/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/54278815/627423922.1492305370.jpg)
Spring football has come and gone for the Trojans and it was another successful session for Neal Brown’s program. With the Trojans finishing on their T-Day festivities on Saturday, we’re here to put a recap on how they grew as a program in these 15 practices. Let’s break it down!
Growth at Quarterback
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8348697/630483472.jpg)
As you read in our Troy Spring Preview, All-Sun Belt QB Brandon Silvers was being held out for a mysterious hand injury and it was important that Troy build depth here this spring. Silvers will enter the fall as a senior and it will be his final season on campus.
After today’s scrimmage, it looks like Sawyer Smith will be the next passer for the Trojans. Smith finished the day 9-for-15 for 161 yards. Although the completion percentage is not great, you have to love the 10.7 yards per attempt and Smith seemed to pretty comfortable in the pocket. The three-star prospect out of Florida has to have the staff feeling pretty comfortable with him going forward. Kaleb Barker will finish the spring as QB3 and he finished the day 5-for-8 for 38 yards and one pick.
Best Backfield in the Sun Belt
Everyone knows about Jordan Chunn and he is a huge season away from becoming the program’s all-time leading rusher. But the star here could be Jamarius Henderson. We hyped him up pre-spring and Henderson did not let us down as he was the best player on the field this Saturday. The Memphis transfer finished the day with 84 yards on the ground on only eight carries. The explosive runner got 51 yards on this play here:
Jamarius Henderson breaks free for a 51-yard gain. pic.twitter.com/JQYjeU1TA5
— Troy Football ⚔x10 (@TroyTrojansFB) April 15, 2017
With this guy in the backfield, the Sun Belt’s best offense just got even better.
Another Weapon At Receiver
It’s no secret that Troy is absolutely loaded at WR. The Trojans return all of their receiving production from last season and this Air Raid offense has the potential to be one of the best passing attacks in all of college football. But after today, it looks like this position has gotten even stronger. Damion Willis was the star of the day behind Henderson, as the JUCO transfer reeled in four catches for 86 yards. The East Mississippi product was one of the gems of the 2017 class and he’s going to be a nice asset for this offense to use this fall. Willis’ 6-foot-4 frame gives Troy a dimension it previously did not have on its roster and he could be a huge red zone target this fall.
Replacing Production at Linebacker
Troy fielded a very competent defense last year and a big reason for that was the play of the linebackers. Troy lost three of their top five tacklers in William Lloyd, Terris Lewis, and Justin Lucas and finding replacements was one of the priorities this spring.
These three caused a lot of damage for opposing offenses and it was vital for defensive coordinator Vic Koenning to find the future this spring. Redshirt freshman Terrance Corbett looks like a guy that could step up and help fill a role. The Athens, Alabama, native will play Koenning’s bandit position which is hybrid role of a player that can run like a safety but has size of a linebacker. Checking in at 6’4” and 216 pounds, Corbett seems to have some legit potential. As we talked about after Signing Day, the Trojans have some legit prospects coming in the fall that could see the field as true frosh.
The Future Is Bright
You have to feel pretty confident as a fan about this Troy program moving forward. The Trojans are absolutely loaded on offense and should put points up on anybody. The defense has some holes to fill, but there are All-conference potential performers on that side of the ball and Koenning is one of the best defensive minds in the Sun Belt. Things are setting up to be an historic year down in Troy, Alabama this fall.