After an adventurous spring and summer, Robert Morris was back on the field for the first time Tuesday afternoon. The Colonials reported to camp on Monday and went through meetings throughout the day, and at about 2:55 on Tuesday, they hit the field for the first day of camp.
Robert Morris will hold daily practices this week before working in two-a-day practices next week. There are only a couple of true days off during the next 19 days, with everything leading up to the full scrimmage on Saturday, August 25 and the season opener September 1 at North Dakota State. Each practice clocks in at about three hours, with plenty of time for individual position work, 1-on-1s, 3-on-3s, 7-on-7s, and once pads go on, full 11-on-11s.
Pads won't be introduced for a couple days. Robert Morris practiced in jerseys, helmets, and cleats today and will slowly work in various pads over the course of the first week before going full gear at the end of the week.
If you're new to the site and new to my practice reports in general, here's what you won't see:
- Details/footage on formations or specific plays. No reputable site anywhere posts those kinds of specifics out of respect to the coaches. Same with trick plays.
- A breakdown of everyone's performance or every position every day. Just too many people to get to, especially this year with a bunch of position battles. Feel free to ask questions if you haven't seen an update on your favorite player or position of interest.
Here's what you WILL see:
- Daily two-deep depth chart, with it occasionally being tweaked to reflect different common sets. For the record, RMU operates out of the I-formation in a pro-style offense on most occasions and a 3-4 defense. They obviously have other basic sets. We'll occasionally showcase RMU's 4-3 defense two-deep or their two-tight end, single back offense.
- Regular analysis of movement within the depth chart. Who is challenging for more playing time? Who seems to be sitting out more while others get more reps?
- Breakdowns of specific players who shined on a particular day, or units that struggled for a day.
- Highlights and lowlights of the day. Above average plays, miscues, odd moments, etc.
- Absences and players who don't participate. Some players in certain positions get days off (linemen, linebackers, etc.) once in a while in camp, though most play throughout and will just be limited. Injuries obviously happen. We don't always have specifics on injuries, though we'll try.
- And early on in camp, you'll get position adjustments, number swaps, and freshmen identification. Judging from the first day of camp, we're going to have little on the position/number swaps from spring ball, but we have work to do on getting info on some walk-ons.
With that in mind, here's what's shaking on the first day of camp.
THE POSITION CHANGES
Unlike most years, there aren't many changes to report initially. Any position swaps mostly happened in spring ball, although a couple happened over the summer.
Evan Taylor, a redshirt sophomore who was initially in the defensive back mix entering last year before hurting his shoulder, worked out at corner throughout the spring but will not play there this fall. Taylor, also a running back in high school, has moved to the backfield and worked out there today. Taylor has plus speed and is a return specialist candidate, so expect him to be a factor if he gets the offense down.Justin Kempka, an incoming freshman, was listed at wide receiver coming into camp and is still there on the roster, but he worked out with the tight ends. Kempka is a big body (6-foot-3, 225), and had TE experience in high school. The transition is not unexpected.A reminder from spring: Senior DE Cory Nolton has flipped to tight end.THE NUMBER CHANGES
Nolton wore 96 in spring but is now wearing No. 84.Taylor wore No. 40 in spring but is now wearing No. 13, vacated by Grayling SandersWHAT ARE THE FRESHMEN WEARING?
- DB Marcelis Branch, No. 4
- DB Brian Jones, No. 15
- DB David Taylor, No. 35
- FB Corey Garry, No. 43
- LB Kimani Smith, No. 50
- OL Sean Guy, No. 54
- OL Anthony Lucien, No. 52
- OL Maxwell Robertson, No. 77
- OL Josh Thiel, No. 72
- QB Derik Abbott, No. 10
- QB Michael DeBaugh, No. 19
- RB Kenny Davis, No. 27
- SS Kyler Kenyon, No. 39
- WR Warren Fields, No. 16
- TE Justin Kempka, No. 80
THE DEPTH CHART
Quarterback - Jeff Sinclair, Matt Layman
Running back - Deontae Howard, William Quarles
Fullback - Nick Groat, Ryan Thermil
Tight End - Paul Evans, Tyler Digby
Wide Receiver - Donte Jeter, Quinton Pirl
Wide Receiver - Rickeem Jackson, Duane Mitchell
Left Tackle - A.J. Dalton, Dylan Knight
Left Guard - Vince Mongelluzzo, Alex Kirsch
Center - Nick Faraci, Cory Pitkavish
Right Guard - Jon Hill, Alex Kirsch
Right Tackle - Nate Hargraves, Nate Lojek
Defensive end - Steve Mitchell, A.J. Holderman
Defensive tackle - Farren Mason, Sam Miller
Defensive end - Nolan Nearhoof, Chris Thompkins
Outside linebacker - Brad Banas, Adrian Perez
Inside linebacker - Kyle Cooper, Dan Mignogna
Inside linebacker - Mike Cook, Mike Neilson
Outside linebacker - Mark Centofanti, Sanchez Faugue
Corner back - Clay Ilkin, Zach Washington
Safety - Cameron Chadwick, Ben Ridgeley
Safety - D.J. Myers, Eric Lowry
Corner back - Antwan Eddie, Malik Johnson
We'll get a better feel for the depth chart as camp picks up pace, especially once they put on pads and work in 11-on-11 drills. Harder to get a read in 7-on-7s.
NEWS AND NOTES
Maybe it was the sun, maybe it was just excitement to get back to camp, but a very positive atmosphere around the Colonials. It felt nothing like a 2-9 team returning to the field, trying to erase a bad memory. We'll see how the mood is the rest of camp, especially as coaches start to truly get on players rather than the relatively mild scolding that occurred after mistakes today. There were definitely corrections on mistakes and some bluntness, but nothing like those occasions where Joe Walton will tear into his offense for botching a play and demanding they run it again. Walton's admonishments were mild Tuesday. We'll see if that's still the flavor in a week or two.Three new coaches dot the staff, one of them a very familiar face, the other semi-familiar, and the last completely fresh. The program's leading rusher, Myles Russ, is the new graduate assistant and coaching the running backs. Former Duquesne defensive back Paul Mulbah has joined the staff as an assistant to Bill Hurley in coaching the secondary. This year's offensive assistant is Brad Landis, who I believe was a former Freedom High School player and a one-time assistant at Hopewell. He takes Steve Campos' spot from last year. Quarterbacks coach Camdin Crouse is still rehabbing but is still on track to be back coaching by the first game. For those curious, it is the same number of assistants as last year's staff. Robert Morris has 11 assistants working under Walton.Freshman quarterback Mike DeBaugh is tall. He's listed at 6-foot-5, and unlike some quarterbacks, it's a legit listing. Didn't get a long look at his arm strength, but his accuracy seemed to be on par with the rest.Freshman quarterback Derik Abbott has some zip to his throws. He was already talking over routes and clarifying things with his receivers, too. He seems to be a pretty vocal guy.Jeff Sinclair and Matt Layman were naturally on point. They had an above average spring and once they get into the rhythm with their receivers, they're positioned for a strong camp. Layman, in particular, seems to have a little extra something on the ball. Maybe it was just first day adrenaline, but his deep ball looked very good.Speaking of passes, it was hit and miss in the hands department. Donte Jeter looked the sharpest overall, zipping past defensive backs and hauling in passes with plenty of room to spare. Rickeem Jackson and Duane Mitchell also had some nice moves, but couldn't quite get their hands on a few passes. Jackson nearly lost his shorts lunging for one pass in the end zone.Defensive end Nolan Nearhoof was back in uniform after missing the end of last season and all of spring ball with an injury. In fact, from what I could see, no players were sitting out with an injury. Everyone appears to be healthy starting camp. Cory Nolton is a big dude as a tight end. I don't know if it was because he always had his hand on the ground as a defensive end, but I never truly noticed his 6-foot-4, 245 pound frame like this before. Coming out of his crouch and running routes, though, he's definitely noticeable as a tight end. He fits into a group that doesn't go lower than 6-foot-3, 220 pounds. Paul Evans, by the way, is not 200 pounds. No way. Evans looks to have packed on a dozen pounds or so of muscle. The group, as a whole, is very physically impressive. We'll see how their production ends up.Speaking of physically impressive, freshman linebacker Kimani Smith looks like a vet. He's taller, so at first glance he looks a little lanky. But he's got a nice frame and could be a quality-sized outside linebacker. Offensive lineman Maxwell Robertson, one of the three DeLand, Florida guys, also looks the part. The receivers appeared to get the better of the defensive backs in the 1-on-1 drills, especially early on. But safety Wayne Graves did come up with a pick on a tipped pass, and Malik Johnson and Antwan Eddie had a couple of knockdownsSpotted at least four walk-ons, most with the receivers, which is probably the easiest spot to walk-on to a roster and make a splash. We'll try and get an identification on them all if they make it past the first week. At least one is already ID'd though, and that's Luke Centofanti. The younger brother of linebacker Mark Centofanti, Luke was a wide receiver and defensive back at West Mifflin. He's wearing No. 17 and actually stood out a bit as a receiver on Day 1.
We'll have a photo gallery up later after a bunch of edits are made. We'll also be back at practice tomorrow. As the week progresses and the players get acclimated, we'll start getting feedback from the coaches and the players as well. As always, stay tuned to ColonialsCorner for a ton of coverage coming your way.
Any questions/comments/complaints, email me at achiappazzi@yahoo.com
This post was edited on 8/7 10:29 PM by Andrew_Chiappazzi
Robert Morris will hold daily practices this week before working in two-a-day practices next week. There are only a couple of true days off during the next 19 days, with everything leading up to the full scrimmage on Saturday, August 25 and the season opener September 1 at North Dakota State. Each practice clocks in at about three hours, with plenty of time for individual position work, 1-on-1s, 3-on-3s, 7-on-7s, and once pads go on, full 11-on-11s.
Pads won't be introduced for a couple days. Robert Morris practiced in jerseys, helmets, and cleats today and will slowly work in various pads over the course of the first week before going full gear at the end of the week.
If you're new to the site and new to my practice reports in general, here's what you won't see:
- Details/footage on formations or specific plays. No reputable site anywhere posts those kinds of specifics out of respect to the coaches. Same with trick plays.
- A breakdown of everyone's performance or every position every day. Just too many people to get to, especially this year with a bunch of position battles. Feel free to ask questions if you haven't seen an update on your favorite player or position of interest.
Here's what you WILL see:
- Daily two-deep depth chart, with it occasionally being tweaked to reflect different common sets. For the record, RMU operates out of the I-formation in a pro-style offense on most occasions and a 3-4 defense. They obviously have other basic sets. We'll occasionally showcase RMU's 4-3 defense two-deep or their two-tight end, single back offense.
- Regular analysis of movement within the depth chart. Who is challenging for more playing time? Who seems to be sitting out more while others get more reps?
- Breakdowns of specific players who shined on a particular day, or units that struggled for a day.
- Highlights and lowlights of the day. Above average plays, miscues, odd moments, etc.
- Absences and players who don't participate. Some players in certain positions get days off (linemen, linebackers, etc.) once in a while in camp, though most play throughout and will just be limited. Injuries obviously happen. We don't always have specifics on injuries, though we'll try.
- And early on in camp, you'll get position adjustments, number swaps, and freshmen identification. Judging from the first day of camp, we're going to have little on the position/number swaps from spring ball, but we have work to do on getting info on some walk-ons.
With that in mind, here's what's shaking on the first day of camp.
THE POSITION CHANGES
Unlike most years, there aren't many changes to report initially. Any position swaps mostly happened in spring ball, although a couple happened over the summer.
Evan Taylor, a redshirt sophomore who was initially in the defensive back mix entering last year before hurting his shoulder, worked out at corner throughout the spring but will not play there this fall. Taylor, also a running back in high school, has moved to the backfield and worked out there today. Taylor has plus speed and is a return specialist candidate, so expect him to be a factor if he gets the offense down.Justin Kempka, an incoming freshman, was listed at wide receiver coming into camp and is still there on the roster, but he worked out with the tight ends. Kempka is a big body (6-foot-3, 225), and had TE experience in high school. The transition is not unexpected.A reminder from spring: Senior DE Cory Nolton has flipped to tight end.THE NUMBER CHANGES
Nolton wore 96 in spring but is now wearing No. 84.Taylor wore No. 40 in spring but is now wearing No. 13, vacated by Grayling SandersWHAT ARE THE FRESHMEN WEARING?
- DB Marcelis Branch, No. 4
- DB Brian Jones, No. 15
- DB David Taylor, No. 35
- FB Corey Garry, No. 43
- LB Kimani Smith, No. 50
- OL Sean Guy, No. 54
- OL Anthony Lucien, No. 52
- OL Maxwell Robertson, No. 77
- OL Josh Thiel, No. 72
- QB Derik Abbott, No. 10
- QB Michael DeBaugh, No. 19
- RB Kenny Davis, No. 27
- SS Kyler Kenyon, No. 39
- WR Warren Fields, No. 16
- TE Justin Kempka, No. 80
THE DEPTH CHART
Quarterback - Jeff Sinclair, Matt Layman
Running back - Deontae Howard, William Quarles
Fullback - Nick Groat, Ryan Thermil
Tight End - Paul Evans, Tyler Digby
Wide Receiver - Donte Jeter, Quinton Pirl
Wide Receiver - Rickeem Jackson, Duane Mitchell
Left Tackle - A.J. Dalton, Dylan Knight
Left Guard - Vince Mongelluzzo, Alex Kirsch
Center - Nick Faraci, Cory Pitkavish
Right Guard - Jon Hill, Alex Kirsch
Right Tackle - Nate Hargraves, Nate Lojek
Defensive end - Steve Mitchell, A.J. Holderman
Defensive tackle - Farren Mason, Sam Miller
Defensive end - Nolan Nearhoof, Chris Thompkins
Outside linebacker - Brad Banas, Adrian Perez
Inside linebacker - Kyle Cooper, Dan Mignogna
Inside linebacker - Mike Cook, Mike Neilson
Outside linebacker - Mark Centofanti, Sanchez Faugue
Corner back - Clay Ilkin, Zach Washington
Safety - Cameron Chadwick, Ben Ridgeley
Safety - D.J. Myers, Eric Lowry
Corner back - Antwan Eddie, Malik Johnson
We'll get a better feel for the depth chart as camp picks up pace, especially once they put on pads and work in 11-on-11 drills. Harder to get a read in 7-on-7s.
NEWS AND NOTES
Maybe it was the sun, maybe it was just excitement to get back to camp, but a very positive atmosphere around the Colonials. It felt nothing like a 2-9 team returning to the field, trying to erase a bad memory. We'll see how the mood is the rest of camp, especially as coaches start to truly get on players rather than the relatively mild scolding that occurred after mistakes today. There were definitely corrections on mistakes and some bluntness, but nothing like those occasions where Joe Walton will tear into his offense for botching a play and demanding they run it again. Walton's admonishments were mild Tuesday. We'll see if that's still the flavor in a week or two.Three new coaches dot the staff, one of them a very familiar face, the other semi-familiar, and the last completely fresh. The program's leading rusher, Myles Russ, is the new graduate assistant and coaching the running backs. Former Duquesne defensive back Paul Mulbah has joined the staff as an assistant to Bill Hurley in coaching the secondary. This year's offensive assistant is Brad Landis, who I believe was a former Freedom High School player and a one-time assistant at Hopewell. He takes Steve Campos' spot from last year. Quarterbacks coach Camdin Crouse is still rehabbing but is still on track to be back coaching by the first game. For those curious, it is the same number of assistants as last year's staff. Robert Morris has 11 assistants working under Walton.Freshman quarterback Mike DeBaugh is tall. He's listed at 6-foot-5, and unlike some quarterbacks, it's a legit listing. Didn't get a long look at his arm strength, but his accuracy seemed to be on par with the rest.Freshman quarterback Derik Abbott has some zip to his throws. He was already talking over routes and clarifying things with his receivers, too. He seems to be a pretty vocal guy.Jeff Sinclair and Matt Layman were naturally on point. They had an above average spring and once they get into the rhythm with their receivers, they're positioned for a strong camp. Layman, in particular, seems to have a little extra something on the ball. Maybe it was just first day adrenaline, but his deep ball looked very good.Speaking of passes, it was hit and miss in the hands department. Donte Jeter looked the sharpest overall, zipping past defensive backs and hauling in passes with plenty of room to spare. Rickeem Jackson and Duane Mitchell also had some nice moves, but couldn't quite get their hands on a few passes. Jackson nearly lost his shorts lunging for one pass in the end zone.Defensive end Nolan Nearhoof was back in uniform after missing the end of last season and all of spring ball with an injury. In fact, from what I could see, no players were sitting out with an injury. Everyone appears to be healthy starting camp. Cory Nolton is a big dude as a tight end. I don't know if it was because he always had his hand on the ground as a defensive end, but I never truly noticed his 6-foot-4, 245 pound frame like this before. Coming out of his crouch and running routes, though, he's definitely noticeable as a tight end. He fits into a group that doesn't go lower than 6-foot-3, 220 pounds. Paul Evans, by the way, is not 200 pounds. No way. Evans looks to have packed on a dozen pounds or so of muscle. The group, as a whole, is very physically impressive. We'll see how their production ends up.Speaking of physically impressive, freshman linebacker Kimani Smith looks like a vet. He's taller, so at first glance he looks a little lanky. But he's got a nice frame and could be a quality-sized outside linebacker. Offensive lineman Maxwell Robertson, one of the three DeLand, Florida guys, also looks the part. The receivers appeared to get the better of the defensive backs in the 1-on-1 drills, especially early on. But safety Wayne Graves did come up with a pick on a tipped pass, and Malik Johnson and Antwan Eddie had a couple of knockdownsSpotted at least four walk-ons, most with the receivers, which is probably the easiest spot to walk-on to a roster and make a splash. We'll try and get an identification on them all if they make it past the first week. At least one is already ID'd though, and that's Luke Centofanti. The younger brother of linebacker Mark Centofanti, Luke was a wide receiver and defensive back at West Mifflin. He's wearing No. 17 and actually stood out a bit as a receiver on Day 1.
We'll have a photo gallery up later after a bunch of edits are made. We'll also be back at practice tomorrow. As the week progresses and the players get acclimated, we'll start getting feedback from the coaches and the players as well. As always, stay tuned to ColonialsCorner for a ton of coverage coming your way.
Any questions/comments/complaints, email me at achiappazzi@yahoo.com
This post was edited on 8/7 10:29 PM by Andrew_Chiappazzi
