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Neal Bradley's Column   The Racer Insider's Neal Bradley

(August 22, 2007)

Last year’s edition of the Racer football team was undermanned to begin the season, with only 24 juniors and seniors combined. So with that total down to 13 juniors and seniors this season, how can they possibly be expected to improve on last year’s 1-10 slate?

Anyone who has watched the scrimmages this fall can easily see the strides this team has made. Despite being younger, the 2007 Racers are stronger, faster, and more experienced.

Playing so many young players is not what is preferred for any program, but Matt Griffin had no options last season after a healthy dose of addition by subtraction. They took their lumps last year, but learned from it and this season they will begin dealing out a few of their own.

Fans will quickly notice a new quarterback. Zach Barnard had a decent freshman campaign when you take into account he was coming off an injury and a redshirt season.

A 56% completion rate was acceptable, as were 11 touchdowns and 11 interceptions considering the inexperience surrounding him. Zach has a good head for the game and does a lot of things well.

But in the spring, Jeff Ehrhardt was clearly ahead of Barnard and redshirt freshman Chris Franklin, and he did little to hurt his case in the fall.

In the August 27th scrimmage, Ehrhardt was particularly impressive reading blitzes, avoiding a pair of sacks that he turned into lengthy gains with quick passes.

A bonus for Ehrhardt is that he can also run the ball. In that scrimmage, he ran a little too much for my taste, but perhaps those were the calls that were given to him.

I love quarterbacks who can also run, but as you know that also exposes them to additional contact. Jeff’s arm is very strong, and the only question is if he can bring his practice play to the game.

If so, Ehrhardt could end up being very special. If not, Barnard has a season of experience under his belt and has proven that he can do the job. The way I look at it, Barnard didn’t lose the #1 slot as much as Ehrhardt won it. In addition, don’t be surprised to see freshman QB Marcus Harris under center from time to time, but more on him later.

When I spoke with Jeff on media day, he said he felt his best quality was his ability to get the ball to out best athletes and let them make the plays. He said he was comfortable with his receivers and backs, and with Rod Harper and Lee McGinnis, all he has to do is get to their area and they make the catch, taking a lot of pressure off him to be perfect.

Speaking of those receivers, Harper is Harper. He has First-Team All-OVC potential, but really needs help from other receivers to make it happen. Without other threats, teams can load up on Rod, making it difficult for him to snag as many balls, but with the emergence of Lee McGinnis as well as Derrick Townsell the Racers arrived at fall camp with those three as well as a pair of running backs who can catch the ball.

But add to that, freshmen Marcus Harris, who is so good he has to be on the field, and Antoinne Lightfoot, a tiny speedster from Henderson County, and suddenly the receiving corps is loaded with speed and playmakers.

Harris looks like a major steal and has been jaw-dropping at times this fall, and Lightfoot was undervalued because of his size, but he’s the real deal if he can take the hits at this level.

No other player has scored more touchdowns at Henderson County than the 54 tallied by Lightfoot. He was also 7th in the state in the 100-meter dash, so he’s a track star in a football uniform! Harris was a QB in high school, but has the tools to be a star a several positions. It’s players like him that can help take a team to another level quickly.

The running backs are set as well with Charlie Jordan and Josh Jones coming back as experienced sophomores. Both played more than expected last season in the absence of Chad Cook, but this season both came to camp more prepared and in better condition.

Jordan says running the stadium stairs over the summer has helped him immensely. He says his best feature is making the first man miss, and he added that he and Jones push one another, and that brings out the best in each of them.

Besides excellent running skills, but can also catch the ball out of the backfield, as both combined for 44 grabs last season. Newcomer Paul McKinnis has shown some nice fall flashes, and should bring depth to the position.

At tight end, Ben Rush and Zach Knight are well established. DeAngelo Nelson and Daniel Ard could also play here and at WR. Newcomers Matt Johnson (6’5”) and Paul Lewis (6’6”) bring size to the position, but will not be rushed to action due to returning depth.

The offensive line has only one player who started every game last season, in Cody Morehead. But he is a good one, and has All-Conference potential at his position.

Eric Ornella, Perry Richardson and Quinton Hankins are also experienced, and Vincent Rivers has been good this fall. With a lot of youth and inexperience, the offensive line is the main question mark offensively. A good season from the O-Line could mean a significant step forward for the Racer offense. Matt Griffin says they have improved tremendously from last season, so if that holds true, it could prove exciting with the Racers’ many weapons on offense.

Defensively there are also question marks, but not at linebacker. Nathan Williams led the OVC with 11.1 tackles per game, but missed the final two games due to injury.

He said he has completely healed and has had no ill effects during fall camp. Tamar Butler is the other half of the dynamic duo. The hard-hitting member of the 2006 OVC All-Newcomer team was sixth in the nation in forced fumbles and should be even better this season with a much stronger and quicker body.

Roderick Johnson returns to add depth, along with three redshirt freshmen, juco transfer Wade Peters, and true freshman Zach Kutch who has had a great camp. Kutch was coached by Doug Ruggles, who was Matt Griffin’s roommate when the two were students at New Hampshire.

The secondary is also talented, headed by Derrick Parrott who could be as good as any in the OVC at cornerback. Koji Farrington is in a battle for the other spot with freshman John Jean-Baptiste.

Speedster Taylor Lannigan and Will Werner provide experience at safety.

Lannigan has amazing talent for his age, and will likely receive extra attention from opposing coaches. Freshman Marvin Robinson is also a name to remember.

2006 featured a lot of youth on the defensive line, but now that bunch has a year of experience. Blake Booth, Austen Lane, and Will Roach all started as freshmen. All are now stronger and game savvy.

Add in Matt Mcwhorter, who played in every game, Danny Blakemore, Tyler Sinclair, Jerry Winfield, Joshua Hatchell, Karl Finkes, Jordon Maley, and Omre Harris, and suddenly there is significant depth.

As juniors and seniors, this bunch could be as good as any in the OVC. The question is will we see it a year early? If so, the Racers could be the surprise team in the league, and finish much better than their pre-season selection of 7th.

Special teams are an area of concern, and punting would have to be considered an area of grave concern. In fall scrimmages, the punting game has been a glaring weak spot with poor kicks and poor snaps.

The good news is that the potential is there to do much better, but the bad news is that if this is not corrected, it could be a nightmare at Louisville.

The placekicking has been solid. The punt return game also needs improvement from last season’s 6.5 average, and even though Derrick Parrott was a good kick returner, as a team the Racers returned kicks at a 17.8 average, which is not good.

There is no doubt that the team will improve a lot from last season, but will that translate into wins? The key will be the line play on both sides of the ball. If we see great strides there, this is a team that could secure a winning season, and then some. If not, my guess is that the improvement will translate into a 4-5 win season, which would be a long way from last season, and provide tangible evidence of the direction of the program.

Either way, I love what I am seeing. You have to come and watch these kids play. After enduring oppressive heat and grueling conditioning, we are left with a team that would rather be nowhere else on the planet than playing Racer football every Saturday (and a couple of Thursday’s) this fall.

I remember the days of Mike Gottfried and Frank Beamer when I loved HEARING the way the team played. I’m hearing that sound again. The Racers will soon be back to contending for an OVC title, I have no doubt about that, and it may be sooner rather than later.

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