Tennessee State plan seeks out backups

Scrimmage will test freshmen

By MIKE ORGAN, Staff Writer

The top of the depth chart won't be at the top of James Webster's list of priorities Saturday when his Tennessee State football team plays its first scrimmage of the preseason.

The Tigers' coach instead will be keeping a close eye on the team's newcomers, the true freshmen, many of whom will be playing key roles on the second-team unit.

The scrimmage, which will be played with game officials, is set to kick off at 6:15 p.m. at Hale Stadium. The public is invited to attend.

After the first-teamers get their snaps in, Webster said the second team will take the field and will be peppered throughout with true freshmen.

"We've got a lot of true freshmen in our two-deep," Webster said. "Probably more than half of our second team is true freshmen, and I'm really concerned about that. That shows two things: No. 1 is that we recruited some good freshmen, and No. 2 is that we are in need of some immediate help at some key positions. In the scrimmage, I will be looking to see just how far along these freshmen are."

Missing Moore

Webster won't get to see one of the team's top freshmen, wide receiver Jonathon Moore from Maplewood. Moore sprained his ankle in practice this week and won't be back before Sunday.

Some of the young players to keep an eye include quarterback Calvin McNairl from Henry County, offensive linemen Sherman Carter from LaVergne and Alex Davis from Sarasota, Fla. There's also defensive linemen Brendon Crawford from Winston-Salem, N.C. and Sidney Tarver from Chattanooga, who has moved from linebacker.

McNairl quickly jumped to the second team, which allowed sophomore Julian Sample, who played in four games last year when starter Antonio Heffner was injured, to become a "true slash," according to Webster.

As for McNairl, Webster said, "He's played like a typical freshman: At times his head is swimming, and at times he's done real well. He seems to have picked the offensive scheme up pretty fast."

Webster said he would put McNairl in two-minute drill situations in the scrimmage to see how he reacts.

"I want to pick the pace up because I want things to come at him real fast," Webster said.

"That's how I judge a quarterback, because things happen real fast in two-minute drills and he doesn't have time to think, he just has to react. He's done well with that in practice."