Thursday will mark the first day that several players take the practice field with the Arizona Wildcats as actual members of the team.

So which ones are we most excited about seeing on the field, and potentially see in games as a true freshman? We answer that in this week’s roundtable, plus we wonder if this is the year that tight ends are actually used in Arizona’s offense.

Jason Bartel: With camp starting Thursday, which freshman are you most curious to see/hear about?

Gabe Encinas: There are so many good choices to go with, but the first one that came to mind is Kahi Neves. He’s physically ready to play linebacker, checking in at 6-foot-4, 229 pounds, and having him enroll early this past spring to learn the defense and acquaint himself with the college scene is going to be extremely helpful this upcoming season.

I figure he’s a guy that will see the field quite a bit, despite being behind DeAndre’ Miller at the STUD position. And with such little defensive line help this season, the linebackers, particularly that STUD position, are going to have a lot of opportunities to come up big.

Brandon Combs: I would say J.J. Taylor. During his recruitment, colleges were worried about his academic eligibility. Arizona took a so-called “risk” and it paid off.

His size, 5-foot-6 and 155 pounds, is a non-issue. He is an electrifying playmaker who has a toughness about him that can’t be overlooked. He is shifty, fast, and extremely difficult to take down in open space. I think he’ll be able to win the 3rd running back spot during camp. With that he’ll see the field early and make plays out of the backfield and the slot.

David Potts: Khalil Tate. I don’t think he’ll be the most impactful freshman – not by a long shot – but he’s definitely the one I want to see more from. Even if he ends up redshirting this year, and even if he ultimately can’t get traction at quarterback, his potential still intrigues. I’ve always wondered how Devin Fuller’s career would’ve gone had he chosen Arizona over UCLA, and Tate may provide an answer to that question.

Drake Horner: Chacho Ulloa. A late recruiting cycle snag could prove dividends this year. The former Stanford commit is expected to make a push to start at safety. The four-star out of Corona, CA is a kid that has already made some noise since being on campus. With the secondary needing help, I don’t think he will redshirt.

Ronnie Stoffle: I have to agree with Brandon that Taylor is who I’m most excited to see. His high school production is tough to ignore despite his size. There will be plenty of opportunity for him this year in the backfield. If he stays healthy, don’t be surprised if he’s getting meaningful touches down the stretch.

JB: What kind of impact will the tight ends have this year?

GE: On paper, utilizing a tight end sounds so advantageous, but we just haven’t seen a whole lot of tight end action since Terrence Miller left in 2013. Trevor Wood should finally be 100% healthy, someone who Rich Rodriguez seems to have quite a bit of trust in. We saw a little bit of Josh Kern action last year (eight receptions for 59 yards and a touchdown). We didn’t see Matt Morin on offense at all last season.

Brion Anduze went down with a nasty knee injury an hour into spring practice, and he was someone a lot of guys on the team seemed to be excited about. Darrell Cloy moved over to defensive line and that should be a much better fit for him, then there’s Jamie Nunley, who was a mid-year enrollee after gray shirting in 2015.

So anyways, to answer the question without too much optimism, I would like to think they’re involved a good amount. With the lack of height at receiver, and with Matt Morin (6-foot-2) as the only tight end who stands less than 6-foot-5, I’d hope that the tight end is used a lot more.

BC: It is known that Arizona hasn’t used its tight ends that much the past couple of years. However, it is possible this year could be different.

The Wildcats have some pretty good options at tight end. Wood is healthy and at 6-foot-5, he is a huge target that could come across the middle. I think Kern is the next viable option. He is another big body that can be used across the middle.

Morin mostly played on special teams last year, so it’ll be interesting to see what he does this year. I’m really intrigued by Nunley. At 6-foot-5, 228 pounds, he reminds me more of a big-bodied receiver. He could be used to go across the middle or lined up on the outside against smaller corners.

DP: I’m going to doubt the tight ends until they prove me wrong. Anu Solomon claimed last year that the tight ends would be integrated and bring more versatility to the offense. That didn’t happen. Rich Rodriguez offenses simply have not utilized the tight ends very well, and I don’t see any apparent reason why this year would be different. Both Kern and Wood are capable of making an impact, but I’m not going to buy it until I see it on the field.

DH: Well, I’ve said this for the last couple years and I was wrong, but I think this is the year that tight ends get more run. Solomon, should he win the job, has a grip of the offense and should be comfortable with another wrinkle added on. Wood is a big target and was a big time recruit. Kern is also another big target, and Morin is yolked. You also have some wild card candidates in Anduze and Nunley. Nunley will probably redshirt, but if Anduze can get healthy, he could play. The team called him mini-gronk.

I would love to see some seams down the middle for tight ends and Arizona certainly has the bodies this year to have an effective tight end passing game. We will just have to see how serious Rodriguez is this year.

RS: There is plenty of size and talent at the position. I wouldn’t expect to see a traditional tight end formation. It feels like Rich Rod would stay true to the spread offense and they would be utilized in split formations.

Kern had some bright moments last season. A healthy Wood will add to the viable redzone targets. The buzz around Nunley makes this position group appear to be pretty deep. However, history tells us that tight ends typically play marginal roles in Rich Rod’s offense. To avoid disappointment, we may not want to get our hopes too high.

The South Carolina Gamecocks picked up their second-highest ranked recruit of the 2017 cycle by grabbing a commitment from Charlotte (N.C.) offensive lineman T.J. Moore. Moore, a four-star recruit and the nation’s 29th-ranked offensive tackle according to 247Sports’ composite rankings, chose the Gamecocks over the Tennessee Volunteers, North Carolina Tar Heels and N.C. State Wolfpack, making his announcement public today.

The Vols had been said to have made a strong move to gain Moore’s services of late after the Gamecocks had been considered the favorite. Moore had also been holding out for an Alabama offer. When that didn’t happen, and with Tennessee ultimately falling short despite Moore’s visit to Knoxville yesterday, the door was open for his pledge to Carolina.

The 6’5″, 280-pound Moore, who should figure heavily into the rotation next year even if he doesn’t start, will have familiarity with one other member of the 2017 recruiting class. Eric Douglas, a fellow offensive lineman for a Mavericks team that has won three consecutive state titles in North Carolina’s Class 4A, committed to the program back in April. They join JUCO transfer Dennis Daley and Palmetto State product Summie Carlay as O-line pledges.

Overall, the Gamecocks’ 2017 recruiting class sits at 19 players right now. The addition of Moore means that the program will have a strong bit of talent on the o-line with the pending departure of starter Mason Zandi at the conclusion of the 2016 season.

D.J. Smith

Junior
Defensive Back
5-11 / 195 lbs.
Marietta, GA

Recruitment

Widely considered a four-star recruit, and one of the better players out of the state of Georgia for his class, Smith choose South Carolina over Clemson, Georgia and Tennessee among numerous other FBS offers.

College Career

An earned career start his freshman season, and over 24 career appearances, Smith has primarily served on Special Teams, and has contributed to the back-line defense of the Gamecock secondary the past two seasons.

With 33 career tackles and zero interceptions, Smith’s on-field production, primarily on defense, hasn’t been the level necessary thus far to be a feared defensive back. That, said he’s only halfway through his eligibility. There’s still time.

2016 Outlook

It’s clear to me that the door’s open in Fall Camp and that the best, and most physical players will stick out to the coaches and earn the opportunity to play.

As one of the more widely-touted prospects on the Gamecocks roster, I’d expect that to come as good news to D.J. Smith. In all likelihood, most of the new coaching staff recruited the Marietta native and has some idea of his untapped potential.

As part of an underachieving secondary, Smith has the opportunity to become a core member of the unit for the next two years. I’m hoping the hype comes to life his third season on campus.

Summer is over and I am back to provide surprisingly necessary and over-enthusiastic commentary about the bodies of 18-23 year old college dudes. As a skinny dude who tries to lift, I am once again completely (un)qualified to make such rash, superficial judgments; but you’ve waited all offseason to see the #gains made since spring practice so here we are. Rejoice, for if football season is Christmas morning today is the first candle of Advent and boy is it LIT.

I highlighted most of the starters or those who made a good impression, but you can find the full, pixelated video linked below.

Offensive Line

Tremayne Anchrum, 289: good weight for a freshman, will build experience and provide depth at left tackle where the offense needs it most.

Tyrone Crowder, 333: would’ve liked to see this a bit lower so Crowder could better pull on power runs, but he is our road-grader so no cause for alarm.

Jake Fruhmorgen, 300: good news for a position where Clemson lacks depth. Fruhorgen should be an upgrade at right tackle with this added weight.

Jay Guillermo, 305: Guillermo looks much more fit than he did a year ago after a semester away from the program. This is the best center in CFB and the leader up front, based on these results he showed it in the weight room.

Taylor Hearn, 327: very good weight for an athletic guard (remember he was the backup LT last year) to lead block for Gallman on Clemson’s preferred power/counter trey runs.

Mitch Hyatt, 299: last year he played at only 285 and looked mostly unbeatable.

Sean Pollard, 310: another solid weight for a true freshman early-enrollee. Along with Anchrum, he will avoid a redshirt and provide crucial depth at tackle.

John Simpson, 307: at the risk of further repeating myself, Simpson can play this fall at his current weight. Nothing better than bringing linemen in a semester early and this is why. Spring practice lays the foundation with valuable reps, but the summer workouts in college are far and away more beneficial than anything these kids can do before they enroll.

Tight End

Jordan Leggett, 259: 10 more pounds should help his blocking without slowing him down. Already the best pass catching TE in CFB, if he can become merely adequate at blocking (he’s been a liability at it more often than not) he could sneak into the first 2 rounds of the draft next spring.

Garrett Williams, 250: excelled as an H-back/fullback in short yardage last year, expect more of the same at 250 pounds.

Running Back

Adam Choice, 206: a very compact and ripped 206, but not the weight I want to see from a power back.

Tavien Feaster, 207: the speed and quickness of a CJ Spiller yet already 207 pounds?? Get him on the field somewhere, anywhere.

Wayne Gallman, 210: I’m surprised to see Gallman at the same playing weight as last year. At 6’1″ I think 5-10 more pounds would be ideal but as violent a runner as he is, I’m certainly not worried; merely surprised there wasn’t a bit of added mass.

Quarterback

Deshaun Watson, 218: SWOON. See what happens when you can squat in the offseason rather than rehab? The extra 10 pounds will pay off every time Watson tucks it and runs, which hopefully will be fewer times than last year.

Wide Receiver

Ray-Ray McCloud, 183: next to no weight gained in a year is disappointing for a player who sorely needs mass to reach his full potential at the collegiate level. Nagging injuries and fumbles held him back in 2015 and weight is the major culprit.

Artavis Scott, 193: negligible gains but has anyone ever tackled Scott at first contact? He’s built (and plays) more like a running back so I guess it isn’t fair for cornerbacks to try and tackle him 1 on 1.

Mike Williams, 222: OH MAN

Defensive Line

Austin Bryant, 269: perfect weight for a 4-3 DE. Will play on both the strong and weak side depending on the personnel alongside him.

Clelin Ferrell, 264: the development here afforded us the luxury to flip Bryant to the strong side and keep Wilkins at DT. Good weights for our starting DEs, which was one of my biggest concerns for the entire team until I saw their spring performance.

Bert Huggins, 300: putting in work like may keep him from being forgotten in a completely stacked DT rotation.

Dexter Lawrence, 342: THINK OF THE CHILDREN DEX THINK OF THEIR FUTURES AND SHOW MERCY ON OUR SOULS.

Carlos Watkins, 303: lookin’ like a 1st rounder, Mr Watkins.

Richard Yeargin, 265: YUUUUGE GAINS for another much-needed body at DE.

Linebacker

Ben Boulware, 233: dropped some weight eh? I’m not mad, 240 was a bit stocky for a 5’11” linebacker. We can expect some extra quickness without a drop in ferocity.

Dorian O’Daniel, 220: I hoped he’d find more playing time last year and at this weight I think he will finally find plenty. In situations where we can’t substitute (or find ourselves lacking depth the depth needed for nickel), O’Daniel is athletic enough to man up on a TE or slot receiver or stay in the box in a stacked 4-3.

Kendall Joseph, 229: similar to Boulware, this is the ideal weight for a sub-6 foot linebacker. Expect a big year from the man who would’ve started over BJ Goodson a year ago if healthy.

Tre Lamar, 236: this is the Dexter Lawrence of the linebacker class, unfair size for a man so young.

Shaq Smith, 235: ok this isn’t fair either. Athletes like this, coached by Brent Venables? NFL pipeline indeed.

Defensive Back

Mark Fields, 181: not ideal, but with his overall athleticism he should hold up at field corner when called upon.

Jadar Johnson, 217: this is a fantastic weight. I still fear Johnson and Van Smith won’t be nearly the intimidators in run support we had in Jayron Kearse, and TJ Green, but this weight puts those fears at ease.

Trayvon Mullen, 187: weight is the only thing which may have limited Mullen’s opportunities but at 187 he will have a legitimate chance to start at field corner. At the very least it’s another quality body to throw in the mix. Huge boon for the secondary.

Tanner Muse, 217: I discounted Muse based on the spring game (unfairly in hindsight) but he has the size to battle Simmons and K’Von Wallace for the box safety spot on 3rd downs.

Isaiah Simmons, 221 when I wrote about the 3rd down Dime defense, I counted on Simmons to fill Kearse’s box safety role. At this weight, I feel good about that prediction.

Van Smith, 202: I said after the spring game I hoped to see him at 200 pounds, and he got there. Echo the statement I made about Jadar above.

Korrin Wiggins, 202: We know what we have in Wiggins, if healthy. Can play nickel, free safety, or box safety on 3rd down.

Conclusions

Based solely on the weigh-in, it seems there is more depth along both lines of scrimmage and in the defensive backfield than previously thought! Young and untested depth, but at least the new blood looks to be at adequate playing weights. Reps against Troy and SC State (and hopefully in a blowout at Auburn) will be crucial before Georgia Tech and Louisville…not to mention Florida State in late October.

Special teams. Aside from the offensive line more games are won or lost on the strength of special teams than probably any other individual unit.

Several of the biggest losses of the Jim Mora Era would have been different if our special teams players had come through. That doesn’t excuse the rest of the team because, in football, when a team loses, it’s truly a team loss.

But, special teams can snatch a victory from the jaws of defeat or vice-versa, depending on how the special teams players played.

This year, three key special teams roles will be filled by newcomers. And, that’s important.

Obviously, Ka’imi Fairbairn is gone, but so are punter Matt Mengel and long snapper Christopher Luongo. The only special teams guys that are returning are, well, the return guys.

Here’s a look at the projected Special Teams depth chart:

Let’s look at each of the positions.

Kicker

Ka’imi Fairbairn left some pretty big shoes to fill.

Not only did Fairbairn win the Lou Groza award as the best kicker in college football, he also set a school record with a 60-yard field goal against Cal. Yet, somehow, he was not the All-Conference selection for kicker. He finally seemed to hit his stride after struggling his first three seasons.

As the Bruins head to camp, there are three kickers on the roster. Stefan Flintoff is a redshirt sophomore from Loyola High School who did not see any action last season. Andrew Strauch will be a freshman after redshirting last season.

But, expect the job to be won by true freshman J.J. Molson who seems to be enjoying the Southern California weather as a nice change of pace from the frigid Canadian winters. Molson was an early enrollee and participated in Spring Practice.

On the basis of his performance in Spring, Molson certainly appeared to be the best of the UCLA kickers, which makes sense since Chris Sailer Kicking rated him as the #2 kicker in North America in the 2016 recruiting class. I’m expecting Molson to win at least one game for us this season with a late field goal.

In Spring, he was easily and consistently hitting long field goals with plenty of distance to spare. While he may be a freshman college kicker this year, I have a hunch that Ka’imi’s school record may not stand for long with Molson around.

Don’t be surprised, though, if Coach Mora plays coy and refuses to acknowledge Molson has won the spot. Mora doesn’t like his guys to feel comfortable in camp. I’d be shocked if anyone but Molson lines up for the first field goal of the season.

That said, it’s always possible that one of the other kickers could be given the kickoff duties, allowing Molson to concentrate on putting the ball through the uprights.

Long Snapper

Well, this is where things start to get interesting. There is only one long snapper on the roster and that’s incoming freshman Johnny Den Bleyker from Moreau Catholic in Fremont, CA. I’m not sure who the backup will be, but let’s just hope that he stays healthy so we don’t have to worry about that.

Punter

This is the special teams slot where there could actually be a position battle. Senior Adam Searl, who was reinstated to the team prior to the start of Spring Practice, returns and is joined by true freshman Austin Kent, who comes to UCLA from Charlotte, NC.

There wasn’t as much of an emphasis placed on punting as there was on the placekicking at the practices I saw this Spring.

So, it’s completely possible that the competition here could be wide open. But, given UCLA’s punting struggles the past few seasons, I just don’t see Searl retaining the job for long even if he wins it in camp.

Kent should be good enough, though, to make sure Kenny Walker never lines up in punt formation again.

Returners

Ishmael Adams is back for another season and, perhaps, it was his explosiveness as a return guy that led to Coach Mora asking Ish to switch to the offensive side of the ball this Spring.

Look for the Johnsons, Stephen or Mossi, to join Ish for kickoff returns while Randall Goforth could see some time as the team’s punt returner.

Of course, it’s always possible that one of the incoming freshman could work his way onto either return team by working his tail off in practice.

That wraps up our look at the Special Teams as the Bruins head into Fall Camp. Stay tuned all week as we continue our UCLA Football Fall Preview.

Go Bruins!!!

Former Northwestern quarterback-turned-wide-receiver Kain Colter has signed with the Buffalo Bills, according to Bills beat writer Sal Capaccio.

Bills also sign WR Kain Colter and release WE Davonte Allen and K Marshall Morgan.

— Sal Capaccio (@SalSports) August 1, 2016

Colter was signed by the Rams earlier this offseason but was cut before the summer began. Colter will compete to make the 53-man roster during training camp. He has never made a final NFL roster, but he was on the Minnesota Vikings practice squad in 2014. Colter has not been used as a quarterback at any point during his brief NFL career, and it appears, like the Vikings, the Bills are intending for him to be a wide receiver/running back hybrid.

Hopefully Colter can impress Rex Ryan and the Bills staff in training camp. The Bills went 8-8 in 2015-16 and are actively looking for wide receivers to complement Sammy Watkins.

Head coach Dave Clawson and staff struck on the recruiting trail for the first time in August, as wide receiver Jaquarii Roberson committed to Wake Forest for the Class of 2017

#WAKEUP pic.twitter.com/0JRS1CFcEg

— Jaquarii Roberson (@quarii25) August 1, 2016

The 6-3, 170 pound Roberson (@quarii25) is a wide receiver out of Hertford County High School in Ahoskie, NC. 247Sports has him rankedas a 3 star, and the 43rd best receiver in the state of North Carolina.

He chose Wake Forest over East Carolina and N.C. State. He was also courted by Central Florida and Old Dominion throughout the recruiting process.

Last year at Hertford County he accrued 66 receptions for 1,480 yards and 19 touchdowns, averaging 113.8 yards per game in leading the Bears to a 9-4 record. He also scored 21.7 PPG and averaged 9.8 rebounds per game for the basketball team.

Welcome to Wake Jacquarii. We look forward to seeing what you can do at Mother So Dear!

South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Will Muschamp met with the media for about half an hour this afternoon to discuss upcoming fall practices. Unfortunately, the university hasn’t #CredentialedGABA as of yet, so we had to come by our information in a second hand matter.

However Coach Muschamp did speak on a variety of subjects, including his teams’ youth and the need to play fast:

Muschamp talking about team’s youth and energy. Also speaks to the need to play fast.

— GABAttack (@GABAttack) August 1, 2016

Will Muschamp “We’re going to rely on a bunch of young guys to play.”

— Matt Connolly (@MattatTheState) August 1, 2016

Coach Muschamp then gave a couple of quick player updates on Kyle Markway, Shameik Blackshear, and Akeem Cooperwood:

Team work ethic has been good. Kyle Markway will be cleared to play in a couple weeks.

— GABAttack (@GABAttack) August 1, 2016

No update on Akeem Cooperwood. Still working through a class issue.

— David Cloninger (@DCTheState) August 1, 2016

Blackshear has been fully cleared to play from his injuries suffered in December in the shooting incident.

— Scott Hood (@ScottHood63) August 1, 2016

He then dived a bit into the structure of the first few practices, how the QB race will be narrowed down, etc.

First 4 practices will be split squad: veterans will practice 1st, while young guys observe. Middle part will be full team, then young guys.

— GamecockCentral.com (@GamecockCentral) August 1, 2016

No set date for naming a starting quarterback. Nunez is taking more reps at receiver but is in discussion for QB.

— SportsTalk (@sportstalksc) August 1, 2016

QB reps will be split pretty evenly and then be cut down to two after the first scrimmage.

— David Cloninger (@DCTheState) August 1, 2016

Look for special teams to take on a more important role under the Muschamp-led Gamecocks

Muschamp on special teams “If you’re not a quarterback and not an offensive linemen and don’t play special teams you’re a selfish player.”

— Matt Connolly (@MattatTheState) August 1, 2016

Muschamp said that selfish players won’t be tolerated in the program. #Gamecocks

— Spurs & Feathers (@SpursFeathers) August 1, 2016

Will Muschamp says this was a message at team meeting today: ‘Selfish players will not be tolerated in our organization.’

— GoGamecocks.com (@gogamecocks) August 1, 2016

More on special teams…looks like they won’t be trying to run Elliott Fry ragged this coming year…

Joseph Charlton will handle kickoffs and Elliott Fy will do PATs and FGs.

— GABAttack (@GABAttack) August 1, 2016

WE’RE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO HAVE BORING UNIFORMS EVERY WEEK, GUYS…

Muschamp says the seniors will choose the uniforms week to week. I’d expect to see different uni combos every week.

— GABAttack (@GABAttack) August 1, 2016

Muschamp noted that he is here for the long haul

Muschamp on the opener: “We’re in it for the long haul. I’m focused on camp right now.”

— David Cloninger (@DCTheState) August 1, 2016

And that’s it from Muschamp’s presser, happy football season everyone!

Phil Steele has broken down who he thinks are the best running back units in college football, and the Oregon Ducks are among the top groups in the nation.

There’s an embarrassment of riches at the running back spot in 2016, with the likes of Leonard Fournette, Royce Freeman, Nick Chubb and others lining up in backfields across the country. Steele awards the top two spots to LSU and Stanford, respectively, with the Ducks not far behind at No. 3:

Royce Freeman is 230 pounds and rushed for 1,365 yards (5.4 ypc) in 2014 and 1,836 (6.5 ypc, 17 touchdowns) in 2015. Taj Griffin is in the Taser back spot and rushed for 570 yards (7.4 ypc). Kani Benoit had 364 yards (7 ypc), while Tony Brooks-James adds depth.

Georgia and Florida State come in at No.4 and No. 5. Other schools of note on the list include USC (No. 8), Virginia (23), Arizona State (29), UCLA (30), Washington (43) and Arizona (48).

Big news for Lovie Smith and the Fighting Illini! After members of the coaching staff began celebrating a commitment, three-star cornerback Antwan Collier announced his verbal to Illinois via Twitter. The Florida native is the No. 1078 overall player in 247Sports’ class-of-2017 composite rankings.

Committed to Illinois pic.twitter.com/EpGG8vMCqc

— Antwan Collier (@9millyy_ac) August 1, 2016

“I want to thank all the coaches that gave me scholarships to their school and I would like to thank God, my parents, teammates, and coaches for supporting through the recruiting process. At this time I will be committing to the University of Illinois #WeWillWin #Illini”

~ Antwan Collier

Great start to the first day of official offer letters! Go Illini! #keepaniontheillini! pic.twitter.com/lwWegnbnyp

— Lovie Smith (@LovieSmith) August 1, 2016

I-L-L-I-N-I! The columns are hot! #WEWILLWIN pic.twitter.com/8E9CZ3SfEM

— Josh Sternquist (@kta1927) August 1, 2016

According to his 247Sports’ profile, Collier also had additional scholarship offers from the following programs (Power 5 bolded): California, Cincinnati, East Carolina, Florida International, Florida Atlantic, Iowa State, Louisville, Maryland, Middle Tennessee State, N.C. State, Nebraska, Oregon State, Purdue, Southern Mississippi, Central Florida, South Florida, and Utah.

The Fighting Illini now have seven verbal commitments for the class-of-2017. The Orange and Blue are still last in the Big Ten, but the they’ve drawn just about even with Purdue.

Antwan Collier Highlights