ABILENE – The ACU Wildcats wrapped up their first spring training under new head coach
Ken Collums and a new defensive coaching staff on Tuesday, April 17, and Collums said he was pleased with what he saw from his team on the practice field.
Of course, the games won't start until Saturday, Sept. 1, when the Wildcats take on McMurry at Shotwell Stadium and that leaves a lot of time for Collums and his coaching staff to finish shoring up the roster and making sure it's where it needs to be to face the rigors of the Lone Star Conference and, hopefully, a seventh straight appearance in the NCAA Division II playofs.
Collums – who was reluctant to discuss players during spring drills because he wanted to wait until after drills were complete to talk about the numerous young players on his roster – said the best thing to come out of the 15 practices is that the Wildcats suffered no serious injuries and the team made significant strides both offensively and defensively.
He and his coaching staff will fan out across the state over the next few weeks, hitting junior college campuses and high schools to try to turn up overlooked prospects that they can add to the 2012 roster this summer. They'll also be working the phones and their contacts to find NCAA Division I transfers who might be able to help in 2012 and beyond.
Earlier this week, Collums sat down with ACU assistant director of athletics for media relations,
Lance Fleming, for a lengthly post-spring training interview. An edited version of that conversation follows:
Q: Give me your general impressions of the spring.
Ken: I thought we had a really productive spring because we were able to see our guys progress. Spring ball is about developing your players into the type of guys we need them to do. It's also about finding out limitations of some of these guys, just so they can be put in the right spot to be successful. The bottom line is you can't ask a kid to do something he doesn't do well. Sometimes it takes weeks to figure that out. If he's a young kid who red-shirted last year, we really don't know much about him yet. There's reps and there's meaningful reps. The meaningful reps are what help a player progress because they're in the fire, and we were able to do that with some of our redshirt guys. Even on offense where this thing has been in place for a long time we had to figure out what some of these young guys could do and how they were gong to progress. We had some linemen that we really had to throw in the fire and test and see if they were a guard or a tackle or what kind of limitations that they had in their game. As a defense – all three new coaches – every day they were getting volumes of information from every practice because they didn't know anybody. Now they know that this guy fits here and not here, etc. So from that standpoint it was a very productive spring. And maybe most importantly, no one was seriously hurt, and that's the way you want to come out of it.
Q: Talk about the defense and the progress that you saw during the spring.
Ken: We had a couple of guys on the defensive line that we really needed to evaluate, and those two were (transfers) Melvin Shead and Nick Finney. And the reason I say that is because they were new to everybody; they were new to me. They got a ton of reps. George Woods played for us last year, and the last part of the spring he really started coming on and making strides. The defensive tackle spot was the one thing we needed to focus on as far as development of our personnel on the defensive side of the ball. We went to a 4-3 and you better have those big guys in the middle, and I believe we got some issues dealt with and questions answered and pretty much solidified that position for the season. Those three guys all had really good springs.
Q: You've got Rob Boyd on one end and Ryan Smith at the other end spot. Is that an area where you might look at going to get a transfer before fall camp starts in August?
Ken: Probably not. If we can keep Ryan Smith healthy he can have a big year. Rob Boyd had a really good spring. He's a really good technician, and he's a tough guy. He should have a really good season for us. I feel good about our defensive ends. Brandon Dornak is a guy that red-shirted, and he made some strides. He's a tall guy who can compress the pocket, and we feel good about him. The biggest surprise was Nick Richardson. He played outside linebacker last year and we moved him down to end this spring and he gave us fits. He's got a great burst off the edge and there were times when we were frustrated with our offensive tackles because he was on the quarterback so much quicker than we expected. The last guy that we had those kinds of issues with in the spring was Aston Whiteside. We would constantly ask, "Can somebody please block that guy?" We didn't know he was going to be the player he became for us over the last four seasons. Nick's got a ways to go and he's only 225 pounds right now and he needs some extra weight, but he should be a quality player for us. All things considered, I'm pretty fired up about our defensive line.
Q: Talk about your linebackers. You've got a lot of guys back, and you get some players back that missed a lot of time with injury, specifically Jesse Harper and Cy Wilson.
Ken: The biggest thing that we didn't have this spring was a seasoned inside linebacker, and that's Jesse Harper. He practiced some toward the end of spring when we weren't hitting each other, but he's a good player. If there's a prototype middle linebacker on our roster, it's Harper. He's a thick guy at 250 pounds, but he runs really well for that size. Cy Wilson was healthy all spring; he hasn't been healthy in a long time. He had a frustrating knee issue there for a long time, but he looked good. Thor Woerner, Chris Summers, those guys did well. Our defensive coaches moved a lot of guys around to try and figure out what these guys bring to the table. Sometimes that's hard to think, "OK, now instead of a Mike (middle linebacker) I'm a Sam (Strongside linebacker), and then the next three practices I'm going to be a Will (Weakside linebacker)." It makes it hard for them to settle in sometimes, but we've got some really intelligent guys, and we'll be fine there.
Q: You probably have more inside linebacker types in Thor Woerner, Jesse Harper, Chris Summers; how did those guys fare having to play on the edge in a 4-3?
Ken: It was definitely different for them and they struggled for a while. Even in fall camp there will still be an adjustment. The personnel stuff is the biggest issue with changing from a 3-4 to a 4-3. We have the linebackers to play the 3-4. As we make this change, our personnel will have to change, as well as how we do things in terms of recruiting.
Q: Obviously the secondary was a big area of concern after last season and the way the year ended. Where do you see that group going into fall camp?
Ken: Those guys played well in the spring. There were times when we didn't have a ton of guys open, which we've normally had. Our defense is somewhat simple and it allows those guys to play. In a 3-4, there are a lot more working parts and a lot more communication that has to happen than in a 4-3. Defense is tough to communicate anyway; you have to communicate back there in any defense. But the 4-3 is a little easier to communicate because there are less linebackers to communicate with, and that allows guys to just play.
Q: Talk to me about some of the guys who played well and got your attention in the secondary.
Ken: L.B. Suggs will be a senior in 2012 and he'll play some safety and cornerback. He's got really good instincts and he can run and hit. Mike Wallace really came on toward the end of spring. He's a big, physcal, hard-tackling safety. We've got some young safeties, starting with Angelo Lopez, who's helped us some in the past, and he'll play quite a bit. He's an intelligent guy who's pretty physical and he'll help us back there. Then there's some other guys like Vicente (Cantu-Harkless), who has a ways to go, but made some strides.
Q: How do you feel about your cornerbacks?
Ken: We've got some guys who can play. Caleb Withrow and L.B. Suggs will play at those spots, and (transfer) Eric Frain did well in the spring, and we've also got Justin Stewart returning. Justin had a really good spring. I don't know if we have any freak shows back there, but we have some solid players. Ultimately what it comes to for a corner is those guys on the defensive line. If you can get some pressure and collapse the pocket then playing cornerback is much easier. We've got some guys that can run and can cover.
Q: Let's move to the offensive side of the ball, specifically the offensive line. You've got two big holes to fill at center and at left tackle. Talk to me about those spots and the players you feel like might be moving into those positions.
Ken: We haven't solidified a center. Nathan Butler took a lot of snaps there this spring. He's the type of center we've had for the last seven years. Smart guy, not overly tall – at all – but is strong and can move his feet, ultra-competitive and tough. Rarely does it happen where you just throw a guy in there who's never played and it works out. He did well this spring, but we have to see it again in fall camp. Of course, Reid Ware will play some center, and even Josh Perez could slide over to center. Physically he can play guard or center. Josh is the ringleader of this whole thing. He's a tough guy, athletic and strong. We'll hang our hat on that guy, as well as Blake Spears at tackle. Spears had a really good spring and we needed that from him. Some of those guys that played significantly last year, we needed to see them come in and have a solid spring, and they did.
Q: You have some other guys you're counting on this year – Logan Hoppenrath, Colton Carnes, Conner Keeton, to name a few. How did you feel about their performances in the spring?
Ken: Colton Carnes had a really good spring; really made some strides. He's got a ways to go, though, just like the others. The offensive line is a work in progress. You've got to continue to progress because we'll face some really good pass-rushers. This league has some guys who will cause us a lot of problems if our guys aren't right, and then definitely in the playoffs we'll see those guys. Our guys are constantly needing to get better. But I'm proud of Colton for the kind of spring he put together. He played mainly guard, but – like the other guys – we moved him around some to find out where they fit best and where they feel the best. A lot of it depends on if the NCAA rules that (transfer) Garrett Langthorpe is eligible. We're appealing his case and hopefully we'll be able to get him on the field in the fall. What happens with him will determine what happens with a lot of the other guys. Garrett had a good spring, but he hasn't really played in a year. It was hard on him to get back out there and be thrown into it like he was. We were all a little frustrated, but he's the prototype tackle you're looking for, and he'll be fine. If he's eligible and ready to play, he'll be fine and be one of our five starters. Logan Hoppenrath has really good feet, and that's what he brings to the table. We played him at guard and tackle, and he progressed. Of course, all of these guys got fussed at pretty regularly, but they all took it and improved every day. Conner Keeton is the guy we'd like to use at right tackle and then slide Spears back over to left tackle. Physically, Conner has everything you want. He didn't play last year and he's a big guy with good feet. When he does things right, you can tell that's exactly what you want. If he keeps progressing, he should be a really good player here for a long time.
Q: Obviously your offense – and your team for that matter – is going to follow the lead of Mitchell Gale. How do you view his performance from the spring?
Ken: He was solid, and that's what you want. For these guys who have played significantly, spring ball is more of a mental challenge to show up every day with a passion for the game. We talk about passion a lot, the balance between passion and discipline. You have to have both, and he has both. For any guy that's done it for three years – and at times done it really, really well – you have to show up every day and be passionate and have your focus at as high a level as it's ever been. And he's that type of guy. He's got a wonderful heart. When you get to this level, you've got to deal with the growing pangs of guys you're playing with each day. It's almost like being a coach. He's had to deal with that a little bit this spring with some of our young receivers. But he's what you want in a quarterback and a leader. We've just got to keep him on his feet and keep his arm healthy.
Q: What about the three guys behind him: John David Baker, Malcolm Ruben and Jonathan Fleming?
Ken: They made progress; none of them are ready yet. All of them are going to have to come on for me to throw them in a game and expect them to operate consistently. John David does some good things. If he's in the game, we're going to look a little different because of what he brings to the table. Mitchell is a dropback guy, and we've tailored things around him, so we'd look a little bit different. He can make throws and make good decisions.. He had a good spring. Malcolm Ruben came on, and I was pleasantly surprised at his progress. If you asked him he would probably think it was a terrible spring. In this offense it's easy to forget some of the everyday things because we ask so much of them. He was discouraged for a while, and I told him he should have been. But I also told him he was doing some good things as well and to not get all freaked out by the bad things. He's a great kid, and he takes every word that I say seriously, which you have to if you're going to grow as a player. So I'm pretty encouraged about him. And then Jonathan Fleming had a pretty good spring. He's probably a little behind Malcolm because his consistency isn't where it needs to be. He's got the second-best arm of the bunch; I mean, he can really throw it. But he's got to be more consistent.
Q: Talk about your running game with Charcandrick West, redshirt freshman Travis Tarver and where Darrell Cantu-Harkless fits into the running back situation.
Ken: Charcandrick is our most explosive player. I don't know that we have a ton of speed, but he's got most of it. He's good and he got better this spring with his ball protection. He's like a thoroughbred. Sometimes you don't know where they're going, but they're getting there pretty fast. He really improved this spring on some of the technique stuff that held him back some last year. We've got to get him the ball. He'll create some mismatches that really favor us; we've just got to figure those out as the season goes along. We're pretty excited about Travis Tarver. He's a big, strong guy who can really run, maybe better and faster than we anticipated. Every one of those backs has to have discipline. It's not just about how hard you hit the hole and run through tacklers. Sometimes it's more finesse and thinking about what you're doing. Harkless didn't play any running back this spring based simply on what we saw from Tarver. We didn't want to take any snaps from Tarver, so we left Harkless at the slot receiver. He's a good player; a first-down machine. If you give him the ball he's going to get a first down. I know the second play we gave it to him as a running back (Sept. 11, 2010, at Northeastern State) he went 83 yards for a touchdown. Now, I think we probably about three holding calls on the play, so maybe it shouldn't have counted, but from the box it was like, "Hey, that wasn't bad. Maybe we should give him the ball more." There's another guy who's similar to Harkless in (sophomore transfer) Marcel Threat, who can play both running back and receiver. He can create some matchup issues on the outside for us at the receiver position.
Q: Talk briefly about the receiver position and what you expect out of those guys in the fall.
Ken: We've got all of our receivers back. We threw the ball a ton last year – probably too much at times – and we've got all of those receivers back. They can get open and catch, and we've got a guy who can get the ball to them, so that's a good recipe. Taylor Gabriel was our leading receiver last year, but he missed most of the spring because of a foot injury. That didn't really bother me all that much. In reality, we needed other guys to get reps, and Taylor will be fine. Harkless had a really good spring catching the ball, and so did Darian Hogg. Darian is a solid guy who can really run. I thought DeMarcus Thompson had really good practices. He really came on in terms of catching the ball after struggling with that some last fall. He's got enough speed to really threaten people down the field. He played as a freshman, and sometimes with those guys you're figuring out their limitations as you go along. Now that we've gone through that with him, he should be really effective in the fall. The young guy who really showed signs of life was Jace Hudson. He's 6-2 and can really run. He's similar to Hogg in that he can't do everything, but he can run, adjust to the ball and catch the ball. I don't know that he knows how good he can be.
Q: Talk about a couple of other positions really quickly in fullback and tight end.
Ken: We're in somewhat of a bind at those two spots because our best fullback is our starter at tight end, Jonathan Parker. If we could find someone to play tight end and move Jonathan to fullback that would be really good for our team. He's really good in the backfield and good in pass protection. We'll use him back there, but we'll also use him at tight end. We just need to get another tight end. Jamie Walker got a ton of reps at tight end. He would be a big receiver, but we made the decision that he would be better closer to the ball.
Q: Touch on your two specialists – Morgan Lineberry and Spencer Covey – and then what you saw out of your special teams units in the spring.
Ken: Well, with those two guys we'll have two of the best kickers in the country. We might have problems, but kicking the ball shouldn't be one of them. They'll be able to do whatever we ask of them. With (assistant coach) Mark Ribaudo coaching our special teams units, he's going to push the envelope. We've committed a lot of time to special teams this spring, probably more than we ever have. He loves coaching those units, and that should really help us this fall.
Q: If there are one or two areas where you think you still need to go out and get some help this spring and summer, where would those be?
Ken: I would say we need a speed receiver to stretch the field. The thing that really makes our offense work and score big points is a guy that can go out and stretch the field, put fear in the other team and score touchdowns from a long way out. We've got good receivers, but we don't have a (Johnny) Knox or (Edmond) Gates, and I don't know that anybody does. But we need a guy that if the opponent is going to single him up they're going to have to hold their breath. We've got that, just in a different way. If teams single up Taylor, Darian or DeMarcus, we can beat them. But it won't be with play action and throw the bomb. But if we don't, we'll be fine and we'll score points. The other area would be a tight end so we can play Parker at fullback. Overall, though, if we walked into the season with what we have right now I'd be fine with the guys we have on the roster.
