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2013 Spring Camp

SDHornet

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Staff member
2013 Spring Camp

The Sacramento State football team will open its 2013 spring practice schedule on Wed., April 3. The Hornets will conduct 12 practices and three scrimmages before capping the offseason with the annual spring game on Sat., April 27. The first scrimmage will take place on Sat., April 13 at 8:30 a.m. All practices are open to the public, however, times and dates are subject to change.
http://www.hornetsports.com/sports/football/SpringSchedule13.asp

The roster and coaches page has not been updated yet. I assume that those will be updated soon.
 
2013 Spring Camp

Spring camp kicks off this week so I figured some kind of a prospectus should be compiled so interested fans would know what to look for. For the most part I think spring camp will be pretty straight forward given that a lot of players are returning. But there will be some new transfers involved with camp and there were changes in the coaching staff that should have an impact on camp as well. The roster and coach info has not been updated on Hornetsports yet so there are sure to be some inaccuracies with my depth chart guesses. Feel free to comment on any inaccuracies as needed.

Offense
The Hornets lost offensive line coach Conor Riley to NDSU and hired Bill Laveroni to replace him. The Hornets are also without a receivers coach as DaPrato departed the program as well. On the positive side offensive coordinator Paul Peterson returns for his second season with the program and this offense will look to improve its efficiency moving forward. This should be an interesting spring camp for the offense.

Quarterbacks
  • 1. (#12) Garret Safron
    2. (#4) Mason Magleby/ (#16) Philip Anspach/ (#19) Colin Burnett/ (#18) Nolan Sorensen
Safron returns for his junior season. He will no doubt be the guy going forward but that doesn’t mean there won’t be competition for the backup role. Magleby was the next man up at quarterback last season and is currently with the baseball team so I do not know if he will be attending camp. That leaves Anspach, Burnett, and Sorensen to battle it out for the backup role.

Running Backs
  • 1. (#8) Ezekiel Graham
    2. (#9) De’jon Coleman
    3. (#32) Clark Partridge/ (#14) Demetrius Warren
Nothing new to see here. Graham is coming off of a stellar breakout season and Coleman is looking to build off of a solid freshman campaign. These two will see the bulk of the carries and should do just fine so long as the offensive line continues to put together solid performances. The thing to watch here will be what the coaching staff does in short yardage situations. Graham and Coleman aren’t the biggest running backs on the roster so they may look to work in Partridge or Warren in those situations.

Wide Receivers
  • 1. (#13) Morris Norrise
    2. (#2) DeAndre Carter
    3. (#81) Blake Robertson
    4. (#15) Shane Harrison/ (#87) Justin Cox

    Other Returners: (#10) Austin Dotson/ (#86) Nnamdi Agude/ (#88) Ashton Collins/ (#83) Zach Moreno/ (#82) Kyle Roberts/ (#84) Kyi Thomas/ Tyler Amick

    Incoming Transfers: Joey DePalma/ Kyle Greenwood/ Dalton Hunkle
Everyone returns but I feel that aside from Norrise and maybe Carter, a lot of spots are up for grabs. Given the spread scheme that the Hornets operate out of, there will be plenty of opportunities for players to see some opportunities to impress the coaches. I have Robertson as the 3rd receiver as he saw the bulk of the playing time among all the other returning wide outs. With a lot of returners coupled with some incoming transfers there will be a lot to sort out this spring and probably the fall as well. With DaPrato gone, I do not know who will be taking over the receiver coaching role or if Sperbeck plans on making another hire.

Tight Ends
  • 1. (#80) Chris Broadnax
    2. (#47) DJ Maciel
    3. (#89) Marcus Mosi/ (#85) Cole Hikutini
The coaches will start the arduous task of replacing TJ Knowles this spring. Broadnax saw the most action at tight end last season so I have him pegged as the starter in spring camp. Maciel was brought in primarily on run/short yardage packages. There is plenty up for grabs here and I don’t think the starting role will be solidified until the conclusion of fall camp when the coaches can get a look at incoming freshman Stone Sander. The Hornets lack a versatile tight end that can both catch and block and Sander might bring that versatility to the roster this fall. There are also a lot or receivers on the roster and the coaches may look to move one of them over to help with this need.

Offensive Line
  • LT: (#76) Lars Hanson
    LG: (#72) Devonte Martin
    C: John Wallace (TR)
    RG: (#73) Tyler Worthley
    RT: (#61) Aleksandar Milanovic

    Returning from Injury: (#74) Derek Stickney/ (#79) Dan Stornaiuolo

    Returners: (#60) RJ Melgar/ (#77) Dylan Woodfill/ (#55) Jessie Brown/ (#66) Spencer Klew/ (#70) Casey Dakin/ (#63) Matt Sawickis/ (#71) Sapule Ta’amilo/ (#78) Mark Knapp

    Incoming Transfers: Justin Aysse
A lot of returners will be looking to retain their starting roles and with the coaching change I really don’t know what to expect. The offensive line will be built around returning starters Worthley, Hanson, and Milanovic. Center is wide open and I put incoming FBS transfer Wallace as the favorite. Martin was originally slated to move to the defensive side of the ball heading into the 2012 season; however injuries to Stickney and Stornaiuolo forced him to stay on the offensive side. I do not know if the coaches plan to keep him on offense or shift him to defense this season. The coaches will probably rotate in a few different guys to see which line-up gives them the best look heading into fall camp.

Defense
The defense is the only unit not impacted by coaching changes but there will be quite a bit to get ironed out in spring and fall camp. I expect the defense to set the tone in spring camp (as it typically does) and maintain a high level of intensity.

Defensive Line
  • DE: (#90) Ben Cowger
    DT: (#92) Trevor Kelly
    NT: (#97) Nathan Castro
    DE: (#35) Jayce Totty

    DE2: (#94) Trent Eskew/ (#49) Nicholas Mazza
    DT/NT2: (#98) Edmund Faimalo

    Other Returners: (#59) Josh Latham/ (#68) Patrick Scroggins/ (#93) Noah Johnson/ (#95) Nehemiah Mitchell/ (#99) Nick Kristofors
Up front the Hornets only need to fill one void, and that is the one left by standout interior lineman Matt Lawrence. Fortunately a lot of the returning players got some much needed experience under their belt last season as the coaches did a great job of rotating linemen in throughout the season. I listed Totty as a starter but Eskew could very well be named the starter as well. Regardless, the defensive end rotation should be pretty much set and all four ends should see regular playing time. The Hornets will need to shore up some depth in the interior as Faimalo is the lone player with significant playing time aside from probably starters Kelly and Castro.

Linebackers
  • MLB: (#48) Henry Fernandez
    WLB: (#91) Todd Davis

    LB2: (#42) Cody Allen/ (#44) Darnell Sankey

    Other Returners: (#50) Bryce Henderson

    Incoming Transfer/Recruit: Russell Smith
The starting spot vacated by Jeff Badger will be up for grabs. Davis will no doubt retain his starting role but the question is who will line up next to him. This battle should be interesting to watch as there doesn’t seem to be a clear cut favorite. Fernandez, Allen, and Sankey each had their moments last season but neither had a significant amount of playing time last season. Add in incoming freshman Smith (graduated last summer and can attend spring camp) to challenge for the starting role and it’s anyone’s guess at this point. I also hope to see smarter personnel packaged in passing situations made by the coaching staff.

Defensive Backs
  • CB1: (#1) Osagie Odiase
    SS: Robby Kendall (TR)
    FS: (#29) Robert Beale
    NB: (#31) Markell Williams
    CB2: (#7) Joshua Armstrong

    FS2: (#3) Dijon Washington
    CB3: (#20) Nicholas Payne/ (#5) Christopher Lopes

    Other Returners: (#22) Corey Vanderbeek/ (#28) Dexter Alcala/ (#27) Eddie Gillies/ (#23) Randey Peterson/ (#00) Jacoby Carter/ (#30) Anthony Payne/ (#39) Jacob Bowman/ (#37) Tyler Charrette/ (#26) Andy Gramajo/ (#38) Brendan Royal

    Incoming Transfers: Tyrone Duckett/ Mike Sellers
The secondary appears to be the biggest concern on defense as the coaches emphasized recruiting in this area during the offseason. There were few bright spots in the secondary last season but I feel that every spot is up for grabs. Odiase is the only player I would be surprised to see lose his starting role. The secondary played better with Beale in so his health will be important going forward. A lot of players were rotated in the secondary but it struggled mightily all season long. The void at strong safety left by Ryan McMahon is probably the biggest question mark. I randomly selected incoming transfer Kendall as the favorite. The coaches will have their hands full determining who will get the nod in the secondary heading into fall camp.

Special Teams
The special teams ended the season on a horrific note, and ultimately it cost DaPrato his job. Sperbeck hired former Hornet Fred Kelley to fill this role. Kelley’s only experience is with the offensive line so there is no telling how he will do in this uncharted territory.
  • PK: (#58) Edgar Castaneda
    P: (#45) Justin Weldon
    KO: (#52) Edward Ruhnke/ (#53) Brad Cornish/ (#58) Edgar Castaneda
    LS: (#59) Josh Latham
    KR/PR: (#13) Morris Norrise/ (#2) DeAndre Carter
    Holder: (#4) Mason Magleby

    P2: (#57) Smith Heath
The good news is the kicking game should be solid this season with Castaneda and Weldon returning so it is everything else that Kelley will have to worry about. The kicker used for kickoffs will be up for grabs as should the kick returning duties. Most importantly the long snapping duties will need to be solidified. I am not sure who will be competing for those duties but Latham was listed as the backup to Jimmie Bobak last season. Last season’s game notes has Magleby listed as a long snapper as well. Special teams have continually been the thorn in the Hornets side so improvement here is an absolute must.

All in all there should be plenty to look for during spring camp. At the bare minimum it will feature one last glimpse of football before the long boring baseball season makes everyone yearn for the pigskins’ return.
 
I am new to the Hornet Football family and I love this forum. Great place to catch-up and learn who is who in the zoo. Looking forward to the football season and your posts.
 
Hornet Newbie said:
I am new to the Hornet Football family and I love this forum. Great place to catch-up and learn who is who in the zoo. Looking forward to the football season and your posts.
Welcome aboard Newbie. :thumb:
 
SDHornet, we love your break-down and insight about the team. We are looking forward to the last scrimmage in April and to a HEALTHY and winning season. Thanks again.

 
Thanks DH and welcome to the board.

Sperbeck interview:
[facebook]448003298611767[/facebook]

I can't tell if the embed worked, it's also available on the Hornet Football FB page.
 
One of the biggest concerns the coaches had at the first scrimmage was having only two quarterbacks in camp with Safron and Sorenson. The running backs looked good with Demetrius Warren and Dejon Coleman both looking quick.
 
Super Hornet said:
What happened to Magleby? I thought he had another year....
I thought he was playing baseball this spring, but when talking with Wanless and the coaches at the scrimmage, it sounded like two was all they had now so maybe he decided not to play football he senior year...not sure.
 
Here's an interesting thought on having only two quarterbacks. This kid is from norther California, former Oline coach Adams is now at Colorado and still has ties with Sac, and this kid needs a place to play....just sayin...

http://www.ralphiereport.com/colorado-buffaloes-football/2013/4/19/4243466/nick-hirschman-to-transfer-from-colorado" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 
I say you have as many quarterbacks as you can get away with. At the college level, that translates to at least six. You never know when injuries and suspensions will hit, and it pays to have someone trained to step in. There was one year when Arizona or Arizona State (I forget which) had to start their fourth string QB against #1 Washington because (if I remember the order correctly) #1 and #3 quit the team and #2 was jailed for grand theft auto. Naturally, even given the Stingers scandal and the Pamscam incident, we won't see anything of that nature happen at Sac State (knock on wood). But injuries, suspensions, and academic problems still exist, so it pays to be prepared. As a QB advocate, I may take that to extremes, but the general point, at least, holds water....
 
They had the spring game last Saturday but since there was no spring roster or announcer, it was difficult with new players coming in to know who was playing what position. There were no activities after the game like they have had in the past in which to spend time with coaches and players. If they want to get people interested in the team, they need to do better than this. This should be a good team this year but they seem to be trying to stay under the radar, which they seem to be doing with the fans, too... :twocents:
 
I agree, camp seemed to be de-emphasized from a media/PR standpoint.

Perhaps the lack of exposure is in response to last year's 6-5 record?
No flash, no fame, no facebook, just fundamental football.

I am positive some guys will transfer knowing they are far down the depth chart after the Spring game. Once the vetting has taken place, then do a nice update to the roster. Makes gaining a spot on the roster much more attained and probably saves many manhours of work.

Nice to see season tix already on sale. As part of the new campaign/requirement we should be gearing up for 11K per game.
 
I went to the spring game and it had a great turnout. My guess is that it easily broke 1k in attendance. I think there were no activities afterwards because there was so much going on. The Causeway dual meet was later that afternoon, and baseball had a game at 1PM. Lastly, both tennis teams were hosting the BSC tourney so there were plenty of events pulling in different interests.

http://www.hornetsports.com/sports/football/release.asp?release_id=11260

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvaBQjC27YM&list=PLwxudRue8n2r77JEt1ay3U3YWMbP_b34Z[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0IWF3yrRRE[/youtube]
 

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