MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WREG) — With the FedEx St. Jude Championship now behind us, all focus is back on Tigers football.
Ryan Silverfield, during his Monday press conference, expressed his love for the direction of this team, loves the competition, but there’s still a long way from their September 3rd opener.
“We’re honing in on things,” said Silverfield. “I think the installations are are slowing down and now just continue to clean up the fundamentals, the things we need to progress as a program.”
With eight in the running backs room, the battle for RB1 is still up for grabs.
“I think just keeping those guys fresh in the rotation and then kind of figuring out as we get closer, you know, who are the guys that can do it?”
And, with the standard for running backs that has been set at the U of M, Silverfield is in no a rush to name a starter.
“We’re going to keep challenging them. Tomorrow, even though it’s not scrimmage, we need to see productivity during their practice and making sure that they can own the football and hold on to it there and give themselves a chance”
Following this weekend’s scrimmage, some backs stood out from the pack.
“Asa Martin did have a good day at the running back position. I thought he did some good things. Sutton Smith is a true freshman running back that did some good stuff.”
Silverfield does plan to narrow things down soon, because in perfect scenario, only three backs will get playing time on a Saturday.
“Once you start getting to that fourth or fifth running back, it’s going to be hard. That means that you’re really not in love with your one or two. And too often we’ve had to go down that depth chart, and I would like to be able to really stick with it. Who are top two guys? Obviously, you want to be able to trust your third or fourth, and then if they’re the fifth or sixth, they better be playing a heck of a lot of special teams.”
On the defensive side of the ball, former Whitehaven standout Cormontae Hamilton is back in Memphis after two seasons at Ohio State.
The defensive lineman played in eight games last year for the Buckeyes recording three tackles and one sack.
“He’s been phenomenal and Cormontae is a young man I got to know a little bit out of high school, obviously went to Ohio State and like a lot of guys realized, maybe it was a better situation for him to come to Memphis and then to come back home. He has been first class. Very thoughtful, very smart, very intelligent, very hard working and he’s got a great motor. To see him on the defensive line, what he’s been able capable do, it’s been phenomenal.”
According to Silverfield, camp will end camp this Sunday, before the start of school. Until then the players will focus on self-improvement, before they shift to Mississippi State.