Ebahn Feathers was not given much time to throw the ball forcing him to let it fly much earlier than he would have wished to do. Overall this drill teaches the freshmen the quickness of the college football game. Each play was run in succession with no huddle as the players on offense were only given twenty-five seconds to run each play.
From this point on in practice the groups split up in order to begin individual drills. Porter Hill was dressed out and practicing with the defensive line. For freshmen the Bulldogs defensive line has some amazing size. Logan Harrell was most impressive today in drills as he seems to be sound with respect to fundamentals. Matt Akers is very quick off the line and Anthony Williams’s size gives him an advantage as he should be able to drive through the center of opposing team’s offensive line without problems. BB.C would venture to say that all three of these players will see significant playing time during their freshmen seasons.
Offensively the usual suspects are looking good each day in practice. Matt Lindsay knows all the plays and it shows when he lines up. Lindsay did not drop one pass thrown in his vicinity today. We realize that Fresno State is loaded at receiver but the Bulldogs are going to have to find a way to get Lindsay on the field. He is too talented to sit. We wouldn’t be surprised to see Lindsay taking on the same role that Devin Wylie did in 2007. Jevon Stallworth showed great hands today as well as he was able to reel in some passes that were either behind him or above him. Matt Faulkner has to be the most impressive of this group as he understands the playbook, has a strong arm, and makes one great throw after another. BB.C can tell that Faulkner’s confidence is through the roof this season. Fresno State will be lucky to have a third QB with as much potential as Faulkner has.
Rashad Evans may be short but his explosive side reminds BB.C of Clifton Smith. If Evans is able to work on his pass catching skills he will find himself contributing to this offense much sooner than most expect. A.J. Ellis is a larger version of Smith as he has the ability to make the first tackler miss nearly every time. Overall these two freshmen were impressive today. If they are able to continue improving they will both see the field of play at one point or another during their freshmen seasons. Michael Harris also lined up at running back today wearing #26. Harris has amazing speed to the outside and on one play was able to turn the corner untouched downfield. BB.C was impressed with Harris’s speed today. Finally David Gory may be the diamond in the rough that Fresno State needs this season. Gory is tall with very similar size to Ryan Skidmore. The only difference so far is Gory has shown far better hands than anyone aside Lindsay. Gory generally reels in everything near him and has explosive speed off of the line. If Gory continues to improve he may see himself move up the depth chart faster than most.
Overall the third practice for the freshmen went much better than the first one. The players look to be gelling quite well and while this will not be the squad that takes the field this season their development is important for the future of Bulldog football.
Practice Notes:
Gory, Lindsay, and Stallworth have great hands.
Faulkner has become the team leader with respect to the freshmen.
Ellis, Evans, and Harris all have amazing upsides due to their speed, vision, and quickness.
Logan Harrell is going to be a force on defense. He has the drive to become a better player each day and it shows when he steps on the field.
Matt Akers will be dangerous rushing the QB. He has a great amount speed and strength that he uses to his advantage.
Anthony Williams is determined to make a difference. He will see the field of play often during his freshmen season.
Spacht looked decent at center today. He knows the position well and it shows when he is on the field.
The Bulldogs freshmen offensive and defensive lines have amazing size. This may be one of the largest groups to come through Fresno State.
Q Brown worked out with the freshmen in competition drills. He looks to be helping the younger players understand their roles on the field during each play.
Nuss may run a similar offense to J-Mac but the way he carries himself is the exact opposite. Nuss does a good job of explaining what he expects each play from those in the offense. He seems to be a good teacher for these young players.