Drew Thurman (5:35 pm)
The open practice last night really did offer some interesting moments. I obviously have only been blessed one set of eyes, but these were some of the things I noticed...
- Dane Sanzenbacher blew me away. I had continually read the rave reviews on him this spring and summer, but he really impressed me live. First of all, he has some of the best route running skills on the team, and I would say he is only second behind Hartline in this area. He broke ankles all night long, and looked especially impressive in the one on one drills. Second, Sanzenbacher showed some real speed. I don't care what his 40 time was coming out of high school, he has a serious motor. I think we will being seeing a lot of Sanzenbacher this season.
- Terrelle Pryor was the center of the spotlight for most of the night, even though he took reps with the third string. Pryor is interesting to watch becuase he is so hit or miss. At times he does not look like a freshmen at all, and this is especially the case during a broken play. His instincts and athleticism are of the charts, and he throws pretty well on the run. On the other hand though, Pryor will frustrate you with the lack of mechanics. He is very inconsistant with his accuracy, and constantly throws off his back foot. I don't care what others have said, Pryor will probably not be getting used for much outside of his running ability this season.
- The tight ends looked to be a very active part of the practice. Nicol was very much in rhythm all night long, and had a few spectacular catches across the middle from Todd Boeckman. Brandon Smith was also was on the receiving end several times. It looks like they want to use Smith in a similar role as they did Stan White Jr. in the past.
- The defensive line looked very solid all night long. Gibson and Heyward were both sharp coming of the ends for the first string, and Gibson looks to have taken some steps forward since the spring game. Terry also spent his time at defensive end, and had some very solid moves during one on one drills. The most impressive DE to me had to be Solomon Thomas. His combination of size and speed were too much for the guys on second string that faced him. I seriously blinked, and he was in the backfield. I worry with him a little versus the run, but he will have no problem getting to the quarterback. The defensive tackles also look good. Denlinger and Larimore were two of the hardest workers out there, and the offensive line struggled with them on multiple occasions. I think the defensive line will be one of the strongest aspects of this team in 08-09.
- Beanie of course looked good, but he always looks good. With that said, it was nice to see him healthy again. Beanie looked as quick as I have ever seen him, and he is hitting the hole very fast. He looks to be in Heisman form.
- I was a little disappointed with the offensive line at times last night. I don't think there are any huge concerns, but I think we will have to watch the right side of the line. Person looked a little a slow on several occasions, and he shares the right side with first year starter Bryant Browning. I am not criticizing either guy, instead I am just saying it is something to watch.
- Some other observations:
1) Bauserman looked solid all night, and there was a great rhythm with him under center.
2) Posey, Stoneburner, and Thomas all three made some solid plays. Posey is obviously looks the best of the trio, but they all have bright futures ahead.
3)Boeckman was solid. He was not flashy as usual, but he has the best accuracy of anyone we could throw out there.
4) Jermale Hines played the two deep at safety all night long.
5) I saw Storm Klein and some other recruits present at the practice.
6) Robiskie, Herron, and Saine all was absent from the drills.
7) Taurian Washington played both first and second string in Robiskie's place.
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