re: Summer practice/ pre fall camp

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- Both Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray turned heads in week one. As you'd expect, the veteran Allen is running the show and taking most of the week one reps. I'm hearing his leadership out there is exactly what a returning starter should bring to the table. Kyle is also bigger, stronger and much more confident than he was at this time a year ago. He's a different guy out there and had a strong first week of 7-on-7 work.

As for Kyler Murray, the three-time state champ isn't acting at all like a true freshman trying to get comfortable. In addition to picking up the offense very quickly, Murray is drawing rave reviews from veteran teammates for his ability to spin a very catchable ball, his accuracy and quick release. Count me among those who cannot wait to see two outstanding young quarterbacks battle it out in August.

Of course, there will be a third signal-caller competing for playing time and a spot on the depth chart and that's Jake Hubenak. The Blinn transfer isn't working with the team yet but is still on track for a Summer II arrival at the start of next month. From Oklahoma State to Blinn to A&M is sometimes tricky when it comes to getting everything involved in a transfer in order but Hubenak will be on campus soon enough.

- As you all know, the offensive linemen spend most of their summer lifting and doing conditioning work along with working on things such as pass sets and drills while also lining up and working on timing during 7-v-7. Not much to report here except to mention a few who have caught the attention of the guys in the weight room. Junior guard Jermaine Eluemunor arrived looking like he's shed a few pounds, while senior guard Joe Cheek is clearly in the best shape he's been in since arriving in Aggieland five years ago. If the 6-6, 312-pounder can hold onto his starting spot this fall, he's got the potential to sneak into the 2016 NFL Draft. True freshman Connor Lanfear is one of the most impressive-looking members of the incoming class. He's going to be an absolute monster on the inside when his time to enter the starting lineup arrives.

Speaking of new faces, Lufkin's Eric McCoy will learn from one of the SEC's best in senior Mike Matthews this fall and the A&M coaches cannot hide their enthusiasm when it comes to the late-addition's long-term potential in the middle. He looks great at over 300 pounds and, like Matthews, is a very intelligent lineman who most expect to step into the starting lineup in year two. Koda Martin and Keaton Sutherland: Two towering future starters who stand out both physically and athletically during drills. Both will push for starting jobs in August, even if they're probably a year ahead of schedule.

- As Coach Sumlin mentioned during the week at the Houston Touchdown Club luncheon, Splendora freshman Jay Bradford brings game-changing speed to a tailback stable that will need it with Brandon Williams now lining up at corner. He's a blur during team conditioning and 7-on-7 work, leaving many to wonder whether it's he or B-Will when debating the team's fastest player.

-If there's going to be a better-looking, more talented receiving corps in college football than the group A&M puts on the field, I want to see it. As far as what they're doing after the ball is snapped, Josh Reynolds, Ricky Seals-Jones and Co. are off to a strong summer start. Josh Reynolds is back and making plays, which should be music to the ears of any Aggie fan. Christian Kirk is already starting to hit the point in his development where you can see the true freshman gaining confidence by the day. Not sure I'm more excited about anyone in the Ags' 2015 class when it comes to making an impact in year one. Okay, it's Kirk, Daylon Mack and Justin Evans all tied atop that list. He's going to catch a lot of passes and make a lot of plays in year one with an impact that I expect to exceed Speedy Noil's 2014 output. Speaking of Speedy, he's not only back in the good graces of the staff and his teammates he's also once again making the spectacular look routine in 7-on-7 work. Even though they'll almost certainly be inthe starting lineup together, I get the feeling that Kirk is really going to push his older position mate between now and the upcoming season.

- Two weeks ago on TexAgs Radio, John Chavis told us that the Aggies could have the best set of defensive ends in the country. Though I'm not 100% sure if he was talking about the unit as a whole or Myles Garrett and Daeshon Hall specifically, those might be the two guys I want to see step off the bus first (along with Germain Ifedi).

We all know that Garrett looks like he should be suiting up in the NFL today but the guy who everyone has been raving about these past two weeks is Hall. The once-lanky pass-rusher is stronger and faster than at any point in his two-year A&M career. He's also healthy, which has (finally) allowed him to fill out his upper body. Hall is currently coming in at right at around 6-5 and over 260 pounds of muscle. Julien Obioha moving inside takes the senior from being a hard-playing, technician at end to a quick, situational backup DT. He's embracing the new role this summer and his first couple of steps could provide a nice change of pace late in games on pass-rushing downs and even against the run when he's looking to penetrate and disrupt in John Chavis' scheme.

Along those same lines, Reggie Chavis is growing into his new position. The former linebacker is up to around 280 pretty solid pounds. True freshman sensation Daylon Mack is north of 330 pounds but looks like he's a block of granite. He's also handling conditioning work well and is hoping to play this season in the 320 range. Kingsley Keke is a likely redshirt candidate who needs to adjust to the every down demands of the college game but his sheer size has those within the program talking about his down-the-road potentialIf there's one true freshman generating the most positive buzz when it comes to vocal leadership, it's defensive end James Lockhart. The Ennis product and state champion has been a very outgoing and energetic presence in team workouts and is already emerging as one of the leaders of the incoming freshman class. He's also an impressive 255-260 pound first-year end who practices and works out with very high energy that is already proving contagious.

- Here's the best news of the young summer: The Aggie linebackers are healthy and all should be ready to go in time for fall camp (though I'm assuming A.J. Hilliard's spring shoulder surgery will keep him limited longer than the other three injured LBs). Otaro Alaka, who Sumlin called 'one of the best players on our team' this week in Houston, is now up over 230 pounds despite not getting the chance to spend much time in the weight room during the spring. I saw the sophomore linebacker this week and he's exactly what John Chavis wants on the field at the position in the SEC. Another guy who fits the mold perfectly is junior Shaan Washington. The Louisiana native weighed in at, wait for it, 237 pounds this week. I've heard buzz from inside the program that he's one of the guys Chief is most excited about seeing on the field once August rolls around. A.J. Hilliard came in at around 245 pounds last week and, after seeing the junior linebacker in person, there isn't an ounce of 'bad' weight on him. For the umpteenth time, if the unit is healthy, I think linebacker could be the most surprising position on the 2015 A&M squad. In addition, Chavis is going to have the ability to (hopefully) keep the unit intact by running more two-LB sets than fans might expect due to the fact that the Ags have so much depth at safety and nickel and will be playing a few spread teams early.

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