University of North Texas Athletics
Green Gang: Five Things To Watch In Spring Ball
3/23/2010 12:00:00 AM | Return to Play
By Steven Bartolotta, March 23, 2010, 12:22 a.m.
Well it snuck up pretty fast but spring football starts today. I've got five things to watch for this year when it comes to spring ball but keep these scrimmage dates in mind as you prep for spring ball. This Saturday, March 27 at 10 a.m., Friday, April 1 at 3:30 and the Spring game on Sunday April 11 at 3 p.m.
All at Fouts Field.
Rosters will also be updated on-line soon but there are a few notable names from last season's roster that are gone for assorted and varied reasons. They are Forrest Rucker, Sam Roberson, Chris Brainard, Robbie Deheck, Jamel Jackson, Chad Little, John Shorter, and Darien Williams.
No offense to the others but the names that pop out off that list are Rucker, Roberson, Shorter, and Williams. Roberson and Rucker seemed destined for stardom but never lived up to the hype. Both had incredible raw talent that made you salivate. However they were more like the Loch Ness monster, a lot of talk about him, but never any evidence of his existence.
Shorter and Williams will be blows in terms of depth on the defensive side of the ball. Williams was the big hitter of the secondary while Shorter I think could have dropped down and moved into the Kylie Hill role at the linebacker spot.
So as spring ball begins, here are my five things to watch for in no particular order.
1. Competition at QB? - Well first things first, is Riley back and at 100 percent after a pretty tough injury at Arkansas State to end the year. Everyone says yes, but I also think everyone is intrigued by what Derek Thompson could bring to the table after perhaps generating more excitement in one drive since John Elway.
Riley is the starter, but I also think Thompson could find his way into the mix. And no, I haven't forgotten about Nathan Tune, he's a known commodity but the question marks heading into spring are with Riley and Thompson.
2. The mid-term arrivals- There are five JC transfers who are practicing this spring, Ryan Downing, Brad Graham, Jamison Hughes, Forlando Johnson, and D'Leon McCord. Graham and Johnson I think have the potential to make an immediate impact, and they have to. With the departure of Tobe Nwigwe and Kylie Hill, the LB corp is a little thin.
A.J. Penson and Jeremy Phillips are the starters for now, but as Todd Dodge says competition is the one of the best ways to get better. I am particularly interested in Graham, being as small as he is and playing at perhaps the most important spot on the field.
3. The D-Line- No doubt a troublesome spot for the Mean Green the last few years, make that last five years. The Mean Green had just 13 sacks last season, 12 the year before and in the last five years has recorded just 72 sacks. That's 14.4 sacks a year, a great number if you're a WR or RB, but not d-line. During the years of 2001-04 the Mean Green chalked up 113 sacks, and had years of 44, 26, and 25 sacks.
The improvement is going to have to come from the guys returning. AK was good last season with six sacks, but at his size, he has to have some help on the other end. This spring will give players like LaChris Anyiam, John Weber, Kyle White, and others a chance to improve. But make no mistake, the improvement will have to come from within and with another year under Mike Nelson, things should look better.
4. The Mike Canales Affect- The biggest off-season move was the hiring of Mike Canales to be the OC and call plays. His candor and pedigree is top notch. Part of me wonders why hasn't this guy been offered a HC job somewhere by now? For North Texas his experience will be key, while grooming and working with Riley, Tune, and Thompson are priority one, two, and three. The changes he brings will be interesting and the most intriguing part of the spring.
5. Urgent sense of urgency- No question everyone knows what is on the line heading into this year. The question is will the players have that sense of urgency, passion, and drive it takes to turn around such a tough run of five straight losing seasons. Are we talking desperation? Yes I think so. Anyone who says otherwise hasn't been around here for too long.
To break the cycle of losing, it takes desperate players, coaches, and fans, and quite frankly North Texas has cornered the market on all three of those. How well does that translate into momentum on the field is yet to be seen, but the spring will be an early indicator.
