Thinking about the 2015 recruiting class I decided to look at who on the current roster will still be around in 2015 and see where the holes are to be filled with 2015 recruits.

2015 Offense:

QB Austin Robinson SO
Blake Bogenschutz RS FR
Manny Harris (Commit)

RB Brian Vaughn SR
Jarveon Williams JR
Jalen Rhodes SO
Treston Coleman JR
Triston Coleman RS FR
Jess Anders (Commit)
Matt Guidry (Commit)
D'Anthony Hopkins (Commit)

WR Kenny Bias SR
Sean Hesler SR
Miles Lerch JR
Greg Campbell RS FR
Aron Taylor SO
Brady Jones SO
Aaron Grubb SR
Tyrell Clay SO
Kerry Thomas RS FR
Farquan Shorts (Commit)
Treveon Hamilton (Commit)
Peyton Hall (Commit)

TE David Morgan SR
Trevor Stevens JR
Cade Laufer SR
Blake Dean SR
Cameron Oliver RS FR

OL Will Cavanaugh SR
Zack Hester SR
Jordan Gray SR
Alex Delgado JR
Cody Cole JR
Kyle McKinney SO
Reed Darragh SO
Juan Perez SO
David Anzaldua RS FR
Brent Swanson JR
Jay Craft II SR
Kris Salinas SO
Michael Roberson SR
Kelby Wickline FR
Michael Leagan RS FR
Alex Snow (Commit)

Looking at the offense I think we definitely need a JUCO QB or Transfer. We could also use an Athlete to replace Kam Jones. Billy McCrary III would be ideal. The offensive line needs work: JUCO plus high school recruits. What do the rest of you think?

2015 Defense

DT Brian Price SR
Anthony Lee SO
Kennedy Ubabuike SR
Joseph Brooks RS FR
Kevin Strong RS FR
John Paul Davilla SO

DE Jason Neill SR
Justyn Edins SR
Codie Brooks JR
Skylar Nelson SO
Marcus Davenport RS FR

LB Drew Douglas SR
Dalton Miller JR
Kenneth O'Neal SO
Marcos Curry SO

CB Bennett Okotcha SR
Fred Blow JR
Trevor Baker SR
Aneas Henricks SO
K'Neal Bailey SO
Stanley Dye SO
Darrick Watkins SR

FS Justin Chavez SO
Nate Gaines RS FR

Rover Chase Dahlquist JR
Mauricio Sanchez SR
Duke Wheeler SR
Gage Hadlock JR
Isiah Santos RS FR

Dawg Michael Egwuagu JR
Justin Todd RS FR
Regan Robichuax SR

Recruiting for 2015 there are numerous needs on defense and to-date no commits. IMO the greatest need is at the safety positions. CB, LB & DE look pretty solid. Could use a JUCO DT or two. What do you guys think?

Huge day for UTSA on the recruiting front. Every class needs a face and Harris may become that guy for other recruits.

Commit 101: Harris

Hey guys. Mike, Matty, and myself will be recording a podcast tonight to discuss our thoughts coming out of the spring. Please let me know of any questions you would like for us to hit on whether it be impressions from the spring game, recruiting opinions, or anything off topic. I'll update this with a live link and an mp3 download once it's available.

It's that time again. Below is a list of recruits who have been invited to the spring and who will attend the spring game.

Attending

ATH
Jeffery Okudah - '17 S. Grand PrairieBilly McCrary III - '15 Rouse (UTSA offer) Jeremy Wilson - '15 John TylerNick Cain - '15 John TylerDarrance James - '15 Gonzales Brayden Beard - '15 FredricksburgQB
Koy Detmer Jr. '15 Somerset
RB

DeUnte Chatman - '15 Summer Creek
WR
Dale Williamson - '15 Texarkana Kerry Thomas - '14 A&M Consolidated (UTSA signee)TE
Connor Hobbs - '15 Bishop Thomas K. Gorman CathChance McLeod - '17 Victoria EastOL
Joseph Gonzales - '15 WacoHenry W. Mitchell III - '15 ManorDE
Sam Miller - '15 Canton (UTSA offer)Dustin McWhorter - '15 GrahamDT
P.J. Glover - '15 WoodlandsKevin Strong - '14 Cleveland (UTSA signee)LB
Austin Corbett - '15 Plano EastXavier Zamora - '16 ManorAdrian Hunter - '16 ManorCB
Cairo Attaway - '16 Midway Jonathan Durham - '15 Aledo Aaron Christy - '15 MansfieldS
Will Echols - '15 Cypress ChristianP/K


Invited - Can't attend or Not sure if attending
Quan Shorts - '15 WR Atascocita (has track)Marlon Lewis - '15 ATH New Caney Porter
Erik McCoy - '15 OT Lufkin (basketball tourney)Bryce Balous - '15 CB McKinney North (track) Baylen Baker - '15 DE Wylie (track)

This post was edited on 4/25 6:11 AM by WesCrochet

Here are my 20 thoughts from the spring game.

20 Thoughts

Talked to a handful of recruits after UTSA's spring game and the general consensus was it that it went very well. Many walked away more impressed with the team and the program.

The staff also told recruits their recruiting is a process but that they would be by their high school soon to check out their own spring practices.

"It was a good atmosphere in the Dome and the defense looked really good. I talked to the coaches and they were just reminding me how much they like me and need me. And they told me they were coming down to see me in the next few weeks during my spring ball... My interest level in UTSA for sure went up a little bit just from being able to finally see some football in the Dome and see some fans out. But I've always been pretty high on UTSA." - '15 Highland Park OL Clayton Woods (holds UTSA offer and a North Texas offer)

"It was great! I saw a lot of stuff I loved. I talked to the defensive coordinator, coach Neathery and he said he would love to get me down here but that they are going to take the process slow. They want me to come down there one more time to see if I'm comfortable with it all. But they said they are going to keep in touch with me every day." - '15 John Tyler DB Isaac Warren (no offers yet). Sounds like he is close to a UTSA offer though.

"The spring game was pretty good. The coaches mainly talked about how big I've gotten and that they would be down to visit me in two weeks. No talk of an offer just yet, but I liked a lot about the visit. For the most part, I liked watching the offense and their type of play-calling." - '15 Kingwood QB Jaylon Henderson (holds Eastern Washington offer). Sounds like Henderson is in the next tier down on UTSA's board. But he has the potential to rise with solid showings in camps and also in the fall. But at the QB position, Manny Harris is still clearly #1 on UTSA's board while guys like L.G. WIlliams, Da'Shawn Key, and J.W. Ketchum are still up there as well. But out of those four guys (Harris, Williams, Key, and Ketchum) Harris and Key have seemingly been the two that had shown the most interest in UTSA, Harris being #1 in that regard as well.

"I really liked the school and the coaches. Coach Popovich showed me the school, and the other coaches were very nice and great to meet as well. No talk of an offer but they did show me a lot of interest." - '15 John Tyler DE Jassavia Reese. The DE position is one position the staff appears to be taking their time with. But as we've seen with all linemen positions on offense and defense, the staff likes to take their time with these positions so they have chances to see them in person. From looking at UTSA's defensive line right now, coach Roark and the staff definitely know what they are doing with those positions.

"I loved UTSA and the spring game. I really like the coaches and the uniforms. The coaches told me they will be down for my spring practice and my spring game. They also told me they like my size. Coach Roark actually happens to also be the recruiter for my area, so that's cool. We didn't talk about an offer but I feel that it's coming soon." - '16 Kimball DE Demerick Gary

"I loved the spring game atmosphere... UTSA and I have been talking quite a bit. They've said they don't need a LB for this spring but after my season in the fall, there's a great possibility they will offer me. I would most definitely consider UTSA. I mean, I'd have to weigh my options at the time, but I love UTSA." - '15 Blinn C. C. (JUCO) LB Garrett Sharp


As you can see, the general consensus from these recruits and more is that the UTSA coaches will be by in the spring to see them workout in person. With good workouts, certain recruits will get the "OK" from the coordinators and eventually from Coker, and then an offer will follow.





This post was edited on 4/29 12:24 AM by WesCrochet

Huge fan of his game. Got to watch him up close at this year's state championship game in Arlington. Great player, but his highlight video is a bit skewed because Aledo's district really is horrible.

Anders

For Dave Campbell's magazine I have to grade the UTSA position units based on OVERALL talent at the position for this fall. Here are mine and I'd like to know your thoughts before I turn it in.




QB: B-


RB: B


WR: B


TE: B-


OL: A





DL: A


LB: B+


DB: B-


ST: B-
This post was edited on 4/25 11:58 AM by Mike Craven

-UTSA-

Orange defeats White, 52-33, in UTSA Football Fiesta Spring Game on Saturday

SAN ANTONIO ? Codie Brooks and Blake Terry registered seven tackles apiece to lead the Orange (defense) to a 52-33 victory against the White (offense) in the Fourth Annual UTSA Football Fiesta Spring Game presented by HealthTexas held Saturday before 3,200 fans at the Alamodome.

Using a modified scoring system that rewards one point for first downs, three points for a stop (scoreless drive) and five points for a takeaway, the Orange stormed out to a 27-3 lead through the first quarter and cruised to its second straight win in the annual scrimmage.

Brooks, a sophomore defensive end from Seguin, also posted two of the team's seven sacks, as he was joined in that column by Jason Neill - who had a pair - Justyn Eddins, Cody Rogers and Robert Singletary. Mauricio Sanchez added six tackles, while Nic Johnston and Dalton Miller each recorded five stops.

The Orange opened the game with three straight stops and then came up with the first of five turnovers when Chase Dahlquist forced and recovered a fumble at the White's 46-yard line.

After another stop, Tevin Broussard stepped in front of an Austin Robinson pass to push the lead to 22-3. On the next possession, Crosby Adams picked off a Tucker Carter pass in the flat, which likely would have been returned 65 yards for a touchdown had turnovers not been blown dead. The third takeaway still helped stake the Orange to a 27-3 lead after one stanza.

Robinson, a redshirt freshman quarterback from Houston, led the White on a 12-play, 59-yard drive that included three first downs, was highlighted by a 26-yard pass to Earon Holmes and was capped by a 28-yard field goal from Sean Ianno to make it 27-9.

The defense answered two possessions later when Dahlquist, a sophomore from Tulsa, Okla., intercepted a pass deep in White territory to help provide the 38-12 halftime margin.

The offense struck quickly to start the second half, as quarterback Tucker Carter found Kenny Harrison deep over the middle for a 69-yard scoring strike on second down. Ianno's extra point made it 38-19.

Robinson then led the White on a 14-play, 48-yard scoring march with four first downs and a 40-yard boot from Ianno that pulled the offense to within 38-26 with just over four minutes left in the third quarter.

However, that is as close as the White would get, as the defense recorded stops on the next three possessions. The Orange allowed just one more field goal, a 26-yarder by Ianno, and came up with one final takeaway, a fumble that was recovered by Marcos Curry on the final play of the game, in coasting to the 52-33 win.

Robinson threw for 164 yards on 20-of-34 passing, while Carter completed 11-of-22 passes for 125 yards and a score. Josiah Monroe led all receivers with eight catches for 58 yards and Holmes added three receptions for 46 yards. Brandon Armstrong rushed for 29 yards on 11 carries to lead the ground game.

The Roadrunners will open the 2014 season at Houston on Friday, Aug. 29. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. and the game will be televised nationally on ESPNews.

UTSA Postgame Quotes

Head Coach Larry Coker
On the spring game …
"Offensively, we had too many negative plays. We had some penalties. We had a chance to make some big plays and we got some big plays in. The defense came out ready. They were pretty dominant. They're going to be pretty good and they have been all spring. We have a lot of guys back. Our secondary play is better and they'll be strong up front. Our defense is pretty solid. Our offense has to raise their game up. I like both quarterbacks. I think I saw some things out of both quarterbacks."

On QB Tucker Carter …
I think he's going to be fine. I really like what I saw all spring. I saw some good things out of him today. He can pass the ball. If we protect him, he can pass the ball."

QB Tucker Carter
On the spring game …
"We made some big plays, but we took too many sacks and made too many mistakes offensively. It's good to look up there and see we still had 33 points on the board. We are doing some good things and we know that."

On the long touchdown pass to Harrison …
"He just crossed and made it easy. I just put it on his chest and he did the rest of the work."

On spring practice …
"I thought we improved a lot as a team. We did some good things this spring and improved in a lot of areas. We know that we are going to take a week or two off and then it's back to work. We have the summer sessions, running and lifting every day. We don't take days off."

On the defense …
"They're tough to run the ball against. When they get you in those long-yardage situations, that pass rush can really get after you. It makes it tough on any offense. I'm excited to see them play against someone else, not us."

Codie Brooks
On the defense today and in spring practice …
"It's scary how good of a defense we can be and we're still missing people. We're still missing some people on defense and we're still playing great."

On the offense …
"We always seem like a second-half team on offense. If things go down the drain in the first half they always find a way to pick themselves up. It's always good seeing that your offense doesn't stay in the hole and can get you out of it."

-UTSA-

- UTSA -

UTSA announces 2013 award winners at inaugural football banquet[/B]

SAN ANTONIO ?[/B] The UTSA Football program held its first-ever awards banquet on Friday night at the Alamodome and announced its award winners from this past season.

The Roadrunners posted a 7-5 overall record, including a 6-2 mark in their inaugural campaign as a member of Conference USA. UTSA won its final five games of the season and went into the final contest of the regular season with an opportunity to play in the league title game.

Scott Inskeep and Triston Wade both earned second-team All-Conference USA honors and another 11 players ? Codie Brooks, Cody Harris, Cole Hubble, Nic Johnston, Kam Jones, Steven Kurfehs, Ashaad Mabry, Bennett Okotcha, Robert Singletary, Eric Soza and Kristian Stern ? earned honorable mention accolades. Brooks also was named to the league's All-Freshman Team, while Inskeep was a preseason Lombardi Award candidate and Soza earned spots on the preseason Manning and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award watch lists.

There also were several honors earned away from the playing field.

Soza was one of 16 National Football Foundation Scholar-Athletes. He also was named to the Allstate American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team in addition to earning the Conference USA Spirit of Service Award and landing a spot on the conference's all-academic squad.

Meanwhile, Nate Leonard joined his quarterback as a C-USA all-academic selection and he went on to earn second-team Capital One Academic All-America accolades to become the first Academic All-American in program history.

Below is a list of this year's honorees recognized at Friday's banquet.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Offensive Most Valuable Player[/B]
Eric Soza, Sr., QB[/B]
Connected on 236-of-377 passes for 2,719 yards, including a program-record 316 against Houston, and 12 touchdowns in addition to rushing for 369 yards and seven more scores on 97 carries. A member of both the Manning Award and inaugural Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award preseason watch lists and finished his career with 19 wins in three seasons as the squad's starting quarterback.

Defensive Most Valuable Player[/B]
Triston Wade, Jr., S[/B]
Followed his first-team All-WAC campaign with a team-leading 94 tackles and two interceptions to go along with seven pass breakups and two-and-a-half tackles behind the line of scrimmage. A starter in all 12 contests last fall, both of his picks came at Tulsa and he returned one of them 82 yards for a touchdown.

Special Teams Most Valuable Player[/B]
Jesse Medrano, Jr., DS[/B]
Helped the Roadrunners connect on all 38 of their extra-point attempts and another 11 field goals in addition to setting up their 39.2 punting average. Also added three special teams tackles.

Offensive & Defensive Scout Team Most Valuable Players[/B]
Reed Darragh, Fr., OL
Kennedy Ubabuike, So., DT

Hammer Award[/B]
Triston Wade, Jr., S[/B]
Each week of the fall, the defense presents the player that had the best hit of the game with the Hammer Award. The player who wins is given a 10-pound sledgehammer to carry onto the field the following game and the winner's number is painted on the handle. At the end of the year, the player with the most wins is given the hammer to keep. This season, the hammer was awarded to seven different players and Wade won it three times.

Conference USA Awards[/B]
Scott Inskeep, Jr., OG[/B]
Second-Team All-Conference USA

Triston Wade, Jr., S[/B]
Second-Team All-Conference USA

Codie Brooks, Fr., DE[/B]
All-Freshman Team

Academic Awards[/B]
Nate Leonard, Jr., C[/B]
Second-team Academic All-American; Conference USA all-academic team

Eric Soza, Sr., QB[/B]
National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete; Conference USA all-academic team

Lynn Hickey Excellence Award[/B]
Eric Soza, Sr., QB[/B]
Named after UTSA's Director of Athletics, this honor goes to the player who best embodies all aspects of UTSA Football. Soza earned numerous honors both on and off the field last season, including being a National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete, a member of the Allstate American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team, a Conference USA Spirit of Service Award winner and a finalist for the Danny Wuerffel Trophy.

2013 Senior Class Recognition[/B]
Cody Berry, S (Cedar Hill, Texas)
Brandon Guerrero, LB (Lake Elsinore, Calif.)
Jarron Harris, DE (Leander, Texas)
Steven Kurfehs, LB (San Antonio, Texas)
Jeremiah Moeller, TE (New Braunfels, Texas)
Evans Okotcha, RB (Coppell, Texas)
Will Ritter, DE (Odessa, Texas)
John Simmons, WR (New Braunfels, Texas)
CheRod Simpson, RB (Oakland, Calif.)
Eric Soza, QB (Beeville, Texas)

25-Year Service Recognition[/B]
Jerry Greeson, Associate Athletics Director for Athletic Medicine[/B]
An integral part of UTSA Athletics for a quarter century, Greeson has given his heart and soul to all things Roadrunners, including the hard work and dedication it takes to make both the football program and UTSA successful.

First Student Manager Recognition[/B]
John Freeman[/B]
Freeman forever will be a big figure in the UTSA Football equipment room. Hired as the first student manager in program history back in Summer 2010, he and Equipment Manager Mike Villa were the program's only managers for the first two months of the 2010 practice season. John helped build the program by inviting others to join the equipment staff and he immediately stood out as a leader. He understood urgency, reliability and attention to detail in addition to showing the passion of what it takes to be a successful student equipment manager. Now, after four years of exceptional service to the Roadrunners program, he will graduate next month with a bachelor's degree in entrepreneurship from the college of business and he recently accepted a yearlong equipment manager internship position with the Dallas Cowboys for the upcoming 2014 season.

Here are five questions/storylines that I'll be watching closely during the spring game.

What to watch

With the spring game coming up, this will be short and sweet....

UTSA Football - Spring game this Saturday, we all know that.

UTSA Recruiting - See spring game... But really, this will be a big weekend for UTSA recruiting. It will be a chance to get a lot of recruits in the Dome for the first time, as well as exposed to the team and program in person.

NBA Playoffs - For the next few weeks, the Heat will play their starters for less minutes so they can rest for the playoffs - oh wait, they're in the playoffs right now? The Heat could have one of the easiest roads to the Finals in NBA history (Charlotte, Wizards,

As for the West, the Spurs stubbed their toe badly and the Rockets don't have any toes left to shoot. James Harden has been subpar, but I honestly can't say I'm extremely disappointed because my expectations for him weren't extremely high heading into the playoffs. Harden is a very good NBA player but he's no super star in my book. His game needs more depth and his decision-making/mentality just aren't at a "super star" level - and it's showing. If Harden is near his ceiling, then this Rockets team won't win a title ever if he's the best player on the team.

LaMarcus Aldrige - dude is raw. My dream scenario last off season was for the Rockets to some how sign him and put him next to Asik (or any center, just anyone at all). But that didn't happen and now I'm watching a nightmare of a series. Either way, Aldridge is a beast and he is the best power forward in the NBA right now. Duncan is best all time, but right now Aldridge is the best.

NBA Draft - I'm thinking about making a mock at some point. But this draft needs to hurry up and get here because I'm getting ancy for it and also tired of listening to Todd McShay and Mel Kiper. Those two and the weatherman have some of the greatest jobs. I want those jobs, preferably the one where I can predict and NFL draft as my job.

Closer

Hope to see everyone at Matty's tailgate on Saturday. He always does a great job out there and it's always a good turnout. Have a good Thursday and a better weekend.

Let's do this thing.

Thoughts

We've been able to read reports on multiple practices, and some of y'all have been able to watch a couple scrimmages. So as we head towards the Spring Game, what is causing you the most worry? Let's skip QB depth, because that is obviously #1 for most of us.

If I had to pick one, it would be the lack of production from the TE position so far. I still maintain that we need to utilize the talents of the group if we want to really take off as an offense, and it sucks that we haven't heard much from them at all so far.

Thanks for the questions this week.

The Mailbag

I've been able to watch a few practices and talk to a few people about the progress thus far in the spring for UTSA and here is what I'm hearing and thinking moving forward.

QB

This is Tucker Carter's job and it always was. The only way Austin Robinson was really going to push for snaps was if Carter fell completely flat this spring and that hasn't happened. Robinson can be used this season and would be a quality backup with some upside, but he is just not ready yet. Remember that Robinson is one of, if not the, youngest players one the team still. Carter is a senior. That is a big difference from a mental standpoint.

Like I've said since Soza was still on campus, this offense has a chance to be better under Carter because Carter can push the ball downfield in a way that Soza simply couldn't. The QB spot will probably have less yards rushing this season, and probably even less attempts in the passing game, but this offense has a chance to push the ball vertically and that can help the underneath passing game and the running game.

"Tucker is going to be just fine. We've really liked what we've seen from him this spring on and off of the field. It is his team now and he seems to be accepting that role in stride. He's been waiting on this and it shows. I don't think quarterback will be as big of a question mark as everyone thinks. The tools are there, so it comes down to carrying that over to the game. If he can handle the in-game pressure, we'll be fine."

RB

I get the real feeling that David Glasco is going to be asked to carry the ball a lot this season. We may finally see UTSA give a running back closer to 20 carries a game, but I still don't think that is what Coker or Brown want in this offense. There is a real sense that depth is the key at running back and that UTSA is still searching for one more guy to step up beyond Glasco, Jarveon Williams and Brandon Armstrong. The hope was that Jalen Rhodes could be that guy, but injuries have again set him back. That puts a lot of pressure on Williams, in my opinion.

"Here's the deal, we know about David. He's been here forever. He's been counted on forever. We just need to keep him healthy. We also know about Brandon Armstrong. He is a great change-of-pace running back that is solid in pass protection and a real weapon in space. He isn't going to carry it up the middle 10 times a game, though, and he probably isn't the best around the goal line because of his size. With Evans Okotcha gone, that means Jarveon needs to be the man that gives Glasco a break. He is pretty much the next in line. He grasps that, but he really hasn't played a ton of running back. We threw him to the wolves last season and that should help him this season. We'll see, but if no one can be a reliable guy behind David then we're going to give David the ball. A lot."

WR

I've tried to pinpoint what is going on with Kam Jones, but I haven't received anything of real note. It doesn't seem like he is that hurt or anything from the people I've talked to and he isn't in the doghouse from what I've heard. His quiet spring may just be the result of the staff knowing what they have in Kam. Marquis Mosley has a lot of bodies to look at and it seems like Kam isn't viewed as a guy that still needs a ton of reps, especially if he is a bit nicked up.

Brandon Freeman has been the best WR on campus. Period. He may emerge as the number one threat down the field for UTSA and he and Carter have had instant chemistry. In fact, the wide receivers haven't had that much trouble building that on the field chemistry with Carter because UTSA has used all receivers on the first and second-team in years past and that has given Carter time to work with the receivers he'll need to be in sync with this season.

Marcellus Mack is a guy that has turned some heads, but he still has some consistency issues. Same with Kenny Bias, Kenny Harrison and Earon Holmes.

"We just need to be consistent on the outside. We have plenty of bodies and talent. If we do the little things right outside, which we will, that group will be fine. Kam will be just fine. Brandon has been so impressive. We're still waiting on one or two more guys to really grab our attention with consistency, but we like that position unit. It is a physical group that likes to block. They used to pick on our secondary but that isn't as much the case anymore and it has made both units more intense. That should help us moving forward. I don't think we've taken a step back at wide receiver, but I do think it sometimes looks like it because the offense used to be able to pick on the secondary. That wasn't because of Eric or anything, it was because we were bad in the back half of our defense. It is a fair fight these days."

TE

I can't figure this group out to save my life. Having David Morgan out has probably stunted this group's presence this spring, but it has been pretty quiet (during open time at least) for guys like Cole Hubble and Trevor Stevens. I think Stevens has a lot of ability and Hubble is obviously a guy that has been a major part of the offense for a few years. This spot could become a safety net for Carter, but the concentration on the underneath passing game really limits the space that the UTSA tight ends have to work. It'll be interesting to see if Cameron Oliver can come in and push for some snaps because it does feel like a position that is missing something. If (big if) David Morgan can ever become a consistent contributor by staying healthy this unit becomes a major strength. The group is excellent in blocking and on fundamentals, though. That goes largely unnoticed because we all like to look at stats, but this is a meat and potatoes position for the Roadrunners right now.

OL

It has been a weird spring for the offensive line because the front-line guys have been great while the second-team group has had a lot of struggles. That should probably be expected with such a gap in experience from the starters to the backups.

"We're probably more comfortable at offensive line than we are anywhere else on the team. We know what we have there so it is just about building the depth. It is unfair to the young guys because the second-team defensive line is as good as our first-team defensive line. Those guys on the defense can switch in and out without much drop off. I mean, seriously, how much easier is it to block Jason Neill than it is Robert Singletary? Probably not much if at all. We're seeing flashes, but offensive linemen take longer to come along than skill position players."

DL

Studs. There really isn't anything new or groundbreaking here. UTSA loves the two-deep along the defensive line and the defensive ends and tackles should be the strength of this defense.

"We're always going to find things that we're doing wrong, but this group has a chance to be really, really good this year. Neill has been an absolute stud. I think we forgot how good he was. Adding him is like getting in a new recruit for the spring. He has raised the play of every player at the position because it just got harder to get on the field. We like to play a lot of guys and we'll be able to do that this year if we stay healthy. It should help us in the second and fourth quarters, especially against those teams that run a lot of plays."

LB

Drew Douglas and Jens Jeters have solidified starting jobs. The most interesting development at this position is the emergence of young guys like Tank O'Neil and Marcus Curry.

"Drew and Jens will play most of the snaps. It is hard to replace a player like Steven Kurfehs but Jens will be just fine. He came in ready to play last year and is hungry to be the man this year. He's a natural leader and his teammates love him. He has a lot of confidence and we like that. Drew has improved every day he has been on campus and I mean that as a huge compliment. I watch him and remember what he looked like when he first got here and I just smile. He's becoming a really good 4-2-5 Mike and that is a tough position to play in this defense because it isn't a tradition role for a Mike like it would be in the 4-3. He has a lot of responsibilities and he really embraces being the quarterback of the front-seven on defense. He identified his weaknesses and isn't running away from them. He wants to be an every down linebacker and he is getting better at the things that would prevent him from doing so."

Got some thoughts on the redshirt freshmen at the position.

"I know you're a Curry guy but Tank is going to be a player. I think Marcus will too but Tank is probably a little more ready right now. Both should contribute at least on special teams. Tank just has a natural feel for the linebacker position and that is most apparent when we do 11-on-11. He can struggle some during individual stuff, but he turns it on during team drills and that is what football is anyway. He needs to work on some technique stuff. Marcus just wants it so bad and that will pay off for him. He's a little in between positions right now, but he'll be a player for us. He'll probably be the guy that gets the first look at Hawk after Jens graduates."

S

Free safety is set with Triston Wade and Tevin Broussard. I keep hearing almost sadness when talking about Broussard because he is probably one of the three best safeties on the team. He just plays behind the best safety on the team and will probably struggle to gain snaps. It doesn't sound like him getting looks at Rover is an option. Speaking of Rover, I got nothing but good reviews on the progress of Chase Dahlquist. It is unfortunate, but Brian King being out is probably the best thing that could have happened to Dahlquist. He's been getting a lot of work and it is speeding up his learning curve. I still contend that this defense will struggle unless Rover is figured out and Dahlquist has the best shot to be that guy if he can stay disciplined in coverage and continue to catch up to the speed of the college game.

Dawg is another position that no one seems to be worried about. Nic Johnston and Michael Egwuagu may be the best two-deep on the team.

CB

For the first time since he has been on campus, Trevor Baker was mentioned to me as a guy that was standing out. The top-three corners are still Bennett Okotcha, Crosby Adams and Darrien Starling. Okotcha probably won't come off of the field much. Aneas Henricks and Nkeal Bailey have shown a lot of good and some bad, which should be expected from young cornerbacks. Fred Blow is another guy that has been given some positive attention. I haven't heard much about Kevin Adams.

http://coolerchronicles.com/4122014-practice-report/

Awesome stuff here from Jared.

Here are the stats from the UTSA scrimmage as provided by UTSA SID.

Scoring Summary (Plays-Yards)
· Tucker Carter 42-yard pass to Aaron Grubb (Sean Ianno kick) ? 3-65
· Aaron Grubb 7-yard rush (Ianno kick) ? 5-51
· Ianno 35-yard field goal ? 8-65
· Carter 36-yard pass to Brandon Armstrong (Ianno kick) ? 1-36
· Carter 23-yard pass to Brandon Freeman (Ianno kick) ? 7-60
· Ianno 55-yard field goal ? 7-65
· Ianno 27-yard field goal ? 9-65
· Ianno 53-yard field goal ? 7-65

Rushing (Att-Yds-TD): Robinson 8-62-0; Williams 6-32-0; Glasco 7-25-0; Armstrong 4-11-0; A.Grubb 1-7-1; Coleman 2-6-0; Carter 5-1-0; Bias 2-(-10)-0.

Passing (Comp-Att-Yds-TD-INT): Carter 12-17-247-3-0; Robinson 10-21-52-0-2.

Receiving (Rec-Yds-TD):[/B] Bias 2-75-0; Freeman 4-71-1; A.Grubb 1-42-1; Armstrong 2-31-1; Holmes 2-28-0; S.Grubb 4-23-0; Monroe 4-14-0; Hesler 1-7-0; Clay 1-4-0; Harrison 1-4-0.

Tackles: Brooks 6; Miller 6; Lizcano 4; O'Neal 4; Terry 4; Baker 3; Blow 3; Broussard 3; Dahlquist 3; Jeters 3; Neill 3; Sanchez 3; Ubabuike 3; Wheeler 3; Burge 2; Douglas 2; Egwuagu 2; Johnston 2; Lee Jr. 2; Rogers 2; Wade 2; Adams 1; Bailey 1; Eddins 1; Henricks 1; Macon 1; Singletary 1; Starling 1; Watkins 1.

Sacks (No-Yards): Brooks 2-12; Neill 1-5.

Interceptions: Broussard 1; Dahlquist 1.

Pass Breakups: Miller 2; Adams 1; Macon 1; Starling 1.

Great stuff from Wes and Javi this week.

Vault

My breakdown of UTSA's newest commit. Really like him if he can play center and I think he can.

Commit 101: Snow

This past Friday was the first time I'd seen the 2014 UTSA football squad in person. Below are some of my thoughts.



Tucker Carter is the guy - Anyone can word it however they want but the QB job is Tucker Carter's to lose. On that note, the offensive playbook should be wide open all season long with Carter at QB. He has plenty of arm strength which means OC Kevin Brown will now finally be able to call deep passes on a consistent basis each game and each week. My only concern with Carter is how he will fair if/when defenses make him uncomfortable. On Friday, he was making great throws. But he was also in a comfortable setting throwing against a defense he's familiar with. Though Soza lacked arm strength, he was a good decision-maker for the most part. I'm not saying Carter can't be a good decision-maker. But aside from a few minutes here and there, it's been a long time since he's had live game experience. Austin Robinson improving - Which do you want first? The good or the bad? Let's go with the negatives... From a physical/throwing standpoint, Robinson still looks like an athlete learning the QB position. And the offense reflects that when he's in the game. When Carter is in, the ball is all over the field. When Robinson is in, the ball is going sideways or thrown to WR's on short routes. I saw him attempt 1 deep ball, and it was overthrown. Arm strength isn't the issue. Instead, it's working on his throwing motion and accuracy. Now for the positives... the leadership and mentality is there. When he's not in the game, he's still yelling up and down the sideline. And his team embraces him too. And if he does enter into a game this season, the offense can still move up and down the field. Again, Soza wasn't known for completing deep passes, and Robinson won't necessarily have to either. But right now, if he were to go into a game, I'd expect short passes and an offense that uses his ability to run as a threat. Running backs - With Glasco and Rhodes out, Jarveon Williams (changed his number to #2) and Brandon Armstrong were getting their fair share of reps. Armstrong was using his normal quickness to scoot through holes and bounce runs outside for some nice gains. Williams was running hard, but I felt he still hasn't adjusted to the game-speed by reading and exploding through thr holes and quickly as one would hope. But that didn't stop him from gaining positive yards on a few different runs. Patience everyone, he's still young and he still can be really good. Wide Receivers, notable standouts - Two familiar faces doing their thing were Kam Jones and Brandon Armstrong. Jones needs more touches this season. Plain and simple. And Armstrong had some nice receptions from Tucker. One notably was a deep crossing route across the field that I think went for a score, if I remember correctly. As for new faces, Aron Taylor is the guy that stood out to me. He just looks like a natural at the WR position. He may not be a burner. nor is he extremely tall. But he catches almost anything thrown his way and he always seems to find ways to get open. I'm saying a lot based on a little practice time that I've seen. But serve me up some more of Taylor at WR. FB/TE - Thanks to traffic and me not planning ahead better, I got to practice a little late so I may have missed their involvment. But I didn't see much from the TE's or FB/s aside from blocking. With David Morgan out (again), Hubble and Stevens were the two top dogs. As for the FB position, I saw a nice block made but then also saw a missed block and heard Coach Brown get on the FB (I believe it was Shaw, but I couldn't get a good view to see the player's number). Nothing too concerning here besides Morgan's injury. Offensive line - This group, the group that didn't commit one holding penalty ALL SEASON LONG last year should have another solid campaign. It was a back and forth day between the OL and the DL. They opened some nice holes at some points but then also got stuffed other times. But hey, their going againt a talented defensive front. Defense overall - This group gets me excited. They have a rare blend of veterans all over the field with an infusion of young talent. And if the secondary can come together at the beginning of this season like they did towards the end of last season, the UTSA defense could be one of the best in the Conference if not the best. Defensive line - Jason Neill. Woah. He was my favorite lineman heading into last season before he got hurt. And he looks like an animal again. I hate to see anyone get hurt. But having him for two more years is big. As for the rest of the line, it will be the strength of the defense again. The usual suspects (Mabry, Burge, Macon, Price) will all be back in the middle at DT. The one guy I want to see more of is Anthony Lee. I can't put my finger on him just yet as far has how he plays and his positives/negatives. At DE, UTSA should be loaded as well. Brooks, Rogers, and Singletary return. Add in Nelson and Eddins (who I also want to see more of), and that is some good depth and talent coming off the edge again. Linebackers making plays - While I was watching, Blake Terry and Tank O'Neal both made some nice tackles, with O'Neal having a nice stuff at the line. Douglas and Jeters are the guys who likely get the start. But O'Neal will push for playing time. He may not jump Douglas or Jeters, but there will be points in the season when his presence is felt. Egwuagu - At one point, he was lined up at Hawk on the outside with Fred Blow lined up at nickel. He's just an athletic freak on defense. He could line up at Dawg, Mike, or Hawk and perform well. And he likely will be at Dawg and Hawk depending on the package that's on the field on defense. Secondary - I didn't get a good look at the secondary, but Fred Blow was getting a good hanful of snaps at nickel. The two things to watch moving forward are which of the young guys (Bailey, Henricks, Baker, Blow) earn PT at corner behind the starters and who emerges at Rover.

I still need to post Coker's quotes as well as Jens Jeters', and I will this week.

Edwards just posted on his Instagram his decision to commit to UTSA. He is a JUCO from Missouri State-West Plains, and will have two years of eligibility left. I'll try to get with him for some quotes.

Film



This post was edited on 4/5 2:40 PM by JaviUTSA

Was able to watch the last hour of practice on Wednesday morning. Here are my notes:

- David Glasco was not dressed out. Coker said he had an injury, but that it isn't anything to be overly concerned about. Probably just some bumps and bruises that he needed to take a break from. Jalen Rhodes was in a walking boot on his left foot. Tough break if he can't get back for more time in the spring.

- Tucker Carter was clearly the better quarterback today and most of it has to do with his decisiveness with the ball during group and team sessions. Tucker gets the ball out quicker and seems to have a better understanding of where the offense needs to go with the football pre-snap. That should be expected for a guy older than his competition, but talent wise Austin Robinson is clearly ready to contribute if needed. He is throwing the ball a lot better and he may be the best pure runner of the football on the field. The kid glides when he tucks it and runs.

- Brandon Freeman continued to look really sharp. Kam Jones hasn't flashed much in the two practices I've seen. Josiah Monroe had a good practice while we were able to watch and Marcellus Mack may the catch of the day. It is clear that the wide receiver position will continue to mass substitute.

- Cole Hubble had a solid catch that I saw and Trevor Stevens definitely looks the part. David Morgan wasn't dressed out today.

- Jarveon Williams is so good in space. He got a lot of the work with the 1's today with Glasco out. Brandon Armstrong also got a lot of looks.

- The defensive ends gave the second-team offensive line fits today. Jason Neill was eating people alive coming off of the edge and poor Cody Cole didn't receive any help on back-to-back plays. In live action Neill may have hurt a quarterback. He almost hurt Coker on a loose ball he was trying to recover. Neill is going to make an already dangerous defensive line even better. Robert Singletary also had a good day.

- Brian Price got nicked up a bit at the end of practice, but he looked really good early. Even with pads on UTSA isn't going full-speed up front much so it is hard to really get a good read on either side of the line. Staying healthy is the key for the big guys this spring.

- The starting offensive line was (left tackle to right tackle) Cody Harris, Scott Inskeep, William Cavanaugh, Zach Hester and Josh Walker.

- Marcos Curry was getting a lot of snaps today. Jens Jeters was dressed out and I saw him in on some snaps but Curry got a lot of the looks at Hawk. Tank O'Neal looked to get some work out there as well. It looks like Neathery wants both of those guys to know how to play Mike and Hawk. Egwuagu got his normal looks at Hawk when UTSA went into the nickel defense.

- Chase Dahlquist had a solid practice. Triston Wade had an interception near the end of practice.

- Bennett Okotcha is on another level, honestly. Freeman is the only guy I saw really challenge him today. Crosby Adams has improved so much since the fall of 2012 that it is ridiculous. Nkeal Bailey may be the best looking young corner right now. Him and Aneas Henricks both had interceptions in outside hull.

- Didn't get to see any special teams. It must be lonely being a kicker. Those guys were on the opposite field by themselves for much of the open part of practice.

UTSA's 2015 running back commits:
D'Anthony Hopkins (Cuero) 6'2" 220
Matt Guidry (League City Clear Springs) 5'10" 170

offers:
Devine Ozigbo (Sachse) 5'11" 215
Jess Anders (Aledo) 5'9" 175
Brett Winnegan (Pearland Dawson) 5'9" 176

The class of 2015 has the state of Texas's deepest group of talented running backs in memory, and perhaps its deepest ever. There's not a stud on the level of Johnathan Gray or Adrian Peterson at the top of the class, but the sheer number of legitimate D1 talents at the running back position is staggering. For the past few weeks I've embarked on my own study of the class's best RBs, with the intention of ranking my favorites. I'm not yet finished with that project but I've done a lot of work on it already; I've watched highlight videos for some 95 of the class's top RBs already and have around a dozen on my list still to go.

I won't reveal my overall favorites right now but I wanted to name a few I like who might be a good fit for UTSA as it finishes up its running back takes for the 2015 class, or would at least be worth evaluating in case of possible de-commits between now and Signing Day.

On the current commits and offers

With Matt Guidry and D'Anthony Hopkins, the Roadrunners have commitments from two players of very different builds and skill sets. Guidry is a true all-purpose back with good speed and very good acceleration. He's not a big guy (I don't know that I buy his 5'10" 170-pound listing), and he may never play above 190 pounds, but he still finishes runs strong, and he's elusive in space, is a factor in the passing game, and could possibly return punts in college. Hopkins is listed by some as a fullback and others as a running back or athlete. He changes direction pretty well for a guy his size, has experience taking direct snaps in "Wildcat" sets, seems to have good vision, and is very physical when finishing runs. Time will tell if he remains at running back or ends up growing out of the position and getting moved to linebacker or filling fullback or H-back duties on offense. He's a quality athlete at great size who should be able to make an impact at one position or another.

There's never been a better class from which to take three running backs, and with its third take one would think the UTSA staff would prefer an every-down feature back to round out the group. Judging by their current running back offers that might not be the case. Devine Ozigbo would certainly fit the traditional every-down back bill. He doesn't have blazing speed but does pretty much everything well and already has the size of a college RB. Jess Anders and Brett Winnegan are very similar players in that they're speedy but rather thin, and neither looks like a guy who will be playing college snaps at 195 pounds or more. Winnegan is an outstanding track athlete but his play speed doesn't quite seem to live up to his track times, and Anders is electric with the ball in his hands, but looks smaller than his listed size and may be better suited to slot receiver in college.

Other options I like

Those commitments and other reported offers have all gone down in a pretty short amount of time, and there may be more running back offers yet to come. McKinney Boyd star Dedrick Scrivens says he has been talking with Coach Roark recently and has plans to attend UTSA's spring game. I think it's very likely he gets an offer soon. He's another shorter back but is well built at 5'9" and 190 pounds, and his coach said he got better as the 2013 season went along at running behind his pads and picking up tough yardage. He doesn't have the size of Ozigbo (few running backs do) but looks like a future every-down back.

Here follows some of my favorite potential RB options for UTSA, which I'll present along with a link to their highlights and without additional comment, except for splitting them up into groups I'll call the "Ozigbo division" (i.e. bigger running backs more suited to every-down back duties) and the "Winnegan/Anders division" (smaller guys built more like all-purpose backs).

Ozigbo division

Dedrick Scrivens (McKinney Boyd) 5'9" 190 pounds
http://www.hudl.com/athlete/o/ 2284051/#highlights/120879379

Charles West (Coppell) 5'10" 187 pounds
http://www.hudl.com/athlete/o/ 2167765/#highlights/125833396

Marlon Lewis (New Caney Porter) 6' 185 pounds
http://www.hudl.com/athlete/o/ 554384/highlights

Dominique Daniels (San Antonio Madison) 6' 200 pounds

http://www.hudl.com/athlete/o/ 1625438/highlights/97981390

Cornelio Garcia (Georgetown East View) 5'10" 190 pounds
http://www.ncsasports.org/ football-recruiting/tx/ georgetown/georgetown-east- view-high-school/cornelio- garcia

Derrion Randle (Navasota) 5'10" 200 pounds
http://www.hudl.com/athlete/o/ 3008494/highlights/102866375

Rico Henderson (Rockwall-Heath) 5'10" 191 pounds
http://www.hudl.com/athlete/o/ 594568/highlights/41277378

Jordan Martinez (Grandview) 5'10" 190 pounds
http://www.hudl.com/athlete/o/ 789580/highlights/39175374

Anthony McClain (Amarillo Palo Duro) 5'10" 190 pounds

http://www.hudl.com/athlete/o/ 504441/highlights/83081376

Andre Alger (Leander Rouse) 5'9" 203
http://www.hudl.com/athlete/o/ 1349809/highlights/42184373

Anders/Winnegan division

Nahshon Ellerbe (Addison Trinity Christian) 5'9" 187 pounds
http://www.hudl.com/athlete/ 398901/nahshon-ellerbe

Marcalas Johnson (Arp) 5'9" 180 pounds

http://www.hudl.com/team/ 21924/highlights/53019817

Kavan Johnson (Belton) 5'10" 175 pounds
http://www.hudl.com/athlete/ 774946/kavan-johnson

Calum Foster (Newton) 5'11" 175 pounds
http://www.hudl.com/athlete/o/ 1753245/highlights/42517374

Loren Easly (Houston Westside) 5'11" 180 pounds
http://www.hudl.com/athlete/ 917930/highlights/85067395

Isaiah Duarte (Birdville) 6'2" 175 pounds
http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1388414/highlights/115796375

Were it up to me, I'd offer Ellerbe, Scrivens, West, and Daniels first, in more or less that order, but I like all of the others named and think they'll end up signing with a D1 program somewhere, though some might be recruited at positions other than running back. Thoughts?



This post was edited on 3/19 8:28 AM by Jonathan Wells

This post was edited on 3/19 11:38 AM by Jonathan Wells