Dragons open camp with questions
The calendar turns to August and football games will be played at the end of this month. Carroll starts preparations on Monday when fall camp begins. The Dragons will go through helmets and shorts Monday-Thursday. The pads come on Friday.
Head coach Hal Wasson and his staff have several major questions to address. It’s clear this isn’t a perfect team. However, there is major talent in several spots. The next three weeks are going to be pretty important for trying to fill in the gaps.
We examine several of the major storylines facing this program for fall camp 2015.
Starting quarterback battle
Replacing Ryan Agnew was already going to be a tall task. Senior Montana Murphy lost pretty much the entire spring and most of the summer because of a back injury. However, he should be close to being able to do everything once camp begins. However, he doesn’t have the inside track to become the starter, either. The same is true with junior Mason Holmes. Holmes used the spring and summer to work with the top skill players. But this competition is going to come down to who has better command of the offense and who has the better chemistry with the receivers and running backs.
Defensive line
When the Dragons broke spring camp, Wasson acknowledged the potential starting three-man front was not going to be as big as Carroll defensive fronts have looked in the past. Carroll is likely going to yield size week after week. There’s no question losing King Newton, among several others, hurts. As this unit basically starts over, the defensive coaching staff has to feel comfortable with those who will be positioned next to junior Ryan Miller (6-1, 230). But not only is finalizing the starting rotation going to be important, being comfortable with the depth is also a must.
Offensive line
Carroll has four of the starting positions set with senior Lucas Tribble at left tackle, senior Anton Ezzard at center, senior Chase Sanford at right guard and junior Henry Klinge at right tackle.
Junior Justin Lee and senior Noah Hubel are among the candidates for left guard. Hubel did not go through spring because of an injury. Regardless of who wins that last spot, the other one will give the Dragons six quality offensive linemen. Then the question becomes who can fill out the second team. It could mean the difference in how productive Carroll’s offense can become.
Top wide receiver
This is the year where senior Zach Farrar (6-4, 217) emerges as the go-to receiver. At least, that’s what everybody inside that program is hoping for including Farrar. The good news is that he’s saying all of the right things in the summer and working on his craft every day. He’s arguably one of the most gifted receivers to come through the program. If he leads by example, then Carroll’s passing game shouldn’t miss a beat.
Secondary strength
This is the best part of this team, led by senior cornerback Obi Eboh and junior safety Robert Barnes. Each features height and speed that should make it difficult for teams to try deep vertical routes. All this unit needs to do is make sure it’s in sync.
This story was originally published August 3, 2015 at 3:08 AM with the headline "Dragons open camp with questions."