Troy University Athletics
Trojans Open Spring Drills Today
3/19/2008 5:00:00 AM | Football
Troy University head football coach Larry Blakeney will open spring practice in preparation for his 18th season with the search for a new starting quarterback chief among the many areas of concern.
The Trojans, who have shared two consecutive Sun Belt Conference titles with Omar Haugabook having won back-to-back league Offensive Player of the Year awards, have four candidates in camp who will be vying to replace the departed star.
“We have a lot of questions that need to be answered this spring, and quarterback is certainly one of the most important,” Blakeney said. “We also have to replace two very good corners, most of our leading receivers and our running back. We also have a lot of work to do on special teams.”
With the departure of Haugabook, the battle for the starting QB job will be between three sophomores and one junior. New offensive coordinator Neal Brown said that there isn't much difference between any of the contenders.
“Right now, they are all starting on equal footing,” Brown said. “Hopefully, one or two of them will separate from the pack fairly quickly, but I don't have a front-runner going into spring practice.”
The lone junior in the mix is also the only one of the four to have never taken a snap in a game for Troy. Levi Brown sat out last year after transferring from Richmond. All three sophomores ? Jonathan Chandler, Tanner Jones and Jamie Hampton ? saw playing behind Haugabook over the last two years, but none saw major playing time.
Jones completed 13-of-27 passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns last year while Hampton completed 6-of-11 for 45 yards and a score. Chandler, who redshirted last year, was 2-of-2 for minus one yard in 2006. Hampton has a redshirt season available while the other three have used their redshirts.
Making things easier for the young quarterbacks is the return of a veteran offensive line that includes six returning starters. That group will be bolstered even more by a strong core of returning veteran backups.
The new quarterbacks will be throwing and handing the ball to new starters, but several have been game-tested over the last two seasons. Seniors Kenard Burton and Mykeal Terry both have starting experience and sophomore Jerrel Jernigan showed signs of being a game-breaker last year.
Sophomore DuJuan Harris is the only returning back with significant playing experience, having rushed for 372 yards as a true freshman last year.
On defense, the Trojans must replace two of the most dynamic corners in the country. Elbert Mack led all of college football with eight interceptions last fall and Leodis McKelvin is likely to be the first defensive back taken in the upcoming NFL Draft.
Helping to ease those losses is the return of three veteran safeties ? seniors Sherrod Martin, Tavares Williams and Terrence Moore. Senior Trevor Ford and sophomore Chris Bowens are the leading candidates to start at corner.
Junior Boris Lee, who along with senior offensive lineman Dion Small was named to the Lombardi Award Watch List for 2008, is the only returning starter at linebacker. Lee led the Trojans in tackles as a sophomore and is a legitimate Defensive Player of the Year candidate in the Sun Belt.
Up front, much of the focus will be on the return of junior Brandon Lang, who suffered a knee injury early last season and missed the rest of the year. His healthy return gives the Trojans a formidable returning front line.
The loss of McKelvin also causes problems on special teams where he was one of the top kick returners in the nation for the last four years. The Trojans must fill that void, as well as the one left by the departure of Greg Whibbs, who handled all of Troy's kicking duties last year.
The Trojans will work for three days in shorts before getting into full gear on Saturday. Practice will continue next week leading up to the annual T-Day game, which is scheduled for Saturday, March 29, at 1:30 p.m.
The Trojans, who have shared two consecutive Sun Belt Conference titles with Omar Haugabook having won back-to-back league Offensive Player of the Year awards, have four candidates in camp who will be vying to replace the departed star.
“We have a lot of questions that need to be answered this spring, and quarterback is certainly one of the most important,” Blakeney said. “We also have to replace two very good corners, most of our leading receivers and our running back. We also have a lot of work to do on special teams.”
With the departure of Haugabook, the battle for the starting QB job will be between three sophomores and one junior. New offensive coordinator Neal Brown said that there isn't much difference between any of the contenders.
“Right now, they are all starting on equal footing,” Brown said. “Hopefully, one or two of them will separate from the pack fairly quickly, but I don't have a front-runner going into spring practice.”
The lone junior in the mix is also the only one of the four to have never taken a snap in a game for Troy. Levi Brown sat out last year after transferring from Richmond. All three sophomores ? Jonathan Chandler, Tanner Jones and Jamie Hampton ? saw playing behind Haugabook over the last two years, but none saw major playing time.
Jones completed 13-of-27 passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns last year while Hampton completed 6-of-11 for 45 yards and a score. Chandler, who redshirted last year, was 2-of-2 for minus one yard in 2006. Hampton has a redshirt season available while the other three have used their redshirts.
Making things easier for the young quarterbacks is the return of a veteran offensive line that includes six returning starters. That group will be bolstered even more by a strong core of returning veteran backups.
The new quarterbacks will be throwing and handing the ball to new starters, but several have been game-tested over the last two seasons. Seniors Kenard Burton and Mykeal Terry both have starting experience and sophomore Jerrel Jernigan showed signs of being a game-breaker last year.
Sophomore DuJuan Harris is the only returning back with significant playing experience, having rushed for 372 yards as a true freshman last year.
On defense, the Trojans must replace two of the most dynamic corners in the country. Elbert Mack led all of college football with eight interceptions last fall and Leodis McKelvin is likely to be the first defensive back taken in the upcoming NFL Draft.
Helping to ease those losses is the return of three veteran safeties ? seniors Sherrod Martin, Tavares Williams and Terrence Moore. Senior Trevor Ford and sophomore Chris Bowens are the leading candidates to start at corner.
Junior Boris Lee, who along with senior offensive lineman Dion Small was named to the Lombardi Award Watch List for 2008, is the only returning starter at linebacker. Lee led the Trojans in tackles as a sophomore and is a legitimate Defensive Player of the Year candidate in the Sun Belt.
Up front, much of the focus will be on the return of junior Brandon Lang, who suffered a knee injury early last season and missed the rest of the year. His healthy return gives the Trojans a formidable returning front line.
The loss of McKelvin also causes problems on special teams where he was one of the top kick returners in the nation for the last four years. The Trojans must fill that void, as well as the one left by the departure of Greg Whibbs, who handled all of Troy's kicking duties last year.
The Trojans will work for three days in shorts before getting into full gear on Saturday. Practice will continue next week leading up to the annual T-Day game, which is scheduled for Saturday, March 29, at 1:30 p.m.
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