SPRING PRACTICE RECAP
DATE – March 6, 2020
VENUE – CEFCU Stadium
FORMAT – Shells (Helmets, shoulder pads, shorts)
WATCHING THE DEFENSIVE LINE
The call themselves the Brick Squad. Defensive line coach Joe Seumalo has a veteran group this spring. The 12 defensive lineman currently on the roster have played a combined 122 games for the Spartans.
"There's a lot of guys out here that know what they are doing, and that's exciting," Seumalo said.
In Friday night's third practice of the spring, senior Cameron Alexander and sophomore Viliami Fehoko flanked either junior E.J. Ane or senior Christian Johnson in the first-team unit. Many of the practice periods were teachable sessions, working on technique. In one, Seumalo stepped in as a de facto offensive lineman, letting his players practice swim moves against him. The stretched-out neckline of his shirt showed the physicality of the drill.
In another period, offensive and defensive linemen waged 1-on-1 battles. Ane showed his speed on the edge, blowing by for a sack. Freshman Beaux Tagaloa showed the power in his 275-pound frame with a bull rush into the backfield. The defensive line won more than it lost in the drill, much to the joy of Seumalo.
"We're trying to raise the level of our consistency," Seumalo said. "Brick by brick."
WHO'S BACK AT DEFENSIVE LINE
Fehoko and junior Cade Hall both started for the Spartans last season, along side graduated nose tackle Sailosi Latu. Ane's speed brings something a little bit different to the table than the rest of the group.
"E.J. has some of that explosive twitch in his hips," Seumalo said. Ane and Hall return a combined 17.5 career tackles for loss and six sacks.
WHO'S NEW AT DEFENSIVE LINE
Lando Grey, Kyane Schmidt, Josh Gomez and Tagaloa are all coming off a redshirt season. They will get a chance to break into the rotation for the first time this season. Schmidt moved to the defensive line after spending 2019 on offense.
Also on the way are five new signees, including all-state community college tackles Jay Kakiva and Noah Wright.
"They aren't new," Seumalo said. "They're all football players who have experience and skill. They'll just be new to the jersey."
WHAT TO WATCH FOR IN THE SPRING GAME
The Spring Game will give the depth at defensive line a chance to show what it can do. Keep an eye out for fourth-year junior Jamaar Hardy, who was praised for his work in the offseason and at practice on Friday night.
"Jamaar has transformed himself in the weight room," Seumalo said. "His flexibility and core strength are really improved."
You could see Hardy's increased strength in the 1-on-1 drill with the offensive line, as he used a bull rush to throw his opponent off balance. He then flashed his agility, using a swim move inside to get a sack. Later in the practice, during an 11-on-11 session, Hardy and Johnson combined for a sack.
QUARTERBACK BATTLE
The quarterback room is a crowded one this spring. With the departure of Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year Josh Love, snaps are up for grabs, making for a spirited competition. Freshman Alec Trujillo, sophomore Jake Simmons, freshman Nick Nash and Arkansas transfer Nick Starkel all got reps with the first-team offense on Friday night. Simmons got the first reps to start the 11-on-11 session, connecting with Kairee Robinson for a long catch and run. In a 7-on-7 session, Starkel narrowly over threw JaQuan Blackwell in the back of the end zone but made up for it later in the session with a deep touchdown pass down the sideline to tight end Jackson Canaan. In the 11-on-11 session, Starkel showed is arm strength with a long pass to Isaiah Holiness on the sideline.
OTHER PRACTICE HIGHLIGHTS
In addition to the 1-on-1 battles with the offensive and defensive line, the most entertaining practice session of the day was when the running backs and tight ends squared off with the linebackers in space. In an effort to simulate the ball carrier needing to beat a tackler 1-on-1 on the edge, each group lined up opposite one another and took turns running at an angle at each other, going head-to-head. Tight end Jackson Burrill juked a defender and waived bye bye as he ran away. In another rep, freshman running back Deston Hawkins used a stutter step to shake a tackle. For the defense, UCLA transfer linebacker Rahyme Johnson made back-to-back tackles on his reps while linebacker Isaiah Ossai wasn't bothered by a juke, making a square tackle. On the final play of the practice, in the 11-on-11 session, safety Jalend Dinwiddie intercepted a pass and ran it back for a touchdown.
FOR FUN
Head coach Brent Brennan told the team after practice he would be a bit late to Saturday's session that starts at 7:00 p.m. in CEFCU Stadium, as he will be watching his daughter play in a basketball game. The players made him do a push-up for his future tardiness.
SPRING PRACTICE RECAP SCHEDULE
March 6 – Defensive Line
March 9 – Linebackers
March 11 – Cornerbacks