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Zips Intrasquad Scrimmage – April 15th, 2017 The Zips took the field at 9:00 am sharp for their final scrimmage prior to the April 22nd Spring Game. The day started with 15 minutes of stretching, followed by another fifteen-or-so minutes of group positional drills. While Warren Ball was fully dressed and participated in the pre-game, he was held out of the scrimmage for precautionary reasons. Other notable scratches on the day included Kevin Gladney (concussion protocol – pending the outcome he still may participate on the 22nd), Austin Wolf (class), Oregon State transfer Deltron Sands (shoulder – he’s expected to be ok for the summer), Ulysses Gilbert and Anthony Young. Tommy Woodson was in attendance, but limited to catching some toss-backs during drills and offering some verbal encouragement from the sidelines. The scrimmage was offense/defense, and not split squad. Unlike a real game, there were very few breaks. Nick Johns began the first possession at QB. Overall, he shows a good pocket presence and a strong arm. Not cannon-strong, but solid enough to stretch the field. He has good footwork too. He proved to be a little more comfortable in the pocket today than Kato. He hit AJ Coney for a nicely-timed 10 yard TD pass in the slot, and had a few impressive drives too. A quick crossing route completion to Tre Chapman for about 20 yards was one of the nicer plays of the day. Johns and Nelson took the bulk of the snaps. Clayton Uecker also got several reps. Kato exhibited good speed and elusiveness when the pocket broke down. But the difficulties in blocking for him versus a seasoned pocket QB like Woodson were evident. One player was overheard saying: “It’s hard to block for him (Nelson) because you don’t know where the #%@ he’s gonna go!” On the day, Kato made some excellent plays, including hitting Kwad Smith in-stride for a 60+ yard TD. He also hit Coney in the slot for a nice TD, and even caught a TD pass from MTB while they were running the wildcat at the goal line. MTB was heavily involved in the offense from the H-back position. The offense ran several different plays with him in the wildcat as they worked on the goal line offense. He was also targeted on a couple pass plays down the middle. He seemed much more comfortable in the backfield, as is to be expected entering his 2nd year at the position. After the game he mentioned that he’d had hamstring issues last season, but he’s healthy now and ready to have a great 2017. Speaking of wildcat…you probably haven’t seen the last of Tre Chapman at QB…he hit Kato, who’d split out wide left, for a two yard TD pass near the end of the day. Regarding Clayton Uecker – he’s a tall QB that throws a decent ball. While there’s no doubt a solid #4 in this year’s 4-man QB derby, he acquitted himself well today. His highlight was a well-placed first half TD toss to Nate Stewart. On Nate Stewart – He’s a solid WR. Wolf and Coney will be our #1 & #2 guys this year, but Nate seems to me to be a quality #3, with a ton of upside. For a freshman, he’s tall and strong, and shows good hands. I like him a lot. Tre Chapman played the bulk of the day in the slot, but also saw some time on the outside. He’s obviously learning the position, but showed some flashes of being able to provide some big plays in 2017. He needs improve on using his body to get position. Veteran DB’s will give him trouble. His hands still look a little uneasy. But he gave 100% on every play, ran every route hard, and had a great attitude the entire scrimmage. There’s no doubt he’ll put in the work this summer and have a great fall. Especially when lined up in the slot. Coney made several nice catches. He’s seemed to get a notch better every year, and 2017 is no different. Fransohn Bickley is back. He climbed the ladder to make an impressive sideline catch in the first half…but then dropped a nice, would-be TD pass from Johns in the second half. He seemed happy to be back in Akron and also appears to be a favorite amongst his teammates. On the defensive side of the ball – Brock Boxen was back and playing without restrictions. That was a welcome sight. Newcomer Miami transfer James King showed some good wheels, picking up a botched Johns/Morgan exchange and taking it 30 yards for a TD. Denzel Butler, the walk on from WVA, showed some good cover skills. And Darrin Dailey looks to have one of the corner positions locked down. Coach Bowden said “Double D” consistently runs sub-4.4 40’s, and has had a strong spring. Newcomer TE Darryl Long didn’t get a lot of opportunities, but physically, he reminds me a lot of Jabari Arthur. He looks like a player. The running backs didn’t really distinguish themselves. Manny Morgan had the bulk of the carries. Looking at our 2017 RB “stable,” our top 3 expected players (Ball, Sands, and Edwards) didn’t suit up today. So there wasn’t much to glean. Chuck Turfe got a little time at RB. Speaking to Coach Bowden after the game, he mentioned that Alvin Davis was going to continue at the safety position. He said the safeties are “…the best we’ve ever had at Akron.” Jordan George will be moved to cornerback. Bowden mentioned Jamal Davis being a hybrid LB… “sort of like when Jason Taylor was here”…and will be used at LB, and also as a rush end. Brian Reinke is up to 6' 5", and 257 lbs. He's expected to have a breakout 2017 season on a defensive line that will need some incumbents to step up this year. Coach Bowden also mentioned there are no expected 5th year transfers on the horizon. "If a big D lineman falls onto our lap, we'll certainly take him. But we're not shopping for anyone." Lastly – Brian Bell is still expected to be back with the Zips in 2017. He was suspended from UA for one semester for disciplinary reasons, and is taking classes in Florida. He plans to return to UA in the summer.