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Okay, we are talking about 34 signees here and word is about 14 or 15 will travel to add depth to the 65-man squad which will play at War Memorial in the game opener. I know last year only five traveled (only 55 could go, if i remember) and just one or two played any in a blowout. My question is this, how many "true" freshmen do you realistically think will get any playing time at all... my guess is maybe three or four if it's a blowout. Does anyone have any idea who those may be this year? And which ones are likely to redshirt before its over.

I do not know about the "blowout" part but I believe Coach Conque is counting on fresmen to provide depth at several position. By depth I mean meaningful playing time when the game is in doubt.

The positions that I believe will utilize freshmen are as follows:

Defensive end
Interior defensive line
Wide receiver
Running Back

and maybe;
Tight end
linebacker

If the game is in doubt, I would be absoultely shocked if a true freshman got on the field, except maybe on the d line, but I've been wrong before.

I believe you will see several freshman get playing time this year, especially on the offensive line since the 2nd team line is made up of 4 freshmenand 1 sophomore.

Really? I must be way off in who I thought was 2nd team then.

Right to left
1st Team? - Jones, Ford, Restum/Farr, Farr/Gordon, Lee/Farr
2nd Team? - I really have no idea.

I'm guessing maybe the soph you're talkingabout would be Gordon?
And then Tyler Gray, Thurber, Ward, DeLozier? I think I assumed Nelson would be in the 2nd group since that's where he was when I saw a practice.

I have to be honest and say I wasn't watching the rotation at the scrimmage very closely.

Usually if a freshman does get significant time, it will be on the o line or the d line, for sure. I was thinking d lineman Kit Coleman might be getting in some with all the losses we had there during the offseason, but I haven't really heard much about his progress. This is a pivotal time for the frosh and if they aren't going to get much pt, it is best to redshirt.

... and as an afterthought, if the Bears are using that many freshmen on their lines (which you would have to prove to me, knowing Conque), it could be a long year... lot of difference in 18 year olds and some of those big 23-year-old grown men you see sometimes at this level, lol.

If there's four already accounted for on the OL and you're giving me 15. I'd go with (in roster order):

1.) Clinkscales
2.) Gambles
3.) Grimes
4.) Ceaser
5.) Dale
6.) Summersett
7.) Scott
8.) Ray
9.) Coleman
10.) Robinson
11.) Johnson

Purely speculation. I think LB is pretty deep though with upperclassmen. I haven't counted it up yet. Depends some on how hurt Cowger is. I know very little about the RsF's at that position after him.

The ones running 2nd team at practice this week are Thurber at center, Gordon & Ray at guards and Merritt & Gray at tackles. Don't know if this permanent or not, But these are the ones taking 2nd team rep's now.

Thanks for the info.

I wasn't even really on the right track. 3 out of 5 though isn't bad for just a wild guess.

Now this is the kind of MB I like to see on this board.

How are we at center?

Restum returns and was the starter going into last season.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but did Farr play the position while Restum was out?

And then apparently we have Thurber, who's a good looking freshman from Tulsa Union - a very good HS program.

If I may invoke a little wisdom gained from experience with this, let me caution everyone (especially parents) to remember that these are 18 year old kids whose mood swings are going to be many this season as they struggle with not only football, but classes... things can change in a hurry as a kid goes from a top recruit who is caudled during the courtship to a redshirt who does the scut work on scout team. I know, my son wore 88 last year at UCA, by all accounts had a great fall, traveled to the first game as a backup, didn't play and was redshirted, didn't get along with his position coach in the spring and will be wearing #6 next Thursday for Henderson - playing on all special teams and repping in at Z with a senior. He has many good friends on the UCA team and I still will pull for all the Bears in all but one game this year!

I was in the Walmart on Dave Ward and saw Coach Horton/Seals/ she'll always be Checola to me, and she said there was a meet and greet at 4 p.m in Herrin Hall? I believe that was right. All the coaches were there and the public was invited. SHe told me this about 1 p.m. so I am refering to it in past tense. Anyone go? I wanted to but had to take my 1 yr old to Childrens Hospital.

This is the first time that I have heard anything about that....