Year four of Ryan Silverfield is officially underway! Memphis football had its first scrimmage of fall camp Sunday. There was some good, and there was some bad. Shall we discuss?
The Defense
By all accounts, the defense looked great Sunday just as it has all summer.
I was told they accumulated multiple pick-sixes and stopped the offense more times than not. However, junior quarterback Seth Henigan was limited on snaps Monday. Redshirt freshman Tevin Carter and true freshman Harris Boyd took most of the snaps.
Regardless, the defense is expected to have a big year and possibly even outshine the offense this season. The depth and talent on that side of the ball is better than we’ve ever seen.
It’ll come down to how fast they can gel and learn to play together.
Running Backs
Although the offense has been off to a pretty underwhelming start this offseason, the optimism behind the running backs has been sky high. Here’s a quick analysis on each one.
Blake Watson– Has yet to fully participate in practice due to injury. However, He is expected to be available for the opener on September 2nd. Watson is still expected to be RB1 to start the season.
Sutton Smith– Smith has had a very impressive offseason. The staff has been raving about his development and he has given them some reason to possibly have second thoughts on who RB1 should be come September 2nd.
Jeyvon Ducker- Ducker had a pretty good year for Memphis last season. He emerged as the lead back for a majority of the year. Albeit this offseason has been a bit disappointing for him. As described to me he has somewhat been “buried” on the depth chart. He will still get his opportunity this season, but the acquisition of Blake Watson and the emergence of Sutton Smith has left him in what appears to be a diminished role next season.
Ke’Travion Hargrove– Since transferring from Mississippi St, Hargrove has been a pleasant surprise in the backfield. Expect him to get an opportunity as well, even if it’s minimal.
Brandon Thomas- Yes, Brandon Thomas is still here. Yes, he does still have a lot of talent. No, I don’t think he will see much of the field this season.
Other Things Memphis Can Nosh On
The secondary has looked phenomenal in camp so far. The depth in that position group might be the deepest on the team outside of the running backs. Furthermore, Simeon Blair, Malik Feaster, Cameron Miller, Greg Rubin are on the short list of players that have looked good.
The reasoning behind Seth having minimal participation in the first scrimmage is unknown but not expected to have an impact on the season.
Tevin Carter still looks incredibly raw. His decision-making skills just aren’t there yet. It’s disappointing but keep in mind he’s still just a redshirt freshman. Still, plenty of time to grow.
