Robert Morris has officially offered Downingtown East athlete Ryley Angeline, a 6-foot-3, 220-pound jumbo athlete who can play running back, H-Back, tight end and linebacker. Angeline has nine offers, including three from FBS schools Buffalo, Temple and Western Michigan.

But there's a Downingtown East connection to Robert Morris. Former teammate Nelson Lee Lucas-Murphy has been committed to RMU since the fall of 2012 and will arrive on campus in January after a semester at Milford Academy. Angeline was among the Downingtown East players to visit last year along with Lucas-Murphy.

In a word, he's an athlete. Angeline was a 1,000-yard rusher for Downingtown East last year as a junior behind a very stout offensive line, and the team had a lot of weapons around him. But several teams are eying him on the defensive side of the ball because of his size and overall athleticism.

Angeline's choice may come down to which side of the ball he prefers. Robert Morris could use him on either side. The Colonials could lose as many as five linebackers to graduation, but they'll also lose four tight ends. Considering Angeline's offensive abilities, if RMU likes him on offense, the Colonials could shoot up his list if that's where he prefers to play. With his ties to the program and versatility, he'll definitely be one to track the next few months.

There are certain euphemisms that crop up in every coach's discussion of football related activities. One of those is when a team has a "spirited" practice.

In other words, there were a handful of extracurricular activities after the whistle during practice, and tempers ran a little hot. Such was the case Monday afternoon for Robert Morris. Usually the incidents occur during the blistering heat, as the juices of competition plus the unbearable sun push players over the line a little bit. But the temperatures have been quite pleasant in Moon Township since Robert Morris reported to camp, and the sun barely poked its head out of the clouds during a mostly overcast day on Monday.

The likely culprit is the fire of competition. Everyone's feeling it at Robert Morris. As you'll read when I post my chat with Joe Walton on the site on Tuesday morning, the staff believes this is their best recruiting class ever. The freshmen and other newcomers want to play. The holdovers want to keep their starting spots or preserve their roles. That leads to heated moments, and sometimes they go too far. But even those mistakes, such as when a player takes the competition over the line, can become teaching moments.

As Walton said, this is a team with the potential for veteran leaders to emerge. Sometimes those leaders need to learn just how to walk that path.

TWO-DEEP DEPTH CHART
QB - Paul Jones / Derik Abbott
RB - Deontae Howard / Kenny Davis
FB - Ryan Thermil / Corey Garry
TE - Andrew Smith / D.J. Pearson
WR - Donte Jeter / D.J. Hayes
WR - Duane Mitchell / Warren Fields
LT - A.J. Dalton / Riley Feenan
LG - Max Robertson / Josh Thiel
C - Nick Faraci / Anthony Lucien
RG - Vince Mongelluzzo / Blake Chambliss
RT - Jon Hill / Chris O'Connor

DE - Forrest Mason / T.J. Matrascia
DT - Farren Mason / R.J. Cook
DE - Chris Thompkins / A.J. Holderman
OLB - Mike Stojkovic / Jake Tkach
MLB - Kyle Cooper / Luke Mueller
MLB - Mike Cook / Matthew Fox
OLB - Kimani Smith / Jake Skinner
CB - Marcelis Branch / Brian Jones
S - D.J. Myers / Eric Lowry
S - Sam Collins / Phil Peckich
CB - Antwan Eddie / Clay Ilkin

Day 4 News and Notes:
Quarterback Brian Johnson returned to the field after missing yesterday's practice, but wide receiver Chad Dawgiello remained out. Joining him on the sideline were running backs Perez Mackell and Caleb Stennis, defensive end Tyler Potts, linebacker Devon Cesario and linebacker Mark Centofanti.Though Walton confirmed after practice that the coaching staff is eying a decision on a starting quarterback soon, it was evident that they're starting to test the quarterbacks more. Paul Jones led off every drill Monday, followed by Derik Abbott. By the time 11-on-11s hit, Marcus Prather - who had worked with Jones and Abbott in Group 1 the first three days while Luke Brumbaugh, Joe Carroll, and Brian Johnson worked in Group 2 - was working with Group 2, leaving just Jones and Abbott to run with the first team. It's possible Jones and Abbott will flip tomorrow, though it may not ultimately matter. Outside of Jones leading the drill, it appeared they received the same amount of reps with the unit. We'll start keeping track throughout this week.It's probably not a coincidence that almost every little scrum that occurred on Monday happened along the line. The trenches are where the most contact occurs at this stage of training camp, and it gets heated quickly. Maybe it's the friction between those big bodies on both sides of the ball, maybe it's just because coaches like players on the line with a little bit of "nastiness" in them.
The only real changes to the depth chart happened at linebacker, and it's something that's likely going to continue to be in flux. With Mark Centofanti and Devon Cesario out today, transfer Mike Stojkovic got his first bit of time with the first team. Stojkovic received plenty of reps, as he also went with the second unit of middle linebackers Luke Mueller, Matthew Fox and outside linebacker Jake Tkach. On the handful of reps where he didn't go with either unit, Jake Skinner went with the second group. Stojkovic's physical abilities won't be in question; this is a guy talented enough to play for FBS North Texas. The true question will be whether he can transition effectively to the 3-4 and pick up RMU's system. The early response appears to be positive, so we'll see how things go.Speaking of competition, we're going to try to spend some time closely observing the receivers on Tuesday to get a sense at who sits where in the battle for playing time behind Donte Jeter and Duane Mitchell. It appears to be wide open.Also, we'll be using Tuesday and Wednesday observations to form a full depth chart. With 11-on-11 drills now active, we can determine the order and number of reps a little bit better.

Finally, our plays of the day:Throws of the Day: Yes, throws. As the quarterback battle heats up, all eyes will be on frontrunners Derik Abbott and Paul Jones to see how they handle certain situations. Who knows if their little duel on Monday was intentional, but there was definitely a brief case of "anything you can do, I can do better" going on during 11-on-11 drills. Jones was the instigator, rolling out to his right and firing a bullet to Duane Mitchell right in between the defense's coverage. It was a rope, and it brought some "oohs" from the rest of the squad. Then, on the very last play of the drill, Abbott rolled out and fired the exact same pass. Brian Jones tried to step in front of it and knock it down, but the pass had too much on it. Once again, there were audible "oohs" over the tight placement of the pass and a subtle little fist pump from Abbott.
Catch of the Day: Freshman wide receiver Alex Caratelli had an up and down day, but one of the highs was his catch in 1-on-1s. He and Abbott were just a touch off on their timing as Caratelli reached the sideline on a route, but Caratelli reached behind him and plucked the ball out of the air with one hand. It drew an audible reaction from those observing the drill and had to have the rookie feeling a little better, even if for just a brief period. Pick of the Day: Clay Ilkin doesn't get the recognition today for anything that was a high degree of difficulty. It's just that the corner was everywhere. He took advantage of a bad route by Jeter to pick off Luke Brumbaugh in 1-on-1s, then stepped in front of another pass later in the day. Ilkin had a rough day in terms of catching the ball on Saturday, but he's had much better hands since and they were on display Monday.
That's all for today. Camp continues Tuesday with practice No. 5.

The old axiom is that when the pads go on, the hitting picks up and the intensity ratchets the temperature up a few degrees at camp. It's generally true, and for an already surprisingly physical camp, it was certainly the case on Sunday. The pop of the pads resonated throughout Joe Walton Stadium, and it led to extra chirping between the two sides.

The first day of pads also nearly took out your humble reporter, who was busy chronicling the first day of one-on-ones between the offensive and defensive linemen when a battle between freshman DE Ryan Budny and freshman OL Blake Chambliss veered away from the arena and sent yours truly scattering.

These are the battles that will continue over the next three weeks. The shoulder pads are on - the full pads come later this week - so it's time to pick up the pace.

TWO-DEEP DEPTH CHART
QB - Derik Abbott and Paul Jones
RB - Deontae Howard / Kenny Davis
FB - Ryan Thermil / Corey Garry
TE - Andrew Smith / D.J. Pearson
WR - Donte Jeter / D.J. Hayes
WR - Duane Mitchell / Warren Fields
LT - A.J. Dalton / Riley Feenan
LG - Max Robertson / Josh Thiel
C - Nick Faraci / Anthony Lucien
RG - Vince Mongelluzzo / Blake Chambliss
RT - Jon Hill / Chris O'Connor

DE - Forrest Mason / T.J. Matrascia
DT - Farren Mason / R.J. Cook
DE - Chris Thompkins / A.J. Holderman
OLB - Mark Centofanti / Jake Tkach
MLB - Kyle Cooper / Luke Mueller
MLB - Mike Cook / Matthew Fox
OLB - Kimani Smith / Devon Cesario
CB - David Taylor / Marcelis Branch
S - D.J. Myers / Eric Lowry
S - Phil Peckich / Sam Collins
CB - Malik Johnson / Antwan Eddie

Day 2 News and Notes:
Along with the previously noted absentees, Sunday's practice saw our first round of players missing practice. Quarterback Brian Johnson missed practice, while wide receiver Chad Dawgiello attended but did not participate. Dawgiello has injury history, so he has to be hoping that he won't be out long. Defensive end Tyler Potts left practice midway through and did not return.
It's pretty clear that the only truly locked-in position in the secondary is D.J. Myers' spot at strong safety. He worked alongside a new free safety for the third day in a row, so it's obvious that secondary coach Bill Hurley is giving Sam Collins, Eric Lowry and Phil Peckich a look alongside Myers. Today was Peckich's day. To the untrained eye, all have performed well, though each brings a little something different to the equation. Peckich is more of a true coverage guy, while Collins brings size. Lowry is kind of a hybrid, though he also has extensive work as a special teams ace where he leveled some big hits.As for the corners, today was the third day of a new No. 1 group. This time it was redshirt junior Malik Johnson and sophomore David Taylor getting the first team reps. Hurley wants to see how each duo handles different scenarios so as to better understand how they're going to factor into the rotation. It's looking like all six will play, as they can all play various roles on special teams. It's just a matter of who starts and who fills the nickel and dime roles.ColonialsCorner spent some time closely watching the running backs today, and Kenny Davis continues to impress. The redshirt freshman had a strong spring and is currently working behind redshirt junior Deontae Howard on the team's depth chart. But Davis had an impressive catch (see below) as well as several nice, strong runs during 11-on-11 drills. He is definitely an option at tailback, especially if Evan Taylor does not return.Freshman running back Erich Maine is a load. He's a big, and when he gets his motor running, he's very difficult to bring down. But he definitely has to get his stamina up. His conditioning probably isn't where the team wants it to be.Several defensive players stood out throughout the day. Linebacker Kimani Smith appears ready to take over the outside linebacker spot vacated by Brad Banas. Smith broke into the backfield and swallowed up Maine in 11-on-11 drills, and he just seems to be in excellent shape. He could be a breakout player as a sophomore.Defensive end A.J. Holderman seems to be surging forward a bit, making plays in the backfield or just beyond the line of scrimmage. Holderman's had a long journey to get some playing time, and there's little question he sees this as his last opportunity to make a dent as a redshirt senior.
Sean Gavin also continues to impress through three days. The redshirt freshman was basically an afterthought on last year's team, as he worked on the scout team. He hasn't jumped up the depth chart yet, but he might. He seems to catch nearly everything thrown to him, sometimes at a high degree of difficulty. He also has a few moves, as Clay Ilkin can attest to after Gavin juked him out of cleats in 11-on-11 drills.Robert Morris worked in a little of the 4-3 defense during 11-on-11 drills, but not for the entire period. Much of the 11-on-11 session was spent on the running game, so it made sense. The first team saw R.J. Cook join the usual trio on the line, with Kyle Cooper coming off. Zac Bennett and Henry Jartu manned the middle on the second team, with Cooper centering Mike Stojkovic and Luke Mueller.ColonialsCorner also kept a careful eye on the placekickers during special teams drills at the end of practice. Hunter Khaleghi and Connor Shennan split the reps on PATs and field goals, and while it was difficult from our vantage point to precisely determine which kicks were good or not, one thing was clear: When Shennan kicks, the ball doesn't travel left or right much. When Khaleghi kicks, there's a lot of movement. He missed several, while it didn't appear that Shennan missed many, if at all. As of right now, I'd have to say that the freshman is ahead of Khaleghi. We'll continue to monitor their progress, though the best looks will likely be how they handle things at full speed in the first scrimmage on the 17th.
Finally, our plays of the day:Catch of the Day: This one easily has to go to Kenny Davis, who streaked towards the end zone out of the backfield and hauled in a pass, only to get popped hard by Clay Ilkin. The hit would've knocked the ball loose and likely would have knocked some players silly, but Davis had a tight grip on it and tumbled to the turf in the end zone with the ball still cradled in his hands.Pick of the Day: Marcelis Branch wasn't working as a "first team" corner Sunday but he certainly made a play like one. The reigning NEC Defensive Rookie of the Year made a leaping interception in the end zone to pick off Luke Brumbaugh during 11-on-11 drills.
That's all for today. Camp continues Monday with practice No. 4.

Just two days into camp and things are already getting a little spicy. Robert Morris had its first little scuffle of camp, a mini dust-up between veteran linebacker Kyle Cooper and freshman linebacker Nic Lamica during a special teams drill. It's a common sight this time of year, but it typically happens after pads go on.

Yet it's no surprise to see emotions a little high to start camp. This is a team that has some pieces to do some damage in the Northeast Conference, but it's also a team that is coming off a mediocre finish in 2012. Robert Morris hasn't been able to challenge for the NEC title since winning the league in 2010, so there's naturally a lot of competition.

The coaches are playing into the concept of competition, as well, in certain areas. One would think that corners Marcelis Branch and Antwan Eddie are pretty safe, but secondary coach Bill Hurley had Clay Ilkin and Brian Jones work with the rest of the first team in 7-on-7s today. Few positions are locked down, as the case should be for a team coming off back-to-back losing seasons. Expect the rotations and the competition to continue throughout camp, as it's the best way for a team to improve.

TWO-DEEP DEPTH CHART
QB - Derik Abbott or Paul Jones
RB - Deontae Howard / Kenny Davis
FB - Ryan Thermil / Corey Garry
TE - Andrew Smith / D.J. Pearson
WR - Donte Jeter / D.J. Hayes
WR - Duane Mitchell / Chad Dawgiello
LT - A.J. Dalton / Dylan Knight
LG - Max Robertson / Blake Chambliss
C - Nick Faraci / Anthony Lucien
RG - Vince Mongelluzzo / Josh Thiel
RT - Jon Hill / Chris O'Connor

DE - Forrest Mason / T.J. Matrascia
DT - Farren Mason / R.J. Cook
DE - Chris Thompkins / A.J. Holderman
OLB - Mark Centofanti / Jake Tkach
MLB - Kyle Cooper / Luke Mueller
MLB - Mike Cook / Matthew Fox
OLB - Kimani Smith / Devon Cesario
CB - Brian Jones / Marcelis Branch
S - D.J. Myers / Eric Lowry
S - Sam Collins / Phil Peckich
CB - Clay Ilkin / Antwan Eddie


Fun With Numbers:
It didn't last a day. Not 24 hours went by before someone swapped numbers on me. This time, it was Corey Garry flipping to No. 34 and freshman Zach Cooper jumping to No. 32. Hopefully that's the last of the switcheroos until the week before the Eastern Kentucky game and the Colonials figure out who is dressing.

As for the newcomers, we figured out the rest of the numbers thanks to the help of incomparable equipment man Ray Butter:Quarterback Luke Brumbaugh is No. 13Quarterback Brian Johnson is No. 14Quarterback Joe Carroll is No. 15Quarterback Marcus Prather is No. 19Running back Caleb Stennis is No. 28Running back Perez Mackell is No. 39Wide receiver Alex Caratelli is No. 84Wide receiver Jordan Blackmon is No. 87Offensive lineman Carlton Watson is No. 63Defensive end Michael Woltz is No. 96Kicker Hunter Khaleghi is No. 29Punter Zach Sampson is No. 99Kicker Connor Shennan is No. 57
With the numbers done, here's an updated roster.

Day 2 News and Notes:
Chaq Nettles isn't the only freshman who hasn't hit the field yet. Defensive tackle Max Onyenwe is on the roster and even had a number assigned to him (No. 99), but he hasn't been on the field for the first two practices. From what I understand, he made it to Robert Morris, but it appears something else is holding up his debut.Another absence to make note of: Running back Billy Occean is not with the team. I'll try to figure out why, as RMU liked his potential impact as a return specialist this year.The quarterbacks are working in two sets of three. The first group features the veterans, with Derik Abbott and Paul Jones splitting first team reps. Marcus Prather, the redshirt freshman transfer from Akron, is working behind them. In the second group, Luke Brumbaugh and Joe Carroll are getting the bulk of the reps with Brian Johnson - a late addition - filling in. It's a rational start, and it leads credence to the likelihood that Abbott or Jones will start despite the staff leaving the competition open. We'll see if anyone swaps between groups, though.Speaking of those quarterbacks, they had some challenges today against the defensive backs. Clay Ilkin had his hands on multiple passes before finally holding on for an interception in 7-on-7 drills. Sam Collins had a pick in 7-on-7, as did Mike Cook (see below) and D.J. Myers. In 1-on-1 drills, David Taylor also picked off a pass intended for Sean Gavin. It's a natural development, as the defensive players are a step ahead at this point because they can rely on reads and their reaction. The quarterbacks - especially with so many young arms in camp - don't have the rapport or the steps down just yet.The special teams staff worked on punt returns today, which gave us a glimpse at the cast of candidates vying to be returners. Along with incumbent returner Brian Jones, corner Antwan Eddie, wide receiver Warren Fields, running back Caleb Stennis and safety Andy Smigiera all dropped back to return kicks. If they don't crack the line-up elsewhere, it might be an early way for Stennis and Smigiera to play a role as true freshmen. They would also probably be the fastest among the quintet, but punt returns aren't always about speed. Smart decisions and agility also play a factor. Sometimes quickness, not straight-ahead speed, is more valuable.
Finally, ColonialsCorner spent the final 7-on-7 period
closely monitoring the quarterbacks. We'll do this periodically to see
who has the strongest days (we also plan on doing it with a couple other positions. Robert Morris had 22 offensive snaps in that final 7-on-7 period, with six snaps each going to Derik Abbott and Paul Jones, four going to Marcus Prather, and three apiece going to Luke Brumbaugh and Joe Carroll.
Abbott went 1-for-6 in his snaps, with his first pass ending up picked off by D.J. Myers, who perfectly jumped a timing route. Abbott then threw an incomplete pass before being picked by Ilkin, who stepped in front of Dustin Lowman. In his second rep, Abbott tried to hit Alex Caratelli downfield in tight coverage but it was batted down by Phil Peckich. Abbott couldn't connect with Chris Rivers before finally throwing a nice pass to Warren Fields on the sideline.Jones was an efficient 5-for-6, but he also took a few less risks than Abbott. His tightest throw was one over the middle to Justin Kempka in tight coverage. He also completed passes to Gavin and Duane Mitchell, and successfully checked down to Caleb Stennis and Erich Maine. His only incompletion was when his throw for Andrew Smith fell short.Prather completed all three of his attempts, though one was a check down to Deontae Howard. He also decided to "run" on one attempt, as the coverage took away his options.Brumbaugh completed 2-of-3 attempts, including one pass to D.J. Pearson and a checkdown to Marty Thomas.Carroll went a little deeper with his three attempts, and he completed just one. His swing-pass to Rivers was complete, but a deep ball to Gavin in tight coverage was knocked away by Malik Johnson. David Taylor knocked away a pass intended for Uyi Akpan.
Give the session to Jones, but keep in mind that it's not just about the quarterbacks. Joe Walton's system is equally dependent on receivers running precise, well-timed routes. It was also just one session, and performances varied throughout the day.
Finally, our plays of the day:Throw of the Day: Paul Jones might have had the most accurate day, at least in the last batch of 7-on-7s, but Marcus Prather had a strong throw that deserves recognition. Prather zipped a pass over the middle to Tyler Digby right in between coverages in 7-on-7 drills that gave a nice glimpse at the Ohio native's accuracy.Catch of the Day: We'll give this one to tight end D.J. Pearson. Matched up with Codi Casper in 1-on-1s, Pearson made a nice move to get a step on the safety. Casper recovered nicely and got his hands in Pearson's way, but the big tight end stayed with it held on for the catch in the end zone.Pick of the Day: Linebacker interceptions don't come along all the time, so Saturday's award goes to Mike Cook despite the needling he got from secondary coach Bill Hurley. Cook reacted perfectly when D.J. Pearson couldn't hang on to a pass from Paul Jones and sent the ball back up into the air. Cook pounced on it for the interception.
That's all for today. Check back Sunday morning for the first batches of photos. We'll be right back at it tomorrow with Day 3.

At some point this summer, the sun will rise high in the sky and bake the turf at Joe Walton Stadium until it's unbearable. It's August in Pennsylvania and a brutal heat wave is a customary right of passage for football players in the Keystone State.

But as Robert Morris took the field Friday for its first training camp practice of 2013, the weather wasn't scorching hot. The sun popped out the clouds from time to time to warm up The Joe, but it remained pleasant throughout the day. The surprisingly mild start no doubt contributed to the enthusiasm on the field, from coaches barking out orders for the first time to players whooping and hollering through drills.

This is the time when those who love the game of football practically bubble with excitement. After months of being away from the field, they're back on that familiar turf. No longer is it just the stale smell of weight rooms or the gritty touch of concrete stairs on their schedule, but the thrill of actual football drills.

Robert Morris was just in shorts, jerseys and helmets today. That will continue for the next couple of days. For now, the focus is truly about excitement. It's the excitement from seniors who very well could be playing their last season of competitive football, the excitement of underclassmen who are eying their first starting spot, and the excitement of freshmen undergoing a completely new experience.

The heat may not be in air just yet, but the excitement was palpable. Welcome to football season.

TWO-DEEP DEPTH CHART
QB - Derik Abbott or Paul Jones
RB - Deontae Howard / Kenny Davis
FB - Ryan Thermil / Corey Garry
TE - Andrew Smith / D.J. Pearson
WR - Donte Jeter / D.J. Hayes
WR - Duane Mitchell / Chad Dawgiello
LT - A.J. Dalton / Dylan Knight
LG - Max Robertson / Josh Thiel
C - Nick Faraci / Anthony Lucien
RG - Vince Mongelluzzo / Blake Chambliss
RT - Jon Hill / Riley Feenan

DE - Forrest Mason / T.J. Matrascia
DT - Farren Mason / R.J. Cook
DE - Chris Thompkins / A.J. Holderman
OLB - Mark Centofanti / Jake Tkach
MLB - Kyle Cooper / Luke Mueller
MLB - Mike Cook / Matthew Fox
OLB - Kimani Smith / Devon Cesario
CB - Marcelis Branch / Brian Jones
S - D.J. Myers / Sam Collins
S - Eric Lowry / Phil Peckich
CB - Antwan Eddie / Clay Ilkin


Fun With Numbers:
There are times when I swear some of the players change numbers just to mess with guys like me. It's difficult enough to track the newcomers - especially since RMU hasn't written the last names in marker on the helmets, at least not yet - but when the veterans play hot potato with numbers, it's an adventure.Safety D.J. Myers, after two years as No. 34, is now No. 23Corner Brian Jones is on his fourth number in two years. He's now No. 13
As for the newcomers, here's what we could determine on Day 1efensive end Ryan Budny is No. 98Defensive tackle Zack Zamiska is No. 53Linebacker Mike Stojkovic is No. 40Linebacker Todd-Jamal Waters is No. 54Linebacker Zach Cooper is No. 34Linebacker Nic Lamica is No. 42Offensive lineman Blake Chambliss is No. 78Offensive lineman Riley Feenan is No. 79Offensive lineman Drew Garbenis is No. 73Offensive lineman Chris O'Connor is No. 65Offensive lineman Mike Randolph is No. 66Safety Logan Kelleher is No. 30Safety Andy Smigiera is No. 35Safety Sam Woods is No. 26Running back Erich Maine is No. 37Fullback Nick Sponyoe is No. 43
We should have the rest tomorrow. I have a good idea of the other numbers but I want to double-check, especially with the new quarterbacks, who are all about the same height with similar features when they have their helmets on.
News and Notes:
There were a few notable absences. Running back Evan Taylor is away from the team to tend to a personal medical issue. There's no timetable for his return. Freshman wide receiver Chaq Nettles is also not in camp yet as RMU works through an issue with the NCAA Clearinghouse. Safety Ky Kenyon, who was in position to challenge for a starting spot, has transferred to Central Florida though it doesn't appear he'll play football there, while tight end Cory Nolton and kicker Drew Krall have left the team. Those were the most noticeable absences so far; we'll work through the roster in the next couple of days to document everything.A couple of late additions to the roster include running back Perez Mackell and offensive lineman Carlton Watson. Linebacker Jake Skinner, a scout team guy last year, also made a somewhat unexpected return. He's a military guy and I believe he was initially expected to be called up to active duty during the season, but it looks like that may have changed. We'll be talking with Skinner later in camp to find out more of his story.There were no surprises on the depth chart. As is customary, the early two-deep is full of returning players with experience. In fact, with everyone healthy, there was just one change from spring ball and that was Deontae Howard subbing for Taylor as the starting tailback. If Taylor is unable to return in a timely manner, there could be significant competition at tailback. Howard had a shot at the starting job before but was unable to keep it. There's little doubt he's relishing another shot. Kenny Davis has shown a lot of promise in the offseason, and there are a handful of youngsters in camp as well. There's also the chance that Ryan Thermil could get more carries as a tailback rather than fullback.Outside of quarterback, there are a couple of other significant position battles that should be interesting. One is the fight to be part of the rotation at defensive end, and I expect it to center around T.J. Matrascia, A.J. Holderman, Ryan Lewis and Tyler Potts. Matrascia and Holderman have a leg up right now because Lewis, a freshman, is still raw. Potts sat out last year per transfer rules and is finally healthy after battling leukemia since he was 18 years-old. Matrascia has been a scout team guy the last two years, while Holderman has patiently waited his time through the last four seasons. Forrest Mason and Chris Thompkins should be the starters, but the battle behind them could be a lot of fun. Don't count out Adrian Perez, either, who is now at defensive end after starting his career at RMU as a linebacker.Also keep an eye on wide receiver. Chad Dawgiello and D.J. Hayes started today off as the backups, but they'll have plenty of competition. One potential guy who could surprise: Redshirt freshman Sean Gavin. He's not physically imposing or blazing fast, but he had an excellent first day. If he parlays that into a strong camp, he could get some significant minutes behind Duane Mitchell and Donte Jeter.The battle for the nickel and dime corner roles should also be interesting. Clay Ilkin and Brian Jones are slotted in there now, but Malik Johnson and David Taylor will give them a run for their money.
Some brief notes on the newcomers:Riley Feenan, Chris O'Connor and Drew Garbenis all appear to be getting their first tastes of college football at the tackle spots on the line. Feenan worked at right tackle with the second unit while Garbenis worked at right tackle with the third unit. O'Connor worked at left tackle with the third unit. Blake Chambliss got his initial reps at right guard with the second unit.Todd-Jamal Waters is a big man. He's a legitimate 6-foot-4, which makes him stick out at middle linebacker. We'll see if he sticks there or if Robert Morris moves him elsewhere. It looks like he can move pretty well, too.Mike Stojkovic is working at outside linebacker, as anticipated. The North Texas transfer isn't just getting used to a new school, but a new system. North Texas played a 4-3 defense, where Stojkovic played outside linebacker. Now he's learning how to play the 3-4 outside linebacker spot.Freshmen defensive backs Logan Kelleher, Andy Smigiera and Sam Woods are all working at safety. None of the newcomers are working at corner.
Finally, our plays of the day:Throw of the Day: Derik Abbott zipped a pass to D.J. Hayes in what could realistically be called quadruple coverage. It didn't matter. Abbott placed the ball perfectly as none of the four defenders could make a play on it and Hayes cradled it for a nice catchCatch of the Day: Deep balls down the sideline can be tricky when the wind picks up at Joe Walton Stadium, but Sean Gavin apparently doesn't care. Gavin got a step on his man on a streak into the end zone and laid out for a spectacular catch, going full extension to pluck the ball out of the air before it hit the turf.Pick of the Day: The top corners tend to go against the top receivers in 1-on-1 drills, and Antwan Eddie got the best of Donte Jeter. The junior corner stayed tight on the speedy receiver as he ran a comeback route, and then Eddie jumped in front of him for a nice interception.
We'll be right back at it tomorrow with Day 2.

Robert Morris is still attached to Emmanuel Omogbo, the 2014 forward who is prepping this year. But the thinking has always been that the Colonials likely will go for two big men in the Class of 2014 with four available scholarships, and Robert Morris has picked up No. 2.

Andre Frederick, a 6-foot-8, 210-pound center from Detroit's Frederick Douglass High, verbally committed to Robert Morris Friday night.

Frederick's a little under the radar - he isn't on a recruiting site - and he doesn't appear to be a prolific scorer. Michigan area sites have pegged him as a decent scorer around the rim with a little athleticism, good rebounding skills and an above average ability to block shots. Double doubles don't seem to be all that rare for him, which is a positive sign from an RMU perspective.

Frederick picked up the RMU offer in June, as well as offers from Detroit and Toledo. We'll try and get more info on him as the week goes on.

I'm sure many folks have already heard that he has not transferred to UCLA and now there are talks he might try to get back in at Pitt.
Would the coaches there allow Shell back? Coach Chryst wants to build his program the right way and you can't allow one guy to be above the rules.
So what happens if he is not welcome back at Pitt but wants to continue to be in a program near his twins?

Would Shell ever consider RMU vs. sitting out a year?

I know the easy answer is no...he is too talented and could go somewhere like WVU or YSU...etc but why not. RMU landed Jones when every thought RMU had no chance.

I think if Shell is truly interested in being there for his twins and can't play at Pitt, then RMU is an option that he should explore.


This post was edited on 6/24 10:33 AM by Original_RMC

The summer camp season is in high gear, so ColonialsCorner wanted to introduce a new occasional message board feature that you'll see throughout the summer and into the next season. Welcome to Musket Shots, a series of updates from the recruiting trail. Sometimes they'll be football recruiting updates, and sometimes they'll include updates on basketball recruiting.

The initial installment is all football. Over the last two years, Robert Morris has overhauled its recruiting process. They used to recruit quantity, hoping to get quality along with it, in an attempt to fill out a roster that also fed a junior varsity team. With the JV team gone, Robert Morris is going solely for quality. It's allowed them to be more aggressive with offers. I chatted with a few coaches during spring ball, just to get a gauge on their process, and several mentioned to me that this is the earliest the program has ever offered players. Robert Morris had some offers out in the spring when they usually wouldn't hit until mid-to-late summer.

It's still not the pace of the FBS schools. It never will be. And Robert Morris will always be willing to wait on prospects who slip through the cracks or see their offers pulled. But being early can be extremely beneficial. RMU was one of the first in on Riley Feenan and Nelson Lee Lucas-Murphy, and both committed. Feenan received offers afterward as more people became aware of the Canadian prospect, but he's signed and will be at RMU in August. Lucas-Murphy also fended off late arrivals, stayed firm to his commitment, and though he will spend the fall at a prep school, the relationship was strong enough to keep him committed and ready to enroll in January 2014.

So, keep that in mind as this begins. I don't anticipate any commitments until the fall, but the offers should be getting out throughout the camp season as June comes to a close.

RB Malcolm Joseph (5-foot-10, 190 pounds / Valdosta, Georgia) - Joseph picked up an offer from Robert Morris a couple weeks ago. He was committed to Georgia State but recently opened his commitment again, and he's fielded offers from the likes of Western Kentucky, South Alabama, Southern, Tennessee-Chattanooga and Georgia Southern. He's a straight-ahead runner with good speed who runs quite a bit out of the I-Formation at Valdosta High.

It doesn't appear RMU is among his top choices, but the Colonials are in the picture with his recruiting back open. Full highlights here - http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1608088/highlights/34658374

RB Charles Davis (5-foot-9, 175 pounds / Avon, Indiana & Phoenix Community College) - Academics have Davis' recruitment all over the map. He's been offered at different points by the likes of Toledo and Syracuse, but coaching changes and questions over his status have the status of those offers unclear. What is clear is he was offered by Robert Morris within the past week. Davis, who has grown a little bit since he was a senior at Avon High School, brings speed to the table. Rivals clocked him at 4.42 in the 40-yard dash when he was in high school.

Unlike Joseph, Davis hasn't met a move he doesn't like. His highlight film, seen here - http://rivals.yahoo.com/video/recruiting-football/Charles-Davis-Highlights-2-1100560 - is all about stops and starts, changes of direction, and then hitting the gas. It appears he redshirted last year and would have three years of eligibility left in college.

WR Zee Roberson (6-foot-1, 169 pounds / East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania) - Roberson is a fresh offer for Robert Morris. A participant at Pitt's football camp this weekend, Roberson walked away with offers from RMU, IUP, Kent State and Pitt. All four are believed to be his first offers. He's a physical wide receiver who plays in a spread offense at East Stroudsburg. He's used heavily on screens and along the sideline, where he can use his frame to create space and then use his long legs to get into the secondary.

Because of the range of offers, he likely had an outstanding day at camp. We'll see how his season progresses and ultimately determine where he lands. Here's his junior highlight tape - http://www.hudl.com/athlete/453059/highlights/19605380

This post was edited on 6/15 6:25 PM by Andrew_Chiappazzi

Robert Morris offered Greensburg Central Catholic linebacker Nate Stone today. The 6-foot-1, 235 pound Stone is a classic two-way player, as he caught 12 passes for 281 yards and six touchdowns as a junior.

But he's a linebacker through-and-through, and that's where the college interest is coming from. Stone was also offered by Duquesne, and he also holds offers from Ivy Leaguers Cornell and Penn. He's impressed lately on the camp circuit, including at the Rivals Camp Series stop at Montour High School in April.

Here's what the national analysts at RCS Pittsburgh had to say about Stone's performance on a rainy Sunday morning:
With his defensive end size, Stone does not look like a linebacker who would have a lot of success in camps like the Pittsburgh RCS. He proved everyone wrong. He showed that, despite his stocky build, he could run with some of the best athletes on the field. Stone was rarely fooled by head fakes and could easily change directions at the drop of a hat.

We'll see if we can get in touch with Nate for more details about where Robert Morris stands. He also has interest from a number of MAC and American Conference schools, as well as Pitt.

This post was edited on 6/14 4:51 PM by Andrew_Chiappazzi

Nelson Lee Lucas-Murphy was one of Robert Morris' first commitments last year, but he didn't sign his letter of intent in February. The Downingtown East (Pa.) linebacker is now headed to Milford Academy in New York for the fall.

Lucas-Murphy still holds an offer from Robert Morris and is currently planning to enroll at RMU in January, making him another early commitment for the Colonials, just like he was last year.

The 6-foot-2, 220-pound prospect was used at defensive end and outside linebacker last year, but he'll be a middle linebacker at Robert Morris. He was an all-state selection as a senior.

With spring ball done and high schools across the country winding down their school years, college football coaches nationwide hit the road for what's known as an evaluation period. Coaches use the opportunities to visit high schools to talk with high school coaches and administrative staff about prospective recruits and to watch those athletes work out. Offers are frequently issued, and phone calls are often permitted.

Robert Morris hit the road to a few familiar regions. Here's are a few of their stops with a few known targets:

Village Academy, Delray Beach, Florida
With running back Erich Maine already in the fold for the 2013 season, Robert Morris went right back to Village Academy in the past week. Wide receiver Wesley Michel, another burner that has a little bit of interest but no offers just yet.

Imhotep Charter, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Robert Morris had a specific target in mind when it made its way across the state to one of the rising programs in Class AA. Slightly undersized corner Nyeem Thrones had the Colonials in to check in on him along with Youngstown State and West Virginia. Thrones has a wide, wide variety of interest, including reportedly an offer from Temple, but because of his size - 5-foot-9, 157 pounds - that's to be expected. Imhotep has produced a number of prospects lately, so teams will do their due diligence. But the presence of teams like RMU and YSU indicate that they believe Thrones could slip to them. Thrones had two interceptions last year in Imhotep's run to the state semifinals.

Canisius High School, Buffalo, New York
A popular spot of late because of RB Qadree Ollison, Robert Morris secondary coach Bill Hurley was there for another reason. Canisius went 11-0 last year and RMU has made the western New York area a priority the last couple of years. There are a number of quality players at Canisius, but linebacker Mike Sharpe (6-foot-2, 200 pounds) and WR/DB Ryan Richards (6-foot-2, 200 pounds) could be RMU targets.

Blanche Ely High School, Pompano Beach, Florida
Robert Morris was among a handful of schools to stop by, according to head coach Charles Hafley. Five athletes are currently on our radar at Rivals, including 5-foot-11, 170 pound athlete Tyquan Fields, who all fit the typical Robert Morris mold. We'll keep an eye on BEHS, because not much more is known about the prospects who might be involved with RMU.

Robert Morris announced its official recruiting class for 2013 back in February, but recruiting coordinator Scott Farison made it clear at the time that a few additions could be made. Robert Morris typically holds a few scholarships for guys who are finalizing their academic situations, waiting to make a decision after all the Signing Day dominoes fall, or decide to transfer before or after spring practice.

The Colonials are still hoping to ink Downingtown East HS linebacker Nelson Lee-Lucas Murphy, one of their earliest commits, once his situation clears up. In the meantime, they could land two more intriguing prospects.

The first is a potential freshman signee. After Robert Morris brought in Zach Cooper, current middle linebacker Kyle Cooper's younger brother, the younger Cooper went to work on a fellow West Virginia. Two-star running back David Gaydosz has visited and is enduring the full-court press from Cooper and other recently signed Colonials. Gaydosz, a 5-foot-10, 185-pound back out of Cabell Midland High School, ran for over 2,000 yards and 27 touchdowns. He had significant interest, including an opportunity to walk on to West Virginia, but has taken his time to decide on what he wants to do. He visited Coastal Carolina after signing day and has made other visits as well.

Farison said after signing day that Robert Morris wanted to add another running back, and it seems clear they're holding out hope it will be Gaydosz.

The other potential addition is a transfer from the University of North Texas. ColonialsCorner has had multiple sources tell us that Michael Stojkovic, a linebacker who starred as a true freshman for the FBS school in 2011, is exploring a move to Moon Township. Stojkovic had 48 tackles and two sacks that year, and the 6-foot-2, 211 pound linebacker showed a lot of promise for his sophomore year. But that promise was shelved when Stojkovic was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault for his role in during a fight outside of a Denton, Texas bar in January 2012.

Stojkovic eventually pleaded no contest to two counts of misdemeanor assault and sentenced to 15 months probation. He also had to pay fines, as well as restitution to two victims, and went through several other programs, including a drug/alcohol evaluation and anger management. Stojkovic initially left the team and then returned and redshirted last year before ultimately deciding to leave North Texas.

Robert Morris has had success with other "reclamation" projects in the past and has shown a willingness to give players a second chance. Andrew Douglass was arrested and left Montana's football program, but he went through two years at RMU fairly cleanly and finished up his eligibility this fall. Robert Morris also has shown a willingness to come down hard on those who waste those second chances.

Stojkovic apparently hasn't made up his mind yet, but if he were to commit, he'd be eligible to play right away if all of his academics and other NCAA paperwork is in order.

ColonialsCorner will keep you posted on any developments.

Did I miss any update on him?
He is still showing as a verbal on rivals but not signed.

As the dust settles around the Coron Williams transfer, it would initially appear that Robert Morris is still set for the 2013-2014 season. With four incoming freshmen and JuCo transfer Aaron Tate transferring in, Robert Morris still has a full roster.

But Robert Morris now has a little bit of an unexpected hole to fill at guard. They need a scorer, someone who can balance Karvel Anderson as a perimeter or mid-range threat while a trio of point guards - Anthony Myers-Pate plus freshmen Britton Lee and Kavon Stewart - run the offense and drive the lane. Factor in that there remains the belief that one of the incoming freshmen won't qualify, and suddenly the door remains open for another player to factor into the equation.

Enter Desjuan Newton.

A 6-foot-2, 195-pound shooting guard from Seattle, Washington currently playing at Central Arizona College, Newton is on his way to Moon Township for a visit. From what ColonialsCorner has been able to learn, Newton was on Robert Morris' radar earlier but they quickly acted once they learned Williams was seriously exploring his departure.

Robert Morris apparently offered Newton a little over a week ago. He's also visited Eastern Washington and Southern, and has interest from a few others.

Newton isn't the pure outside shooter that Williams was, as he hit 30 percent of his 3-point shots last year for Central Arizona. But he can score and averaged 17.4 points per game on 50.6 percent shooting inside the arc. He also pulled down over six rebounds per game.

It sounds like Andy Toole wants to guard against relying on freshmen to provide significant scoring immediately. Newton could come in and do that while the freshmen get their feet wet for NEC play. We'll see how it develops.
This post was edited on 5/1 5:31 PM by Andrew_Chiappazzi

While Robert Morris is still waiting for the last domino to fall in the 2013 class to finalize which of the 14 players with scholarships or scholarship offers will fill out the 13-man scholarship roster, Andy Toole and his staff are busy moving ahead on handling a large potential Class of 2014.

Robert Morris currently has five seniors on the roster, and assuming Lijah Thompson doesn't step away because of his rehab and injuries and plays in 2013-2014, Toole will have a number of holes to fill with those five scholarships for 2014. The biggest hit is in the backcourt, where Robert Morris will lose Karvel Anderson and Coron Williams at shooting guard and Anthony Myers-Pate at point guard. The Colonials are also on track to lose Thompson and Mike McFadden up front.

That's a lot of experience and talent going out the window. But RMU is moving quickly to try and secure a class, and a number of offers went out in the recent recruiting period that ended on Wednesday. Outside of a weekend or two where there are large AAU tournaments, the next few months will be quiet on the recruiting trail until July.

RMU had handed out a few preliminary offers earlier in the year, including 3-star guard Elijah Cain. But here's who landed on Robert Morris' radar recently:

F Blake Simpson (6-foot-6, 200 - Cincinnati, Ohio/La Salle) - Last time Robert Morris went to a Cincinnati high school for a player, it landed Jeremy Chappell. The Colonials can only hope Simpson provides similar dividends. They'll naturally have competition. Simpson centered a 20-8 season for La Salle en route to a district title. He's a physical inside guy, and apparently has a decent touch around the rim though the stats don't showcase it from his high school performance. Apparently a good shot blocker, too, and some local services rate him as one of the top forwards in Cincinnati, which usually produces some good prospects.

SF Jordan Caroline (6-foot-6, 215 - Champaign, Illinois/Montverde Academy FL) - The Illinois native transferred to Montverde last year, landing at one of the elite prep schools in the nation and a school coached by Kevin Boyle, who was second only to Bob Hurley when both coached high schools in New Jersey. An athletic forward, Caroline seems to be in a similar situation as Lucky Jones: A quality player stuck behind some elite players. Two high major forwards played in front of him, and another high major guard also started last year. Those four and five star prospects will be gone next year, so RMU might be hoping it can get in on Caroline before he gets more of a chance to showcase himself.

SF Rashaun Richardson (6-foot-7, 180 - Indianapolis, Indiana/Arsenal Tech) - A rangy forward with 3-point range, Richardson sounds a lot like a young Russell Johnson. He grew up playing guard and then had a big growth spurt, according to several local reports. He's still figuring out the forward spot, but his athleticism and tools have pushed him onto the radar. According to his AAU coach, Richardson was offered by Robert Morris based off of his play at the Pitt JamFest here in Pittsburgh. Georgia State also offered him then.

G/F Jimmy Paige (6-foot-4, 170 - Virginia Beach, Virginia/Cape Henry Collegiate School) - No, not the Zepplin guitarist. This guy's a combo guard/forward who seems similar to David Appolon in terms of versatility. Paige is a reserve on a talented AAU squad, but apparently his offense and versatility is enough to get him noticed. He holds offers from High Point, Norfolk State, and Longwood.

G Kaison Randolph (6-foot-2, 175 - Trenton, New Jersey/The Pennington School) - A member of a talented WE-R 1 AAU squad, Randolph appears to have earned his offer at the Pitt Jam Fest as well. A score-first point guard, Randolph averaged 15 points per game last year for the Pennington School. He apparently has offers already from Iowa State and Cincinnati, but St. Joseph's appears to be a heavy competitor as well with an active presence throughout the last few months. Randolph also isn't just a scorer - he's a pretty good rebounder despite his height. That, combined with his scoring prowess, might make him more of a 2-guard prospect.

We'll have more throughout the summer as we get more information. I wouldn't be surprised to see another guard or two get an offer as well as a JuCo player here or there.

How's the tight end battle shaping up between Pearson and Smith? Anyone know?

With a number of coaches on staff, some fans may have wondered who focuses their energy where during team drills. Sure, Bill Hurley is working with the secondary or Bob Morris is working with the receivers in position drills, but who goes where during 7-on-7 and 9-on-7 drills can be very interesting to track.

The only coach I've seen move between the two groups is running backs coach Myles Russ, who has to make sure his backs are running the proper routes and blocking the proper area in 7-on-7 drills while gauging their performance in 9-on-7 running drills.

The rest are pretty clearly defined. Defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Scott Farison works with associate head coach and defensive line coach John Banaszak on run defense and pass rush situations in 9-on-7 drills. Hurley and secondary assist Paul Mulbah focus on coverage schemes, even if it involves linebackers, in 7-on-7.

On offense, quarterbacks coach Mauro Monz and receivers coach Bob Morris join Joe Walton for the bulk of the passing game instruction, while tight ends coach Pat Shepard and offensive line coach Andrew Richardson focus the bulk of their energies on the running game in 9-on-7.

The more you know...

TWO-DEEP DEPTH CHART
QB - Derik Abbott/Paul Jones
RB - Kenny Davis, Ryan Thermil/Billy Occean
FB - Ryan Thermil, Corey Garry/Justin Kempka
TE - Andrew Smith, Justin Kempka
WR - Donte Jeter, Chad Dawgiello
WR - Duane Mitchell, D.J. Hayes
LT - Jon Hill, Dylan Knight
LG - Josh Thiel, Max Robertson
C - Nick Faraci, Dylan Knight
RG - Vince Mongelluzzo, Josh Thiel
RT - Max Robertson, Dylan Knight

DL - Forrest Mason, Ryan Lewis
DL - Farren Mason, Henry Jartu
DL - T.J. Matrascia, Zac Bennett
OLB - Kimani Smith, Adrian Perez
MLB - Mike Cook, Matthew Fox
MLB - Luke Mueller, Jimmy Masson
OLB - Kyle Cooper, Jake Tkach
CB - Antwan Eddie, Brian Jones
S - D.J. Myers, Sam Collins
S - Eric Lowry, Phil Peckich
CB - Clay Ilkin, Marcelis Branch

NOTES
Safety Ky Kenyon, offensive lineman Sean Guy, defensive end Tyler Potts, defensive tackle R.J. Cook, running back Evan Taylor, wide receiver Dustin Lowman, quarterback Dalton Raab, running back Deontae Howard, fullback Marty Thomas, corner Keith O'Kelly and safety Wayne Graves all remained out of practice. Linemen A.J. Dalton and Anthony Lucien did not practice, tight ends D.J. Pearson and Cory Nolton did not practice, and neither did corner David Taylor and defensive end Chris Thompkins
Fullback Corey Garry returned to practice for the first time in over a week, though he was limited, while Mark Centofanti remained in limited duty at linebacker. Offensive lineman Jon Hill, running back Billy Occean, corner Brian Jones, and linebacker Kimani Smith all returned to full action.After nearly two weeks of stability, Richardson is suddenly tasked with patching together an offensive line just to get through practice. Hill returned, but Dalton and Lucien were out, leaving RMU with just six linemen. The shakeup was reminiscent of the end of last season, which prompted Richardson to steal Tyler Digby from his tight spot and start him at left tackle for a game. The new lineup this year had Hill at left tackle for the first time, Josh Thiel at left guard, Nick Faraci at center, Vince Mongelluzzo at right guard, and Max Robertson at right tackle with Dylan Knight filling in where needed, even at center. To their credit, the group did fairly well, and RMU toned down 9-on-7 drills to spare some bodiesIt was a similar situation on the defensive line, with just three defensive ends in practice. It led to more reps for T.J. Matrasica and Ryan Lewis, which is good, but it also led to a toned down 9-on-7 drill that focused more on spacing, positioning, and movement rather than getting off blocks. Robert Morris saved that contact for the one-on-one linemen drills and 11-on-11 drills.I spent a lot of time watching the two quarterbacks, trying to pick them apart a little bit as an outside observer. It's tough. Paul Jones and Derik Abbott made very few mistakes in the passing shell that RMU runs prior to 1-on-1 and 7-on-7 drills. In fact, the only issues Walton had with either quarterback was making sure they sprinted out of their snaps on certain plays. The only occasions Walton got upset with the two quarterbacks happened in 7-on-7 drills, where he admonished Jones for choosing to throw to a well-covered Donte Jeter in the end zone instead of hitting a wide open Duane Mitchell on the sideline. He also got after Abbott for an apparent mis-read of the safety in the same drill. Beyond that, there seemed to be very few issues today, which has me all the more curious to see how the two perform on Saturday.
Finally, some individual highlights:Since they were particularly sharp, Abbott and Jones each had some impressive throws. Abbott hit Mitchell in extraordinarily tight coverage by Antwan Eddie with a laser of a throw. It was also a display of impressive hands by Mitchell. Abbott went back to Mitchell with another rope, this time in front of Marcelis Branch in tight space. Mitchell has the best hands on the team and the quarterbacks are realizing that.
Jones had a couple of deft touches on the ball, floating one pass over Mike Cook to a streaking Kenny Davis in 3-on-3 drills and then over the top of coverage to Andrew Smith in the back of the end zone in 7-on-7 drills. The defense did come up with a couple picks, as Branch got Mauro Monz - filling in at QB with no Dalton Raab - with nice coverage on Chad Dawgiello. Then Clay Ilkin picked Abbott on a throw in 1-on-1 that Abbott probably wouldn't make with other options. But Abbott put it up for the taking to see if his receiver, Jovon King, could make a play and Ilkin was spot on with the coverage.

For the first time all spring, there was a slightly different look to much of what Robert Morris did offensively in spring ball. Joe Walton's offense is predicated on heavy usage of a fullback, and he's had a number of quality backs in the system. But partially because Robert Morris also uses single-back, two tight-end formations often, Robert Morris spends time working on those sets as well.

That was the case Tuesday, and it probably could not have come at a better time. Robert Morris is down to one healthy scholarship player at running back (Kenny Davis) and one at fullback (Ryan Thermil), along with walk-on Jon Bonilla-Kamen. With four tight ends available and a number of wide receivers, Robert Morris spent the time working on a few different looks. Here's how the depth chart looked in those sets.

DEPTH CHART
QB - Derik Abbott/Paul Jones
RB - Kenny Davis, Ryan Thermil
TE - Andrew Smith, D.J. Pearson
TE - Cory Nolton, Justin Kempka
WR - Donte Jeter, Chad Dawgiello
WR - Duane Mitchell, D.J. Hayes
LT - A.J. Dalton, Dylan Knight
LG - Josh Thiel, Max Robertson
C - Nick Faraci, Anthony Lucien
RG - Vince Mongelluzzo, Josh Thiel
RT - Max Robertson, Dylan Knight

DE - Forrest Mason, Ryan Lewis
DT - Farren Mason, Henry Jartu
DE - Chris Thompkins, T.J. Matrascia
OLB - Adrian Perez, Devon Cesario
MLB - Mike Cook, Matthew Fox
MLB - Luke Mueller, Jimmy Masson
OLB - Kyle Cooper, Jake Tkach
CB - Antwan Eddie, Malik Johnson
S - D.J. Myers, Sam Collins
S - Eric Lowry, Phil Peckich
CB - Marcelis Branch, David Taylor

NOTES
Safety Ky Kenyon, offensive lineman Sean Guy, fullback Corey Garry, defensive end Tyler Potts, defensive tackle R.J. Cook, running back Evan Taylor, offensive lineman Jon Hill, wide receiver Dustin Lowman, corner Keith O'Kelly and safety Wayne Graves all remained out of practice. Quarterback Dalton Raab, running back Deontae Howard, running back Billy Occean, fullback Marty Thomas, linebacker Kimani Smith, and corner Brian Jones were the new faces absent.
Corner Marcelis Branch, defensive tackle Zac Bennett, wide receiver Chad Dawgiello, safety Eric Lowry all returned, while Mark Centofanti made his first appearance in limited duty at linebackerWith Hill still out, Robert Morris offensive line coach Andrew Richardson gave Max Robertson a heavy amount of snaps at right tackle. Robertson spent a lot of time as a back-up tackle last year but never appeared there for a significant stretch in a game. But with mostly interior players in spring camp, he's a logical choice to experiment with outside. Robertson played tackle in high school in a fairly complex offense and he's a smart offensive lineman. The move also gives Robert Morris a longer look at redshirt freshman Josh Thiel at left guard. He might be the most physically gifted out of the linemen brought in last fall, but he redshirted after missing most of camp due to injury. With the right tackle spot open due to the graduation of Nate Hargraves, this is a way to get Thiel into the lineup while not punishing Robertson. That said, there's no doubt that Hill will have a lot to say about the lineup if he returns for the rest of the week and certainly in fall camp. A guy with his athleticism - remember, he's a converted defensive end - will get a long, long look before a decision is made prior to the opener at Eastern Kentucky. Even if Robertson stays at right tackle the rest of the spring, I expect Hill to stat off among the top five in August.
Tight end Cory Nolton has had a strong spring, and he spent a lot of his reps working alongside Andrew Smith. It had been D.J. Pearson working with Smith, who has the most experience at the position, but I think Nolton's bump up was a reward and recognition for his work. Pearson's looked good, but so has Nolton. He didn't play at all with a head injury last year after making a few waves in fall camp. A converted defensive end, his blocking was already on par, but he's shown to be a decent route-runner with surprisingly above average hands. With Justin Kempka also back in the mix after a dalliance with the fullback spot, the tight end rotation will be a lot like the offensive line: A very fluid situation.Even with the new looks at tight end and on the line, the running game was surprisingly more consistent to the naked eye. In days past, it was either a wide opening - usually because of a defensive misstep - or absolutely nothing. Instead, Kenny Davis found fairly consistent room. It wasn't perfect, with plenty of hiccups and aborted attempts to run outside, but he found more room between the tackles than anyone else has had all spring. Davis "scored" at least two touchdowns in 9-on-7 drills and had several other significant runs Good luck picking out a quarterback. Paul Jones and Derik Abbott appear
to be getting the system down quite well from a distance. There are
fewer conversations about decisions and more about mechanics and timing,
common in every spring camp across the country. Saturday will be very interesting to gauge their performance.
Finally, some individual highlights:Phil Peckich had one of the few interceptions of the day, stepping in front of pass in 1-on-1 drills. Clay Ilkin just missed on a pick in 7-on-7 drills.A couple above the line catches in 7-on-7, as D.J. Hayes climbed the ladder to haul in one ball near the sideline, while Luke Centofanti took a pop by the end zone and helicoptered down after making a catch.
Meanwhile, Jones and Abbott both had an opportunity to burn the opposing defense. Jones hit Duane Mitchell over Malik Johnson and Marcelis Branch for a touchdown, splitting the coverage and hitting Mitchell in stride. Abbott, meanwhile, connected perfectly with Sean Gavin. The connection was so strong that it left secondary coach Bill Hurley incredulous, as he yelled out, "How is this possible?"
More from camp tomorrow.

It's been a while since we had an update, nearly a week, and Robert Morris spent part of that time away from the football field. We shelved coverage in favor of the Frozen Four, and Robert Morris took Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off.

Monday's return to the field began the ramp up to the spring game on Saturday. Let's jump right into it.

DEPTH CHART
QB - Derik Abbott/Paul Jones
RB - Deontae Howard, Kenny Davis
FB - Ryan Thermil, Justin Kempka
TE - Andrew Smith, D.J. Pearson
WR - Donte Jeter, Sean Gavin
WR - Duane Mitchell, D.J. Hayes
LT - A.J. Dalton
LG - Max Robertson, Josh Thiel
C - Nick Faraci, Anthony Lucien
RG - Vince Mongelluzzo, Josh Thiel
RT - Dylan Knight

DE - Forrest Mason, A.J. Holderman
DT - Farren Mason, Henry Jartu
DE - Chris Thompkins, T.J. Matrascia
OLB - Kimani Smith, Adrian Smith
MLB - Mike Cook, Matthew Fox
MLB - Luke Mueller, Jimmy Masson/Devon Cesario
OLB - Kyle Cooper, Jake Tkach
CB - Antwan Eddie, Malik Johnson
S - D.J. Myers, Davone Swain
S - Sam Collins, Phil Peckich
CB - Brian Jones/Clay Ilkin, Zach Washington

NOTES
A number of guys out today, which made the repetitions more interesting. A few guys also arrived late to practice due to class. First, the guys who remain out: Safety Ky Kenyon, offensive lineman Sean Guy, fullback Corey Garry, defensive end Tyler Potts, defensive tackle R.J. Cook, linebacker Mark Centofanti and safety Wayne Graves all remained out of practice. Newly out were corner Marcelis Branch, defensive tackle Zac Bennett, wide receiver Chad Dawgiello, safety Eric Lowry, running back Evan Taylor, offensive lineman Jon Hill, corner Keith O'Kelly, and running back Evan Taylor were all out Monday.
Fullback Ryan Thermil, running back Deontae Howard, quarterback Dalton Raab, defensive tackle Henry Jartu, and wide receiver Donte Jeter all returned, while corner David Taylor and fullback Marty Thomas were late arrivals.The injuries have helped emphasize versatility at a few spots. We've already talked about the linebackers and defensive line, in particular, working all over the field, but it's happening in the secondary as well. Guys like Phil Peckich and Sam Collins are working at both safety spots after years of having guys locked into a specific role. Collins will go from working with D.J. Myers, who is the epitome of a strong safety, one day and then jump back and work at more of a strong safety spot with Peckich the next. Peckich said after practice today that he's designated as a free safety but has learned both spots. There's no question that Robert Morris obviously wants the best players on the field, and the guys that can show they can adapt quickly are the ones who will put themselves in position to playThat flexibility doesn't absolve guys from the wrath of secondary coach Bill Hurley, though. Hurley is always vocal, but the veteran coach was particularly loud today, especially when it came to his safeties. Hurley got on them quite a bit on 7-on-7 drills, exhorting them to make a pre-snap read and proper call.Offensive play was fairly inconsistent, likely due to the number of bodies missing at running back, fullback, and wide receiver. Billy Occean just moved to running back early last week and is still getting the position down in Walton's offense, yet he was the primary back for a stretch in 9-on-7 drills. Justin Kempka is still transitioning between fullback and tight end, and he was the back-up fullback for much of the day again today. And at receiver, beyond Jeter, Mitchell, and Hayes, it was mostly just Sean Gavin and Luke Centofanti, two walk-ons who didn't see a snap last year. The club likes Dustin Lowman and Chad Dawgiello, but those two have struggled to stay on the field. Both were out again today and have missed various points of practice in the past. Both are in their third year of eligibility, but have yet to see much action. Despite numbers, the competition behind Jeter and Mitchell is wide open because of that.
Our last update included some offensive line shuffling, and with Jon Hill out today, that continued a little bit. Dylan Knight handled the bulk of snaps at right tackle, but an interesting group went out for a bit in 11-on-11 drills. A.J. Dalton was at left tackle, Nick Faraci at center and Vince Mongelluzzo at right guard as usual, but redshirt freshman Josh Thiel moved in at left guard while Max Robertson shifted to right tackle. Robertson was recruited with the ability to play both guard and tackle but settled in as the starter at guard last year. He practiced at right tackle at times, but this was the first time that we've seen this spring that the sophomore has been outside. Just another potential option in the battle for the starting five.
Finally, as always, a couple individual plays of note:The defense ramped up the pressure on the line in 11-on-11 drills, leading to more aborted plays and "sacks". Linebacker Kyle Cooper probably didn't mean to pop Derik Abbott as hard as he did on one busted play, but the knocked the quarterback pretty solidly. T.J. Matrascia and A.J. Holderman also broke through for "sacks" involving significantly less contact.Few interceptions to report, as safety Mark Wise was the only one to come up with a pick in 7-on-7 drills when he jumped in front of a deep pass from Abbott to Andrew Smith. Safety Davone Swain had a Paul Jones pass in his hands but dropped it, and David Taylor dropped a pass in 11-on-11 drills.Occean nearly got the best of his former high school teammate, linebacker Jimmy Masson, on a pass pattern in 7-on-7 drills. Occean got a sliver of space and got his hands on a pass from Jones, but he couldn't quite haul it in since Masson had solid coverage.Occean and Kenny Davis each had "touchdowns" during 9-on-7 drills, but the inconsistency hit in several other facets of the running game. Davis lost a handoff in 11-on-11 drills, leading to linebacker Adrian Perez pulling him away from the ball with one hand and picking it up for a recovery.
Robert Morris is going all week in advance of Saturday's spring game. We'll be there every day, so keep checking back for more updates.

The operative phrase of the day at Robert Morris' spring practice on Tuesday was "decision making". On both offense and defense, coaches seemed to take an extra moment to emphasize quality decisions in the heat of a play. The obvious cases come for quarterbacks on offense. With the first week of practice officially done, Derik Abbott and Paul Jones have their feet wet now. It's not just about knowing what the play is but where to deliver the ball in the appropriate situation.

Head coach Joe Walton and quarterbacks coach Mauro Monz seemed to be emphasizing the concept of smart decisions at several points during drills on Tuesday. At several points, Walton or Monz would stop Abbott or Jones after a throw. Even if it was a completed pass, Walton especially seemed to be indicating what other options were available depending on coverage - or that what happened might not happen against certain defenses, and that another reaction might be more appropriate.

In some aspects, it's a way to reinforce the knowledge. There's a lot of information flowing to all positions, and seeing and immediately reviewing a play is one way to ensure that information sticks. But it's also a sense of identifying how a player sees the field. Pitt coach Paul Chryst put a helmet cam on quarterback Tom Savage this April for the coaches to try to get a sense of what Savage sees when he drops back and makes his reads. Robert Morris hasn't gone to those lengths, but the post-throw discussions act in a similar manner.

It's not just at quarterback, either. Secondary coach Bill Hurley has one of the loudest voices on the coaching staff, so his instructions carry well. In the heat of 1-on-1 drills between the secondary and wide receivers, Hurley is in constant instruction mode, trying to get his charges to understand when to break on a ball and go for the break-up or interception, when to stick with a play to just make a tackle, or when to get a sense to use the sideline or other barrier to deny access to the ball. Hurley seemed to especially emphasize when a player hesitated or didn't break on the play to get to the ball. This is a unit very conscious of the inability to force a significant amount of turnovers the last few years, and they want to be better. Understanding when to go and when not to go is half of that battle.

DEPTH CHART
QB - Derik Abbott/Paul Jones
RB - Evan Taylor, Kenny Davis
FB - Luke Zearing, Justin Kempka
TE - Andrew Smith, D.J. Pearson
WR - Dustin Lowman, D.J. Hayes
WR - Duane Mitchell, Chad Dawgiello
LT - A.J. Dalton, Dylan Knight
LG - Max Robertson, Josh Thiel
C - Nick Faraci, Anthony Lucien
RG - Vince Mongelluzzo, Josh Thiel
RT - Jon Hill, Dylan Knight

DE - Forrest Mason, Ryan Lewis
DT - A.J. Holderman, Zac Bennett
DE - Chris Thompkins, T.J. Matrascia
OLB - Adrian Perez/Jake Tkach, Devon Cesario
MLB - Mike Cook, Matthew Fox
MLB - Luke Mueller, Jimmy Masson
OLB - Kyle Cooper, Kimani Smith/Devon Cesario
CB - Antwan Eddie, Brian Jones
S - D.J. Myers, Sam Collins
S - Eric Lowry, Phil Peckich
CB - Marcelis Branch, David Taylor

NOTES
The injured/inactive list is growing. Safety Ky Kenyon, offensive lineman Sean Guy, fullback Corey Garry, fullback Ryan Thermil, fullback Marty Thomas, defensive end Tyler Potts, defensive tackle R.J. Cook, linebacker Mark Centofanti and running back Deontae Howard all remained out of practice. Joining them today were QB Dalton Raab, defensive tackle Henry Jartu, and wide receiver Donte Jeter. Safety Eric Lowry, corner Marcelis Branch, defensive tackle Zac Bennett, wide receiver Chad Dawgiello all returned to full participation. Defensive tackle Farren Mason was limited, and linebacker Kimani Smith remains limited.A note on some of the injuries: While a few will keep guys out for an extended stretch (Cook, Garry, Kenyon, Thermil all have one foot or the other in a walking boot), there seems to be a rotating cast of minor injuries that the coaching staff and training staff just aren't messing with. There is no need to re-aggravate something in practice that lingers most of the summer or leads to a more significant injury. The spring drills are about instruction, not necessarily about competition, so the old adage of "You can't win the job from the trainer's room" doesn't apply. Some guys that are heavily used might also get maintenance days.Offensive line coach Andrew Richardson mixed the line up more than he has the last few practices, throwing out some unique combinations in 9-on-7 drills. Ultimately the above combo stuck for the bulk of 11-on-11 - until players left early for class - but the 9-on-7 combos were very interesting. One featured A.J. Dalton subbing in at right tackle with Dylan Knight at left tackle, Vince Mongelluzzo at left guard, Josh Thiel at right guard, and Anthony Lucien at center. Richardson followed that combination up later by bringing in Jon Hill at right tackle and Max Robertson at left guard. I wouldn't read too much into it, other than seeing how guys react in different situations. Robert Morris was in a situation last year where guys had to move around quite a bit and the spring is the time to figure out how they can handle certain situations so that a converted tight end like Tyler Digby isn't your starting left tackle in the 10th game of the year.With a limited number of defensive tackles, A.J. Holderman moved inside for a stretch. In talking to some defensive players, coaches are preaching versatility. New defensive lineman Ryan Lewis played tackle some yesterday, while Holderman and Zac Bennett handled the bulk of the duties today. Versatility is the way some guys are going to get on the field. The more they can do, the more value they'll hold.Robert Morris opened practice by working on one-on-one goal-line pass plays. It was a chance for Derik Abbott and Paul Jones to showcase their accuracy, the receivers a chance to showcase their ball skills, and defensive backs to showcase their ability to jam at the line and then recover to make a play on the ball. Abbott and Jones were about equal, although whoever got the opportunity to throw to Duane Mitchell got the edge. Mitchell has quickly become Robert Morris' top receiver in terms of hands and body control. Even if he doesn't ultimately make the catch, he's got a chance. Meanwhile, no defensive back came up with an interception from what I saw, but it should be no surprise that Marcelis Branch, Antwan Eddie, and D.J. Myers were the strong defenders. All three are pretty heady players who read receivers well 1-on-1.
Finally, as always, a couple highlights:First, a missed opportunity. Paul Jones had a great look at D.J. Pearson down the seam in 7-on-7 drills but the two couldn't connect in the end zone. Pearson just missed hauling in a pass that was probably a little too long.Abbott had the top two throws, as he and Mitchell got Brian Jones to bite on a move that Mitchell turned into plenty of space for an easy pitch and catch in 7-on-7s. Then Abbott threw into coverage in the end zone for Andrew Smith, who went up from behind Codi Casper and hauled in the pass before tumbling to the ground. Smith got a well-deserved chest-bump from an enthusiastic Abbott after that catch.Mitchell, by the way, had at least two above average catches in 1-on-1 drills. including one where he elevated well above David Taylor. Luke Centofanti also had a couple nice grabs in 1-on-1s.
That's it for the next couple of days. We'll have a feature on Jimmy Masson, the new face at linebacker, on Thursday before getting back to practice on Friday. In the meantime, site coverage will shift to the Frozen Four for a couple days.

Lots to get to today, so no wise and insightful intro. Just straight to the meat.

DEPTH CHART
QB - Derik Abbott/Paul Jones
RB - Evan Taylor, Kenny Davis
FB - Luke Zearing, Justin Kempka
TE - Andrew Smith, D.J. Pearson
WR - Donte Jeter, D.J. Hayes
WR - Duane Mitchell, Dustin Lowman
LT - A.J. Dalton, Dylan Knight
LG - Max Robertson, Josh Thiel
C - Nick Faraci, Anthony Lucien
RG - Vince Mongelluzzo, Josh Thiel
RT - Jon Hill, Dylan Knight

DE - Forrest Mason, A.J. Holderman
DT - Henry Jartu, Ryan Lewis
DE - Chris Thompkins, T.J. Matrascia
OLB - Adrian Perez, Jake Tkach
MLB - Mike Cook, Matthew Fox
MLB - Luke Mueller, Jimmy Masson
OLB - Kyle Cooper, Kimani Smith
CB - Antwan Eddie, Malik Johnson
S - D.J. Myers, Davone Swain
S - Sam Collins, Phil Peckich
CB - Brian Jones, Zach Washington

NOTES
The injured/inactive list is growing. Corner Marcelis Branch, safety Eric Lowry, safety Ky Kenyon, offensive lineman Sean Guy, fullback Corey Garry, fullback Ryan Thermil, fullback Marty Thomas, defensive tackle Zac Bennett, defensive end Tyler Potts, defensive tackle R.J. Cook, defensive tackle Farren Mason, wide receiver Chad Dawgiello, and running back Deontae Howard all missed practice.
A few players made it back on the field. Defensive end T.J. Matrascia is officially back, as is defensive back Clay Ilkin. Linebacker Kimani Smith returned in a limited role.With the injuries, some guys have gotten a chance to step up. Defensive lineman Ryan Lewis is working at both end and tackle, enabling him to use some versatility and perhaps better showcase himself for early playing time. More on Lewis in a feature article later. Other guys jumping up include two new faces at safety, Davone Swain and Phil Peckich. Both are fairly new to the system, though Peckich is a junior. Swain even had an interception while working in team drills later in practice. With R.J. Cook and Farren Mason out, Henry Jartu now gets the chance to run with the No. 1 defensive ends. He's been in the system for a while, but it's just an additional chance to showcase he can handle the job.
But the biggest changes occurred on offense. Freshman Justin Kempka, who redshirted as a back-up tight end last year, moved to fullback. That might be solely out of the need for bodies; Luke Zearing was the only healthy fullback today. Kempka played in the backfield some at Greensburg Central Catholic, but he likely projects long-term still as a tight end, especially with nearly everyone graduating from the position next year. The other minor change is only logical: Freshman Billy Occean moved from wide receiver to running back. In some ways, he's a lot like former Colonial William Quarles. He's small, he's fast, and he has good hands. If any offensive changes happen next year with John Banaszak, Occean might spend most of his career at wide receiver. But for now, especially with injuries, he's at running back.The situation at corner behind Antwan Eddie and Marcelis Branch is extremely fluid. With Branch out, Brian Jones moved up to take the most reps alongside Eddie. But Clay Ilkin was also there at times. Ilkin also worked with David Taylor, while Malik Johnson and Zach Washington primarily worked together. Beyond those tandems, trying to figure out the No. 3/4 corners is almost impossible. The assumption would be that Jones is No. 3, since he moved up to work with Eddie. He had been working with Taylor, so is Taylor the No. 4? Maybe. But Ilkin was also absent the last few practices ColonialsCorner viewed, so maybe he's the next man up. Then again, Johnson and Washington are two of the more experienced players at corner. What's it all mean? Bill Hurley and Paul Mulbah are throwing guys into different situations and seeing who does well. No judgment is really being made, but with no real corners coming in for training camp, RMU can experiment with what it has.With the warmer temperatures came a ridiculously strong wind that hampered some of the passing efforts. But Derik Abbott did manage a deep strike that served as the pass of the day. Abbott fired a pass down the far hash mark to tight end Andrew Smith, who hauled it in just as safety Phil Peckich was cutting across to try to pick it off. The timing was precise and the ball was perfectly placed to avoid the pick.The only other interception of note other than Swain's pick was Brian Jones stepping in front of a Dalton Raab pass in 7-on-7 drills.First chance to look at somewhat live-action special teams. Tony LaMancusa returns for a third year as the punter (the wind really messed with his kicks, too). Quinton Pirl and Evan Taylor split duties as punt returner last year, and with Pirl gone, it looks like Brian Jones and David Taylor will be the primary options, at least out of the current players. Pirl is gone, and I don't think Robert Morris wants to subject Evan Taylor to additional hits since he's the primary back. Jones and Taylor are both solid. Jones returned kickoffs last year, while Taylor might be one of the fastest pure runners on the team.
The Frozen Four will intervene a bit on spring ball later in the week, but we have one more full day of coverage tomorrow. We'll also be up on Friday, weather permitting, and then all of next week leading up to the spring game on April 20.

Spring practice is an interesting animal. There is naturally a lot of instruction and teaching, but there are also significant battles. The headliner in Robert Morris' camp is the competition for the quarterback spot. But the entire group is still learning so much that even the coaches don't expect to have the position decided until some point in training camp in August.

Outside of competition battles, there's also the issue of depth. The lines are a perfect example: The offensive line has just eight bodies for five spots. Meanwhile, the defensive line can rotate nine players for three spots. Wide receiver has 13 players for two or three spots at a time, but Friday's practice featured just three running backs, a difficult split when you're running 7-on-7 drills and 9-on-7 drills at the same time.

That inconsistent depth is why I've gotten the impression that this spring is really about installation and education for the football team. Competition is a major factor in that, as these guys are naturally competitive like all athletes, but don't expect any jobs to be won by the spring game.

DEPTH CHART
QB - Derik Abbott/Paul Jones
RB - Evan Taylor, Kenny Davis
FB - Ryan Thermil, Marty Thomas
TE - Andrew Smith, D.J. Pearson
WR - Donte Jeter, Chad Dawgiello
WR - Duane Mitchell, Dustin Lowman
LT - A.J. Dalton, Dylan Knight
LG - Max Robertson, Josh Thiel
C - Nick Faraci, Anthony Lucien
RG - Vince Mongelluzzo, Josh Thiel
RT - Jon Hill, Dylan Knight

DE - Forrest Mason, Daeon Kelly
DT - Farren Mason, R.J. Cook
DE - Chris Thompkins, Ryan Lewis
OLB - Adrian Perez, Jake Tkach
MLB - Mike Cook, Matthew Fox
MLB - Luke Mueller, Jimmy Masson
OLB - Kyle Cooper, Devon Cesario
CB - Antwan Eddie, David Taylor
S - D.J. Myers, Sam Collins
S - Eric Lowry, Phil Peckich
CB - Marcelis Branch, Brian Jones

NOTES
Safety Ky Kenyon (foot), running back Deontae Howard, fullback Corey Garry (foot), lineman Sean Guy, corner Clay Ilkin, defensive end Tyler Potts, defensive end A.J. Holderman (knee), defensive end T.J. Matrascia, linebacker Kimani Smith (upper body) and linebacker Mark Centofanti did not practice. If there was any doubt, the quarterback job is an equal split right now. Paul Jones and Derik Abbott are getting almost the same number of splits, and that's expected to continue throughout the spring session. We'll have more on the two quarterbacks and their different approaches to the game on Sunday and Monday.Friday's practice focused heavily on the running game, especially in 11-on-11 drills. Abbott and Jones have shown a sharp understanding of passing patterns, but the run game is obviously integral to Robert Morris' offense. One would think that the passing patterns and timing would be harder to get down, but from my eyes, the trio of quarterbacks struggled more today than they have all week with the running game. The first issue came with the quarterback-center exchange. Multiple hiccups happened, no matter if it was Nick Faraci or Anthony Lucien at center. It's a timing issue, and it's one of those things that develops over time with the quarterback and the center.
The run game, meanwhile, is an intricately choreographed dance. It's more than just dropping back and handing it to the proper back. Walton's offense has a lot of movement, a lot of crossing in the backfield, and all three QBs had to iron out wrinkles in their hand-offs. Former quarterback Jeff Sinclair was on hand to help out along with QB coach Mauro Monz. It's about repetition and almost muscle memory, and Monz is conscious of not overwhelming Abbott and Jones with a large amount of new information each day.
Speaking of the run game, Kenny Davis had the chance to work with the top group today with Deontae Howard out. He and Evan Taylor handled the bulk of the workload, and while the defense had the run of play - including Kyle Cooper slicing into the backfield for a couple solid stops - Davis did have the nicest move of the day. In a burst up the middle, Davis planted his right foot and left a defender grabbing nothing but air on a nice juke. It was one of the few runs either Davis, Taylor, or fullback Ryan Thermil had that gained any significant yardage.With the offensive emphasis on the running game, the defensive emphasis was on shedding blocks and slicing through bodies to get into the backfield or at least stop backs around the line of scrimmage. As mentioned, Cooper found his way into the backfield a couple times, as did Henry Jartu and R.J. Cook. At its best, Robert Morris' defense funnels the back up the middle into the waiting arms of its middle linebackers. But those linebackers have to be able to shed blockers to finish those tackles, and that hasn't been the case the last few years.Finally, a couple elite individual plays: Abbott hit Duane Mitchell over the top of one man in coverage and in front of another on a pass to the sideline in 7-on-7 drills, another display of his pinpoint accuracy; Zach Washington timed a route perfectly to jump in front of a receiver and pick off Abbott in 7-on-7. Walk-on Chris Rivers used a double move to beat Malik Johnson and cut to the near pylon, where Paul Jones hit him perfectly in the chest with a pass.
But the play of the day goes to Donte Jeter in 7-on-7 drills. Jeter cut across the middle, where Jones fired a pass right over the top of two defenders. Jeter plucked the ball out of the air right above their helmets and took off.
No camp reports over the weekend, but plenty of coverage still to come until another camp report Monday.

Spring football moves quickly. After months of being away from pads, the protective gear is brought in on just the third practice of the spring. With just three weeks to work with, teams can't delay in quickly getting into full pads.

And with the introduction of pads comes a different atmosphere, even in the relative calm of spring. The intensity ratchets up, and hitting is introduced with glee. With that excitement comes a few extra pops, extra chirping in 9-on-7, 7-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills, and a few post-play confrontations.

With plenty of competition in camp, the intensity only increases.

With that in mind, here's your report from Thursday.

DEPTH CHART
QB - Derik Abbott, Paul Jones
RB - Evan Taylor, Deontae Howard
FB - Ryan Thermil, Marty Thomas
TE - Andrew Smith, D.J. Pearson
WR - Donte Jeter, Chad Dawgiello
WR - Duane Mitchell, Dustin Lowman
LT - A.J. Dalton, Dylan Knight
LG - Max Robertson, Josh Thiel
C - Nick Faraci, Anthony Lucien
RG - Vince Mongelluzzo, Josh Thiel
RT - Jon Hill, Dylan Knight

DE - Forrest Mason, A.J. Holderman/Daeon Kelly
DT - Farren Mason, R.J. Cook
DE - Chris Thompkins, Ryan Lewis
OLB - Adrian Perez, Jake Tkach
MLB - Mike Cook, Matthew Fox
MLB - Luke Mueller, Jimmy Masson
OLB - Kyle Cooper, Devon Cesario
CB - Antwan Eddie, David Taylor
S - D.J. Myers, Eric Lowry
S - Sam Collins, Malik Johnson
CB - Marcelis Branch, Brian Jones

One additional number change to note: Linebacker Devon Cesario is now wearing No. 56 after wearing No. 64 to start his career.

NOTES
Safety Ky Kenyon (foot), fullback Corey Garry (foot), lineman Sean Guy, corner Clay Ilkin, defensive end Tyler Potts, defensive end T.J. Matrascia, linebacker Kimani Smith (upper body) and linebacker Mark Centofanti did not practice. The depth chart seems pretty set right now. A couple positions are pretty fluid, mostly due to depth. There are a number of defensive backs and wide receivers in camp, and each individual at those positions is working with different groups. The receivers, especially, are rotating in and out with the so-called "first team" and "second team". It's always fun watching the linemen go at it on the first few days of pads. It's tough to be physical when you're just in a jersey and helmet, and it's also tough to get a gauge on a player's physicality that way. With the pads on and players going full bore, it's a lot easier to examine. One of the highlights was the blocking tussle between defensive tackle Henry Jartu and guard Max Robertson, part of which was captured in the photo on the front page. Jartu has been somewhat under the radar because of a wealth of experience in front of him, but he's a large, physical player. Robertson's one of the more physical offensive linemen, and the two went at it like accomplished heavyweight wrestlers.With pads on and the linemen going at it, another key is listening to the instructions being given to the big guys. John Banaszak and Alex DiMichele were tutoring the defensive players - which again included linebacker Adrian Perez, by the way - and Andrew Richardson worked with his offensive line. It's easy to forget how much technique goes into a successful block or evasion, how important arm placement or quick, snap movements can be. It's especially interesting with a new, young player like Ryan Lewis. A physical specimen at 6-foot-5, 240 pounds, Lewis is still a little raw. He didn't play his senior season at Montour High School, and his snaps were limited at Milford Academy. Every lesson is crucial for him, and from the untrained eye, he appears to be a quick learner. Banaszak or DiMichele would instruct him on something, and on the next drill, he'd take a step forward with it. That's likely all that the coaches and Lewis could ask for at this point.Paul Jones and Derik Abbott essentially split the first team reps. The two are being heavily rotated, though right now Abbott is getting just a few more snaps with the first team offensive line. After speaking with both after practice for stories that will run on Sunday, they're treating it like a legit competition, and every indication is that's the case. It's healthy. Abbott's only going to be a sophomore but he's the most experienced in Joe Walton's offense, while Jones naturally comes highly regarded. I fully expect them to split snaps all the way through camp and through the spring game. The true decision likely won't come until fall. Both QBs had fairly typical performances, but Abbott might have had the throw of the day. He perfectly placed a pass in fairly tight coverage right in the chest of Warren Fields. It didn't go for a touchdown or anything, but it was the type of pinpoint passing that Abbott is capable of.Billy Occean has some hops. No idea how the diminuitive freshman wide receiver will ultimately fit into the offense this year, but the man with the dreads can go up for the football. Robert Morris might have an option beyond tall guys like D.J. Pearson and Dustin Lowman for those end-of-game Hail Marys.Speaking of Pearson, he and fellow tight end Cory Nolton had two of the tougher catches of the day. Pearson's was more technique related: He caught a pass on his back shoulder in traffic while cutting over the middle, all while managing to avoid getting his clock cleaned. Nolton, meanwhile, beat his man in 1-on-1 drills and caught a deep ball with a hand in his face. Nolton, a converted defensive end eyed mostly for his blocking abilities, tumbled into the end zone and managed to hold onto the ball.
As always, more to come after Friday's session.

So as if there wasn't enough intrigue and excitement surrounding the end to the college basketball season, what with controversies and the coaching carousel, another unexpected "c" word has entered into the, uh, conversation.

Another commitment.

Robert Morris received a verbal pledge from Dodge City Community College (Kansas) forward Aaron Tate today. Tate is a 6-foot-5, 230-pound forward who originally signed with Morehead State out of West Craven High School in North Carolina. He's played just one year of JuCo ball, averaging 10.3 points per game and 6.7 rebounds per game.

Multiple reports came out that he committed, and we're able to confirm that it is a solid verbal commitment. According to our partners at JuCoJunction.com, Tate's already academically qualified and would have three years of eligibility.

So what happens now? I've been in touch with a few sources, and it appears that there won't be a departure from the current roster. With four players already signed to letters of intent, Robert Morris doesn't have a spot available.

That leads me to believe that one of those four is likely bound for prep school. Logic would say it's a forward, since Tate is one, but I don't want to speculate. I'm going to make some calls over the next day and see if I can find anything out regarding the recruiting class.

For the first time since a November 17 loss to Monmouth, Robert Morris was back on the football Tuesday. Spring ball brings a new sense of optimism to every program as players look to translate winter workouts into progress on the field.

For Robert Morris, it also brought a few new faces. Paul Jones made his debut in a Robert Morris practice uniform as the highly touted transfer preps to try to take over the vacant starting quarterback job. Defensive end Ryan Lewis also made his debut after sitting out his senior season at Montour and playing a prep year at Milford Academy.

Meanwhile, familiar faces were back, and it wasn't just sixth-year senior Farren Mason. Eric Lowry is also back for a fifth year, as is R.J. Cook. And injured linebacker Kyle Cooper was enthusiastically running around, practicing in full for the first time since a foot injury ended his season back in August.

Robert Morris has a number of walk-ons in camp, as well, helping to flesh out the depth chart.

With that in mind, here's how the very, very early two-deep depth chart looks:
QB - Derik Abbott, Paul Jones
RB - Evan Taylor, Deontae Howard
FB - Ryan Thermil, Corey Garry
TE - Andrew Smith, D.J. Pearson
WR - Donte Jeter, Chad Dawgiello
WR - Duane Mitchell, Dustin Lowman
LT - A.J. Dalton, Dylan Knight
LG - Max Robertson, Josh Thiel
C - Nick Faraci, Anthony Lucien
RG - Vince Mongelluzzo, Josh Thiel
RT - Jon Hill, Dylan Knight

DE - Forrest Mason, A.J. Holderman
DT - Farren Mason, R.J. Cook
DE - Chris Thompkins, A.J. Holderman
OLB - Kimani Smith, Adrian Perez
MLB - Mike Cook, Matthew Fox
MLB - Luke Mueller, Matthew Fox
OLB - Kyle Cooper, Jake Tkach
CB - Antwan Eddie, David Taylor
S - D.J. Myers, Sam Collins
S - Eric Lowry, Kyler Kenyon
CB - Marcelis Branch, Brian Jones

Some notes about the depth chart:
The defense is extraordinarily fluid right now. Robert Morris was just in 7-on-7 and 9-on-7 units, and there was a lot of mixing on the line and at linebacker. Kimani Smith went out halfway through practice and didn't participate in those drills. Mark Centofanti, who likely could start at linebacker after starting last year, missed practice. I also did not see Mike Neilson on the field at middle linebacker, and there were a number of guys lower on the depth chart slotting in.

The defensive line was working in a similar rotation, as the five guys listed took the bulk of the first unit snaps in 9-on-7 drills. This was the first practice, and the group worked out solely in shells. There are no pads at this stage, which limits what the team does in drills. Once they put pads on, we'll have a better idea of the defensive line rotation.

The secondary units seemed pretty defined, though. They mixed and matched by position, but it was always the same tandems.

Wide receiver is also a mess right now beyond the top four or five. D.J. Hayes is in the mix with Lowman and Dawgiello, but he switched his number, so I wasn't tracking him the entire practice. There are a number of walk-ons at wide receiver, too, helping to spread out the reps during 1-on-1 drills.

Speaking of number changes:
Paul Jones is wearing No. 2QB Derik Abbott has switched to No. 12Mr. Utilityman, transfer Dalton Raab, is wearing No. 14 while he works with the quarterbacks. That may change in the fall when he works with another position group.DE Ryan Lewis is No. 91LB Jimmy Masson is No. 50FB Corey Garry is now No. 32TE D.J. Pearson is now No. 81RB Kenny Davis is now No. 20WR Billy Occean is No. 27S Codi Casper is now No. 33WR Warren Fields is now No. 25WR D.J. Hayes is now No. 18LB Kimani Smith is now No. 15S Phil Peckich is No. 36Finally, LT A.J. Dalton wore No. 76 Tuesday. I'm not sure if that's a permanent change or if Dalton's old No. 70 finally met its maker and Dalton took a less worn jersey.There might be others, but that's everyone toward the top of the depth chart right now.

THE NEW GUYS
Before we get into the first-day happenings, some thoughts on the new guys.
- Paul Jones. The first thing you notice is his size. The second thing is his arm. Jones has a cannon attached to his torso, and it's not just for deep throws. He let loose a handful of intermediate passes that had some significant zip.

Derik Abbott took what most would call "first team reps" today, but that doesn't come as a surprise. Abbott's the only one in camp familiar with the offense in a practice setting. Jones has looked over the playbook, talked with his receivers, likely even thrown on the side, but he hasn't had to run the plays in a practice setting yet. So he and Raab worked behind Abbott, and when it came time to run some 9-on-7 drills, Abbott stayed behind in the 7-on-7 section while Jones ran running plays on the 9-on-7.

The staff is trying to immerse Jones into the playbook, and to the untrained eye, he appeared to do well on day one. There were some clarification points, some repeated reps, and a few hiccups on an exchange or two, but that's all to be expected. The key is how he progresses and absorbs the information at hand.

- Ryan Lewis. The man looks the part of a defensive lineman, especially in Nolan Nearhoof's old No. 91. It'll take some time to truly get a gauge of what he can bring, but he's reputed to have a lot of athleticism to go with a good frame. I'm curious to see how he slots into the rotation once 11-on-11 drills begin, and I'm also interested to see how he does in 1-on-1 drills once I get a chance to truly check those out.

- Jimmy Masson. An athletic linebacker, the winter enrollee looks like he can move pretty well. He stood out a bit while working against his fellow 'backers because of that athleticism, even getting his hands in to nearly pick off a pass. I think he ends up outside, giving RMU two athletic bookends in the 3-4 defense.

- Billy Occean. He just looks fast. He's compact, and he might end up working at running back more, but for now the winter enrollee and former Masson teammate is at wide receiver. He has long flowing dreads, too, which add to the speed illusion. I didn't get a long look at the Florida native, but he'll be one to watch in camp.

- Dalton Raab. The sophomore transfer is likely Robert Morris' future long-snapper, but for now he's the third quarterback. He's not out of place at QB, as he's 6-foot-2 and fairly poised in the pocket. He also played in a varied offense at West Allegheny, so he's used to running different formations.

- Phil Peckich. The junior transfer from Pitt is working at safety for Robert Morris, wearing Cameron Chadwick's old number. I didn't get a long look at him but will as practices go on.

ADDITIONAL NOTES
- A handful of players missed practice. As mentioned, Mark Centofanti was out. Kimani Smith pulled out halfway through. OL Sean Guy also did not practice and TE/OL Tyler Digby will likely not participate in spring ball due to his commitments to lacrosse.

- One or two other players may not have been out there that I have on the eligibility chart, but I want to spend more time observing in the next few days to make sure and double check some number swaps.

- There aren't many position changes of note, although two players appear to be adding a little more flexibility. Adrian Perez did some individual work with the defensive linemen early in practice but took more reps at outside linebacker later. The senior worked exclusively at linebacker in his first year on campus last season, but he had some defensive line experience in junior college.

Also, Malik Johnson worked out at safety some. He spent time there last spring, as well, before bumping back over to corner in the fall. I think Bill Hurley likes Johnson's ability to play both, and they might be eying him as a potential hybrid defensive back to use against some of the specific offenses that give Robert Morris trouble. He might be a good inside coverage guy; fast enough to stay with a wide receiver over the middle, strong enough to take down a back on a draw play in the spread.

- All three quarterbacks were inconsistent. Abbott had a couple nice touch passes on 1-on-1s, but he was also victimized later in the practice session by interceptions (more on that in a second). Jones had the elite throw of the day, splitting double coverage to hit Duane Mitchell for a touchdown. Jones spotted the ball perfectly, lobbing it so Mitchell could jump in stride to catch it beyond the two defensive backs. Mitchell did an excellent job timing his jump and hauling in the pass, too.

The defense picked on Abbott a bit, and at least two interceptions looked like communication errors between Abbott and a receiver and not necessarily bad throws or decisions. The first pick came when Eric Lowry jumped a route while covering tight end Justin Kempka. On the very next play, D.J. Myers jumped in front of Mitchell to pick off a pass, his second of 7-on-7 drills. And on Abbott's next throw, Marcelis Branch took one away.

The secondary always says they're going to be more aggressive in jumping routes and picking off passes, but it hasn't panned out the last two years. And it always starts the same way: Early in camp they're interception fiends, but the offense eventually catches up. We'll see if it continues this spring.

- Finally, a general observation. Robert Morris is emphasizing the need to finish plays and being engaged at all times in practice. It's not necessarily something new, but you could really see the emphasis come through on Tuesday. Brian Jones was admonished for not running out an interception and ordered to do push-ups. Defensive assistant Alex DiMichele could be heard yelling for guys to, "jog in and jog out" of huddles and drills. Robert Morris wants to move with more of a purpose in an attempt to get better, and I think some of those little things are just evidence of that.

Much more coverage to come as spring ball speeds up in the next few days.

This post was edited on 4/2 10:47 PM by Andrew_Chiappazzi