Post by PVNation Fans on Mar 8, 2017 9:12:06 GMT -6
Spring football is underway and with the departure of veteran QB Trey Green all eyes are on the QB battle. Before that we wanted to take a look at a few story lines going into Willie Simmons' second Spring...
Position Battles
We know that most, if not all of us, will look to the quarterback battle as the most important in the Spring. I think that the way the Offensive Line sets up in the next month will be just as interesting. This will be the first time we are seeing JUCO transfers Garrett Thibodaux and Marquez Griffin in a Panthers uniform. Will Thibodaux be the starting LT throughout Spring? Can Griffin take a starting spot in his first Spring? Is Gus Lopez automatically the starting C even though Corbin Finlayson played very well there to end the season? Can Shawn Pierce make a healthy return from an injury that's hampered him the past two seasons?
The Safety opposite RJ Johnson will be a good one to keep an eye on too. Who will be PVAMU's corners in the Spring? True Freshmen Sonnie Williams and highly-touted recruit Juice Parker both started some games at the CB position last fall.
Some good battles to watch.
Can the defense pick up where it left off?
Last season we made a jump in every defensive category. Ralph Street’s attacking 4-2-5 defense recorded 36 sacks and 75 tackles-for-loss compared to just 19 and 56 in the previous year. Can we find the depth we will need on the defensive line this season to improve on an already very good defense?
We know what we have in our returning starters and I will put it with anyone in the SWAC. The question the Spring will answer is depth at LB and the defensive line.
Who will take the first snap at QB against Texas Southern?
That's the number 1 question every Panthers fan wants to know the answer to. For the first time in two seasons the Panthers will have a QB competition to see who emerges as the starter. Last season RS-FR Jalen Morton was literally thrown into the fire after Trey Green went down. Morton's size (6'4", 230) as a QB is imposing but he stills need more reps and work at the QB position. Neiko Hollins redshirted last season so he will be ready to jump in and compete for the starting spot. Hollins has a strong arm with a quick release and appears to have good accuracy. But he wasn't recruited as a dual-threat QB coming out of HS. If he's gotten faster he will definitely make a strong push. Looking to add a QB with experience the Panthers went out and signed JUCO QB LaVell McCullers. McCullers was rated the #6 JUCO QB in the nation after racking up over 3200 yards of total offense and 30 TDs last season at the City College of San Francisco. McCullers appears to have all the tools but will need to learn the offense quickly. Have patience PVNation... we won't know who the starting QB will be until the first snap at the Labor Day Classic.
There are many more story lines but those are the ones I will be watching closely. Comment with others.
