a terrific catch in traffic, look easy, pulling it in with one hand at first before getting both hands on the ball. If he can stay healthy, he will be a huge plus for this team.
Thompson also had some shaky moments, including a force into coverage over the middle of the field when no one was open that could have been intercepted but ended up being a harmless incomplete pass and a miscommunication with Mario Williams on a deep sideline throw on the next play. The ball went well behind Williams as he looked to the inside. Williams had a leg issue early in practice but did not miss much time and returned at full strength. Near the end of practice, in a red zone drill, Thompson scrambled to the end zone for a touchdown. As Sumrall pointed out in Arlington, he is very fast.
Soon after Thompson and Bauman's TD hookup, Kai Horton overthrew transfer tight end Anthony Miller on a very similar play. He then completed a pass to Shaadie Clayton-Johnson in the flat, and I definitely see Clayton-Johnson's primary role as a receiver out of the backfield this season. He is better at it than the other running backs.
My very first impression was Tulane's net gain at wide receiver with the addition of Khai Prean and Sidney Mbanasor in place of spring departures Trez Traynor and Jaylon Griffin, neither of whom did much in spring drills before leaving a few months after they arrived. Prean is fast and smooth. The 6-5 Mbanasor uses his height well and could be a real factor near the goal line on alley oops. Both of them were more impressive on day 1 than Traynor and Griffin ever were, and if Prean is comfortable with the playbook, I could see him starting.
Yulkeith Brown, whose one full year of playing time gives him the most Tulane experience of any of the wideouts, made a nice catch early in practice. Bryce Bohanon, a possession type who had a strong spring, picked up where he left off. Shaun Nicholas, a true freshman who was a revelation in the first half of spring drills before tailing off a bit, still has very thin legs. It will be interesting to see how much he has progressed.
The two transfer cornerbacks Sumrall cited as potential starters in Arlington last week--Johnathan Edwards and Micah Robinson--lined up with the first unit. Jack Tchienchou, who was locked in a tight battle with Jalen Geiger at strong safety in the spring, got the nod on the first team at the start of practice, with Bailey Despanie at free safety, Dickson Agu joining Tyler Grubbs at linebacker and Caleb Ransaw at nickelback (spear in Sumrall's terminology). The defensive line units rotated a lot and I did not get a good look on the first unit, so I will wait until tomorrow to provide an early depth chart there. I know Matthew Fobbs-White was running with the second team at rush end (bandit in the new terminology), which means Adin Huntington likely was on the first unit, but I did not notice in time before they started rotating guys. The other guys with Fobbs-White were Angelo Anderson, Adonis Friloux and Elijah Champaigne. Another unit working together was Gerrod Henderson, Parker Peterson, Kam Hamilton and Michael Lunz.
The backup cornerbacks were Rishi Rattan and E'Zaiah Shiine with Tillery and Pleasant out with cramps. Kevin Adams and Joshua Moore were on that unit at safety. .
The starting offensive line, which is set in stone barring injury, was Derrick Graham, Shadre Hurst, Vincent Murphy, Josh Remetich and Rashad Green from left to right. The second team had Reese Baker, Landry Cannon, Caleb Thomas, Dominic Steward and Darion Reed from left to right, with Elijah Baker and Tristen Fortenberry getting some reps, too.
I had a brief conversation with Ed Orgeron, who stopped to talk to Steve Barrios early in the workout, and Orgeron said he was very impressed with the offensive scheme in spring practice. A little later, as Orgeron was walking along the sideliine, Sumrall told him "always make yourself at home."
Lester Ricard attended the practice in a coat and tie. I would have passed out in those clothes, but he looked sharp.
If you hadn't heard, Ed Daniels had a heart attack two days ago in California, where he was attending Saints camp. It sounds like it could be a really serious issue. Prayers go out to him and his family. Sumrall addressed it with his opening statement to reporters after practice (I will have the full transcript later).