Alabama - Scout.com

Inside
INSIDE THE CRIMSON TIDE
We’ll Soon Know About Tide ....Page 2
Depth Chart................................Page 4
Coach Shula Says .......................Page 5
Scouting Report ..........................Page 6
Number 1
August 30, 2006
EMPHASIS ON TIDE IN SEASON OPENER
W
hen Alabama opens a football
season, there is enough interest
that none additional is needed.
For instance, there is no reason to have to
worry about the weather–particularly a
weather phenomenon such as a hurricane
that no one can do anything about.
Fortunately, as the Crimson Tide prepared
to open the 2006 season, it appeared that
Earnesto would not threaten the state of
Alabama.
That means normal conversation in the
state. To wit: the quarterback (and back-up
quarterback), how many prospects will
make unofficial visits for the opening game,
what those prospects will think of remodeled and exspanded Bryant-Denny Stadium,
whether Andre Smith is as good as advertised, etc.
There may also be some discussion of the
opponent, Hawaii, but for the most part the
interest is on Alabama.
Preparation for Hawaii began soon after
Jamie Christensen’s 45-yard field goal
slipped over the crossbar in Dallas to give
Bama a 13-10 win over Texas Tech in the
Cotton Bowl and a 10-2 record. Last year
has been forgotten (including by most of
those making pre-season predictions, which
have not been flattering to Crimson Tide
coaches and players).
There was the off-season conditioning
program, spring practice, summer conditioning and pass skeleton work, and then
the start of pre-season camp in early August.
That is the heavy lifting phase in which the
Crimson Tide had both drills on fundamentals and the implementation of offensive and
defensive schemes and the kicking game.
When classes started on August 23,
Alabama went into game-specific mode. All
that was installed in the way of offensive
and defensive schemes in pre-season camp
was honed down to what will be used
against the Warriors. There was less contact.
It is also a time when additional players
are added to the roster, though few of those
two dozen who were not on the 105 are
expected to figure much into Saturday’s
game plan.
Alabama opens the season at 6 p.m. CDT
Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium hosting
Hawaii. The only telecast of the game will be
on a pay-per-view basis. Some 92,138 will be
on hand for the game in the remodeled and
expanded stadium, the largest crowd ever to
see a football game in the state of Alabama.
And the game against the Warriors marks
the start of 12 consecutive Saturdays
Alabama will play football games.
Over the years, Alabama has had very
good success in season-opening games. Of
course, Bama has had good success in games
of all sorts. Frequently–like most teams–the
Tide has opened the season with a
lightweight. Hawaii may not contend for the
national championship, but the Warriors are
considered good competition.
Hawaii headed to Atlanta for a couple of
days of work this week before busing to
Tuscaloosa for a walk-through at BryantDenny Stadium Friday.
Early in the week there was a concern
about the weather. No doubt Alabama
Coach Mike Shula has kept up with developments in South Florida, where he has
family and friends, but indications were that
Earnesto would not cause bad weather in
Tuscaloosa.
–Kirk McNair
WE’LL SOON KNOW ABOUT 2006 CRIMSON TIDE
A
nyone paying attention has a sense
of what the 2006 Alabama football
team can be. On
Saturday evening in BryantDenny Stadium, in front of
the largest crowd ever to witness a football game in the
state of Alabama, the
Crimson Tide will ge to
show if it can be a contender
a year after finishing eighth
in the nation with a 10-2
record.
Not many are giving
Alabama much respect.
Generally, the Tide is ranked
just in or just out of the
nation’s top 25 and most
pick Bama to finish third or
fourth in the Southeastern
Conference
Western
Division.
To some extent, Alabama is
rebuilding this year.
It starts with quarterback.
John Parker Wilson is not
Brodie Croyle. Croyle broke
the passing records of
numerous
outstanding
Alabama
quarterbacks.
Wilson has never started a
Bama game, never played
when the game was on the
line. But he has a lot of good attributes and
is not considered a liability. His ability to
turn a potentially bad play into a good play
with his running ability adds an extra
dimension.
But when it comes to running, all eyes
should be on Kenneth Darby. Just as Croyle
broke records of past Crimson Tide quarterbacks, Darby has a chance to set new marks
for all Alabama running backs, including
Shaun Alexander—last year’s NFL Player of
the Year.
Although Darby was overlooked on many
pre-season all-star teams, anyone watching
Bama practices would conclude that he is
more impressive than he has been in his
three previous years.
And it’s not just Darby. While he is clearly
number one, a handful of
young Tide runners have
been impressive over the
past months and weeks
and days. Glenn Coffee,
last year’s top back-up,
will be out for another
couple of weeks with a
bruised knee, but Jimmy
Johns proved his value at
halfback last year and
Roy Upchurch had a
bang-up spring. This fall
one of the big stories was
the running of true
freshman Terry Grant,
who followed Johns to
Alabama as consecutive
Mississippi Mr. Football
honorees to become
Crimson Tiders.
It would not be a
shock to see Alabama
attempt to control games
with a running game. In
addition to Darby and
company, the components leading to that
conclusion include:
· • Left tackle Andre
Smith and left guard Justin Britt added to an
otherwise veteran offensive line that
includes all-star candidate Antoine Caldwell
at center and great competition at right
guard (returning starter B.J. Stabler, Marlon
Davis, Michael Johnson) and right tackle
2006 ALABAMA FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Date
September 2
September 9
September 16
September 23
September 30
October 7
October 14
October 21
October 28
November 4
November 11
November 18
December 2
Opponent
Site
Central Time (TV)
Hawaii
Tuscaloosa
6:00 (PPV)
Vanderbilt
Tuscaloosa
2:30 (Fox)
Louisiana-Monroe
Tuscaloosa
6:00 (PPV)
Arkansas
Fayetteville
TBA
Florida
Gainesville
TBA
Duke
Tuscaloosa
TBA
Mississippi
Tuscaloosa
TBA
Tennessee
Knoxville
TBA
Florida International Tuscaloosa (Homecoming) TBA
Mississippi State
Tuscaloosa
TBA
LSU
Baton Rouge
TBA
Auburn
Tuscaloosa
TBA
SEC Championship
Atlanta
5:00 (CBS)
2
Series Record
Tied, 1-1
UofA leads 56-19-4
First meeting
UofA leads 10-6-0
UofA leads 20-12-0
Tied, 1-1
UofA leads 42-9-2
UofA leads 44-37-7
First meeting
UofA leads 72-15-3
UofA leads 43-21-5
UofA leads 38-31-1
UofA 2 wins, 3 losses
(2005 starters Chris Capps, who will return
to the left side in relief of Smith from time
to time, and Kyle Tatum).
• Three fine tight ends in Travis McCall,
Nick Walker, and Charlie Hoke, who can be
used in a two tight end set.
• Excellent blocking fullbacks in LèRon
McClain and Tim Castille.
While everyone at Alabama would agree
that Bama has the potential to be a devastatingly effective running team, and though all
with a sense of history know that teams that
have been traditionally strong in the
Southeastern Conference have been good
running teams, in modern football the ball
must go into the air.
Balance, it’s called, and
everyone wants it.
So Alabama will have a
passing game.
The biggest news in
work
among
wide
receivers in the fall is that
Assistant Coach Charlie
Harbison wasn’t able to do
much coaching. Early in
fall practice, Harbison
went down with a knee
injury that required
surgery and knocked him
off the field. Former
Alabama wide receiver Tim
Bowens, who serves as
assistant director of football operations, moved
into Harbison’s spot in preseason practice.
Alabama does have two
returning starters, men
who have made big plays
at wide receiver, in Keith
Brown and D.J. Hall. What
Alabama does not have is
Tyrone Prothro, who will
sit out at least this year
after suffering a broken leg
last October 1.
Matt Caddell has come
on and performed well in
the spring. But the biggest
story has been the play of Will Oakley.
Oakley, a sophomore, was out all of the past
two years and in the spring with hamstring
pulls. He appears to have solved that problem and has been a bright spot of fall work.
The Tide hopes to get at least one more
receiver into the mix, either transfer Nikita
Stover or one or two of a couple of freshmen, Mike McCoy and Earl Alexander.
Alabama has not thrown a lot of passes to
the tight end in recent years, but that could
change this season. That’s partly because the
offensive line is blocking well and may not
have to have the extra protection offered by
the tight end as often and partly because the
tight ends are catching the ball better in
practice.
Backs are also eligible receivers. The best
receiver among the backs is Castille.
A
lthough Hawaii has an interesting
running game that features huge
backs, the defense must be first and
foremost concerned with the Warriors’ passing attack. While Bama is replacing no fewer
than seven starters in the opener, almost
everyone who will be playing substantial
minutes Saturday has been in the fray. It
would be a huge surprise if most of the
evening does not see the Crimson Tide
defense primarily in nickel and dime packages, five and six defensive backs.
There have been a few very pleasant surprises on defense, beginning last spring with
the emergence of junior Keith Saunders at
end and senior Dominic Lee at tackle.
Prince Hall is coming on at middle
linebacker.
Jeffrey Dukes could be outstanding at safety.
There’s no DeMeco Ryans, but if Ryans
had not played at Alabama it is likely Bama
would be considering Terrence Jones one of
the returning stars of the defense. Instead of
being a three-year back-up to Ryans, the
most honored player in Alabama history,
Jones might be a returning three-year starter.
Ramzee Robinson is a solid left cornerback
and Simeon Castille should be at least as
3
good as the graduated Anthony Madison at
right corner. That is, if Castille is at
cornerback. One has a sneaking suspicion
that Castille will be at nickel, where he has
performed so well in the past, against the
pass-happy Warriors. That would elevate
one of a handful of young players into the
starting lineup at cornerback. Eric Gray was
listed firs or second team through the spring
and pre-season camp, but Lionel Mitchell,
true freshman Marquis Johnson, and Chris
Rogers have had big moments in fall practice.
O
ne matter to be resolved as kickoff
approaches is who will actually kick
off for Alabama. That’s
because Bama’s returning specialist, junior
placekicker
Jamie
Christensen, suffered a
groin pull in fall camp.
That’s a bad injury for
a kicker. If he’s unable
to go, freshman Leigh
Tiffin is expected to do
the extra point and
field goal kicking and
Tiffin or Andrew
Friedman will kick off.
Although special
teams takes in a lot of
positions, most want to
know about the actual
kickers. Alabama will
have a new punter this
year. P.J. Fitzgerald has
held off newcomer
Adam Hill and will
likely be the punter (as
well as the holder).
Fitzgerald is a good
athlete, something
important for both
those jobs in case of a
bad snap.
Last year Alabama
lost almost 900 yards
in punt exchanges.
That can be made up
partly in punting, partly in coverage and
partly in returns.
Alabama is a very fast team, and that pays
off on special teams in coverage and returns.
The return men will be watched. There
probably isn’t a Tyrone Prothro among them,
but freshman Javier Arenas has been impressive. He could be both a punt return man
and kickoff return man. Speedster Terry
Grant is also a candidate for both jobs.
There are a handful of other Tiders who
could be used in those spots, including
Ramzee Robinson, D.J. Hall, and Matt
Caddell.
–Kirk McNair
Alabama 2006 Pre-Season Depth Chart
Information is subject to change. Not all players are included.
OFFENSE
DEFENSE
Split End
81 KEITH BROWN (6-3, 192, Senior)
11 Matt Caddell (6-0, 181, Junior)
80 Mike McCoy (6-3, 195, Freshman)
82 Earl Alexander (6-4, 208, Freshman)
39 Darwin Salaam (6-3, 187, Sophomore)
Left End
92 WALLACE GILBERRY (6-3, 254, Junior)
91 Chris Harris (6-5, 244, Senior)
95 Brandon Deaderick (6-4, 230, Freshman)
90 Milton Talbert (6-3, 240, Freshman)
Left Tackle
Flanker
22 D.J. HALL (6-3, 190, Junior)
7 Will Oakley (6-1, 188, Sophomore)
9 Nikita Stover (6-1, 200, Sophomore)
25 Aaron McDaniel (6-1, 176, Sophomore)
84 Jake Jones (6-0, 185, Freshman)
99 JEREMY CLARK (6-3, 305, Senior)
97 Lorenzo Washington (6-4, 265, Freshman)
98 Brandon Fanney (6-5, 270, Freshman)
Nose Tackle
96 Dominic Lee (6-2, 303, Senior)
67 J.P. Adams (6-3, 288, Senior)
77 Byron Walton (6-4, 298, Freshman)
Right End
94 Keith Saunders (6-3, 246, Junior)
93 Bobby Greenwood (6-6, 260, Sophomore)
47 Zeke Knight (6-3, 227, Junior)
Left Tackle
Left Guard
Center
Right Guard
Right Tackle
Tight End
Quarterback
Halfback
71 Andre Smith (6-5, 333, Freshman) OR
72 CHRIS CAPPS (6-6, 286, Junior)
79 Drew Davis (6-6, 290, Freshman)
50 Justin Britt (6-4, 294, Junior)
73 Justin Moon (6-5, 290, Junior)
74 David Ross (6-4, 295, Freshman)
Weakside Linebacker 42 JUWAN SIMPSON (6-3, 222, Senior)
44 Demarcus Waldrop (5-11, 190, Junior)
6 Marcel Stamps (6-3, 215, Junior)
48 Travis Sikes (6-4, 195, Freshman)
59 ANTOINE CALDWELL (6-3, 296, Sophomore)
70 Evan Cardwell (6-3, 290, Freshman)
66 Brian Motley (6-2, 274, Freshman)
67 Morgan Garner (6-2, 262, Sophomore)
Middle Linebacker
61 B.J. STABLER (6-4, 295, Sophomore)
76 Marlon Davis (6-4, 315, Sophomore)
78 Mike Johnson (6-6, 285, Freshman)
62 Alex Stadler (6-6, 300, Freshman)
60 Scott Deaton (6-5, 295, Freshman)
Strongside Linebacker 55 Terrence Jones (6-1, 223, Senior)
46 Zach Schreiber (6-2, 240, Freshman)
32 Eryk Anders (6-2, 220, Freshman)
45 Charlie Higgenbotham (6-1, 210, Freshman)
72 CHRIS CAPPS (6-6, 286, Junior) OR
58 KYLE TATUM (6-8, 290, Senior)
75 Cody Davis (6-7, 279, Sophomore)
68 Taylor Pharr (6-6, 290, Freshman)
83 TRAVIS MCCALL (6-2, 250, Sophomore)
88 Nick Walker (6-5, 245, Sophomore)
89 Charles Hoke (6-6, 240, Sophomore)
85 Preston Dial (6-4, 242, Freshman)
87 Cole Harvey (6-3, 250, Freshman)
14 John Parker Wilson (6-2, 215, Soph)
18 Marc Guillon (6-3, 212, Senior)
15 Jimmy Barnes (6-5, 229, Freshman)
17 Greg McElroy (6-2, 210, Freshman)
34 KENNETH DARBY (5-11, 215, Senior)
10 Jimmy Johns (6-2, 225, Sophomore)
5 Roy Upchurch (6-0, 193, Freshman)
9 Terry Grant (5-10, 188, Freshman)
26 Ali Sharrief (5-9, 208, Freshman)
38 Glen Coffee (6-1, 207, Sophomore)
Fullback
33 LÉRON MCCLAIN (6-1, 256, Senior)
19 Tim Castille (5-11, 236, Senior)
40 Baron Huber (6-4, 240, Freshman
30 Patrick Hanrahan (6-0, 245, Freshman)
91 Will Denniston (6-3, 221, Junior)
Placekicker
86 JAMIE CHRISTENSEN (6-0, 178, Junior)
31 Leigh Tiffin (5-10, 168, Freshman)
15 Andrew Friedman (6-2, 215, Freshman)
Snapper
66 Luke Spaulding (6-0, 213, Junior)
69 Brian Selman (6-0, 195, Freshman)
56 Matt Collins (6-1, 241, Junior)
21 Prince Hall (6-0, 240, Freshman)
57 Darren Mustin (6-2, 246, Junior)
35 Charlie Kirschman (6-3, 255, Freshman)
53 Ken Vandervoort (6-3, 216, Junior)
Left Cornerback
1 RAMZEE ROBINSON (5-10, 190, Senior)
8 Chris Rogers (6-1, 178, Freshman)
24 Marquis Johnson (6-0, 180, Freshman)
23 Tremayne Coger (5-11, 180, Freshman)
Right Cornerback
2 Simeon Castille (6-1, 188, Junior)
16 Lionel Mitchell (6-2, 180, Sophomore)
36 Eric Gray (5-11, 188, Junior)
28 Javier Arenas (5-9, 175, Freshman)
Strong Safety
20 Marcus Carter (6-1, 200, Junior)
49 Rashad Johnson (5-11, 178, Sophomore)
13 Cory Reamer (6-3, 198, Sophomore)
30 Bryan Kilpatrick (6-4, 197, Senior)
Safety
3 Jeffrey Dukes (6-2, 205, Senior)
27 Justin Woodall (6-1, 200, Freshman)
41 Andy Davis (6-0, 205, Freshman)
43 Sam Burnthall (6-3, 195, Freshman)
Punter
11 P.J. Fitzgerald (6-0, 190, Freshman)
37 Heath Thomas (6-3, 202, Freshman)
29 Adam Hill (6-2, 195, Freshman)
23 Justin Martin (5-10, 205, Freshman)
35 Patrick Eades (6-2, 185, Junior)
Returning starters in BOLD CAPS
(Antoine Caldwell was starter at left guard until moving to center for Cotton
Bowl; Travis McCall was starter in Cotton Bowl.)
4
COACH MIKE SHULA SAYS
A
labama Coach Mike Shula said the
Hawaii team coming to Tuscaloosa
“is probably one of the best they’ve
had since June Jones has been there.”
And, he said, “Hawaii is, by far, our toughest opponent for a season-opener.”
Jones, Hawaii’s head coach, has a background in the NFL, as does Shula, and as
does Hawaii’s defensive coordinator, Jerry
Glanville. Shula was asked when he last
had contact with the two Warriors’ coaches. Shula said, “The last time with Coach
Jones was probably when we played out
there (in Shula’s first season, 2003), and
with Coach Glanville when he was doing
television. They probably know me more
as Don’s son than as Mike. They are good
people. I’ve always had a lot of respect for
them.”
Most Alabama fans are looking forward
to the play of Alabama quarterback John
Parker Wilson when the Crimson Tide
kicks off the season against Hawaii
Saturday evening. Shula is among those.
But Shula also has concerns about Hawaii’s
quarterback.
Alabama is going to have to defend
against the defending national champion
in Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan. He
ended last season as major college football’s top performer in five statistical categories, including total offense (371.2 yards
per game), passing touchdowns (35), passing yards (4,301), passing yards per game
(358.42), and points responsible for per
game (19.17).
In his regular Tuesday meeting with
sportswriters, Shula said, “I think he’s a
dangerous quarterback for a team to have
to defend. He’s got a strong arm, he’s accurate and he’s not going to go down easy.
And he can create on his own. Combine
that with the fact they have some receivers
that can go downfield, it makes it dangerous for a defense.”
Brennan isn’t the only concern for Shula
and the Alabama team. Bama’s head coach
said, “Defensively they like to blitz. They
are very opportunistic. They feed on
turnovers.”
While Shula emphasizes the challenge,
he said, “Our football team is excited
about the season starting. The men have
worked hard to come together as a football
team.”
He said if there is one thing that has
pleased him most it has been the steady
improvement of the squad. “You go back to
the first day of spring practice and see
where we were when we ended in the srping, and then again when we came back
for pre-season camp, the improvement
we’ve had. It has been a matter of not just
getting better individually, but learning to
play as a unit. Now, everyone is anxious to
see where we are.”
Shula said that Alabama would dress a
large number of players, probably the
entire 105 who were on the pre-season
camp reporting roster and perhaps some
who have joined the squad since classes
began a week ago. “It’s not a conference
game and it’s a home game, so we can
dress a lot of guys,” Shula said.
He said, “We are going to have a lot of
new guys on the field, but they are excited.”
Early, Shula said he expected perhaps
five or six true freshmen to contribute to
this year’s team. Now he sees the possibility for more, particularly if placekicker
Jamie Christensen is not ready to play
Saturday. Christensen suffered a groin
injury. If he is unable to kick the job will
go to Leigh Tiffin.
The number one true freshman in camp
is left tackle Andre Smith, who has earned
the starting job. “He’s done a lot of good
things,” Shula said. “He’s untested, but we
think physically he’s pretty good.
Otherwise he wouldn’t be listed number
one. Coach (Bob) Connelly’s done a good
job with him. Hopeflly he’s got a good feel
5
for what he’s doing now and he’s got some
confidence.”
Some other true freshmen expected to
participate include cornerbacks Marquis
Johnson and Javier Arenas, strong safety
Justin Woodall, safety Sam Burnthall, running back Terry Grant, and wide receivers
Earl Alexander and Mike McCoy. Some
may be on special teams, including Arenas
and Grant as possible punt and kickoff
return men.
Shula pointed out some experimentation
in an attempt to add some depth on the
defensive line. He said that Brandon
Deaderick (6-4, 271), who came to Bama
as a defensive end, is now working at
defensive tackle. He noted there is more
expereinced depth on the defensive line at
end with Keith Saunders and Bobby
Greenwood at right end and Wallace
Gilberry and Chris Harris at left end.
Former wide receiver Ezekial Knight is
also working at right end. The only experienced tackles are Jeremy Clark, Dominic
Lee, and J.P. Adams.
There has also been some movement on
the offensive line, but Shula said he is not
concerned about continuity. “We have
been moving guys around a little,” Shula
said. “If they hadn’t played it might make
you nervous, but most of them have experience.”
For example, Chris Capps is listed as the
starter at right tackle after having started at
left tackle last year. Capps will back up
Smith at left tackle and 2004-05 starter
Kyle Tatum will back up Capps at left tackle. “They created competition and it made
us better,” Shula said.
Justin Britt moved from defensive line to
left guard. “We had a good feeling about
him,” Shula said. “I’m sorry he missed
spring practice. He still has a ways to go,
but he’s one of our top 11.”
B.J. Stabler, who started at right guard
last year, and Marlon Davis, the back-up
this year and last year, have both had some
injury time this year. Both were expected
back mid-week. Shula said in their absence
that Michael Johnson had gotten a lot of
reps and done well.
One question that won’t be answered
until Saturday evening is whether weakside linebacker Juwan Simpson is suspended for his off-the-field problems this summer. Shula does not announce punishments. Simpson is backed by Demarcus
Waldrop and Marcel Stamps. Shula noted
that Stamps has been a good special teams
player in the past and would also play in
the kicking game this year, but said he also
could expect to play on defense.
–Kirk McNair
Scouting Report:
Quarterback Brennan the Focal Point
2
005 was Hawaii Head Coach June
Jones’ worst year at Hawaii since
2000. The Warrior were 5-7,
marking the second losing season in
Jones’ seven-year tenure.
There was one thing that didn’t
change, however. The 2005 season marked the fifth straight season Hawaii was ranked number
two in the nation in passing
offense.
Colt Brennan took over for
Timmy Chang in 2005, and
Hawaii’s passing averages went
up. Under Brennan, Hawaii
threw for 384.3 yards per game,
again coming in second in the
country. But where it mattered ˆ
the scoreboard ˆ Hawaii was bad.
The Warriors, who had to replace
12 starters in 2005, finished 5-7
and missed post-season play.
Brennan is back for his senior
year, and Hawaii is hoping its
rebuilding efforts are finished, at
least offensively. The Warriors
return seven starters on the offensive side of the ball.
Up front, Hawaii is strong.
Samson Satele will begin his
fourth year as a starter, moving
from left guard to center. The
tackles, Tala Esera (left) and Dane
Uperesa (right), are also fourth-year
starters. The starting guards, however,
will be new, although Hawaii coaches
have been impressed with the spring
competition. Hercules Satele, a 6-2,
288 pound junior and freshman John
Estes (6-2, 290) will start at left and
right guard, respectively. Depth is not a
problem, either. The Warriors have
some experience back-ups at guard.
Brennan put up phenomenal numbers in 2005 and is being counted on
for similar success in 2006. Brennan
was 350-of-515 (68 per cent) for 4,301
yards, 35 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions in 2005. He’s hoping to take
advantage of Alabama starting three
new defensive backs in the game.
Two returning receivers caught more
than 1,000 yards of passes in 2005.
Ryan Grice-Mullen and Davone Bess,
both freshman 2005, combined for 174
receptions for nearly 2,400 yards and 26
TDs. Tbey’re back, along with senior
Ross Dickerson (52 receptions, 725
yards, 4 TDs) and Chad Mock (42
Hawaii ranked 102nd in total
defense, 98th in rush defense, 110th in
scoring defense, 91st in pass defense
and 108th in pass efficiency defense.
There were 119 Division IA teams.
Up front, Michael Lafaele
starts in the middle at nose
tackle. He’s six feet tall and
302 pounds. Seniors Melila
Purcell and Ikaika AlamaFrancis will line up at end.
Both are tall, which could
impact John Parker Wilson’s
passing lanes. Purcell is 6-5,
276 pounds and Alama-Francis
is 6-6, 285 pounds. Hawaii
uses mostly control techniques
up front, meaning statistics for
thos plaers are minimal. Their
experience is also minimal,
thanks to the graduation of
three prime contributors.
Tyson Kafentzis, Adam
Leonard, Solomon Elimimian
and C.J. Allen-Jones are the
linebackers. The group is light
on experience, and averages six
and a half feet and 227 pounds.
The secondary is light on
experience and apparently talHawaii Head Coach June Jones enters his eighth season at Hawaii. ent. The top four players from
last year must all be replaced.
receptions, 502 yards, 1 TD). The tallest
Junior A.J. Martinez, a 5-10 179 pound
of these leading returning receivers is 6junior, will start at one corner, and
0, but the Warrior depth chart is littered
opposite him will be 5-11, 161-pound
with all types. Junior Jason Rivers is
C.J. Hawthorne. Ryan Keomaka is back
listed at 6-2, 192 pounds is the tallest.
on the team after off-field trouble, but
Ian Sample, a senior, is 5-10, 196
he’s a back-up at corner. Senior
pounds.
Leonard Peters (6-1, 211) and junior
The Warriors just don’t use the run
Jacob Patek (6-0, 202) are the top
as a first option, but when they do there
safeties. Kenny Patton, a senior, has
is size coming toward the line. Last
experience at corner but is listed second
year’s top back, Nate Ilaoa, got eligible
team.
for a sixth year for 2006. He’s a dangerSenior Kurt Milne returns at punter,
ous runner, and productive (85 carries,
but his leg is just average. Kicker Dan
643 yards, 7.6 average, 6 TDs in 2005).
Kelly made 10-of-14 field goals but
Brennan is not known as a runner, but
missed three extra points in 2005.
has some scramble ability. He rushed
–’BAMA Staff
for 143 yards on 99 carries last year.
Defensively, Hawaii is in its second
year running a 3-4 defense under Jerry
Glanville. The Warriors were consistently bad last year, so it’s not certain
whether losing seven starters will be a
positive or a negative thing.
6