Easily the most impressive newcomer of day one was WR Moe Brown. The 6' 170 speedster was unstopable in one-on-one drills and in 7-on-7 pass skel. Brown made several great catches and ran by Carlos Thomas like he was in slow motion. We have been hearing great things about Brown all summer long, and the Westside High School product did nothing to disappoint on Saturday night. The biggest question mark for Brown will be when the pads go on. Will he be able to gain separation in press coverage. If Brown is able to that on a consistent basis, he will be an impact player on offense. He gets my vote as the biggest steal in the class of 2006.
QB Chris Smelley struggled early in the individual period of practice, but when the offense went to 7-on-7, Smelley excelled, making several pinpoint throws, and dropping the ball over the linebacker and under the safety versus zone coverage. He was also very accurate. The Tuscaloosa, Alabama native did nothing to change our opinion of him as a player, and I firmly believe he will have a special career at South Carolina.
RG Garrett Anderson ran with the first team all evening long, as incumbant James Thompson was in conditioning drills with strength coach Mark Smith. Anderson is a natural athlete, and Cockfather Illustrated will go ahead and project Anderson to begin the season on the two-deep at that position.
RG Kevin Young looks the part, but may need a red-shirt year. I still beleive he has a bright future ahead of him, but he is simply not as athletic as Anderson. Young is the second largest freshman I have ever seen at USC.
OT Hutch Eckerson is a natural at left tackle. Barring injury, Cockfather Illustrated projects Eckerson to be the third tackle this season. He moves extremely well and it is evident that he comes from a good high school program as his stance and footwork are superior.
RT Heath Batchelor has some serious knee ailments and will, in all likelyhood, be red-shirted. The big Haleyville AL prospect looks ready to play from a physical standpoint, but because of the knee problem, we project him to red-shirt.
OG Seaver Brown has good size and will benefit greatly from a red-shirt season. He projects as a center or guard.
OG Pierre Andrews is another prospect that will greatly benefit from a red-shirt. I was impressed with his athleticism in the shirne bowl, and I still expect him to become a quality offensive lineman down the road.
Chris Hail was a surprise participant at wide receiver. The Lovejoy High School product was projected at cornerback, but now will begin his career as a wide receiver. Hail appears to run well, but will likely red-shirt in 2006.
WR Marquise Brown is the son of former Washington Redskin great Charlie Brown. He is a preferred walk-on and practiced with the team last night. Marquise is a carbon copy of his father; a small, but quick receiver with good hands. It will be interesting to follow his development through fall camp.
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