Day Two: Fall Camp
By: Josh Stowers
Day two of Marshall’s Fall Camp was “Thunderstruck” on Saturday, literally! Lightning flashed and thunder sounded over Huntington right before practice started forcing Doc Holliday and his team inside of the sauna-like Chris Cline Athletic Complex. I can’t begin to imagine what it felt like to be the players inside there because this 37-year old body was sweating through my shirt just by standing still…lol. Anyways, let’s get to the good stuff!
Eye Test
Most fans would rather see the team in full pads, but I don’t mind seeing players in shorts and t-shirts because it allows you to better gauge how good of shape they’re in. For instance, I paid attention to the newcomers quite a bit, just so I could see who I thought was physically ready to play at this level given the new “red-shirt” rule. Although he’s already sat out a year, red-shirt freshman Darius Hodge is a man among men. Listed at 251 pounds, he’s as chiseled as any other player on the roster and he carries the weight extremely well. On one play Saturday, he used a swim move to the inside to blow by fellow freshman Dalton Tucker. Speaking of Tucker, the kid is massive and he’s going to play. It would not shock me in the least to see him as possibly the fourth player in the rotation at tackle. Other newcomers that impressed me with their physical prowess were Artie Henry, Ty Terrell, Markeis Colvin, Arak McDuffie, Koby Cumberlander, and Owen Porter. Henry is fast. On one occasion Saturday, a ball was over thrown and I didn’t think he had a chance at it, but he made it a lot closer when he turned on the jets. Terrell is a wide receiver in a running back’s body. Colvin is a big body at cornerback and possesses “Predator-like” dreads. McDuffie is a big, long body. I could see him moving inside (like Ryan Bee), just because of his size. He could possibly use a red-shirt year to add to his frame, but I could see him playing his four games this year. Cumberlander, like Hodge, is impressive. The guy is solidly built at 245 pounds, and he looks very comfortable going through drills. Porter has bulked up since I saw him last fall playing against Hurricane. He’s bulked up so much, that a few of us were discussing the possibility of him moving inside at some point as well.
Quarterbacks
Here in lies the biggest question of fall camp. Who will be the starting quarterback when the Thundering Herd travels to Oxford on September 1st? Well, Day Two didn’t answer that question as all three quarterbacks expectedly experienced their own ups and downs. Alex Thomson was the first quarterback to take snaps on Saturday. My first opinion of him was how compact of a throwing motion he has. There is very little wasted motion in his throws, which allows him to get the ball out quickly. His arm strength doesn’t seem to suffer due to such a short motion either as he shows good zip on all throws. The other thing that impressed me about Thomson was his ability to run at 6-5, 233 pounds. He’s not going to make anyone miss, but if he gets in the open field, he’s going to get yardage. He broke loose twice (one scramble and one designed) Saturday for bigger gains. He also made two very nice pre and post snap reads which led to big plays on Saturday. First, he checked at the line after looking over the defense and hit Willie Johnson on a 60-yard touchdown. Later on, he looked off the safety and hit Talik Keaton on the backside with a very nice touch throw in between the sideline and defender. Speaking of Keaton, he’s a long, rangy receiver that will likely see the field this fall as well. Like I said earlier though, Thomson also had some rust, which is to be expected. Overall, I thought he had a good day and I like his makeup. Not just because of what he did on the field, but how he acted on the sideline while Green and Morrell were on the field as well.
Isaiah Green is one of the more physically gifted quarterbacks that Holliday has recruited during his time at Marshall. With a simple flick of the wrist, the ball comes out like a rocket and he’s able to move the pocket very well. He just needs to find consistency is everything he does. One minute he’s doing things that make you say “wow” and the next he’s doing something to make you say “why?” For instance, on one throw across the middle Saturday, he found Marcel Williams through a really small window. Later on, he tried something similar by throwing into double-coverage and it was almost intercepted. His growth as a player and understanding of how to be consistent will continue to be the two biggest things in his development. I thought Garet Morrell looked considerably more comfortable yesterday than he did later in spring practice. His arm is stronger and he’s throwing with more confidence, which may be the biggest thing. With that said, I still think he may be on the outside looking in.
Ty’re Brady
I don’t even know what more could be said about the guy. He’s just a really good football player, and he didn’t disappoint yesterday as a scout from the Denver Broncos looked on. It doesn’t matter if he’s going through drills, playing with the “one’s” or tossing the ball around on the sideline, the guy remains focused at all times. Typically, Brady is the first receiver on the field and last to leave and yesterday was no different. I literally enjoy watching him practice as much as I enjoy watching him play. Anyways, he made a catch Saturday that left Grant Traylor, Jason Corriher, and myself speechless. Although it was on the far side, and I don’t know how much room he truly had, he made a catch over top of a defender, in traffic that a normal guy just doesn’t make. Even Chris Jackson, who was defending, got up laughing because he was in such shock. Speaking of Jackson, he had a really good skeleton portion of practice. I’ll touch on that in a little bit. Back to Brady though, I think he’s set for a monster season and in my opinion, he’s the best receiver we’ve had at Marshall since Randy Moss. Everything about the guy says “NFL receiver.”
Offensive Highlights
Keion Davis looks like he’s dropped a little more weight and looks as fast or faster than last season. He took a handoff off the left side Saturday for a big gain. Tyler King is Tyler King. Anthony Anderson looks like he’s in the best shape of his career. He’s even practicing with out the knee brace, which is a good sign in my opinion. Red-shirt freshman Sheldon Evans looks the part. It’ll be interesting to see him at full speed. Cody Mitchell ran with the ones. Xavier Gaines is the x-factor there. Armani Levias ran with the two’s primarily and had a really nice catch and run down the sidelines. Alex Locklear has dropped weight (30 pounds or so) and finally looks like he’s going to be able to contribute. The off-season was very good to Alex Mollette and Will Ulmer. Both added good weight. The first five (L-R) were Ulmer, Jordan Dowrey, Levi Brown, Alex Mollette, and Tarik Adams. Nate Devers spelled all three inside positions. As I said earlier, Dalton Tucker along with Locklear, will likely figure into the tackle rotation.
Defensive Highlights
Safety is a position that’s going to be fun to watch during camp. There’s a lot of competition going on there with Malik Gant, Nazeeh Johnson, and Brandon Drayton. Kereon Merrell looks to have the early lead for the third cornerback spot and took first-team reps at the nickel-back spot as well. He’s added some good weight and looks much more confident than he did last fall or even in the spring. Up front, depending on how quickly Cumberlander and Hodge progress, we’re probably looking at a starting four of Juwon Young, Ryan Bee, Channing Hames, and either Ty Tyler or Marquis Couch. I think the staff would rather keep Tyler on the inside, but again, it depends on how quickly the younger guys come along. Hames has added some good weight during this off-season. He’s not much bigger in terms of actual weight, but his weight distribution looks better. Not to sound like a broken record here, but our linebacker depth is the strength of our team. Chase Hancock, Frankie Hernandez, and Artis Johnson took first-team reps followed by Omari Cobb, Jaquan Yulee, and Donyae Moody. Cobb and Yulee both took reps at the “MIKE” position. That doesn’t even figure guys like Tyler Brown, Dallas Martin, or Tavante Beckett into the equation. Brown will play. I don’t know how much he’ll play, but he’s going to see the field. Jackson and Jaylon McClain-Sapp love to compete. Both of those guys are going to benefit going against the best receiver in the league every day. We’re going to have to stay healthy in the secondary though. Merrell looks like he may be ready and Nirion Washington has a chance, but beyond that we’re a little thin in terms of guys that could really make an impact if I were to make an assessment on August 5th, 2018.
Overall
It was day two of camp, the guys were wearing helmets and shorts, and it was mainly install-type play calling. With that said, I love how these guys compete. Being able to be on the field allowed me to see how they’re interacting with one another and you can see that they care about each other and winning. Media Day starts at 1:00pm today at Joan C. Edwards Stadium followed by practice this afternoon at 6:30pm. I’ll be in attendance for both so we’ll have more to talk about this evening. See you guys in a little bit!
By: Josh Stowers
Day two of Marshall’s Fall Camp was “Thunderstruck” on Saturday, literally! Lightning flashed and thunder sounded over Huntington right before practice started forcing Doc Holliday and his team inside of the sauna-like Chris Cline Athletic Complex. I can’t begin to imagine what it felt like to be the players inside there because this 37-year old body was sweating through my shirt just by standing still…lol. Anyways, let’s get to the good stuff!
Eye Test
Most fans would rather see the team in full pads, but I don’t mind seeing players in shorts and t-shirts because it allows you to better gauge how good of shape they’re in. For instance, I paid attention to the newcomers quite a bit, just so I could see who I thought was physically ready to play at this level given the new “red-shirt” rule. Although he’s already sat out a year, red-shirt freshman Darius Hodge is a man among men. Listed at 251 pounds, he’s as chiseled as any other player on the roster and he carries the weight extremely well. On one play Saturday, he used a swim move to the inside to blow by fellow freshman Dalton Tucker. Speaking of Tucker, the kid is massive and he’s going to play. It would not shock me in the least to see him as possibly the fourth player in the rotation at tackle. Other newcomers that impressed me with their physical prowess were Artie Henry, Ty Terrell, Markeis Colvin, Arak McDuffie, Koby Cumberlander, and Owen Porter. Henry is fast. On one occasion Saturday, a ball was over thrown and I didn’t think he had a chance at it, but he made it a lot closer when he turned on the jets. Terrell is a wide receiver in a running back’s body. Colvin is a big body at cornerback and possesses “Predator-like” dreads. McDuffie is a big, long body. I could see him moving inside (like Ryan Bee), just because of his size. He could possibly use a red-shirt year to add to his frame, but I could see him playing his four games this year. Cumberlander, like Hodge, is impressive. The guy is solidly built at 245 pounds, and he looks very comfortable going through drills. Porter has bulked up since I saw him last fall playing against Hurricane. He’s bulked up so much, that a few of us were discussing the possibility of him moving inside at some point as well.
Quarterbacks
Here in lies the biggest question of fall camp. Who will be the starting quarterback when the Thundering Herd travels to Oxford on September 1st? Well, Day Two didn’t answer that question as all three quarterbacks expectedly experienced their own ups and downs. Alex Thomson was the first quarterback to take snaps on Saturday. My first opinion of him was how compact of a throwing motion he has. There is very little wasted motion in his throws, which allows him to get the ball out quickly. His arm strength doesn’t seem to suffer due to such a short motion either as he shows good zip on all throws. The other thing that impressed me about Thomson was his ability to run at 6-5, 233 pounds. He’s not going to make anyone miss, but if he gets in the open field, he’s going to get yardage. He broke loose twice (one scramble and one designed) Saturday for bigger gains. He also made two very nice pre and post snap reads which led to big plays on Saturday. First, he checked at the line after looking over the defense and hit Willie Johnson on a 60-yard touchdown. Later on, he looked off the safety and hit Talik Keaton on the backside with a very nice touch throw in between the sideline and defender. Speaking of Keaton, he’s a long, rangy receiver that will likely see the field this fall as well. Like I said earlier though, Thomson also had some rust, which is to be expected. Overall, I thought he had a good day and I like his makeup. Not just because of what he did on the field, but how he acted on the sideline while Green and Morrell were on the field as well.
Isaiah Green is one of the more physically gifted quarterbacks that Holliday has recruited during his time at Marshall. With a simple flick of the wrist, the ball comes out like a rocket and he’s able to move the pocket very well. He just needs to find consistency is everything he does. One minute he’s doing things that make you say “wow” and the next he’s doing something to make you say “why?” For instance, on one throw across the middle Saturday, he found Marcel Williams through a really small window. Later on, he tried something similar by throwing into double-coverage and it was almost intercepted. His growth as a player and understanding of how to be consistent will continue to be the two biggest things in his development. I thought Garet Morrell looked considerably more comfortable yesterday than he did later in spring practice. His arm is stronger and he’s throwing with more confidence, which may be the biggest thing. With that said, I still think he may be on the outside looking in.
Ty’re Brady
I don’t even know what more could be said about the guy. He’s just a really good football player, and he didn’t disappoint yesterday as a scout from the Denver Broncos looked on. It doesn’t matter if he’s going through drills, playing with the “one’s” or tossing the ball around on the sideline, the guy remains focused at all times. Typically, Brady is the first receiver on the field and last to leave and yesterday was no different. I literally enjoy watching him practice as much as I enjoy watching him play. Anyways, he made a catch Saturday that left Grant Traylor, Jason Corriher, and myself speechless. Although it was on the far side, and I don’t know how much room he truly had, he made a catch over top of a defender, in traffic that a normal guy just doesn’t make. Even Chris Jackson, who was defending, got up laughing because he was in such shock. Speaking of Jackson, he had a really good skeleton portion of practice. I’ll touch on that in a little bit. Back to Brady though, I think he’s set for a monster season and in my opinion, he’s the best receiver we’ve had at Marshall since Randy Moss. Everything about the guy says “NFL receiver.”
Offensive Highlights
Keion Davis looks like he’s dropped a little more weight and looks as fast or faster than last season. He took a handoff off the left side Saturday for a big gain. Tyler King is Tyler King. Anthony Anderson looks like he’s in the best shape of his career. He’s even practicing with out the knee brace, which is a good sign in my opinion. Red-shirt freshman Sheldon Evans looks the part. It’ll be interesting to see him at full speed. Cody Mitchell ran with the ones. Xavier Gaines is the x-factor there. Armani Levias ran with the two’s primarily and had a really nice catch and run down the sidelines. Alex Locklear has dropped weight (30 pounds or so) and finally looks like he’s going to be able to contribute. The off-season was very good to Alex Mollette and Will Ulmer. Both added good weight. The first five (L-R) were Ulmer, Jordan Dowrey, Levi Brown, Alex Mollette, and Tarik Adams. Nate Devers spelled all three inside positions. As I said earlier, Dalton Tucker along with Locklear, will likely figure into the tackle rotation.
Defensive Highlights
Safety is a position that’s going to be fun to watch during camp. There’s a lot of competition going on there with Malik Gant, Nazeeh Johnson, and Brandon Drayton. Kereon Merrell looks to have the early lead for the third cornerback spot and took first-team reps at the nickel-back spot as well. He’s added some good weight and looks much more confident than he did last fall or even in the spring. Up front, depending on how quickly Cumberlander and Hodge progress, we’re probably looking at a starting four of Juwon Young, Ryan Bee, Channing Hames, and either Ty Tyler or Marquis Couch. I think the staff would rather keep Tyler on the inside, but again, it depends on how quickly the younger guys come along. Hames has added some good weight during this off-season. He’s not much bigger in terms of actual weight, but his weight distribution looks better. Not to sound like a broken record here, but our linebacker depth is the strength of our team. Chase Hancock, Frankie Hernandez, and Artis Johnson took first-team reps followed by Omari Cobb, Jaquan Yulee, and Donyae Moody. Cobb and Yulee both took reps at the “MIKE” position. That doesn’t even figure guys like Tyler Brown, Dallas Martin, or Tavante Beckett into the equation. Brown will play. I don’t know how much he’ll play, but he’s going to see the field. Jackson and Jaylon McClain-Sapp love to compete. Both of those guys are going to benefit going against the best receiver in the league every day. We’re going to have to stay healthy in the secondary though. Merrell looks like he may be ready and Nirion Washington has a chance, but beyond that we’re a little thin in terms of guys that could really make an impact if I were to make an assessment on August 5th, 2018.
Overall
It was day two of camp, the guys were wearing helmets and shorts, and it was mainly install-type play calling. With that said, I love how these guys compete. Being able to be on the field allowed me to see how they’re interacting with one another and you can see that they care about each other and winning. Media Day starts at 1:00pm today at Joan C. Edwards Stadium followed by practice this afternoon at 6:30pm. I’ll be in attendance for both so we’ll have more to talk about this evening. See you guys in a little bit!
