re: **Update Page 17** Inside Info From PM: Sean White #1 JF3 Losing Ground?

About the quarterbacks:

Junior college transfer John Franklin III, sophomore Sean White and senior Jeremy Johnson competed throughout the spring. Nothing was settled.


Were the coaches disappointed in the performances of the quarterbacks in the spring?

“I wouldn’t say that. Were they overwhelmed? I wouldn’t say that either. I think John was about what you would expect overall. If anything, it was surprising how well and how fast he picked up the offense. He’s a really smart kid. He had some ball security issues early on, but those got better. Sean can spin it. There’s no question about that, and Jeremy really was a good bit better.

"John's speed and athleticism are just at different a level. Can he throw it well enough to win against the top teams in the SEC? He can if he keeps improving."


What about Woody Barrett?

“He’ll get a look, and he has great talent. He has a lot of developing to do to be an SEC quarterback, more than he can do in a month of practice. At least, that’s what you would think.”

There has been a lot of talk about looking for a graduate transfer

“Yeah, I know. A lot of people seem to think that is a sign of desperation. I don’t believe that’s true. There’s a number of guys out there. I think there has been interest in looking around and seeing if there is one available that would challenge the others. I wouldn’t rule it out, depending on who is available. Some guys probably wouldn’t come unless they were guaranteed to be the starter. I don’t believe there is anybody out there they would make that guarantee to.”

Tell me about this offensive line. Is it good, bad, average?

“I’d say it was average at the end of the spring because of the uncertainty at tackle. Alex looks a lot like he did in 2013. Braden gets better every day. Xavier was pushing Austin before the move. He’s a whole lot better player than people might know."

What about the tackles?

“It’s just hard to say. Austin played some tackle at Ole Miss, but he’s been concentrating on center for a while now, even the year he sat out. Robert is the kind of man you want on your team. He’s tough. He’s dedicated. He’s physical. He also has some limitations. Darius is such a talented guy, high draft kind of talent. Sometimes you see it on the field. Sometimes you don’t."

So, what should we expect?

“Really, it depends on the tackles. I think we’ll be solid. If two guys really step up at tackle, we could be a lot more than solid. I think the middle three - whether it’s Xavier at center or Austin moves back – has a chance to be really good. I’ll tell you something else: Mike Horton isn’t far from making it hard to leave him out of the lineup. I just think they view him as a guard more than a tackle, and there’s no room at guard right now.”


Sophomore running back Kerryon Johnson had to watch most of spring practice from the sideline after undergoing shoulder surgery, but he is expected to be full-speed for preseason camp. And that’s a big deal.

“He’s electric with the ball in his hands whether it’s we faked a punt in the bowl game, he scored touchdowns in the Kentucky game and Georgia game,” running backs coach Tim Horton says. “He made plays for us all year last year. He’s a guy that is going to be on the field and we are going to get the ball to him, whether it’s kickoff returns, whether it’s throwing bubble routes to him or handing it to him. He’s a guy we need to get the ball in his hands double digits every game.”