The Warhawks took the field on a wet and rainy day Thursday to continue their Spring Practice sessions. There was more mixing of players with different units than in previous practices, with more overall energy with the players having their first practice in full pads.
One noticeable difference was Justin Backus’s presence with the first team defense on over half of the reps. Backus will be looking to cement his role as a leader on the team both emotionally and as an outstanding safety this year. He also got several looks in special teams.
The majority of the practice was focused on 1s against 1s and competition. The battle in the trenches got going as Coach Sale was able to get a really good luck at how his Offensive Line stacked up. They were able to open up several holes in the run game, but were still struggling with some protection issues in the passing game. Still, ULM was not very successful at running the football last year, so any improvement running is a welcome sight.
Special team coverage was also highly emphasized. The coaches really worked with the players on technique for rushing after the punter and getting pressure. Roland Jenkins was definitely the star of the drills. The coaches were using his technique as a benchmark for Jenkins’s teammates to follow. Craig Ford is still the leader to be the Punter for the Warhawks this year, as his punts consistently had great height and distance. The punt return duties will fall between Tyler Cain, Marcus Green, and Tre’ Perrier.
As for the front seven (or should I say front six), Shaq Warren, Nate Link, and Caleb Tucker were all highly impressive coming off the edge; the defensive line has great depth with David Elias, Jaylen Veasley, and Donald Louis showing signs of greatness. Howard Houston made progress on the inside, but still has some work to do before he surpasses Colton Moorehead and David Elias. David Griffith and Chase Day have some large shoes to fill at linebacker, but they definitely seem up to the task. Cody McGuire got several looks at DE today, which is different from the LB position he was recruited for.
As far as offensive sets go, the team still ran out of either shotgun or pistol formation. However, they ran a variant of the pistol with a FB beside the quarterback for extra blocking. There was also a 2 RB variant of the shotgun formation splitting the quarterback with Ajalen Holley in the backfield. The coaches may look to use him the same way Luther Ambrose was used several years ago.
The Warhawks will return to the practice field Saturday, March 19 at 3:00 P.M. for their second practice in full pads.
One noticeable difference was Justin Backus’s presence with the first team defense on over half of the reps. Backus will be looking to cement his role as a leader on the team both emotionally and as an outstanding safety this year. He also got several looks in special teams.
The majority of the practice was focused on 1s against 1s and competition. The battle in the trenches got going as Coach Sale was able to get a really good luck at how his Offensive Line stacked up. They were able to open up several holes in the run game, but were still struggling with some protection issues in the passing game. Still, ULM was not very successful at running the football last year, so any improvement running is a welcome sight.
Special team coverage was also highly emphasized. The coaches really worked with the players on technique for rushing after the punter and getting pressure. Roland Jenkins was definitely the star of the drills. The coaches were using his technique as a benchmark for Jenkins’s teammates to follow. Craig Ford is still the leader to be the Punter for the Warhawks this year, as his punts consistently had great height and distance. The punt return duties will fall between Tyler Cain, Marcus Green, and Tre’ Perrier.
As for the front seven (or should I say front six), Shaq Warren, Nate Link, and Caleb Tucker were all highly impressive coming off the edge; the defensive line has great depth with David Elias, Jaylen Veasley, and Donald Louis showing signs of greatness. Howard Houston made progress on the inside, but still has some work to do before he surpasses Colton Moorehead and David Elias. David Griffith and Chase Day have some large shoes to fill at linebacker, but they definitely seem up to the task. Cody McGuire got several looks at DE today, which is different from the LB position he was recruited for.
As far as offensive sets go, the team still ran out of either shotgun or pistol formation. However, they ran a variant of the pistol with a FB beside the quarterback for extra blocking. There was also a 2 RB variant of the shotgun formation splitting the quarterback with Ajalen Holley in the backfield. The coaches may look to use him the same way Luther Ambrose was used several years ago.
The Warhawks will return to the practice field Saturday, March 19 at 3:00 P.M. for their second practice in full pads.
