Troy University Athletics
Youth and Depth Top Concerns For 2008 Trojans
7/16/2008 5:00:00 AM | Football
Those questions include breaking in a new quarterback while also having young players at all of the other offensive skill positions; replacing one corner back who led the nation in interceptions, and another who was a first round NFL draft pick; going into a season with not one, but two, freshmen kickers; and, finally, facing a brutal schedule that will have his team on the road for seven of its first nine games.
Answering those questions will determine the type of year the 2008 Trojans have.
“We are a young football team, and we have some rebuilding to do,” Blakeney said. “But, our number one goal is to win the Sun Belt Conference, period. To win the league is critical.”
| After the game with
the Blue Raiders, Troy will face four consecutive non-conference games
that includes trips to face both LSU and Ohio State. Those two teams
faced off for the 2007 BCS National Title and will be looking to get
back in the championship picture. Following the four non-conference
games, the Trojans will travel to Florida Atlantic for a Tuesday night
game in early October on ESPN. “Middle Tennessee and Florida Atlantic are the first two games we will play in the league, and those are a huge priority,” Blakeney said. “We aren't going to say we aren't going to try to win every game, but those two games are important. Everything we do with our personnel, with our training, with injuries, will be geared toward those two games.” Taking the necessary steps to prepare to win those games started in the spring when answers were found as to the quarterback situation, but other questions still remain. “Cornerback is a huge concern for us,” Blakeney said. “We signed some junior college guys and we have some guys here we think can play. I think we are going to be OK in other areas, but we are only one key injury away from needing some young players to step forward.” |
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And to win the league, the Trojans must be ready for the rigors of conference play very early. Troy opens the 2008 campaign against arch-rival Middle Tennessee in the “Battle for the Palladium” on August 28. The rivalry game has normally been a late-season showdown, but will kickoff the Sun Belt season on Thursday night in Murfreesboro.
Trojans Retool on Offense for 2008
After two record setting seasons with Omar Haugabook at quarterback and Tony Franklin running the offense, the Troy Trojans will go back to the drawing board for 2008.
But, Trojan fans can rest easy because new offensive coordinator Neal Brown, the youngest coordinator in the entire Football Bowl Subdivision at 27, says nothing is going to change.
“We are going to do the same types of things,” Brown said. “What we have done here for the last two years has been successful. If something isn't broke, it doesn't need to be fixed.”
There will be differences in the 2008 Trojan attack, but that was going to happen regardless of who the coordinator is. Haugabook, the two-time Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Year at quarterback, is gone. In his place are a trio of young gunslingers. All of them have experience, but none has had to carry a team.
All three players ? sophomores Tanner Jones (Wakulla, Fla.) and Jamie Hampton (Cedar Bluff, Ala.), along with junior Levi Brown ( Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) ? gave strong performances during spring ball in the battle to replace Haugabook. Hampton came away with a slight advantage, but can not get comfortable with the other two breathing down his neck.
Brown said the best decision the coaching staff made in the spring was to do nothing.
“We recruited some junior college quarterbacks, but we did not sign one,” Brown said. “I was a little nervous about that, but now I think it was the best decision we could have made. We had three guys who performed well in the spring and I believe we have three guys, coming out of spring ball, that we can compete with and win.”
Hampton gained the advantage due in great part to his ability to run with the football. He showed off that running ability in his first collegiate game last year when he broke off a 56-yard scramble against Arkansas.
“The thing with Jamie is that he can move around the pocket,” Brown said. “As the spring progressed, he got better and better throwing the football. I think he can do some really good things. He is a winner and I am excited about him. He has worked hard, is a smart kid and I feel good about where he is.”
But, that doesn't mean that the job is wrapped up. Both Jones and Brown have stronger throwing arms, and Brown has experience as a starting quarterback at the I-AA level.
“Levi performed very well and Tanner improved as the spring went on,” Brown said. “Jamie has to get a lot better because Tanner and Levi are going to push him. If he doesn't continue to work hard and get better, those other two guys are going to catch him.”
But the retooling of the Troy offense does not start and end at quarterback. Also gone from 2007 are the teams' top two rushers (including Haugabook), and the top three receivers. The offense must also replace a multi-purpose back to was a key in the running games' improvement from the previous year.
In place of those players will be a group of youngsters, all of whom have played, but none of who has been in the spotlight like they will be this fall.
“Obviously, losing Omar is a great loss, but we have a guy coming in who is similar,” Brown said. “Losing Kenny Cattouse at running back, we have a guy who is similar. Losing Gary Banks at receiver, we have guys who can take up for that loss.”
In the backfield, the job falls to sophomore DuJuan Harris (Brooksville, Fla.). As a true freshman in 2007, Harris showed that he can be a more than adequate backup by rushing 82 times for 372 yards. Now, he will be asked to shoulder more of the load, but he won't have to do it alone. Speedy senior Xavier Moreland (Williamson, Ga.) (eight carries, 35 yards) returns and they will be joined by a junior college runner and a pair of high school signees.
Junior Maurice Greer (Denver, Colo.), who comes to Troy from Garden City Community College, is the most likely candidate to make an immediate impact in the backfield with Harris.
“DuJuan Harris has a chance to be really good, the sky is the limit for him,” Brown said. “We feel good about Greer because he is an older kid.”
Greer was named Mr. Football in Colorado as a senior and was ranked as a top 10 running back in the nation. But, his football career was interrupted by cancer.
“Greer was outstanding coming out of high school and he had a great freshman year in junior college,” Brown said. “Then he found out he had cancer. He had surgery, went through the chemo and sat out a year. When he came back, he wasn't the same player. He had an OK year last year and, now, his body is in much better shape.
“If he is as good as he was last year, he'll help us out in the passing game and with pass protection. If, however, he is as good as he was his freshman year, then we have a great situation, because he can be a difference maker.”
At receiver, the loss of Banks was about more than the numbers he produced on the field. Being just one year younger than the Trojans' new coordinator, Banks was like having an additional coach on the field.
“We are going to miss Gary Banks, no question about it,” Brown said. “His production, we'll be able to replace that, but what will be hard for us will be to replace his leadership. We have guys who can do all of the things that Gary did except we don't have the big, strong, physical guy right now.”
Despite losing the top three players in terms of receptions from last year, the Troy receiving corps returns 15 players who recorded at least one reception last year. Ten of those 15 players found their way into the end zone at the end of pass plays last year. But, like at running back, none has ever been asked to be”The Man”.
The most likely candidate to fill that role will be sophomore Jerrel Jernigan (Eufaula, Ala.). As a true freshman last year, Jernigan started to come into his own toward the end of the season and he finished the year fourth in receptions (30) and third in receiving yards (337).
“We have experience there,” Brown said. “Every kid we will put out there has played in a game. The difference is, those guys have to transition to being starters. They will be counted on more this year.
“We want to move Jerrel around and get him as many touches as he can handle. He has to show that he can be more durable than he was last year. He is dynamic with the ball and can do some special things. We want to get him the ball, but he is going to determine how much we can do.”
Senior Mykeal Terry (Fullerton, Calif.) is the most experienced of the returning receivers, but he had a down year in 2007 after finishing second in receiving the previous year. Kennard Burton (Pahokee, Fla.) and Gerald Tate (Sarasota, Fla.) are two other seniors who will try to build on what they did last year after arriving at Troy from junior college. Juniors Cornelius Williams (Hoover, Ala.) and Andrew Davis (Pelham, Ala.) also have two years in the offense, and, along with sophomore Austin Silvoy (St. Augustine, Fla.), will be expected to increase their production in 2008.
Two newcomers, junior college transfer TeBiarus Gill (Mobile, Ala.) from Jones County Junior College and freshman Chip Reeves (Stone Mountain, Ga.) will also have a chance to contribute.
The only skill area on offense where there is no ready replacement is at the H-Back, or fullback, spot. Last year, Sean Dawkins manned that position and was able to run, block, split outside and run pass routes and catch passes. That role will be divided this year with junior Travis Boyd (Lacey's Spring, Ala.) taking more of the tight end/pass catching duties, while junior Nathan Nolin (Graceville, Fla.) takes over more of the fullback duties.
Nolin moved to offense from linebacker in the spring and impressed his coaches.
“He has to put on some weight, but he has a great work ethic, is a great guy to have on offense,” Brown said. “He can catch, runs well and, if he continues on, he is a guy we can use. He is not Dawk, but if he can be the fullback and H back then he'll play some snaps and help us out in the running game.”
Boyd, a former walk-on like Nolin, saw some playing time at tight end last year and will likely see that duty increase this fall.
“He had a good spring last year and ended up playing about 20 snaps per game,” Brown said. “He still has to get better, but I think we will use the tight end more this year than we did last year. It helps so much in this offense to have a tight end, especially running the football.”
Entering 2007, the biggest question marks were up front where only one starter returned. Those questions were answered and now, entering the 2008 season, Troy has six players back with significant starting experience up front.
“Those guys were the unknown last year,” Brown said. “We had a couple of guys we knew were pretty good, but those guys played a lot better than we thought. A lot of the credit for that goes to John Schlarman, but they played higher than expectations. This year they will be called on to lead the offense.”
The line features anchors at both tackle spots and at center. Tackles Dion Small (Americus, Ga.) and Chris Jamison (Columbus, Ga.), along with junior center Danny Franks (Bartow, Fla.) make up the glue of the offense. All three have All-America ability and tons of experience.
“We are going to lean on those guys a lot to lead this offense, and I expect us to be better than we were last year, and we were pretty good up front last year,” Brown said. “It makes me feel a little better with a young quarterback and young running back, having those guys up front.”
Both guard spots could be up for grabs in the fall, even though both positions have returning starters. Wesley Potter (Bellevue, Wash.) started every game at right guard and Tyler Clark (Alabaster, Ala.), a walk-on, started five games at left guard. Both will get pushed by junior Steven Adams (Bruce, Fla.), who had a great spring, as well as senior Will Chambliss (Catula, Ga.), who started seven games last year, and junior Steven Merkel.
“Potter, Adams and Merkel will all get a chance at right guard,” Brown said. “Potter may have a slight edge, but he has to play better. A lot of his problem was because he was overweight. He is down to about 305 now and he moves better. Now, if we can get him playing low, he has a chance to be a good player.”
Clark came out of nowhere last year to take the starting job at right guard from Chambliss.
“He is a tough kid who competes, even though he is a little undersized,” Brown said. “I didn't even know who he was coming into camp. The first week of practice we figured out who he was. We gave him a chance and he ended up starting. He has gotten stronger, put on some weight, and we expect good things from him.”
Depth Will Be Key Concern on Defense
The focus of the Troy defensive staff during spring ball was simple ? find replacements for Leodis McKelvin and Elbert Mack at cornerback.
Obviously, that is easier said than done when you are talking about the No. 11 overall pick in the NFL Draft and the top pass thief in all of college football.
Replacing those two players will still be of utmost priority once the Trojans report to camp in late July, but that will be far from the only area of concern. While returning starters dot the depth chart on defense, behind them there is very little actual game experience.
“Finding depth across the defense, as well as finding two corners, are our biggest concerns,” Jeremy Rowell, who is entering his third season as defensive coordinator, said. “We have good experience coming back in our starters, but not much behind them.”
Corner remains the top priority, with senior Trevor Ford (Miami, Fla.), a transfer from Florida State, and sophomore Chris Bowens (Columbus, Ga.) tentatively penciled in as starters. Both showed flashes of their ability in the spring, but neither was consistent enough to etch their name in stone on the depth chart.
Both players will be pushed by junior college signees Kedric Manning (Eatonton, Ga.) and Jorrick Calvin (Baton Rouge, La.). A pair of freshmen, Bryan Willis (Columbus, Ga.) and KeJuan Phillips (Waycross, Ga.) will also get a look.
“Corner is a concern after losing those two guys because we don't have anyone else who has played,” Rowell said.
To help ease the burden on the corners, the Trojans will lean heavily on a trio of veteran safeties. Seniors Sherrod Martin (Griffin, Ga.), Terence Moore (Columbus, Ga.) and Tavares Williams (Gainesville, Fla.) have all played a lot of football over the last three years for the Trojans.
“Those guys will be the leaders back there,” Rowell said. “We are going to do some stuff with those guys to protect those corners a little, at least until we see what they can do. Hopefully, two of those corners will step up and we won't have any worries in the secondary. We feel pretty good about the nickel and the safeties.”
Martin, who Rowell says is the Trojans' best defender, moves back to free safety this year, switching places with Moore at the nickle. The move will give the Trojans a little bit bigger player in Moore to send on blitzes and help in the run game.
Of course, the key for the success of any secondary is the amount of pressure applied at the line of scrimmage. Up front, the Trojans have six veterans ? three at end and three at tackle ? to apply that pressure. But, like everywhere on the defense, there isn't much experience past those first six guys.
“We've got good experience coming back up front,” Rowell said. “We have Dion Gales (New Orleans, La.), Steve McLendon (Ozark, Ala.) and Maurice Coleman (Eufaula, Ala.) back inside, and two of those three have started. We have to have a little help there on the interior.
“At end, we lost Shawn Todd, but we get Brandon Lang (Tucker, Ga.) back from injury. We have a couple of JC guys coming in and a couple of young guys coming on, for depth. With Lang, Kenny Mainor (Brunswick, Ga.) and Cameron Sheffield (Portal, Ga.), all pretty good guys, back. The biggest deal is depth. We have to add some bodies and build up.”
Lang missed most of last season after suffering a torn ACL in the win over Oklahoma State. With his combination of size (6-4, 249) and speed, he has a chance to be a cross between former Trojans DeMarcus Ware and Osi Umenyiora, although Rowell doesn't want to hang that label on him just yet.
“Lang is a big-time player,” Rowell said. “He has great size and a good motor to make plays. He doesn't have the kind of speed that Demarcus had, but he has more size. He doesn't have as much strength as Osi, but he has more speed. He is more of a combination of the two, but he is not on their level yet. Fortunately, he still has two years left, but he definitely has a chance to be in their category.”
Junior Boris Lee (Fargo, Ga.) returns to anchor the linebacking corps after leading the team in tackles last year. Rowell said he has a chance to be better this year because he will enter the season with more size.
“Boris has gained some weight, up into the 220s, which will be 20-25 pounds heavier than last year,” Rowell said. “He has another year of experience. He is a wonderful football player, but he needs to keep getting better.”
Lee will be flanked my another former walk-on at the Will linebacker spot. Junior Bear Woods (Macclenny, Fla.), who came to Troy as a quarterback, came into his own last year and continued to make strides in the spring.
“He had a great spring, made a bunch of plays and is a very smart player,” Rowell said. “He will be able to help us. But, behind those guys we have to find some depth. Guys like Donnell Golden (Quitman, Ga.), Lennie Richardson (Ashburn, Ga.) and Xavier Lamb (Tallahassee, Fla.) need to step up and be ready to help out. David McDowell (Asheville, NC) had some minor injuries last year, but he will need to step up and help us this year.”
Special Teams Starting from Scratch
The one area where the Trojans have no experienced returnees is on special teams. Last year Greg Whibbs handled all of the placements and most of the punting, while Leodis McKelvin was an All-American as a return man.
Both leave big shoes to fill.
A pair of redshirt freshmen will take over the kicking duties. Michael Taylor (Pensacola, Fla.) will handle placements and kickoffs while Will Goggans (Douglas, Ga.) will assume the punting duties.
“I worry a lot about that,” Blakeney said. “We can do some things to help those young guys out, but we have to be good at it. I think both of those guys have a chance to be good.”
The positive for both is that the holder, Austin Silvoy, and snapper, Derick Thomas (Elba, Ala.), are back. Last year was the first for either of them to handle those duties and both performed well.
The race to fill the shoes left by McKelvin is wide open and will likely be split among several players. Sophomores Jerrel Jernigan and KeJuan Harris handled most of the returns in the spring, but they will likely be challenged for the jobs by incoming junior Jorrick Calvin, who handled returns in junior college, as well as diminutive freshman T.J. Mitchell (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.), a speedy running back from south Florida.
“I think Jerrel is a guy who can shoulder a lot of the load,” Blakeney said. “He is a guy who could make, or break us, if he can stay healthy.”
To help ease the transition of the kickers and returners, the Trojans will employ a host of experienced special teams players on both the kick coverage and return teams. Headlining that group will be seniors Sherrod Martin, Terence Moore and Xavier Moreland along with junior Courtland Fuller (Columbus, Ga.) and sophomore Bryant McKissic (Phenix City, Ala.).
Schedule Makers Not Kind To Troy
Seven of the first nine games are on the road. Included in that stretch are road games against the two schools that have shared the Sun Belt Conference title with Troy the last two seasons ? Middle Tennessee in 2006 and Florida Atlantic is 2007. Also included are trips to face LSU and Ohio State ? both of which figure to be back in the top five in the nation this year ? as well as a journey to face an Oklahoma State team that will still be smarting from the loss they took in Troy last year.
“We have to play them all,” Blakeney said. “We can't cancel the games. It is a unique schedule, but we have to find a way to shape it and make it work for us. If we can survive the first month, then we will have a lot of soft time between games later in the year.
“If we can still be in the race after that first part of the schedule, then we may have a chance. But, everyone in this league can beat you.”
