|
Post by The Cats on Apr 14, 2024 16:30:15 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by The Cats on Apr 14, 2024 17:52:29 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Apr 14, 2024 20:18:50 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by purpleguy on Apr 14, 2024 20:21:23 GMT -5
My wife and I went. I saw what I think was one of the largest crowds for a spring game that I could remember. I saw marked improvement on the offense and defense and even special teams looked good. I hate that the DB Martinez got injured and is scheduled for surgery tomorrow. The qb Taron from Florida h arm and unbelievable speed, and was the most impressive to me. I don't think Cole played, but the kid is very good. The TE that transferred to WCU last year from UNC is great, and the running backs showed drive and speed. The OL looked good, and I hope the OL Whitmire is going to be ok. DB's are much improved and the overall defense looked much better. I understand that OL Whitmore had a contact lens issue at one point but did go down a couple times with a nagging injury (helmet to his sternum) from earlier in camp. He just needs time to let the bone bruise heal. He’ll be fine for summer workouts.
|
|
|
Post by wcugrad95 on Apr 15, 2024 10:02:23 GMT -5
Reading the recap really drives home the fact that our roster is full of good players and really good athletes. You never want to see your QB go down, but if we had something happen to Cole like it did in the VMI game I am confident somebody from the group of Dean, Judy, or Dickens could step in and be more of a passing threat than Brody. And we'll still have Brody to plug-in from time to time to make things happen running the football.
Obviously you don't want to lose a RB like Reid, but with Branson, Townsend, Reddick, Cochran, Camury Reid, and Bond it seems like we have plenty of guys who can run the football. Add a couple of good looking TEs to go along with Fleming, Columbo, Boyd, and others and we certainly have lots of talent at the skill positions. Cal Jones and De'Andre Tamarez weren't listed - did they play? Both are guys who saw a lot of action this past season and are still showing on the roster, and I would expect Jones to be a starter.
Like every year, the 2024 hopes will lie in how good and healthy the O-line can be (have to convert more 3rd downs) and in how improved our D can be (very excited about our new DC). Whitmore and Derek Simmons give us a good foundation on O-line, and I think guys like Xavier Graham, Caleb Carter, and Sanez can give us a strong starting unit. I don't know how deep we are there, which was obviously a problem last year.
On defense it is very good to see Ed Jones IV on the roster. For some reason I also thought CJ Williams was moving on, but obviously he came up big in the scrimmage. Some of the names I would have expected to see/hear on Defense were Mateo Sudipo, Micah Nelson, Antoine Williams, Antarron Turner, and Hayward McQueen just to name a few. I know Micah and Mateo are coming off injuries - do we expect them back for the Fall?
|
|
|
Post by Speedwell Cat on Apr 15, 2024 11:04:27 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by The Cats on Apr 15, 2024 11:07:59 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by catamountalum04 on Apr 15, 2024 14:40:29 GMT -5
He must have had alot of injuries if he has not played in 3 years
|
|
|
Post by The Cats on Apr 15, 2024 14:47:50 GMT -5
1 Mateo Sudipo S 6-1 210 R-Jr. Wake Forest, N.C. (Coastal Carolina / Wake Forest HS) 2 Caden Robinson WR 6-3 195 Fr. Lake Junaluska, N.C. (Pisgah HS) 3 Samaurie Dukes CB 5-10 185 So. Miami, Fla. (Miami HS) 5 Jalynn Williams RB 5-10 205 Sr. St. Petersburg, Fla. (Toledo / St. Petersburg HS) 9 Micah Nelson DE 6-3 265 R-Jr. Murphy, N.C. (Murphy HS) 10 Tahjae Mullix DL 6-3 270 So. Covington, Ga. (Western Illinois / Newton HS) 39 Brayden Blackmon TE 6-3 230 Jr. Duncan, S.C. (Byrnes HS) 43 Walter Gibson DB 5-11 190 R-Jr. Apex, N.C. (Apex HS) 52 Antwann Fann DL 6-3 320 Sr. Perry, Ga. (Kennesaw State / Perry HS) 55 Richard Garrett DL 6-4 250 R-Fr. Jacksonville, Fla. (Andrew Jackson HS) 62 Peyton Davis OL 6-2 305 R-So. Mooresville, N.C. (Lake Norman HS) 63 Marselle Felton OL 6-5 290 Fr. Acworth, Ga. (North Cobb HS) 64 Tyler Bailey OL 6-1 260 Fr. Sylva, N.C. (Smoky Mountain HS) 70 Tyler Griffin OL 6-0 285 So. Thomasville, N.C. (Ledford HS) 75 Caleb Carter OL 6-3 300 Jr. Jacksonville, N.C. (Southwest Onslow HS) 76 Nate Linkous OL 6-5 300 R-So. Cramerton, N.C. (Stuart W. Cramer HS) 80 Rashad Davis WR 5-11 185 R-Fr. Miami, Fla. (Northwestern HS) 93 Chris Morgan DL 6-0 285 Jr. Maiden, N.C. (Maiden HS) Brandon Benjamin RB 5-9 205 So. Fort Myers, Fla. (Missouri State / Dunbar HS) Ty Handley LB 6-2 210 Fr. Franklin, N.C. (Franklin HS)
|
|
|
Post by wcugrad95 on Apr 16, 2024 17:26:04 GMT -5
Jalynn Williams is a guy I asked about a lot last season after Dez got injured and nobody seemed to have any answers. That is another guy who has gotten into games for us in the past that could be in the mix at RB with the 5 or 6 other capable guys in that room. but I think our young guys who got to RS last year are setup to step in (Townsend and Cochran looked really good as true FR when they played).
From the non-participant list, I'd venture to say Nelson, Sudipo, Dukes, Fann, and Morgan are all guys who will start or play a lot on defense. On offense Caleb Carter is probably a starter. I still don't see mention of Cal Jones??? I know he came back off a serious injury to play last year, and Bell has always had a lot of high praise for him.
|
|