The Oklahoma Drill is a staple of football.
Almost considered a rite of passage for many high school and college teams, the drill is most prevalent on the first day or two of full pad practices in training camp. In many ways, it is football at it's core. A running back, a blocker, and a defensive player. The blocker needs to keep the running back free and send him downfield, and the defender has to do whatever it takes to bring him down.
But despite being so common on football fields across the country, Joe Walton was a lot like his NFL counterparts. The Oklahoma Drill simply wasn't part of his repertoire, even though the Steelers were one of the few teams to do it every year in Latrobe. It simply wasn't a part of Robert Morris football.
That's changed. On the first day of full pads in spring practice, John Banaszak unveiled the Oklahoma Drill much to the delight of the team and onlookers. The results were impressive and fascinating, and we detail them below in our practice report.
It's yet another example of Banaszak making his impact felt at Robert Morris.
TWO-DEEP DEPTH CHART
QB - Paul Jones, Marcus Prather
RB - Kenny Davis, Ryan Thermil
H-Back - Justin Kempka, Mike Woltz
WR - Duane Mitchell, Chaq Nettles
WR - Sean Gavin, Luke Centofanti
WR - Kyle Buss, Jordan Blackmon
LT - Riley Feenan, Dylan Knight
LG - Blake Chambliss, Josh Thiel
C - Nick Faraci, Anthony Lucian
RG - Josh Thiel, Carlton Watson
RT - Jon Hill, Chris O'Connor
DE - Forrest Mason, Austin Trgovcich
DT - Zac Bennett, Zack Zamiska
DE - Ryan Lewis, Austin Trgovcich
OLB - Nic Lamica, Zach Cooper
MLB - Jake Tkach, T.J. Waters
MLB - Jimmy Masson, Nelson Lucas-Murphy
OLB - Luke Mueller, Zach Cooper
CB - Antwan Eddie, Andy Smigiera
S - Logan Kelleher, Codi Casper
S - Andy Smigiera, Sam Woods
CB - David Taylor, Keith O'Kelly
Depth chart notes:
A few adjustments to note.
OL Jonah Tyus, OL Max Robertson, OL Drew Garbenis, DL Henry Jartu and LB Mike Stojkovic did not take part in practice. Suspended LB T.J. Waters, who missed at least the first two practices, has been reinstated. He practiced today, and though he was only in shoulder pads and helmet, he was surely a welcome sight for the rest of the linebackers. That position was a little thin (though not as thin as the corners or defensive ends).We confirmed that WR D.J. Hayes has decided to leave the team. Hayes worked his way into the rotation as a true freshman but his playing time dropped off last year as a sophomore. Former fullback Ryan Thermil spent the first few practices working at the modified TE/FB hybrid spot that I'm referring to as an H-Back. Today he worked exclusively at tailback. We'll monitor that as a potential scheme specific set-up or if it's more permanentPerhaps in tandem, tailback Phil Peckich seems to have moved over to the receivers. Again, time will tell if that's a permanent move. The current grouping of the receivers is split between traditional and more versatile receivers, and Peckich joined the more versatile group that includes holdovers Jordan Blackmon and Warren Fields as well as newcomer Kyle Buss.OL Riley Feenan and Dylan Knight rotated quite a bit at left tackle, but Feenan seemed to get a few extra snaps there. That wasn't the case last week, as the redshirt freshman worked almost exclusively on the second unit.A reminder that the skill position players rotate heavily. So the depth-chart for the receivers and the backs is pretty fluid. ColonialsCorner went with who took the bulk of the reps at the beginning of drills before things got crazy. There are a ton of reps to go around because of how fast the team works in drills.SOME NEEDED HELP
As promised, we were able to track down information on the rest of the players who are fleshing out this spring's roster. Most of these guys were with the team in the fall after classes started.
#35 DB Jones Twenefor (5'7, 165, Jr.) - A native of Philadelphia, Twenefor has been running track at RMU. He started off at running back but has since moved to the secondary and is helping out at corner.
#16 H-Back Henry Myers (6'0, 190, RFr.) - A Pittsburgh native, Myers worked as a scout team QB and utility player last year. He's working exclusively at the offense's new tight end/fullback hybrid spot.
#83 WR Matt Petrella (6'3, 190, RFr.) - A Steubenville native and former teammate of Marcus Prather, Petrella originally signed with Youngstown State.
#28 DB Desmond Kent (5'11, 185, RFr.) - A Harrisburg native, Kent is helping to provide depth at safety.
#23 DB Christopher Batts (5'9, 180, RFr.) - A Philly native, Batts is also helping to provide depth at safety.
Of particular note are Petrella and one we mentioned in the last update, DE Austin Trgovcich. Both were originally signed by Youngstown State and decided to transfer. Time will tell what kind of impact they make, if any, but they have a little bit higher profiles than the other newcomers.
OKLAHOMA!
A lot of teams specialize the Oklahoma drill. At Steelers training camp, it's almost exclusively backs on 'backers. I covered the drill in 2011 when rookie Baron Batch made his presence felt by successfully shutting down pass rushers by the likes of Jason Worilds and James Harrison. It was easily the highlight of that year's camp.
RMU's specialty means including everyone. The drill began with offensive linemen against defensive linemen, followed by backs on 'backers and then receivers on defensive backs. So with that in mind, some notes on the day's performances.
Among the defensive linemen, the star was easily newcomer Steve Fiadewornu. The 6-foot-3, 300-pound Swiss Ghanian's raw physical ability sparkled in the drill. He won three straight times to open the drill, besting Carlton Watson twice and Riley Feenan once. Feenan got a little bit of revenge later, standing Fiadewornu up and locking his shoulders down. Still, you could see why the staff is so excited about Fiadewornu. He's so raw when it comes to understanding schemes and technique, but his sheer physical ability is off the charts. On the offensive side, a couple of players laid out some nice pancake blocks. H-Back Marty Thomas lowered the boom on freshman linebacker Nelson Lucas-Murphy and drove him back about five yards. Thomas also cleared out linebacker Jake Tkach. Receiver Duane Mitchell also had a pancake block on one of the back-up defensive backs. Offensive lineman Dylan Knight also did well. First he shut down Zac Bennett, then he was able to tie up Ryan Lewis before also clearing out Max Onyenwe. From our vantage point, Knight and Josh Thiel had the most successful runs among the offensive linemen.The most physical moment came during a bout between linebacker Nic Lamica and H-Back Kaleb Springer. Lamica has easily been the most physically impressive player in camp in terms of sheer athleticism; his stamina is off the charts and he's in outstanding shape. He blew Springer off the line with an explosive pop to the chest. The only downside was that Lamica wasn't able to change direction enough to bring down the ball carrier. Still, if he creates that kind of separation in a game situation, that play is dead in the water. Another highlight featuring Western New York natives Andy Smigiera and Chaq Nettles getting into a tussle that extended beyond the whistle. Teammates began to intervene, though as they did, Nettles and Smigiera backed off and gave each other a quick congratulatory hug. Banaszak also interrupted with a loud, "Let them fight!" that had the team cheering. It's clear Banaszak wants the team to be physical and sometimes those extended tussles are a result of that. He's establishing the line between being disciplined and smart while also being aggressive and physical.The final match-up was a theatrical treat. Punter Tony LaMancusa, an accomplished all-around player in high school, lined up against fellow kicker Hunter Khaleghi. LaMancusa was all for it and Khaleghi, showcasing that he has a little bit of showman in him, played it up and dramatically threw off his hand warmers. Prior to the snap, it seemed LaMancusa was poised to drive Khaleghi onto his rear end. Instead, he whiffed. Demonstrating a bit of athleticism himself, Khaleghi successfully juked LaMancusa, much to the joy of his teammates. It didn't matter that he didn't make the tackle; it was still the perfect ending to the drill.ADDITIONAL INDIVIDUAL NOTES
Some items not covered above....
There were a number of chances for exceptional catches today, but none really came to fruition. We counted at least three all-out attempts that came up just a touch short. Chad Dawigello nearly came up with an excellent diving grab along the sideline on a nice throw by Derik Abbott but couldn't hang on as he crashed to the ground. Chaq Nettles had a man beat deep but couldn't quite get more than this fingertips on the ball as he laid out for the pass. And Kyle Buss also laid out for one pass but couldn't hang on in traffic.Those close calls were notable because there were more than a few drops today from the receivers. It's only Day 4 of drills, and it's exceptionally cold, but the spectacular catches have been down a bit in the spring. The other factor is that there are no 1-on-1 drills between receivers and defensive backs, or at least there haven't been yet. Those drills were a staple of a Joe Walton practiceThe two best offensive plays came during the final session of 11-on-11 drills. The first came immediately after the team ran 12 sets of 100s - sprints down the entire field that have been installed to improve conditioning. On the first play after the conditioning stint, Kenny Davis broke through the line and raced 92 yards for a touchdown. Davis didn't have as much pep in his step as he would if he was fresh, but he still evaded the defense enough to make it in. The second came on a scramble by Marcus Prather. Flushed out of the pocket, Prather tried to rollout in one direction before doubling back towards the middle of the field. He fired a strike to Jordan Blackmon, who ended up going about 50 yards on the play. It was a nice series of improv by both the QB and the receiver.That's all for now. Our next update will come on Wednesday.
Almost considered a rite of passage for many high school and college teams, the drill is most prevalent on the first day or two of full pad practices in training camp. In many ways, it is football at it's core. A running back, a blocker, and a defensive player. The blocker needs to keep the running back free and send him downfield, and the defender has to do whatever it takes to bring him down.
But despite being so common on football fields across the country, Joe Walton was a lot like his NFL counterparts. The Oklahoma Drill simply wasn't part of his repertoire, even though the Steelers were one of the few teams to do it every year in Latrobe. It simply wasn't a part of Robert Morris football.
That's changed. On the first day of full pads in spring practice, John Banaszak unveiled the Oklahoma Drill much to the delight of the team and onlookers. The results were impressive and fascinating, and we detail them below in our practice report.
It's yet another example of Banaszak making his impact felt at Robert Morris.
TWO-DEEP DEPTH CHART
QB - Paul Jones, Marcus Prather
RB - Kenny Davis, Ryan Thermil
H-Back - Justin Kempka, Mike Woltz
WR - Duane Mitchell, Chaq Nettles
WR - Sean Gavin, Luke Centofanti
WR - Kyle Buss, Jordan Blackmon
LT - Riley Feenan, Dylan Knight
LG - Blake Chambliss, Josh Thiel
C - Nick Faraci, Anthony Lucian
RG - Josh Thiel, Carlton Watson
RT - Jon Hill, Chris O'Connor
DE - Forrest Mason, Austin Trgovcich
DT - Zac Bennett, Zack Zamiska
DE - Ryan Lewis, Austin Trgovcich
OLB - Nic Lamica, Zach Cooper
MLB - Jake Tkach, T.J. Waters
MLB - Jimmy Masson, Nelson Lucas-Murphy
OLB - Luke Mueller, Zach Cooper
CB - Antwan Eddie, Andy Smigiera
S - Logan Kelleher, Codi Casper
S - Andy Smigiera, Sam Woods
CB - David Taylor, Keith O'Kelly
Depth chart notes:
A few adjustments to note.
OL Jonah Tyus, OL Max Robertson, OL Drew Garbenis, DL Henry Jartu and LB Mike Stojkovic did not take part in practice. Suspended LB T.J. Waters, who missed at least the first two practices, has been reinstated. He practiced today, and though he was only in shoulder pads and helmet, he was surely a welcome sight for the rest of the linebackers. That position was a little thin (though not as thin as the corners or defensive ends).We confirmed that WR D.J. Hayes has decided to leave the team. Hayes worked his way into the rotation as a true freshman but his playing time dropped off last year as a sophomore. Former fullback Ryan Thermil spent the first few practices working at the modified TE/FB hybrid spot that I'm referring to as an H-Back. Today he worked exclusively at tailback. We'll monitor that as a potential scheme specific set-up or if it's more permanentPerhaps in tandem, tailback Phil Peckich seems to have moved over to the receivers. Again, time will tell if that's a permanent move. The current grouping of the receivers is split between traditional and more versatile receivers, and Peckich joined the more versatile group that includes holdovers Jordan Blackmon and Warren Fields as well as newcomer Kyle Buss.OL Riley Feenan and Dylan Knight rotated quite a bit at left tackle, but Feenan seemed to get a few extra snaps there. That wasn't the case last week, as the redshirt freshman worked almost exclusively on the second unit.A reminder that the skill position players rotate heavily. So the depth-chart for the receivers and the backs is pretty fluid. ColonialsCorner went with who took the bulk of the reps at the beginning of drills before things got crazy. There are a ton of reps to go around because of how fast the team works in drills.SOME NEEDED HELP
As promised, we were able to track down information on the rest of the players who are fleshing out this spring's roster. Most of these guys were with the team in the fall after classes started.
#35 DB Jones Twenefor (5'7, 165, Jr.) - A native of Philadelphia, Twenefor has been running track at RMU. He started off at running back but has since moved to the secondary and is helping out at corner.
#16 H-Back Henry Myers (6'0, 190, RFr.) - A Pittsburgh native, Myers worked as a scout team QB and utility player last year. He's working exclusively at the offense's new tight end/fullback hybrid spot.
#83 WR Matt Petrella (6'3, 190, RFr.) - A Steubenville native and former teammate of Marcus Prather, Petrella originally signed with Youngstown State.
#28 DB Desmond Kent (5'11, 185, RFr.) - A Harrisburg native, Kent is helping to provide depth at safety.
#23 DB Christopher Batts (5'9, 180, RFr.) - A Philly native, Batts is also helping to provide depth at safety.
Of particular note are Petrella and one we mentioned in the last update, DE Austin Trgovcich. Both were originally signed by Youngstown State and decided to transfer. Time will tell what kind of impact they make, if any, but they have a little bit higher profiles than the other newcomers.
OKLAHOMA!
A lot of teams specialize the Oklahoma drill. At Steelers training camp, it's almost exclusively backs on 'backers. I covered the drill in 2011 when rookie Baron Batch made his presence felt by successfully shutting down pass rushers by the likes of Jason Worilds and James Harrison. It was easily the highlight of that year's camp.
RMU's specialty means including everyone. The drill began with offensive linemen against defensive linemen, followed by backs on 'backers and then receivers on defensive backs. So with that in mind, some notes on the day's performances.
Among the defensive linemen, the star was easily newcomer Steve Fiadewornu. The 6-foot-3, 300-pound Swiss Ghanian's raw physical ability sparkled in the drill. He won three straight times to open the drill, besting Carlton Watson twice and Riley Feenan once. Feenan got a little bit of revenge later, standing Fiadewornu up and locking his shoulders down. Still, you could see why the staff is so excited about Fiadewornu. He's so raw when it comes to understanding schemes and technique, but his sheer physical ability is off the charts. On the offensive side, a couple of players laid out some nice pancake blocks. H-Back Marty Thomas lowered the boom on freshman linebacker Nelson Lucas-Murphy and drove him back about five yards. Thomas also cleared out linebacker Jake Tkach. Receiver Duane Mitchell also had a pancake block on one of the back-up defensive backs. Offensive lineman Dylan Knight also did well. First he shut down Zac Bennett, then he was able to tie up Ryan Lewis before also clearing out Max Onyenwe. From our vantage point, Knight and Josh Thiel had the most successful runs among the offensive linemen.The most physical moment came during a bout between linebacker Nic Lamica and H-Back Kaleb Springer. Lamica has easily been the most physically impressive player in camp in terms of sheer athleticism; his stamina is off the charts and he's in outstanding shape. He blew Springer off the line with an explosive pop to the chest. The only downside was that Lamica wasn't able to change direction enough to bring down the ball carrier. Still, if he creates that kind of separation in a game situation, that play is dead in the water. Another highlight featuring Western New York natives Andy Smigiera and Chaq Nettles getting into a tussle that extended beyond the whistle. Teammates began to intervene, though as they did, Nettles and Smigiera backed off and gave each other a quick congratulatory hug. Banaszak also interrupted with a loud, "Let them fight!" that had the team cheering. It's clear Banaszak wants the team to be physical and sometimes those extended tussles are a result of that. He's establishing the line between being disciplined and smart while also being aggressive and physical.The final match-up was a theatrical treat. Punter Tony LaMancusa, an accomplished all-around player in high school, lined up against fellow kicker Hunter Khaleghi. LaMancusa was all for it and Khaleghi, showcasing that he has a little bit of showman in him, played it up and dramatically threw off his hand warmers. Prior to the snap, it seemed LaMancusa was poised to drive Khaleghi onto his rear end. Instead, he whiffed. Demonstrating a bit of athleticism himself, Khaleghi successfully juked LaMancusa, much to the joy of his teammates. It didn't matter that he didn't make the tackle; it was still the perfect ending to the drill.ADDITIONAL INDIVIDUAL NOTES
Some items not covered above....
There were a number of chances for exceptional catches today, but none really came to fruition. We counted at least three all-out attempts that came up just a touch short. Chad Dawigello nearly came up with an excellent diving grab along the sideline on a nice throw by Derik Abbott but couldn't hang on as he crashed to the ground. Chaq Nettles had a man beat deep but couldn't quite get more than this fingertips on the ball as he laid out for the pass. And Kyle Buss also laid out for one pass but couldn't hang on in traffic.Those close calls were notable because there were more than a few drops today from the receivers. It's only Day 4 of drills, and it's exceptionally cold, but the spectacular catches have been down a bit in the spring. The other factor is that there are no 1-on-1 drills between receivers and defensive backs, or at least there haven't been yet. Those drills were a staple of a Joe Walton practiceThe two best offensive plays came during the final session of 11-on-11 drills. The first came immediately after the team ran 12 sets of 100s - sprints down the entire field that have been installed to improve conditioning. On the first play after the conditioning stint, Kenny Davis broke through the line and raced 92 yards for a touchdown. Davis didn't have as much pep in his step as he would if he was fresh, but he still evaded the defense enough to make it in. The second came on a scramble by Marcus Prather. Flushed out of the pocket, Prather tried to rollout in one direction before doubling back towards the middle of the field. He fired a strike to Jordan Blackmon, who ended up going about 50 yards on the play. It was a nice series of improv by both the QB and the receiver.That's all for now. Our next update will come on Wednesday.
