Thunderclap's first practice report...

[thunderclap]

Okay. I was out there from the start through the 7-on-7, about an hour and a half. Remember, not all of the team was out there, but most all of the freshmen.

Position notes:
Wells worked with safeties
Banks with corners
J. Lewis with WRs
Howie with DTs
Hill with TEs (and this is the one that stood out to me. I kept trying to figure out who the new, tall, athletic TE was. He looks like a guy who fits the spread TE well)

Other:
A lot of position work, drills and such.
It's hard to watch Manny Diaz and Chris Wilson not be optimistic about these hires.
J. Lewis is quick and made several plays in 7 on 7. Robert Johnson also looked pretty good, better than I anticipated. Carr looks the part.
Favre can flat out sling it.
Nick Griffin looked pretty solid with the RBs.

And finally:
In the spring of 2009, I watched Relf struggle daily, with everything. Footwork, decisions, throwing the ball, making the pitch. Today, I saw a completely different player. I have no idea what he will do this year, but today he was confident and sharp and if he were to change numbers, you'd think it was a different dude altogether.

 

[thunderclap]

Okay. I was out there from the start through the 7-on-7, about an hour and a half. Remember, not all of the team was out there, but most all of the freshmen.

Position notes:
Wells worked with safeties
Banks with corners
J. Lewis with WRs
Howie with DTs
Hill with TEs (and this is the one that stood out to me. I kept trying to figure out who the new, tall, athletic TE was. He looks like a guy who fits the spread TE well)

Other:
A lot of position work, drills and such.
It's hard to watch Manny Diaz and Chris Wilson not be optimistic about these hires.
J. Lewis is quick and made several plays in 7 on 7. Robert Johnson also looked pretty good, better than I anticipated. Carr looks the part.
Favre can flat out sling it.
Nick Griffin looked pretty solid with the RBs.

And finally:
In the spring of 2009, I watched Relf struggle daily, with everything. Footwork, decisions, throwing the ball, making the pitch. Today, I saw a completely different player. I have no idea what he will do this year, but today he was confident and sharp and if he were to change numbers, you'd think it was a different dude altogether.

 

[thunderclap]

Okay. I was out there from the start through the 7-on-7, about an hour and a half. Remember, not all of the team was out there, but most all of the freshmen.

Position notes:
Wells worked with safeties
Banks with corners
J. Lewis with WRs
Howie with DTs
Hill with TEs (and this is the one that stood out to me. I kept trying to figure out who the new, tall, athletic TE was. He looks like a guy who fits the spread TE well)

Other:
A lot of position work, drills and such.
It's hard to watch Manny Diaz and Chris Wilson not be optimistic about these hires.
J. Lewis is quick and made several plays in 7 on 7. Robert Johnson also looked pretty good, better than I anticipated. Carr looks the part.
Favre can flat out sling it.
Nick Griffin looked pretty solid with the RBs.

And finally:
In the spring of 2009, I watched Relf struggle daily, with everything. Footwork, decisions, throwing the ball, making the pitch. Today, I saw a completely different player. I have no idea what he will do this year, but today he was confident and sharp and if he were to change numbers, you'd think it was a different dude altogether.

 

[dgsmith15]

Are you by chance going to make it to this afternoon's session as well?

 

[thelaw]

It's hard to watch Manny Diaz and Chris Wilson not be optimistic about these hires.

That's awesome.

Anything on Whitley?

 

[dawgstudent]

[No message]

 

[shutterdawg]

Thanks. Good report. Spent a lot of time talking with Brandon Hill's dad at practice. He said he was told by Mullen Brandon will get some time at LB as well as WR. Mracus Green and Kenrick Cook were really taking him under their wing during the position drills and giving him some pointers and encouragement. I think he will fit in wellat TE and could provide some key depth and be ready to take over where Marcus leaves off after his senior season.

 

[LTblows]

I am not looking forward to the day that some team takes that from me.

 

[MaverickAG]

as I was before the La Tech debacle. Sharing a bar in NYC with a huge contingent of Bama fans, watching both games on a split projection screen really took the life out of me. However, with what the coaching staff showed me last year, I'm already treading dangerously close to that level again.

 

[zerocooldog]

Is it time for the Tyler Russell transfer talk yet?</p>

 

[Coach34]

.

 

[jcdawgman18]

Okay. I was out there from the start through the 7-on-7, about an hour and a half. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Remember, not all of the team was out there,</span> but most all of the freshmen.

I know last year they did it to where it was just newcomers in the morning, but you mention Relf and shutter mentions the TEs. Was it more of a mix today?

 

[Coach34]

shocking if true

 

[AzzurriDawg4]

nm

 

[GABully24]

By the beginning of the season, I will believe we are a 10 win team. WOOL BABY!

 

[shutterdawg]

Yes-they had the split practices because of it coinciding with summer term final exams. All the position groups were represented (I think) but not a full squad.

 

[patdog]

From what I saw in the 4A title game, Favre had one of the strongest, most accurate arms I've seen from a HS QB.

 

[57stratdawg]

the BEST QB in the SEC in my mind by the end ofAugust, he will also be assured a top 10, maybe 15, pick in next year's NFL draft. The only flaw being an unjustified bias against spread qbs.
</p>

 

[Coach34]

a 4-star QB that's 6'4 and a state champion with all the hype that Russell had should be throwing the ball better than a 2-star wishbone QB and a 5'11, 175 pound QB

 

[markymark.sixpack]

from being good at anything to do with the QB position....didn't you know that?

 

[thunderclap]

.

 

[RonnyAtmosphere]

... Favre had outstanding stats in HS, & those stats have even been posted here several times.


But the desired sixpack narrative is that Favre is a joke, so somehow his stats are either cooked or mis-leading.


coach34% calls anybody an idiot who doesn't agree with his statistical analysis of Stansbury.


But any statistical analysis of Favre's QBing ability is to be immediately dismissed out of hand.

 

[patdog]

All I'll say is that I was one of Favre's biggest doubters until I actually saw him play a game. And hype be damned, what I saw was a very good QB.

 

[fishwater99]

nm

 

[patdog]

Still, no one should be surprised that Favre is throwing the ball well. I've been saying since the 4A title game last year that he's going to surprise a lot of people.

 

[Coach34]

and yes, I was talking about Relf

 

[ckDOG]

as least in my comparison of him to Brunetti. I still think the staff used Favre as a backup plan once it was clear we lost out on that battle.

That being said, I hope Favre makes me look like like the dumb *** arm chair QB idiot that I likely am. I don't care if he's a short. Midgets grow. He doesn't necessarily have to sit in the pocket and try to see over the trees as he would in a pro-style offense. A cannon + a little mobility in our offense can set you up for success despite being vertically challenged. I don't doubt his arm, but I'll be very interested in seeing if he's mobile/durable enough to outrun/take hits from SEC defenses. If he can, you never know what might happen...

 

[OMlawdog]

Of course, I guess that was ok to do.

<table summary="user post and replies"><tbody id="post-id-261283" class="expandable thread-post odd post reply RonnyAtmosphere post-read"><tr><td class="th firstcol poster-name"><span class="user-name">

<font color="#660000">RonnyAtmosphere</font></span></td><td class="th post-subject"><span class="post-title">I appreciate the fact you saw...</span></td><td class="th post-number">#5</td><td class="th post-url"><a name="reply-261283"></a><font color="#660000">[url]</font> </td><td class="th toggle lastcol"><span class="collapse-button">[-]</span></td></tr><tr class="collapsible-content"><td class="firstcol poster-detail"><div class="avatar-block"><p class="user-avatar"> </p><p class="post-count"><span>Posts</span>: 3142</p><p class="post-date"><span class="date">12/06/09</span> <span class="time">12:26 AM</span></p><p class="custom_title">Chairman of the National Archives
</p></div></td><td class="lastcol post-content" colspan="4"><div class="post-body"><div class="scrolling"><div>..Dylan Favre play in person, but MSU has been just down the road where a QB under 6 ft. tried to get the job done.

Relf, Newton & Russell are, as far as height, where we need to be right now.

Dylan Favre sounds like a good fit for Southern Miss or Delta State, but I think the MSU fanbase is pretty worn out over watching little men try to play QB for the maroon & white. </div></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table>
Its officially football season.

 

[patdog]

Because until I did, I would have agreed with you completely. And yes, I admit that game turned me into a Favre sheep (that really hurt to type because I never like his uncle at all).

 

[99jc]

him. Looks just like Brett when he was in college. Damn that was wooly. But it was true from my observation.

 

[RonnyAtmosphere]

...the MSU fanbase is worn out over seeing little men play QB.


Relf, Newton & Russell are, as far as height, where we need to be right now. That's true.


Favre probably should have signed with Southern or Delta State, but he didn't. SInce he's a MSU player, I'm now going to pull for him.


Lastly, anybody who claimed Anthony Dixon would be benched haflway through the 2009 season because "he doesn't fit Mullen's spread offense" shouldn't be linking stalker posts.

 

[Tds &amp; Beer]

It was starters and freshman practicing this morning. Everyone else is afternoon. This is meant so the Freshman will get a better understanding of the tempo and schedule of practice for the rest of the season. Didn't see anyone answer that question.

 

[Todd4State]

And as many know, I don't care for him and I don't think he will do anything other than be a holder for us.

I'm not "dismissing him because of his height"- I will admit that is part of it, because the fact of the matter is a QB that has good size- and there is a hell of a lot of difference between 5'9" and Drew Brees being 6'0"- is typically going to be more projectable. Ask yourself this- if height isn't a desiriable trait in QB's, why aren't they all 5'8"? Maybe every football coach in America is wrong to.

But beyond that, the game that I saw Favre play, he completed about 50% of his passes, he floated most of them, his arm motion was horrible, and the offense at St. Stanislaus appeared to be let Boomer Scarbrough and Krisjohn Wilkerson- two very good WR's for a 4A school run down the field and let Favre throw it up for grabs and let them out jump everyone. Wilkerson is walking on at MSU by the way.

I've seen film of Favre to- and it was equally unimpressive.

And hell, maybe I just happened to go to the worst game that Favre ever played in his life. Maybe you went to the best game he ever played in his life. I know that Dan wanted at least three QB's ahead of him. I don't think that's up for debate.


I do think that people just pick out the height thing mainly because of Tyson Lee and Henig, but they are also ignoring the other deficiencies that Favre has.

And I'm like ck- I hope he proves me wrong. I hope he set every MSU passing record, leads us to the Sugar Bowl, goes on to be better than Brett and wins multiple Super Bowls. More than likely he maybe starts as a fifth year senior- assuming he can beat out Dak Prescott, and I don't think he will, and is at best an average QB.

 

[patdog]

And for the record, I'm not claiming he's going to be a 3-year starter for us and set any records. But I do think he can be a good backup and possible 5th year starter.

 

[Coach34]

better than Russell. That would make my year

All I've seen are highlights, and that's no way to completely judge someone of course...If he can get the job done, great for us

 

[louddawg.sixpack]

And as many know, I don't care for him and I don't think he will do anything other than be a holder for us.

I'm not "dismissing him because of his height"- I will admit that is part of it, because the fact of the matter is a QB that has good size- and there is a hell of a lot of difference between 5'9" and Drew Brees being 6'0"- is typically going to be more projectable. Ask yourself this- if height isn't a desiriable trait in QB's, why aren't they all 5'8"? Maybe every football coach in America is wrong to.

But beyond that, the game that I saw Favre play, he completed about 50% of his passes, he floated most of them, his arm motion was horrible, and the offense at St. Stanislaus appeared to be let Boomer Scarbrough and Krisjohn Wilkerson- two very good WR's for a 4A school run down the field and let Favre throw it up for grabs and let them out jump everyone. Wilkerson is walking on at MSU by the way.

I've seen film of Favre to- and it was equally unimpressive.

And hell, maybe I just happened to go to the worst game that Favre ever played in his life. Maybe you went to the best game he ever played in his life. I know that Dan wanted at least three QB's ahead of him. I don't think that's up for debate.

I do think that people just pick out the height thing mainly because of Tyson Lee and Henig, but they are also ignoring the other deficiencies that Favre has.

buzzkill...
</p>

 

[maroonmania]

given you've seen him play and I never have. That being said, it just amazes me that a guy WITH the physical limitations he has that was not exactly playing at a football powerhouse at St. Stanislaus could put up the numbers he did and break all the state and national records he did and yet still look as unimpressive as you make it out. I know you can only evaluate what you saw but somehow it just doesn't make a lot of sense to me. You don't put up the numbers he did just by throwing the ball up for grabs over and over.

 

[Todd4State]

given you've seen him play and I never have. That being said, it just amazes me that a guy WITH the physical limitations he has that was not exactly playing at a football powerhouse at St. Stanislaus could put up the numbers he did and break all the state and national records he did and yet still look as unimpressive as you make it out. I know you can only evaluate what you saw but somehow it just doesn't make a lot of sense to me. You don't put up the numbers he did just by throwing the ball up for grabs over and over.

no doubt about it. But remember- key word here is high school. Peyton Johnson at Madison Central was a good QB in high school. That does not mean that he would be a good D-I QB. Chris Garrett was a good QB in high school as well. You can get away with a lot more in high school than you can the SEC.

Like I said, Favre had two really good WR's in Boomer Scarbrough who was 6'3" and Wilkerson who was pretty tall himself as well. They were taller than most 4A DB's and could out jump most 4A DB's as well. They ran a spread at SSC where Favre threw it a lot- and with what they had, I don't blame them. I'm sure Dylan got some pointers from his uncle as well, and that helped him out some as well. And Favre was better than most players in 4A- he is certainly is a guy that could walk-on at any D-I school and be a scout team guy. But playing guys from Bay St. Louis high, Hancock, and Mendenhall is a lot different than Alabama. Heck, his team lost to Jackson Prep.


Think about it like this- it's like Hawaii and Texas Tech. They have QB's that put up huge numbers that are not necessarily going to be good in the NFL. It's the same way in high school. It's hard to evaluate QB's at any level based on stats because they're so dependent on what kind of system a team runs.

 

[TaleofTwoDogs]

But I agree that Favre is a damn good HS QB, whether that translates to a damn good SEC QB only time will tell. As far as I'm concerned, the only place the players need to prove it is on the field not on the interweb message boards.

 

[KurtRambis4]

that concerned me the most about Favre wasn't entirely his height, but his lack of legit offers. Also, he seemed to be about our 5th option during recruiting. But I have faith in Mullen turning him into a serviceable QB, if needed.