July 29, 2004
| Linebacker coaching specialist Carl Torbush, who has produced nine NFL linebackers in recent years, found several plusses to talk about after spring practice. That couldn't have been easy, after the year the linebackers had, summed up in one word: "forgettable."
Yet at the same time, unforgettable. The linebacking corps was depleted when Torbush arrived, and became even thinner when one left school and a senior starter, Jared Morris, fell early in the season with a torn knee. In the spring yet another blow came when promising youngster Ta Ta Thompson, announced he was withdrawing from school and quitting football. He broke into the starting lineup the last seven games as a true freshman. Two new faces helped shore up the forces in the spring - juco transfer Aaron Brown, and senior converted safety Keelan Jackson. Brown enrolled at mid-term so he could participate in spring practice, and before his injury he showed the kind of hitting the Aggies expected of him. He displayed good instincts and strength. Jackson had the best spring of the entire corps, drawing rave reviews from Torbush on the added speed he brings to the edge on the rush and blitz. He earned an elevation to No. 1 on the depth chart after the spring game, but would have to withstand the challenge again in fall camp with all the new talent arriving. "That was a good move," Torbush said. "He brings us some athleticism along with speed, and perhaps he and Justin Warren can bring us some play-making capabilities." Torbush noticed better unit speed when Jackson and Warren, another who surfaced as a big-time player as a true freshman, are on the field at the same time. An injury also cost Warren valuable spring playing time. Archie McDaniel and Nurahda Manning bring a good deal of experience to the fray. McDaniel shows good ability to adjust on the fly. "He's solid," Torbush said in simple praise. Senior Blake Kendrick, who wore the symbolic No. 12 on specialty teams frequently last season, brings speed to the equation. He's a senior whose determination, demeanor, and improvement on the field serves as a good model. The key to depth and success lies directly with the newcomers from junior college ball, though. Head coach Dennis Franchione said, "With juco transfers you usually like to bring them along at a pace that they don't get fed to the wolves as they adjust to this level. We don't have that luxury. These gentlemen have to come in ready to contribute right away." Among the other positives that Torbush identified were overall understanding of the scheme, especially in coverage; better physically at the point of attack; mentally and physically tougher, and improvement in understanding of down-and-distance play recognition. "We still have concerns about our foot speed (as opposed to speed of the game)," Torbush said. "Our depth in athleticism is questionable. Our backups play hard and smart, but we have to remember that three of the second-teamers are walk-ons." Torbush, an optimistic, upbeat man, says of his linebacking corps "....they are a pleasure to coach because they come to work hard every day to improve." But he is far from ready to acknowledge that they fall into the category of Aggies past who made Texas A&M known as "Linebacker U." AggieAthletics.com's 2004 football preview will bring you right up to the "beginning" of football season, when the players report to campus on Aug. 8.
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