BOONE, N.C. – Appalachian State opened spring practice with a loose and lively two-hour practice on an unseasonably warm Monday evening at Kidd Brewer Stadium. The Mountaineers mixed drill work with some light contact 11-on-11 action to jump start the first of four weeks of practice.
Less than two months removed from the 2016 Sun Belt Championship and a second-straight Camellia Bowl win, App tried to keep the practice tempo with 2016 still somewhat fresh in their minds.
App must replace a number of key seniors in the spring including three-year starter and versatile offensive lineman Parker Collins, linebacker mainstays Kennan Gilchrist and John Law, and the program's all-time leading rusher in Marcus Cox. Practice admittedly looked different without some familiar faces on the practice field for the first time in four or five years, but App State Head Coach Scott Satterfield to see his team compete and start building for 2017.
“It was fun to get back out here and get with our guys,” Satterfield said following practice. “It was fun to see some new faces to get out here and compete, some old ones too…and great weather for our first practice.”
Satterfield noted two key groups to keep an eye on this spring. Collins and Jamie Collmar, both key starters on back-to-back 10-win teams, leave voids. Junior Tobias Edge-Campbell played quite a bit down the stretch of '16 and gives App, essentially, four returning starters on the line, but depth needs to be developed.
“Offensive line is our number one priority,” Satterfield said. “The first group will be fine, but we need to build some depth after that. We've had some injured, guys we redshirted, and we're trying to get those guys back so they can come out and compete.”
Linebacker is the other key spot with the loss of Law, Gilchrist, and Toronto Thomas, who played in some key spots midseason. Law and Gilchrist combined for just over 100 career starts and made the key, third-down stop late in the Camellia Bowl to force Toledo's missed field goal.
“Linebacker is also going to be big,” Satterfield added. “You lose Law and Keenan. Who is going to be the next group to come in and step in and be consistent like they have been for the last four years? We have some young guys who have ability, but they don't have that experience.”
App is scheduled to practice Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday through the end of the month and get a total of 15 spring practices.
NOTES: App rotated constantly at QB throughout practice with Taylor Lamb seeing limited snaps…Satterfield noted it will be a four-man race this spring for the two QB spots behind Lamb…Running back Terrance Upshaw returns this spring to give App three established backs (Jalin Moore, Darrynton Evans) despite losing Cox.
-App State-
