PSU Spring Game Recap

5 things I think after the spring game

1) Collin Ramirez will eventually win the quarterback competition

It’s the question everyone wants answered and after yesterday’s game the answer would appear more muddled than ever. Ramirez finished 3-10 with an interception and showed little pocket mobility Saturday. On the other side, his 70-yd touchdown pass to Nevin Lewis was easily the highlight of the day, showing his ability to put perfect touch on a deep route. The rest of the day Ramirez looked like what he is: a quarterback still learning the system and his teammates.
Josh Milhollin looked infinitely better than he did a year ago at the spring game, showing an improved ability to progress through his reads and make the short passes that open up thanks to his scrambling ability. Afterwards, he said he felt the best he has since injuring an ankle early in spring. Still, he said that he is still far from 100 percent following that injury and the knee injury he sustained last year. Still, watching him connect with D.J. Adams on a broken play may have been the first time I could legitimately see him leading the offense next fall. If he can improve as much as he has in the last year again he could be a dual-threat, perfectly suited for the pistol.

Looking at Nick Green’s stats you might want to anoint him the leader in the locker room, but anyone who saw his wobbly passes know he is not in the competition. Thomas Carter showed flashes of potential but is still very raw and doesn’t have a great arm.

So why will Ramirez win? Two reasons: First, he is the only contender who has shown the ability to consistently throw the ball down the field with accuracy and touch, and with another three months of practice he can learn the system and erase the errors that have hindered him. Second, the Vikings have too much athleticism and talent with Justin Monahan, Kalua Noa, Nevin Lewis and potentially Roston Tatum and David Jones to not expand the passing game. I think Ramirez gives them the best chance to do that.

2) Sadat Sulleyman will eventually be an All-Big Sky player

It was hard to keep track of who was who on the defense’s roster because of all the number changes, but it was never hard to find the 6-foot-2 grayshirt defensive end. He was everywhere, most frequently in the offense’s backfield. He is an explosive pass rusher with the kind of quickness and savvy coaches dream of. He and tackle Julious Moore have been the most consistent defensive forces up front all spring. They are both good players now but have room to improve and become the kind of anchors the defensive font so desperately needs. If you haven’t already, make sure to read SID Mike Lund’s excellent piece on Sulleyman’s long road to Portland.

3) The secondary has actually improved

If you were paying attention yesterday, you probably noticed that transfer safety David Edgerson was not taking snaps with the first unit. That’s not a good sign, and likely a reflection of what was an underwhelming spring debut for him. In his place was Henry Organ, who I believe is a walk-on. That red flag and a couple of lucky deep passes from Nick Green aside, the secondary did a good job containing the offense – something it has struggled with in the past. I liked what I saw from senior safety Dean Faddis and transfer cornerback Dennis Fite. Faddis made good decisions and showed the same toughness and instinct that had fans excited before his injury last year. Fite may or may not be the tallest corner ever at PSU (he’s listed at 6-5) but he showed the closing and cover ability to make that a mere footnote. Adding all the returning players and incoming freshman Nic “Rocky” Rothstein (expected to play safety) and there appears to be hope for an improved secondary.

4) Kameron Canaday could quietly be your impact freshman

I qualify this by saying I have never seen the freshman from Eugene play, but if he is half the longsnapper he is reported to be he should be starting in the fall. The longsnapping has not been good this spring and wasn’t again yesterday. The Viks need him, or someone, to step up.

5) Fly-ing Viks?

How do you mix up a run-heavy offense with lots of running backs you like? How about incorporating a package of fly plays. I didn’t count how many plays the offense ran out of its new fly package yesterday, but it was there for the public. I’d expect to see more in the fall.

6) Bonus

If you’re a fan you had to be excited seeing the strong turnout of NW high school talent, including the majority of the local kids who signed in February. Nigel Burton posted a photo of part of the group here. He noted why their attendance excites him. “The best part is those guys have been around all spring. They’ve come in and out to a lot of things. The best part about recruiting so many northwest kids is they’re already a part of it, they’ve got great relationships with our current team, they’ve started learning our system and they have a great chance to come in and play right away.”

Here’s the recap I wrote for the Oregonian.

See ya in the fall!

PSU Spring Game Recap

5 things I think after the spring game

1) Collin Ramirez will eventually win the quarterback competition

2) Sadat Sulleyman will eventually be an All-Big Sky player

3) The secondary has actually improved

4) Kameron Canaday could quietly be your impact freshman

5) Fly-ing Viks?

6) Bonus

Leave a Reply

Blogroll