Now that the depth chart is out I wanted to share a few more observations I made and some others that were shared with me. I'd assume some other practice watchers could weigh in with their opinions to either back me up... or disagree.
- Justin Calhoun at corner was reported quickly into fall camp and now we see he's listed as the starter. Calhoun showed quickly that his time in high school as a corner was a skill he'd not rapidly forgotten. He showed some good technique in coverage and pretty quickly made the jump to starting. As it's obviously apparent the 7 corners (Nash, Calhoun, Crow, Cowans, Egbo, Hemphill, and Eaton) for the Griz lack a lot of game time experience at their position, but I don't think this group lacks skill and ability. They're going to have their share of bad showings as they build experience, but I like what I'm seeing out of these guys and I think they're going to establish a core group of dudes we'll be able to rely on for years... there's no seniors in this group!
- Deming at TE will impress. He went from not being a guy with many reps or mention in the fall to backing up Bingham and hopping over Hill. He's got good size and every time I caught a practice I'd notice him doing good stuff.
- Cody Meyer at center has had quite the off-season. Last year he backed up Cooper Sprunk and really didn't seem much time outside of ST duty. Enter spring ball and he's still a backup and fighting his way into the starting rotation. He opens fall a backup but is clearly rewarded for his work on and off the field as he's awarded with a scholarship, praised by his coaches, lands the starting job, and has rocked it. Meyer's a scrappy dude and has that type of edge I think many will appreciate.
- So, no surprise at WR with the starters but seeing Burton crack the 2-deep is damn cool. A walk-on kid that's fought to stay on the roster for years, now getting a shot to be a contributor. I also think that there's a WR or two that's not on this 2-deep that will end up with some meaningful stats before the season is done. Mitch Roberts is another guy that's been rewarded for a real strong season so far. He got 1st team reps in the spring and has really continued to make good things happen rotating around with different QBs and different WR corps.
- I'm hoping what I've seen from this D-line carries over. It may be a tougher show against a skilled UNI team but this season this group has really come together. Reggie Tilleman is the heart and soul of this defense. Nelson and Nagler... not sure if one or both will replace Schye's numbers but I like what I'm seeing out of these guys.
- Robby Hauck is starting for a multitude of reasons. He's a damn smart player, maybe one of the better tacklers on the team, is skilled at forcing turnovers, and within just a week of spring ball he was helping his teammates with playcalls, where to line up, and giving them tips and help. Miller is more stout and Robby has the advantage of having a spring camp up on him, but Robby has clearly earned his job in this fan's eyes.
- I'm going off what I saw and can't really report on how film and team meetings and whatnot have gone but I don't feel Humphrey is too far behind Sneed. Additionally I think as a 3rd string guy Wilson maybe has been one of the best improved players from spring to fall. I get Bobby's comments of "not being worried" about QB is presumably meant as a jab but it also has some general truth to it.
- Bobby himself has adapted and learned from his other coaching stops. That's apparently clear, and some of his other assistants who I've observed before or who were here with the prior staff have adapted as well. I think there was some initial concern that a coach like Bobby who excelled here 10 years ago won't be able to connect and adapt to kids now and the changes in the game... I don't see that at all after watching this team in the spring and the fall.
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I'm excited for what the Griz will show Saturday. I believe they'll win but I have reservations and concerns like we all do and really do see this game as a toss-up.
This fall camp brought out some great stuff I'd not seen in years:
- Better focus on execution in specific moments
- Far better attention to even the smallest details
- Tougher and more competitive camp, but fortunately no noticeable extra amount of injuries
- Clearly identifiable leaders within each position group
- A better tier of accountability from head coach to coordinators to assistants to players/positions
- Position depth settled in really fast, the few battles ironed out within days
- Per my observation it seemed no one's job was presumed to be safe, bad effort and bad days would find a guy demoted for a day, which usually would in turn have him respond with his best performance yet
As I said in a prior post, I think this team's effort, fight, and intensity will be something all fans will appreciate. Losses will happen at the hands of clearly better teams but it wont come at the expense of the Griz lacking motivation or making a ton of errors in execution.
I'm pumped for this season to start!
GO GRIZ!
