Blue White Illustrated

on the perimeter. You wouldn't think that looking at him." Fellow wideout DeAndre Thompkins said he's been most impressed with Hamler's mental approach and attention to detail. "He's taking every little piece of knowledge and soaking it up." Thomp- kins said. "Coachability is something a lot of people don't have, and he has it. K.J. right now is just on 6re." Of course, it will take more than one player to replace Hamilton's productiv- ity. Polk and Hippenhammer needed to show this spring that they are ready to be part of the answer. To date, Polk has totaled 18 catches for 205 yards and two touchdowns in his ca- reer and has rushed 18 times for 159 yards and one TD. "This is a huge spring practice session and summer for Brandon," Franklin said. "He's been nicked up and needs to stay healthy. He plays well in space, but he needs to get stronger. Brandon really needs to step up this [spring and sum- mer]." Hippenhammer has spent some time with the baseball team but has also made a positive impression on the foot- ball 6eld. Franklin called him "one of the more natural football players we've got." "Even last year, when he was redshirt- ing on the scout team and special teams, you could watch him do things and it just came natural," the coach said. "He wants to get bigger and stronger, but I think the baseball experience has been good for him. He's gotten more con6- dent. He really did well academically. That was part of the requirement, so I see him really growing." Meanwhile, the search for Gesicki's re- placement is ongoing. When the media attended practice on April 4, redshirt junior Jonathan Holland was in street clothes. Redshirt junior Nick Bowers was dressed but was on the sideline, which meant that redshirt sophomore Danny Dalton was working with the 6rst-team o7ense. The only comment from the coaching sta7 regarding the tight end situation pertained to January enrollee Zack Kuntz, who is apparently much further along as a receiver than as a blocker. "In the run game he's got a lot of work to do," Franklin said. "It's a little like when Mike Gesicki got here. He had never blocked, never been in a three- point stance. We kind of had to throw him in there. "We're in a situation at almost every position where if guys are going to con- tribute early, it's because they've earned it and beat people out. He's getting stronger, more con6dent. He's a really good kid. He learns well, but yeah, the OFFENSE QB Trace McSorley Tommy Stevens*/Sean Cli7ord/ Jake Zembiec RB Miles Sanders Mark Allen/Journey Brown/ Johnathan Thomas WR Brandon Polk K.J. Hamler/Mac Hippenhammer WR Juwan Johnson* Mac Hippenhammer/ Brandon Polk/Cam Sullivan-Brown WR DeAndre Thompkins Brandon Polk/K.J. Hamler/ Cam Sullivan-Brown TE Jonathan Holland* Nick Bowers*/Danny Dalton/ Zack Kuntz LT Will Fries Alex Gellerstedt LG Steven Gonzalez Mike Miranda/C.J. Thorpe/ Zach Simpson C Connor McGovern Mike Miranda/Zach Simpson RG Michal Menet C.J. Thorpe/Mike Miranda RT Ryan Bates Chasz Wright/Des Holmes/ Sterling Jenkins DEFENSE DE Shareef Miller Yetur Gross-Matos/ Shane Simmons*/Daniel Joseph DT Robert Windsor Antonio Shelton/Fred Hansard/ Corey Bolds DT Kevin Givens Ellison Jordan*/Corey Bolds/ Damion Barber DE Ryan Buchholz Shaka Toney/Shane Simmons/ Torrence Brown* OLB Koa Farmer Jarvis Miller/ Dae'Lun Darien MLB Ellis Brooks Jake Cooper/Jan Johnson/ Jesse Luketa/Nick Tarburton OLB Cam Brown Micah Parsons/ Brelin Faison-Walden/ Brailyn Franklin CB John Reid Zech McPhearson/Jabari Butler/ Donovan Johnson FS** Nick Scott Lamont Wade/ Jonathan Sutherland SS** Garrett Taylor Ayron Monroe*/John Petrishen/ Isaiah Humphries CB Amani Oruwariye Tariq Castro-Fields/D.J. Brown/ Trent Gordon PHIL GROSZ'S SPRING DEPTH CHART * Denotes injury; player's availability uncertain for Blue-White Game ** Players have been practicing at both strong and free safety positions O F F E N S E D E F E N S E

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