ONE MORE FOR ROAD
Coach says ‘every job open’
Tigers hit the road for El Paso Tuesday to wrap up their longest away schedule in years, 4,700 miles in 10 days.
The third of 15 University of Memphis spring football practices added a level of intensity Sunday as the players, who worked out Thursday and Saturday in shorts and helmets, donned shoulder pads.
The added gear only confirmed what U of M coach Justin Fuente is expecting during his second spring in charge of the program. Competition will be a bit stiffer than it was a year ago.
“Every job is open,” Fuente said. “We have competition at some spots. Now we’re still pretty thin at a couple of position groups, but there’s going to be some legitimate competition for playing time.
“No longer do you just get to play because you are the guy there. We have guys in backup roles, particularly in some spots on defense, that want to start. I think that’s what I’m most excited about, the spirit of competition and raising people’s level of performance through that.”
Competition was limited at several spots last season because the scholarship numbers were alarmingly low. But as Fuente and his staff gradually add — and retain — players, those numbers should approach the 85-scholarship limit.
Much of the competition will increase during preseason camp in August, but spring workouts should include their share of battles. Quarterback Jacob Karam, who started each of the team’s 12 games in 2012, enters atop the depth chart, but 6- 6 freshman Paxton Lynch, a redshirt last fall, should push for the No. 1 job. Eric Mathews, a junior-to-be, was Karam’s backup and
tossed a key touchdown pass in a midseason victory over Rice.
“I’m looking for (Karam) to have a good spring and build on the way he finished the year,” Fuente said. “And we’re going to see how Paxton can handle it. It’s one thing to handle it when you are redshirting and it’s another thing to handle it when you know you could be in the game.
“And I’ve been impressed with Eric in the offseason. He’s done a good job. He’s really worked on changing his body and getting stronger.”
Karam finished last season by leading the Tigers to three straight wins, the program’s first three-game streak since 2008. During the streak, Karam completed 40 of 52 passes for 579 yards and seven touchdowns.
He’s expecting to be pushed and is welcoming the challenge.
“Competition brings out the best in everybody,” Karam said. “So I’m excited about the competition on the team and at the quarterback position. We have some really good quarterbacks so we are going to push each other really hard.”
There’ll also be some interesting competition at wideout, a position that returns Keiwone Malone, Reggie Travis and Tevin Jones. Newcomer Joe Craig, a former Clemson receiver, brings talent and speed. Ex-Memphis-area standouts Mose Frazier (Whitehaven) and Daniel Hurd (Wooddale) are coming off redshirt seasons and are expected to be factors, too.
Defensively, junior college linebackers Kewan Alfred and Ryan Coleman, midyear signees, are in camp to provide depth for the departed Akeem Davis and Kenyata Johnson.
While running back Brandon Hayes, who led the team in rushing a year ago, knows the bulk of competition at his position arrives in August, he won’t take this month lightly.
“Everyone is going to have to compete,” Hayes said. “And if you don’t come with it in practice, you might get passed up on the depth chart. That’s my motivation every single day.”