Fall camp has officially begun, and the first practice is in the books. The media was initially scheduled to have access to the first three periods of practice, but that was reduced to just two.
The periods we were able to watch primarily consisted of individual position group work, or “indy” as it is referred to during practice. It should be noted that the team was in helmets, shoulder pads, and shorts for the first practice.
The obvious lead story from Day 1 is Sam Leavitt and his return from injury.
Leavitt looked really good. During the periods we were able to watch, the quarterbacks and wide receivers primarily worked on route concepts at different depths. They began with short routes, progressed to intermediate throws, and then finished with deep balls.
Leavitt looked sharp at every level. The arm strength is as advertised, and even though there was no pass rush, the quarterbacks had to simulate a handoff before throwing the ball because of the offensive system the team will be running. During these drills, Leavitt was confident with his footwork, the throws came out quickly, and the ball had plenty of pop on it, especially on the short and intermediate routes over the middle.
The second biggest takeaway from practice has to be Dilin Jones. Nothing can truly describe how well-built this running back is. He looks like a prototypical Lane Kiffin SEC running back. The drills the running backs were working on with running backs coach Kevin Smith were very detailed. Smith had the backs focusing on hand placement for stiff arms, pad level, and even where their feet and knees should be positioned following a stiff arm.
Throughout the drills, Jones looked the best. That is being said with the understanding that these were only individual drills, but what stood out was that Jones appeared to be leading the group. Coach Smith consistently found something to correct with every running back except Jones and Harlem Berry.
The final group I was able to watch during the limited media viewing period was the defensive backs.
DJ Pickett appears to have changed his number back to 5 and looks like he has added to his frame. Ty Benefield simply looks different on the field. His athleticism stands out even during simple position drills. Havon Finney does not look like a player who should be entering his senior year of high school. If he is able to make significant strides during this camp, it could solve many of the depth concerns in the defensive back room.
I was unable to get a good look at the offensive or defensive line groups because of where I was positioned on the field. However, from conversations with other media members, the starting offensive line remained unchanged from the end of spring practice. From left to right, that would be Jordan Seaton, Bo Bordelon, Braelin Moore, Alou Bah, and Weston Davis.
There will be another practice tomorrow evening at 6:45 p.m., but there will not be a press conference afterward.
