Big East: Sean Hickey
Syracuse opens spring practice today. Here is a quick primer on what to expect.
Spring changes: The Orange made a few coaching changes on defense, hiring Donnie Henderson to coach the defensive backs and Steve Morrison to coach the linebackers. The Orange also are losing key players Chandler Jones, Mikhail Marinovich, Antwon Bailey, Nick Provo and Van Chew among many others. Syracuse will only have 70 players available this spring, but coach Doug Marrone says that won't stop him from playing a spring game next month.
Position battles to watch
Defensive line. Depth must be built at this position, and two starting end jobs have to be filled with the departures of Marinovich and Jones, and key backup Torrey Ball. Being without Robinson in the spring further depletes the depth, as Donnie Simmons and Brandon Sharpe are the only healthy players listed at end on the current Syracuse roster.
Running back. Losing another 1,000-yard rusher in Bailey means the Orange have to look for another starter. Adonis Ameen-Moore is out for spring, leaving Steve Rene, Jerome Smith, Prince-Tyson Gulley to split the majority of the reps. All these players have talent, but hardly any have major experience carrying the ball. Bailey had 240 carries for 1,051 yards last season; the running back with the next highest total was Smith, with 37 carries for 134 yards. To put it another way, Bailey accounted for 73 percent of Syracuse's rushing yards and 61 percent of Syracuse's carries last season.
Receiver. This is a position with plenty of room for growth in the spring, with Alec Lemon sitting out and Chew and Dorian Graham gone. Marcus Sales is back in the mix -- how does he look after taking an entire year off? This really is a good opportunity for young players like Jarrod West, Keenan Hale, Kyle Foster and Jeremiah Kobena to show what they've got.
Injury report: The Orange have several players who will be sitting out spring practice -- receiver Alec Lemon (shoulder), linebacker Marquis Spruill (lower body), center Rob Trudo (lower body), offensive tackle Sean Hickey (knee) cornerback Keon Lyn (shoulder), Ameen-Moore (upper body), fullback Carl Cutler (knee), defensive end Micah Robinson (upper body) Backup quarterback Terrel Hunt is out while serving a suspension.
Spring changes: The Orange made a few coaching changes on defense, hiring Donnie Henderson to coach the defensive backs and Steve Morrison to coach the linebackers. The Orange also are losing key players Chandler Jones, Mikhail Marinovich, Antwon Bailey, Nick Provo and Van Chew among many others. Syracuse will only have 70 players available this spring, but coach Doug Marrone says that won't stop him from playing a spring game next month.
Position battles to watch
Defensive line. Depth must be built at this position, and two starting end jobs have to be filled with the departures of Marinovich and Jones, and key backup Torrey Ball. Being without Robinson in the spring further depletes the depth, as Donnie Simmons and Brandon Sharpe are the only healthy players listed at end on the current Syracuse roster.
Running back. Losing another 1,000-yard rusher in Bailey means the Orange have to look for another starter. Adonis Ameen-Moore is out for spring, leaving Steve Rene, Jerome Smith, Prince-Tyson Gulley to split the majority of the reps. All these players have talent, but hardly any have major experience carrying the ball. Bailey had 240 carries for 1,051 yards last season; the running back with the next highest total was Smith, with 37 carries for 134 yards. To put it another way, Bailey accounted for 73 percent of Syracuse's rushing yards and 61 percent of Syracuse's carries last season.
Receiver. This is a position with plenty of room for growth in the spring, with Alec Lemon sitting out and Chew and Dorian Graham gone. Marcus Sales is back in the mix -- how does he look after taking an entire year off? This really is a good opportunity for young players like Jarrod West, Keenan Hale, Kyle Foster and Jeremiah Kobena to show what they've got.
Injury report: The Orange have several players who will be sitting out spring practice -- receiver Alec Lemon (shoulder), linebacker Marquis Spruill (lower body), center Rob Trudo (lower body), offensive tackle Sean Hickey (knee) cornerback Keon Lyn (shoulder), Ameen-Moore (upper body), fullback Carl Cutler (knee), defensive end Micah Robinson (upper body) Backup quarterback Terrel Hunt is out while serving a suspension.
Most teams took Sunday off from practice, so here is a quick weekend roundup with scrimmage information from several teams.
Cincinnati: The Bearcats are still looking for more consistency out of their receivers. Coach Butch Jones said, "We still need to get tougher, and fight through some adversity things. The big thing is mental conditioning, mental toughness, and overall execution. We are still searching to find a receiving corps that’s consistent day in and day out."
D.J. Woods is the leader among that group, but there is a lot of young talent hoping to contribute, including Kenbrell Thompkins, Anthony McClung, Damon Julian, Dyjuan Lewis, Alex Chisum, Shaq Washington, Ralph David Abernathy IV and Chris Moore.
Connecticut: Coach Paul Pasqualoni hopes to have middle linebacker Jerome Williams back in October. Williams hurt his knee in the spring but has yet to recover. ... There still no decision at quarterback after a scrimmage Thursday.
Louisville: Jeremy Wright had several nifty runs in the team's scrimmage Saturday, while tight end Chris White led the team in receiving -- including a 70-yard touchdown pass from Will Stein. Linebackers Daniel Brown and Dexter Heyman were the playmakers on defense.
Pitt: Coach Todd Graham has been encouraged with the way the offense has taken to playing hurry up. So far in fall practice, they have been snapping the ball 17 seconds after a play ends, down from 22 in the spring. Graham wants that number down to 10 to 12 seconds. He also had high praise for Zach Brown, who has shaken off the rust from the first few practices. He believes Brown and Ray Graham could be a dynamic duo.
Rutgers: True freshman Savon Huggins had a smashing debut in Rutgers' first scrimmage Saturday, rushing for 168 yards on 26 carries -- including a 52-yard touchdown run. Among other notable stats: Quarterback Chas Dodd went 12-of-27 for 250 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Tim Wright, coming off a knee injury, had four catches for 45 yards and two touchdowns. Running backs Jawan Jamison and Jeremy Deering sat out, along with defensive end Manny Abreu.
Syracuse: The injury bug hit the Orange once again over the weekend. Sophomore offensive tackle Sean Hickey will miss the 2011 season after tearing his ACL and lateral meniscus. Hickey did not play in any games last season. Three other offensive linemen already are out of practice -- Nick Lepak (concussion), Ian Allport (concussion) and Jarel Lowery (knee). Hickey was expected to push for playing time.
USF: The Bulls ran about 100 plays in their first scrimmage Saturday. Quarterback B.J. Daniels was held out to rest his hamstring injury, and the second and third teams took the majority of the reps. Bobby Eveld went 12-for-20 for 150 yards, while true freshman Matt Floyd went 18-for-25 for 161 yards, including a 41-yard touchdown to Deonte Welch. True freshman Elkino Watson also had a nice day with five tackles for loss and two sacks.
West Virginia: Coach Dana Holgorsen singled out running backs Dustin Garrison and Andrew Buie once again after practice Saturday, saying they were the two freshmen who have stood out the most so far in practice.
Cincinnati: The Bearcats are still looking for more consistency out of their receivers. Coach Butch Jones said, "We still need to get tougher, and fight through some adversity things. The big thing is mental conditioning, mental toughness, and overall execution. We are still searching to find a receiving corps that’s consistent day in and day out."
D.J. Woods is the leader among that group, but there is a lot of young talent hoping to contribute, including Kenbrell Thompkins, Anthony McClung, Damon Julian, Dyjuan Lewis, Alex Chisum, Shaq Washington, Ralph David Abernathy IV and Chris Moore.
Connecticut: Coach Paul Pasqualoni hopes to have middle linebacker Jerome Williams back in October. Williams hurt his knee in the spring but has yet to recover. ... There still no decision at quarterback after a scrimmage Thursday.
Louisville: Jeremy Wright had several nifty runs in the team's scrimmage Saturday, while tight end Chris White led the team in receiving -- including a 70-yard touchdown pass from Will Stein. Linebackers Daniel Brown and Dexter Heyman were the playmakers on defense.
Pitt: Coach Todd Graham has been encouraged with the way the offense has taken to playing hurry up. So far in fall practice, they have been snapping the ball 17 seconds after a play ends, down from 22 in the spring. Graham wants that number down to 10 to 12 seconds. He also had high praise for Zach Brown, who has shaken off the rust from the first few practices. He believes Brown and Ray Graham could be a dynamic duo.
Rutgers: True freshman Savon Huggins had a smashing debut in Rutgers' first scrimmage Saturday, rushing for 168 yards on 26 carries -- including a 52-yard touchdown run. Among other notable stats: Quarterback Chas Dodd went 12-of-27 for 250 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Tim Wright, coming off a knee injury, had four catches for 45 yards and two touchdowns. Running backs Jawan Jamison and Jeremy Deering sat out, along with defensive end Manny Abreu.
Syracuse: The injury bug hit the Orange once again over the weekend. Sophomore offensive tackle Sean Hickey will miss the 2011 season after tearing his ACL and lateral meniscus. Hickey did not play in any games last season. Three other offensive linemen already are out of practice -- Nick Lepak (concussion), Ian Allport (concussion) and Jarel Lowery (knee). Hickey was expected to push for playing time.
USF: The Bulls ran about 100 plays in their first scrimmage Saturday. Quarterback B.J. Daniels was held out to rest his hamstring injury, and the second and third teams took the majority of the reps. Bobby Eveld went 12-for-20 for 150 yards, while true freshman Matt Floyd went 18-for-25 for 161 yards, including a 41-yard touchdown to Deonte Welch. True freshman Elkino Watson also had a nice day with five tackles for loss and two sacks.
West Virginia: Coach Dana Holgorsen singled out running backs Dustin Garrison and Andrew Buie once again after practice Saturday, saying they were the two freshmen who have stood out the most so far in practice.
Jones continues work with Syracuse kids
June, 29, 2011
6/29/11
3:04
PM ET
By
Andrea Adelson | ESPN.com
Chandler Jones had so much fun working with at-risk boys last summer as part of the Youth Impact Program that Syracuse hosted, he decided to help out once again.
The school announced Wednesday it is hosting the program for the second straight year, and Jones will be there next week when it begins. The program will run from July 5-29, and Syracuse football players will help with classroom work in math, language and writing, along with life skills sessions, a football chalk talk and football practice.
The group of more than 100 at-risk, inner-city boys are from sixth, seventh and eighth grade. They will get to work with players Ollie Haney, Lewellyn Coker, Dyshawn Davis, Jaston George, Deon Goggins, Prince-Tyson Gulley, Sean Hickey, Nick Lepak, Keon Lyn, Phillip Thomas, Shamarko Thomas, Jeremi Wilkes and Jones. Syracuse athletics academic coordinator Joe Fields will direct the program, and public school teachers also will help.
If there is anything Jones wants the boys to take with them, it is an emphasis on getting an education.
"Last year, I wanted to send a message to them they can't do anything without academics," Jones said in a phone interview. "I told them,'You have to stay in school. To do some football drills, you have to get that math skill right. For me to teach you the secret move I do, you have to solve this problem.'"
Jones said he wants to be a mentor because that is something he did not have growing up. "I just look at it from my own perspective," he said. "When I was a kid, I didn't have a high prestigious athlete to talk to me and show me. I had older brothers, but they weren't Division I athletes. Being in the position I'm in, I want to help them be successful."
The school announced Wednesday it is hosting the program for the second straight year, and Jones will be there next week when it begins. The program will run from July 5-29, and Syracuse football players will help with classroom work in math, language and writing, along with life skills sessions, a football chalk talk and football practice.
The group of more than 100 at-risk, inner-city boys are from sixth, seventh and eighth grade. They will get to work with players Ollie Haney, Lewellyn Coker, Dyshawn Davis, Jaston George, Deon Goggins, Prince-Tyson Gulley, Sean Hickey, Nick Lepak, Keon Lyn, Phillip Thomas, Shamarko Thomas, Jeremi Wilkes and Jones. Syracuse athletics academic coordinator Joe Fields will direct the program, and public school teachers also will help.
If there is anything Jones wants the boys to take with them, it is an emphasis on getting an education.
"Last year, I wanted to send a message to them they can't do anything without academics," Jones said in a phone interview. "I told them,'You have to stay in school. To do some football drills, you have to get that math skill right. For me to teach you the secret move I do, you have to solve this problem.'"
Jones said he wants to be a mentor because that is something he did not have growing up. "I just look at it from my own perspective," he said. "When I was a kid, I didn't have a high prestigious athlete to talk to me and show me. I had older brothers, but they weren't Division I athletes. Being in the position I'm in, I want to help them be successful."
- Mike Haywood deserves a chance. Haywood, who didn't crack a smile in his first news conference, will change the culture at Pittsburgh. Another one of Pitt's prized recruits is looking elsewhere.
- Bill Stewart not only knew of the plan to replace him, he actually met with Dana Holgorsen in Houston before the plan was announced. Stunning. This whole saga raises some weird questions.
- USF is waiting on a junior college safety who's had some legal issues in his past.
- Cincinnati signed a junior college defensive back for some immediate help.
- Louisville hopes its Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl appearance will help it continue the school's Florida pipeline.
- Experts weigh in on the latest development for Eric LeGrand.
- Syracuse likes the progress of young tackle Sean Hickey.
Commitments are still rolling with less than 48 hours to go before signing day. Here are some of the latest updates in the Big East:
- Earlier I told you that Cincinnati had gotten a commitment from a former Louisville-bound wide receiver. The Cardinals now have landed Cincinnati product Dominique Brown,
a three-star athlete who decommitted once Brian Kelly left the Bearcats. Brown also had an offer form Ohio State.
- Rutgers added to its weekend haul with commitments from three Floridians: linebacker Fred Overstreet, defensive end Djwany Mera and cornerback Gareef Flashen. Continuing the intraconference swiping theme, Flashen had committed to Syracuse in November.
- The news isn't all bad for the Orange, though, as they picked up a 6-foot-5, 270-pound offensive lineman in Sean Hickey. He was also considering Illinois and Boston College, among others.
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ABOUT THIS BLOG
Andrea Adelson
Adelson joined ESPN.com in 2010 after spending time as a college football columnist at The Orlando Sentinel. She has covered college football since her days as a University of Florida student, and lives in Orlando, Fla.
