Spring Games Recap PT. II (April 6th - April 13th)
When spring came, even the false spring, there were no problems except where to be happiest.
- Ernest Hemingway, writer
The spring game/closed scrimmages recap series is back this year and we’re kicking it off with a list of games from April 6th to April 13th.
IMPORTANT NOTE IN CASE THERE WAS CONFUSION ON LAST WEEK’S ARTICLE—I’ve compiled notes that I found on each program below (the text is not my writing, rather, they are the notes from various beat writers covering these programs). So if you read the article last week and thought I was the one saying the things in the text, that was not the case.
This group includes: Kentucky, FAU, Miami, Temple, Louisville, Army, LSU, CMU, Cincinnati, Ohio State, Purdue, Virginia, Alabama, App State, Auburn, Ball State, Florida, Georgia, and Georgia Tech.
NOTE #2: Scott Fish is currently gauging interest for a CFF tournament for those interested. You can find details here. I recommend demonstrating some interest as this will help grow the game immensely.
Kentucky
*Coach Mark Stoops and the Wildcats didn't hold a traditional scrimmage
QB:
At quarterback, Zach Calzada remains ahead of Cutter Boley in the starting quarterback battle, though Boley did get one chance to lead the starting unit and on his drive, hit Kendrick Law for a gain of over 20 yards and hit Dowdell on a screen that paved the way for Dowdell to run in a five-yard touchdown.
Beau Allen, a sixth-year senior and preferred walk-on, appears to hold the third quarterback job over Stone Saunders and Brennen Ward heading into the summer.
"You know what you're getting with Beau. He's so bright, he's such a team guy, he works hard," Stoops said of Allen. "With five quarterbacks getting reps, some guys need a lot of reps. The nice thing about Beau is that you kind of know what you're going to get and he can bank those reps.
"He can mentally bank reps and come in and function and run the offense. It's important to have that."
RB:
Dante Dowdell and Jason Patterson were the only running backs who saw action with Kentucky's first-team offense.
Jamarion Wilcox, who averaged 6.4 yards per carry last season rushing for 590 yards and two scores, only saw second and third-team reps.
"He's a great young man that is trying, and it's our job to continue to develop him, to continue to bring him along and make him accountable," Stoops said of Wilcox after the showcase. " Those are the things that we talked about as well. The little things, not getting big, and taking care of all the details that it takes and he's growing."
WR:
Freshman WR Montavin Quisenberry pops again on final drive of the spring
After sparking a scoring drive for the third-team offense earlier with a long catch-and-run, freshman receiver Montavin Quisenberry had a highlight-reel reception to cap the final possession of the day.
Quisenberry tipped the pass from fellow freshman Stone Saunders into the air. Then Quisenberry hauled it in and tip toed inside the right pylon for the score.
Working with the third-team offense, freshman wideout Montavin Quisenberry leaped up and caught the ball before sprinting up the sideline for at least 20 yards.
Starting QB Zach Calzada connected with Ja'Mori Maclin on a long pass down the sideline. Calzada then capped the drive with a 25-yard touchdown pass to David Washington Jr.
Only five scholarship receivers, Ja'Mori Maclin, Law, David Washington Jr., Troy Stellato, and Montavin Quisenberry, participated Saturday, while walk-on Cole Lanter appeared to have suffered an injury after making a catch on the sideline.
Note on WR Tru Edwards:
Louisiana Tech WR transfer Tru Edwards is expected to hear about his eligibility in the coming days, but does not know the outcome at this time. It is hard to imagine UK has clarity on the matter but, either way, it sounds like a resolution is coming soon. UK has offered multiple transfer wide receivers, but slow played them as they await an eligibility decision on Edwards
FAU
QB Caden Veltkamp / WR Easton Messer:
Zach Kittley on the connection between QB Caden Veltkamp and WR Easton Messer: "Being able to be around each other for 4 years now, they have an undeniable chemistry, and I think you can see he's a guy we're going to go to quite a bit."
“Caden's extremely comfortable with him, and he's a heck of a player. Those two guys are awesome. They bring a lot of energy to the team."
Veltkamp and Messer linked up four different times on Friday night for 1o1 yards and two touchdowns on the night, a performance that harked back to the three seasons of production they had together at Western Kentucky.
There, the two developed a bond as kindred spirits where "football is all they really care about. They live and breathe it," said Kittley, and that relationship allowed them to put together 55 catches, 793 yards and four touchdowns worth of production in 2024, which earned Messer a C-USA Honorable Mention.
QB:
Veltkamp finished the night as the leading passer, completing 12 of 26 passes for 163 yards, two touchdowns and a pick. And though what the offense was able to do with him at quarterback got a significant portion of the attention, it was actually the defense that won the evening.
RB:
WR:
Miami
Depth charts:
The depth chart was unveiled to the extent of the game, notwithstanding players getting held out of the tackling periods including WR JoJo Trader, TE Elija Lofton and others. Here’s what the initial depth chart looked like:
OFFENSE FIRST TEAM: QB Emory Williams, RB Mark Fletcher, WR Daylyn Upshaw, Ray Ray Joseph, Ny Carr, TE Alex Bauman
OFFENSE SECOND TEAM: QB Judd Anderson, RB Chris Wheatley-Humphrey, WRs CJ Daniels, Malachi Toney, TE Luka Gilbert/Brock Schott
RB:
The running backs room has a proven guy in power back Mark Fletcher, who shed a few pounds to get quicker, plus Jordan Lyle who should be improved in Year 2 after averaging more than 7 yards a carry as a freshman. I also liked how true freshman Girard Pringle ran in the spring game, with purpose, speed and power.
WR:
Malachi Toney stood out with several nifty catches, including a crossing strike he took for a 27-yard TD from Emory Williams. Toney also converted a third-and-nine in the final thudding periods with a great over the shoulder catch of a well thrown ball from Luke Nickel, picking up 35 yards.
Ray Ray Joseph had a TD catch in the thudding period from Nickel.
The biggest question mark area on offense, wide receiver, showed off new faces that can be playmakers. Malachi Toney is every bit as flashy and quick as we’ve been telling you all spring, and you saw some of that Saturday.
Joshua Moore and Dalyn Upshaw all shined at different points and very much look like future standouts. While CJ Daniels came in from LSU, he was banged up much of the spring. But JoJo Trader should be a top threat with a huge potential ceiling, and Ny Carr is also more than good enough to make plays. Miami is expected to chase a top WR or two in the portal. I’m here to tell you I don’t think that’s a major necessity.
Temple
Overall Performance:
“The offense made some plays and then the defense did a great job,” Keeler said. “I think our defensive line is really good, they’re very physical. They can play six or seven or eight. So that is definitely the strength of this team.”
QB:
Temple has four quarterbacks on its roster but only Evan Simon and Tyler Douglas received game reps, switching off each drive. Simon had the better day of the two, going 16-25 for 138 yards while Douglas completed just four of his 15 attempts.
However, Keeler has made it clear since the start of the spring season that he’s looking to pick up another quarterback once the portal opens.
“I thought Evan had a really good spring,” Keeler said. “His leadership and his command of the huddle and taking charge of the clock going down. All those things are really exceptional.”
RB:
Walker plans to implement a run-heavy offense this season and it’s clear the Owls are still finding their footing in his scheme. Simon ran for 33 yards on the first play of the game but rarely used his legs after, aside from a rushing touchdown that Keeler called back to the five-yard line to see his offense in a short-yardage situation. The decision resulted in a goal-line stand, where running back Jay Ducker was stood up by defensive linemen Allen Haye and Sekou Kromah.
Ducker transferred to Temple from Sam Houston State and will likely be the team’s top option — he rushed for 66 yards on 21 carries and was unable to find the endzone.
“I love [getting] the ball,” Ducker said. “I think Coach Walker’s offense is definitely, as a running back, what you want to do and where you want to go and you gonna get it. Whether it be in the backfield, you seeing a lot of empty, just catching, just a lot of inner spaces, like as a running back this is where you wanna be. I’m excited.”
TE
Simon had mixed results on his deep passes but tight end Ryder Kusch was the main beneficiary, racking up 55 yards on four receptions. One of Kusch’s bright spots came on a 32-yard pass in the fourth quarter.
The offense finally bested the defense on the final drive of the game which started at the 15-yard line. Simon faked a handoff to Ducker and gave it to tight end Peter Clarke instead. Clarke went four yards to the endzone to give the offense its only touchdown of the day.
Louisville
QB:
Transfer quarterback Miller Moss threw for 208 yards and one touchdown, while wide receiver Caullin Lacy had 99 yards receiving and one TD.
USC transfer Miller Moss started slow on Friday night.
But he warmed up and really had a nice outing, completing 18 of 26 passes for 208 yards and one TD with one interception. The interception was not his fault, Chris Bell bobbled a ball and had it taken away from him for the pick. The TD pass was to Caullin Lacy and that will be a very nice duo this season.
Moss is not Tyler Shough and he's not Jack Plummer but he has some really good things to like about his game.
He'll move better outside the pocket and I anticipate with a few more months in the meeting rooms that he'll make a big jump by the start of the season.
I remember walking away last year thinking that Shough was good but not great in the spring game. He was then great in the season.
It's kind of the same with Moss. He was just fine but I think he can be great in Brohm's offense - and perhaps with another weapon or two around him.
RB:
We only saw four carries for 10 yards from ACC Rookie of the Year Isaac Brown.
But wow the running game has looked really special for Louisville this spring and did in limited carries in the Spring Game.
Again, we know what Brown can do and he's going to be one of the best backs in the nation. But the stable of backs is deep with Duke Watson scoring the only rushing TD of the night on a 67-yard TD run in the first half. Watson averaged 16.8 yards a carry after leading the nation in yards per carry last season.
Keyjuan Brown went into the transfer portal and came back and the coaching staff is happy he did. Keyjuan Brown was as good or better than the other two on some days during spring ball and had seven carries for 33 yards in the Spring Game. He's going to be a major factor this season.
Oh, and watch out for Jamarice Wilder. He looked solid with 12 carries for 64 yards. He's a true freshman!
WR: