It's the first day of fall camp for the Tigers today, who are currently still practicing as I type this.
There wasn't much going on in the 45 or so minutes that the media got to attend but here are some of my takeaways from what I saw:
1. Logan Reichert is enormous.
The four-star true freshman, who the Tigers hope is one of their star offensive lineman of the future, is massive. At 6-foot-6 and 369 pounds, you can't miss Logan Reichert. Or his goggles or whatever eyewear he had on (we're usually very far away from the action) and or his double knee braces.
He's 31 pounds heavier than the second biggest player on the roster, offensive lineman Curtis Peagler.
It's safe to assume that this probably isn't Reichert's playing weight being this is his first fall camp, but he is a sight to behold.
2. Triston Newson is quick.
The transfer linebacker has been the rave of the offseason among transfers for his ballhawk abilities but watching him go through a few drills I notice he is very quick. Everything Triston Newson did, seemed fluid and quick.
Let me preface this by saying the drills they were doing were individual drills. I didn't see anyone face the offense or even really another position group.
So, there's a difference between being fast in drills versus being fast on the field.
But what I saw him do just look fluid and quick. Particularly, this scoop/tackle drill.
I don't know the name of the drill, so I'll describe it.
Linebackers form two lines. One linebacker in the left line has to scoop a tumbling football while running towards the football while the linebacker in the right line has to tackle a tackle wheel. Then after a player does one drill in one line he moves to the other line and does that part of the drill.
Some linebackers fumbled the ball trying to scoop it up but Newson scooped it up in stride. Again, this is what I saw from one drill and he could be messing up every other scoop drill for the rest of the day for all I know.
Obviously, there are 24 more practices after today. So, we'll see how much of a ballhawk he really is but you can tell when a player has a knack for the ball.
3. Ennis Rakestraw and Darius Robinson
This one is pretty simple. cornerback Ennis Rakestraw looked pretty toned up and defensive lineman Darius Robinson has slimmed down a little. I know Drinkwitz said on the radio sometime last week that Robinson had lost 20 or so pounds as he moves to defensive end and I can see it.
For the portion of practice I saw, he was working with the defensive ends alongside DJ Wesolak, who was listed on the roster as a linebacker but for all intents and purposes is an EDGE.
4. Earning numbers
Players earning their numbers is still a thing. The roster has every player and their number for the season on it, and that's mainly because they've already taken pictures in their uniforms with the numbers. But the players will still have to earn them.
Transfers and early enrollees like Newson, Brayshawn Littlejohn, Marvin Burks, and Jahkai Lang were players I saw who had numbers already. I didn't see every transfer or freshman who attended spring ball, so it's possible not everyone has earned their numbers. But I'd like to think that they have by this point.
There wasn't much going on in the 45 or so minutes that the media got to attend but here are some of my takeaways from what I saw:
1. Logan Reichert is enormous.
The four-star true freshman, who the Tigers hope is one of their star offensive lineman of the future, is massive. At 6-foot-6 and 369 pounds, you can't miss Logan Reichert. Or his goggles or whatever eyewear he had on (we're usually very far away from the action) and or his double knee braces.
He's 31 pounds heavier than the second biggest player on the roster, offensive lineman Curtis Peagler.
It's safe to assume that this probably isn't Reichert's playing weight being this is his first fall camp, but he is a sight to behold.
2. Triston Newson is quick.
The transfer linebacker has been the rave of the offseason among transfers for his ballhawk abilities but watching him go through a few drills I notice he is very quick. Everything Triston Newson did, seemed fluid and quick.
Let me preface this by saying the drills they were doing were individual drills. I didn't see anyone face the offense or even really another position group.
So, there's a difference between being fast in drills versus being fast on the field.
But what I saw him do just look fluid and quick. Particularly, this scoop/tackle drill.
I don't know the name of the drill, so I'll describe it.
Linebackers form two lines. One linebacker in the left line has to scoop a tumbling football while running towards the football while the linebacker in the right line has to tackle a tackle wheel. Then after a player does one drill in one line he moves to the other line and does that part of the drill.
Some linebackers fumbled the ball trying to scoop it up but Newson scooped it up in stride. Again, this is what I saw from one drill and he could be messing up every other scoop drill for the rest of the day for all I know.
Obviously, there are 24 more practices after today. So, we'll see how much of a ballhawk he really is but you can tell when a player has a knack for the ball.
3. Ennis Rakestraw and Darius Robinson
This one is pretty simple. cornerback Ennis Rakestraw looked pretty toned up and defensive lineman Darius Robinson has slimmed down a little. I know Drinkwitz said on the radio sometime last week that Robinson had lost 20 or so pounds as he moves to defensive end and I can see it.
For the portion of practice I saw, he was working with the defensive ends alongside DJ Wesolak, who was listed on the roster as a linebacker but for all intents and purposes is an EDGE.
4. Earning numbers
Players earning their numbers is still a thing. The roster has every player and their number for the season on it, and that's mainly because they've already taken pictures in their uniforms with the numbers. But the players will still have to earn them.
Transfers and early enrollees like Newson, Brayshawn Littlejohn, Marvin Burks, and Jahkai Lang were players I saw who had numbers already. I didn't see every transfer or freshman who attended spring ball, so it's possible not everyone has earned their numbers. But I'd like to think that they have by this point.
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