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ANALYSIS
Long still mum on starters
Competition for jobs may last well into fall camp
By Mick McGrane
STAFF WRITER
April 19, 2006
He routinely referred to it as a cleaning of the slate, a scouring of seasons past, a time to foster competition among those with rank and those marooned at the deep end of the depth chart.
He vowed to ramp up the running game, and made plenty good on his promise. It was his way, he said, of instilling toughness, of determining where character came in contact with conviction.
But if San Diego State football coach Chuck Long emerged from spring drills with improved insight as to which players might factor or founder, he is playing his cards close to the vest, a byproduct of his desire to see auditions extend into fall camp.
To date, no one (consider kicker Garrett Palmer and punter Michael Hughes the exceptions) has been assigned starter status, though Long has said that such determinations could be made by week's end.
In the interim, the following is a projection of which players will hold starting jobs when SDSU returns for fall camp the first week of August.
Quarterback
Projected starter: Kevin O'Connell, junior.
Comment: Sophomore Darren Mougey and redshirt freshman Kevin Craft had their moments during spring drills, but there is little doubt that O'Connell will be making his 18th consecutive start in the Aztecs' season opener. His performance in the team's annual Red & Black Game on Saturday (15-of-26, 154 yards) solidified his standing as the unquestioned leader on offense. Mougey, who completed 12-of-14 passes in consecutive scrimmages, is still struggling with consistency after throwing for just 16 yards on Saturday. Craft, son of former head coach Tom Craft, could well push Mougey for the No. 2 spot this fall.
Running back
Projected starter: Lynell Hamilton, junior.
Comment: SDSU is 7-1 in games in which Hamilton has rushed for more than 94 yards. And while Hamilton ran with a definite purpose in spring drills, his durability remains a question. After sitting out 2004 while mending from injuries suffered during a freshman year in which he earned All-America status, Hamilton made just eight starts last year because of a lingering hamstring problem. Junior Brandon Bornes, who started five games last season, averaged nearly 5 yards per carry during spring drills. Long is intrigued with 5-foot-7 redshirt freshman Atiyyah Henderson, who is significantly quicker than Hamilton or Bornes and offers an ideal change of pace. Former offensive/defensive lineman Josh Ulibarri has been implemented as a fullback, but was used sparingly in spring.
Wide receiver
Projected starters: Chaz Schilens, junior; Brett Swain, junior; DeMarco Sampson, sophomore.
Comment: Along with the offensive line, this position will be the most competitive in August. Schilens is the team's top returning receiver from a year ago (34 catches, 441 yards) but was slowed by a hamstring problem early in spring drills. Swain led the team in yards per catch (19.2) in '05. Sampson is a physical receiver with the speed to get deep. The competition figures to be fierce, with no fewer than 11 receivers having caught passes in spring scrimmages.
Tight end
Projected starter: Waika Spencer, redshirt freshman.
Comment: The Aztecs were dealt a serious blow when juniors Eric Miclot and Lance Louis suffered knee injuries during the first two weeks of spring drills. Louis has undergone surgery for a torn anterior cruciate ligament, but could return by October. Miclot has been lost for the season. Spencer, who is more athletic than senior Steve Schmidt, caught four passes for 28 yards this spring. Schmidt, who transferred from Butte College in Northern California last year, had two receptions for 6 yards.
Offensive line
Projected starter: Brandyn Dombrowski, junior.
Comment: Long may be intent on increasing his running backs' workload, but the only certainty here is Dombrowski, a guard who started all 12 games last year. Mike Kravetz, Eric Rouser and Will Robinson rotated at right tackle last year, with Robinson making eight starts. Any or all could find themselves on the outside looking in, however, with the return of senior Nick Smith (suspended in '05) and the arrival of 6-7, 295-pound Grossmont College transfer Dan Hathaway this fall. Expect a battle to be waged at center between senior Pat Justman and Long Beach City College transfer Peter Manuma. The most anticipated arrival of the fall is expected to be freshman Whitley Fehoko, who spurned, among others, LSU, Nebraska and Utah. Fehoko already has gone on record as saying he expects to start.
Defensive line
Projected starters: Jonathan Bailes, senior; Nick Osborn, junior; Antwan Applewhite, junior.
Comment: The Aztecs had the second-lowest sack total (17) in the Mountain West Conference last year, a problem that could be remedied by Osborn having been moved from defensive tackle to his natural position of defensive end this spring. Osborn had at least one sack in every spring scrimmage. There's a vacancy at tackle, where sophomore Siaosi Fifita, junior Ornan Nwansi and sophomore Jonathan Soto will battle for playing time.
Linebacker
Projected starters: Joe Martin, senior; Russell Allen, sophomore; Andrew Schantz, sophomore.
Comment: Martin steps into the middle linebacker spot, a position that has historically allowed past SDSU players to flourish. Allen, who appears destined to become one of the top players in the conference, made seven starts last year, earning MWC Defensive Player of the Week honors for his efforts in a win against BYU. Schantz started five games last year but was plagued by inexperience at times.
Secondary
Projected starters: Reggie Grigsby, senior; Donny Baker, senior; Terrell Maze, senior; Brett Sturm, senior.
Comment: Grigsby, who had a standout spring, should be in line for preseason all-conference honors at strong safety. Baker and Maze form what could be the top cornerback duo in the conference after combining for 23 of a possible 24 starts last year. With sophomore T.J. McKay having missed spring drills because of offseason shoulder surgery, Sturm made the most of his opportunity at free safety, logging 20 tackles in the team's three scrimmages.
 Mick McGrane: (619) 293-1850; mick.mcgrane@uniontrib.com
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