W
Wes Mitchell
Guest
-- All four of South Carolina's quarterbacks did some good things today and I think it's important not to judge too much out of one day, though it's all we have to go off of right now. Just watching the practice from the sideline, it's easy to point out that Connor Mitch had a couple of interceptions, but Steve Spurrier said after practice that those were the fault of the receiver on each play. Spurrier doesn't really go out of his way to let his quarterback off the hook in practice, so when he says that and throws Mitch some praise, you have to take it at face value. While Spurrier still isn't going to name a starter, it certainly seems like Mitch has the edge at this time.
-- Anyone watching practice Saturday could also see that freshman quarterback Lorenzo Nunez is immensely talented. It's a process and they're going to bring Nunez along at his pace, but he looks calm and comfortable out there despite just being five days into practice. Nunez has a quiet confidence about him, stands tall in the pocket and has a stronger arm than he was probably given credit for in the recruiting process. Nunez throws a tight spiral and his passes have some zip to them. He also holds the ball high and tight by his ear the way Spurrier likes. One thing Nunez worked on hard this offseason is looking off defenders and it seemed like he was very deliberately looking one way before firing to the other direction.
The fact that Nunez has some wheels has been well-established and on one play that the refs blew dead due to him being touched (no tackling of QBs), if it had been a real game, he'd have been running for a long time. Nunez, who is in the 215 pound range, also has some size to him and isn't one who shies away from contact from what I've been told. He's going to have to manage that a bit against SEC defenders, but he can get the extra yard when needed. I think it's important to manage expectations and not put too much on him too early, but at the very least I feel comfortable saying he can help this team in some way even if its just five snaps a game early in the season.
-- We all know what Pharoh Cooper can do, and it appears Deebo Samuel is locked in as one of the other starters (he had the play of the day on a deep ball that he snatched over the defender), so I'm going to concentrate more on the other young receivers. Terry Googer seems to be coming into his own at wide receiver and does a good job of adjusting to the ball. He's got soft hands. Nunez connected with him perfectly on a corner route near the beginning of the one-on-one work.
As one source who has watched 7-on-7 this summer told me, "D.J. Neal is going to play" this year. Neal still has to learn where he's going on every given play (that's normal), but he looks like a million bucks physically. Neal is big, smooth and fast. I don't want to break out any crazy comparisons yet, because it's too early, but he's definitely got a chance to be a good one.
Jalen Christian was recruited as a quick, agile slot receiver and he appears to be just that. They're still learning, but there's definitely young talent at the wide receiver position.
-- I've got high expectations for junior Jordan Diggs at the strong safety spot this year. Diggs just looks more comfortable than ever. He's in excellent shape and has become more of a vocal leader. I've said it many times this offseason, the team needs leaders to step up and Diggs seems to be doing that. Before a red zone play, I heard him encouraging the defensive line -- "we need you here" -- and then after a big play, he's one of the first to yell a congratulations to his teammates. That's something that I believe was absent last year and will pay off this year.
-- Despite the fact that he worked with the second team at the beginning of practice, I'd be shocked if Isaiah Johnson is not a starter by the opener. By the end of practice Johnson and Diggs were on the field at the same time and those two can be a great duo. Johnson looks athletic and has a knack for finding the ball. He had an interception in the back of the end zone on a tipped pass.
-- There were times Saturday when the defense really locked down the offense. At one point, four plays in a row were completely blown up. Marquavius Lewis ripped into the backfield and blew up a jet sweep for a five yard loss, T.J. Gurley was all over a RB screen, and then Dexter Wideman went darting up the middle for a sack on third and long. When they reset the downs, Abu Lamin got in on the action with a tackle for no gain.
-- The first team offensive line held up pretty well, I thought. But when the second-team is in there, there were two and sometimes three freshmen on the field at the same time. Not coincidentally, the offense really struggled when that many young players were on the field.
-- A nice little battle at cornerback may quietly be brewing. Chris Lammons and Rico McWilliams are running with the ones, but Al Harris Jr. played like a man on a mission today. He's always been a physical player, but as a freshman Harris had a habit of putting himself in a position where he'd end up interfering or holding. Harris is still physical, but seems to be more under control now. Even if he doesn't start, I have a feeling he's going to play a ton and play well. He just looks poised for a nice year.
**Stay tuned for more coverage from Saturday's practice**
-- Anyone watching practice Saturday could also see that freshman quarterback Lorenzo Nunez is immensely talented. It's a process and they're going to bring Nunez along at his pace, but he looks calm and comfortable out there despite just being five days into practice. Nunez has a quiet confidence about him, stands tall in the pocket and has a stronger arm than he was probably given credit for in the recruiting process. Nunez throws a tight spiral and his passes have some zip to them. He also holds the ball high and tight by his ear the way Spurrier likes. One thing Nunez worked on hard this offseason is looking off defenders and it seemed like he was very deliberately looking one way before firing to the other direction.
The fact that Nunez has some wheels has been well-established and on one play that the refs blew dead due to him being touched (no tackling of QBs), if it had been a real game, he'd have been running for a long time. Nunez, who is in the 215 pound range, also has some size to him and isn't one who shies away from contact from what I've been told. He's going to have to manage that a bit against SEC defenders, but he can get the extra yard when needed. I think it's important to manage expectations and not put too much on him too early, but at the very least I feel comfortable saying he can help this team in some way even if its just five snaps a game early in the season.
-- We all know what Pharoh Cooper can do, and it appears Deebo Samuel is locked in as one of the other starters (he had the play of the day on a deep ball that he snatched over the defender), so I'm going to concentrate more on the other young receivers. Terry Googer seems to be coming into his own at wide receiver and does a good job of adjusting to the ball. He's got soft hands. Nunez connected with him perfectly on a corner route near the beginning of the one-on-one work.
As one source who has watched 7-on-7 this summer told me, "D.J. Neal is going to play" this year. Neal still has to learn where he's going on every given play (that's normal), but he looks like a million bucks physically. Neal is big, smooth and fast. I don't want to break out any crazy comparisons yet, because it's too early, but he's definitely got a chance to be a good one.
Jalen Christian was recruited as a quick, agile slot receiver and he appears to be just that. They're still learning, but there's definitely young talent at the wide receiver position.
-- I've got high expectations for junior Jordan Diggs at the strong safety spot this year. Diggs just looks more comfortable than ever. He's in excellent shape and has become more of a vocal leader. I've said it many times this offseason, the team needs leaders to step up and Diggs seems to be doing that. Before a red zone play, I heard him encouraging the defensive line -- "we need you here" -- and then after a big play, he's one of the first to yell a congratulations to his teammates. That's something that I believe was absent last year and will pay off this year.
-- Despite the fact that he worked with the second team at the beginning of practice, I'd be shocked if Isaiah Johnson is not a starter by the opener. By the end of practice Johnson and Diggs were on the field at the same time and those two can be a great duo. Johnson looks athletic and has a knack for finding the ball. He had an interception in the back of the end zone on a tipped pass.
-- There were times Saturday when the defense really locked down the offense. At one point, four plays in a row were completely blown up. Marquavius Lewis ripped into the backfield and blew up a jet sweep for a five yard loss, T.J. Gurley was all over a RB screen, and then Dexter Wideman went darting up the middle for a sack on third and long. When they reset the downs, Abu Lamin got in on the action with a tackle for no gain.
-- The first team offensive line held up pretty well, I thought. But when the second-team is in there, there were two and sometimes three freshmen on the field at the same time. Not coincidentally, the offense really struggled when that many young players were on the field.
-- A nice little battle at cornerback may quietly be brewing. Chris Lammons and Rico McWilliams are running with the ones, but Al Harris Jr. played like a man on a mission today. He's always been a physical player, but as a freshman Harris had a habit of putting himself in a position where he'd end up interfering or holding. Harris is still physical, but seems to be more under control now. Even if he doesn't start, I have a feeling he's going to play a ton and play well. He just looks poised for a nice year.
**Stay tuned for more coverage from Saturday's practice**
