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Photo by: Jeremy Enlow
Wildcats begin prep for 2015 season after Spring Break
3/1/2015 12:54:00 AM | Football
ABILENE – The ACU Wildcats will begin serious preparations for the 2015 football season after Spring Break when they're scheduled to begin spring training at the Wally Bullington Practice Facility on the ACU campus.
The Wildcats were scheduled to have started practice Sunday, but were forced to cancel and change their schedule because of the winter storm that passed through Abilene. The Wildcats, instead, will begin practice on Wednesday, March 18, with a 6:45 p.m. practice at Shotwell Stadium.
The Wildcats finished 6-6 overall and 4-4 in the Southland Conference last season in their first season as a Southland member since 1972. ACU won its final game, 37-35, over FCS playoff-bound Stephen F. Austin, to finish at .500, securing the program's record ninth straight season of at least a .500 record.
ACU will have 15 practices between Wednesday, March 18, and Wednesday, April 22, a 34-day span for head coach Ken Collums and his staff to evaluate players and get ready for summer drills and then the beginning of the 2015 season. The Wildcats will kick off the season on Saturday, Sept. 5, with a game at Fresno State.
"We're preparing right now at a very high level," said Collums, who enters his fourth season at ACU with a 19-15 career mark. "We've got a lot of guys who have been part of this program and know what our expectations are at ACU. Our players are highly motivated because they've gotten a taste of the Southland Conference they know we're knocking on the door already. They want to be the ones to make a difference and set a foundation for the future of this program in the Southland. A big part of that will be how we play this season, and that's the foundation of their preparation."
Offensively the Wildcats return a plethora of experience, starting in the backfield where junior-to-be Parker McKenzie returns as the starting quarterback after throwing for 3,084 yards and 22 touchdowns in his first season as a starter in 2014. Sophomore-to-be De'Andre Brown will return at running back after rushing for 962 yards and nine touchdowns on just 137 carries (7.0 yards per carry) in 2014.
Brown will again have help in the backfield from senior-to-be Herschel Sims (559 yards and four touchdowns on 106 carries) and Randy Gober (138 yards and three touchdowns) and Adrian Duncan (92 yards and two scores on 28 carries). McKenzie, meanwhile, will have to again earn his starting spot, competing this spring against redshirt freshmen Dallas Sealey and Cody Ennis.
Kade Munden – who started against Central Arkansas last year and directed the Wildcats to a 52-35 upset win over the Bears – will not go through spring training after undergoing post-season surgery on his right (throwing) shoulder.
"Parker is the starter and he'll start out working with the No. 1 offense, but he'll have to earn his spot again," Collums said. "I've made that clear to him and everyone else. You have to show up and compete every day in the weight room, in meetings and on the practice field. These guys are fired up because they've seen us have success offensively in this league.
"Traditionally we don't play more than one quarterback, but we did it last year because Kade proved that he a different set of tools and that we needed to use them," he said. "Those guys will have the opportunity to compete for the starting job, and, ultimately, the best guy – or the two best guys – will play. If any of those guys bring something to the table that we think will help us win, we'll play them. But the majority of the time, we'll do what we traditionally do and that's play one guy."
That player last year was McKenzie, and he was solid, if not spectacular, in completing 64.7 percent of his passes (236 of 365) and averaging 280.4 yards passing per game.
Four of McKenzie's top targets are back at wide receiver in Cedric Gilbert (38 catches for a team-high 667 yards and seven touchdowns), Cade Stone (38-494-5), Jace Hudson (31-451-3) and Monte Green-Avery (15 catches for 251 yards and two touchdowns). Redshirt freshman Chris Lide will also have a chance to show what he can do this spring with Hayden Smiley rounding out the group.
Along the offensive line, Codey Funk, Chance Rieken and Riley Mayfield all return, although Collums said they could shuffle those players around this spring. All three started all 12 games at their respective positions last year: Funk at left tackle, Rieken at right guard and Mayfield at right tackle. Hayden Wall and Austin Hisler are among a group of players who will get a chance to earn the other two starting spots, along with redshirt linemen Cole Baughman, Kris Thigpen, Brady Melde, Colton King and Josh Hailey, who was out last year with an injury.
"This is going to be a huge spring for those young offensive linemen," Collums said. "We've got some spots open, and those guys will have a chance to step up and become starters. We've got some really good young prospects who will have a chance to make their mark."
The Wildcats use a hybrid H-back / tight end / fullback in their offense and have Jamie Walker returning for his senior season, but will have to replace Jonathan Parker and Noah Cheshier. Walker caught 11 passes for 111 yards and three touchdowns last year and started three times. He'll be joined at that position by redshirt freshmen Liam Flowers and Will Weathers, who is making the switch from quarterback.
"Offensively we feel really good because we've got 11 guys back who started games last year and 15 who have experience in games," Collums said. "We don't change what we do, and that continuity on offense is one of the reasons we've been good around here for a long time."
Defensively the Wildcats lost their second-leading career sack artist in Nick Richardson, linemen Damon Williams and Rob Boyd, linebackers Justin Stephens, Blake Rudd and Chris Summers, and safeties Angel Lopez and Justin Stewart. However, the Wildcats return a plethora of players who started or saw significant playing time in 2014.
"We intentionally played a lot of people on defense last year," Collums said. "We probably have 10 guys coming back that started games for us (actually 14) and several others (eight in total) who are coming back that saw significant time on the field. When you lose guys who played big roles it seems like a big deal, and we do have some holes, particularly at safety. But we have three guys – D.J. Arnold, Quentin Bryant and Damian Howard – who played quite a bit.
"We've got four defensive tackles and four defensive ends coming back who either started or played a lot of games for us," he said, "and we've got a solid core of linebackers coming back with Sam Denmark, Lynn Grady, Travis Tarver and Bryson Gates."
Along the defensive front, the Wildcats return ends Cameron Briscoe (two starts), along with William Moore and a pair of players who saw a lot of playing time as true freshmen in Dylan Douglass and A.J. Tolbert. Douglass made the move from linebacker down to defensive early in the 2014 season. Rishaad Wimbley will be at defensive end for the Wildcats, along with Cameron Briscoe and redshirt freshman Anthony Davis.
At tackle, the Wildcats return two players who started and played significantly in LaMarcus Allen (three starts) and Josh Bloom (one), along with Travaughn Moore. They'll be joined this spring by mid-year transfers Hafoka "Junior" Olie from Tyler Junior College and Dewan Edmonson from UTEP and Travaughn Moore, along with redshirt freshmen Trent Andrews and Devondric Meadows.
At linebacker, Denmark moved into the starting lineup early in the season at middle linebacker and never gave up the job, starting nine games as a true freshman. He figures to be the starter and he'll see a solid core coming back around him, led by Grady, who battled hamstring injuries last year to finish sixth on the team in tackles with 52.
Gates and Tarver also return after each started one game last season, while Myles Solsberry lost his redshirt midway through the season and ended up playing in five games for the Wildcats. Redshirt freshman Gavin Burford will also get a long look this spring as will Tryce Prince of Ada, Okla., the first mid-year freshman signee in program history. He played safety in high school, but will be outside linebacker for the Wildcats.
The Wildcats have a plethora of defensive backs who return from 2014, including five who combined to start 20 games: Keith Barnett at cornerback (eight), true freshman Terry Ausborne at cornerback (seven), Jonathan Epps at cornerback (two), and Quinton Baker and D.J. Arnold at safety (two and one starts, respectively).
Epps was a jack-of-all-trades for the Wildcats in his first season, playing both cornerback and wide receiver and also returning punts and kickoffs. He figures to play a prominent role all over the field again in 2015. Damian Howard and Quentin Bryant also return at safety, and the coaches will also get a look this spring at redshirt freshman Jamar Mack.
D.J. Arnold and Quentin Walker also return at safety, and Baker will move over to cornerback where he'll be joined by Barnett, D.J. Johnson, Ausborne, Mack and Epps.
"All of those freshmen from last year – whether they played or redshirted – will be critical pieces for us in 2015," Collums said. "For some of them, this will be the first semester they've gone out there and hooked it up with playing time on the line, and I'm anxious to see how they respond. Now is their chance to prove that they're ready to play."
The specialists don't figure to change with placekicker Nik Grau returning after another strong season (14 of 17 on field goals and 46 of 47 on PATs), while Austin Kilcullen returns as the punter and Hayden Brodowsky as the deep snapper.
ACU FOOTBALL NOTES
• Longtime ACU assistant coach Kendrick Holloway recently resigned his position as wide receivers coach to accept a job as an assistant coach his high school alma mater, Dallas Skyline High School. … Holloway joined ACU as a player in 2007 from Kilgore Junior College and was a starter at tight end on the 2008 Lone Star Conference championship team, catching 21 passes for 213 yards and five touchdowns that season on his way to earning all-conference honors. … Holloway joined the ACU coaching staff in 2010 as the running backs coach before moving over to coach the receivers in 2011, the position he held until he recently resigned. … Holloway is married to former ACU track and field all-America Azraa (Rounds) Holloway.
• With Holloway's move, Collums promoted Steven Thrash and Nick Smith to full-time assistant coaches. … Thrash – who has coached tight ends each of the previous two seasons – will take Holloway's spot as the receivers coach. … Smith will continue to coach cornerbacks for the Wildcats.
• The Wildcats also hired former wide receiver Rodney Freeman as an assistant coach, and he'll coach the running backs. … Freeman – who graduated from ACU in 2009 – played for the Wildcats in 2007 and 2008. … Freeman joins the ACU staff after spending the last two years as the running backs coach at Missouri Southern University in Joplin, Mo.
• With Freeman coaching running backs, offensive coordinator Nathan Young will take over as the tight ends / h-backs / fullbacks coach. … Scott Carey will begin his second season as the offensive line coach, and Collums will continue to coach quarterbacks, along with John David Baker.
• On the defensive side of the ball, Cody Moore will coach the defensive line, along with assistant defensive line coach Trace Michaels, while Mark Ribaudo will coach linebackers and special teams. … Defensive coordinator Darian Dulin will coach safeties and Smith will handle the cornerbacks.
• Collums said that Hayden Wall could be limited in spring training because of off-season shoulder surgery. … Quarterback Kade Munden had off-season surgery on his right (throwing) shoulder and will only begin light throwing during spring training. Collums said Munden should be ready to go by the time two-a-days start in August. … Defensive back D.J. Arnold is likely to be limited during spring practice because of a low back injury.
• Collums also announced that linebacker Chuck Oputa will not return to the team so he can concentrate on his education. … Collums also said that freshmen Marcus Ellis and Byron Proctor will not return to the team.
• Collums said that the Wildcats will be looking to add a few transfers to their roster during the summer, likely at safety, cornerback and wide receiver.
2015 SPRING TRAINING SCHEDULE
Wednesday, March 18 – Practice #1 (helmets / shorts), 6:45 p.m. at Shotwell Stadium
Friday, March 20 – Practice #2 (fhelmets / shorts), 4 p.m.
Saturday, March 21 – Practice #3 (full pads), 9 a.m. at Shotwell Stadium
Wednesday, March 25 – Practice #4, 3 p.m.
Friday, March 27 – Practice #5 (full pads), 4:30 p.m. at Shotwell Stadium
Sunday, March 29 – Practice #6 (full pads), 3 p.m.
Wednesday, April 1 – Practice #7, 3 p.m.
Wednesday, April 8 – Practice #8 (full pads), 6:45 p.m. at Shotwell Stadium
Friday, April 10 – Practice #9 (helmets / shorts), 3 p.m.
Saturday, April 11 – Practice #10 (full pads), 9 a.m. at Shotwell Stadium
Sunday, April 12 – Practice #11 (full pads), 3 p.m.
Wednesday, April 15 – Practice #12 (full pads), 3 p.m.
Friday, April 17 – Practice #13 (full pads), 6:45 p.m. at Shotwell Stadium
Sunday, April 19 – Practice #14 (full pads), 3 p.m.
Wednesday, April 22 – Practice #15 (full pads), 3 p.m.
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