BGSU football notebook: Some position groups ahead of others as opener approaches
Aug. 21—BOWLING GREEN — Some players are settled in, and others are still waiting to be plugged in.
That's the message Bowling Green State University head football coach Scot Loeffler relayed at the end of Friday morning's open practice at Doyt Perry Stadium, as the Falcons prepare to open their season Sept. 2.
"I think where we're at, very similar to what I told our team, there's position groups — through recruiting and a lot of hard work at — are ready to play, there's no question about it," Loeffler said. "And then there's some position groups that still are nowhere near ready to play."
While Loeffler did not specify which groups he felt were more ahead than others at this point, it's no secret the Falcons are one of the youngest teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
They have 59 total freshmen (26 true, 33 redshirt), 28 sophomores, and 12 seniors on the 105-man training camp roster.
Loeffler brought in the No. 2-rated recruiting class in the Mid-American Conference and No. 86 nationally in 2020. A number of the top players brought in redshirted for the coronavirus-shortened 2020 season and are eking their way onto the depth chart.
The group of 2020 freshmen who wore redshirts included cornerback Deshawn Jones, Jr., defensive lineman Billie Roberts, quarterback and Whitmer product Riley Keller, and tight end and North Baltimore product Levi Gazarek — all rated as three-star recruits by 247Sports — among others.
The theme of the season for BGSU is going to be growth.
Regardless of wins and losses, which steps can Loeffler's team realistically take forward and the pacing of which that can happen is yet to be determined.
"We're a super young team," he said. "With one more [recruiting] class and the help of some older football players, we're going to be ahead of schedule if we do this thing right in January."
Loeffler said his young group is still adjusting on the fly to a ramped-up practice schedule as it prepares for the season opener at Tennessee.
"This a shock to a lot of them," he said. "With time and age and one more class and a little help in the [transfer] portal, things will look much, much better here."
TOTING THE BALL: Jaison Patterson, another three-star prospect and a true freshman, saw a good amount of time on the field in 7-on-7s and some 11-on-11 drills Friday. The 6-foot, 215-pound Jacksonville native was spelled by fellow freshman Jamal Johnson, and Nick Mosley served as a passing option out of the backfield.
Patterson rushed for more than 3,000 yards and scored 25 touchdowns in his prep career, including 1,400 yards and 10 TDs as a senior. His offer list in high school included Illinois.
BEHIND McDONALD: Senior starting quarterback Matt McDonald had the day off Friday, as he continues to work back from offseason shoulder surgery.
"I honestly feel like I'm ahead [of schedule]," McDonald said after BGSU's practice. "All of the rehab I was doing in the offseason made my shoulder even stronger, and I fixed up my mechanics a little bit, so that's helping me, too, and I'm throwing the ball the best I have in my life right now."
Sophomores LaBronz Davis and Drew Gunther took snaps in drills on Friday. Redshirt freshman Tucker Melton has missed the last week of practice, but Loeffler said he is expected to return soon.
BRING THE NOISE: The Falcons practiced with some elevated, piped-in crowd and band noises blaring from on-field speakers during simulation drills. The season opener is at Tennessee's Neyland Stadium.
"Think about this, 70 percent of this team has played like it's a practice," Loeffler said. "They've never dealt with a 112,000 crazy [Southeastern Conference] fans at all costs, at 8 o'clock — not a noon game ... it'll be rockin' and rollin', but it'll be a great experience from them, and they'll learn a ton from it."
First Published August 20, 2021, 2:12pm
