It’s Back to the Future for Aztecs as Freshmen Begin Indoctrination

The first days of fall football practice can be as much of a journey into the unknown for coaches as it is for the bewildered freshmen.

Those quick high school running backs don’t seem so quick. Offensive lineman often have a little more muscle from a summer of weight lifting, and a lot less baby fat.

And the coaches begin to wonder if those recruits brought in to bolster the program will suffice.

“Occasionally, you’re going to miss on someone,” said Doug Scovil, SDSU coach. “Fortunately, it is usually the other way around.”

But, after their fears begin to subside, the coaches come to the realization they are just happy to finally have the future of their program within shouting distance.

“It’s nice to see what you’ve got,” said Brian Billick, SDSU recruiting coordinator and receiving coach.

Billick and his colleagues will not have to wait any longer. This year’s group of freshmen and walk-on players report today and start practice Saturday. The varsity players report for their physicals Wednesday and begin practice Thursday.

“We’re a very well-rounded class,” Billick said of this season’s prospects. “We could field almost an entire team, position by position, with the players we have coming in.”

In the past, Scovil has redshirted most of his incoming freshmen and junior college transfers. Billick said 28 of 30 players who entered the program last season became redshirts. This season, the Aztecs have 30 new players--18 freshmen, 7 community college transfers and 5 walk-on players.

Position-by-position, there are eight defensive backs, eight linebackers, four running backs (three of whom are walk-ons), three offensive linemen, three defensive linemen, two tight ends, one wide receiver and one quarterback.

Three of the freshmen who signed letters of intent to attend SDSU are not academically eligible to enter the university. They are running back Brian Brown of Elk Grove High School, offensive tackle Lief Dodson of Vintage High in Napa and Brad Ragsdale of Wasson High in Colorado Springs. Billick said quarterback Desmond Cerceo of Granada Hills High will not enter the university this semester, but is expected to enroll in the school at a later date. Linebacker Mike Halvorsen of Elk Grove will not enroll at SDSU because of personal problems.

Billick said three, four or five of the new players may get to play on the special teams and the rest will redshirt. This season, the Aztecs will have 92 or 93 players, finally coming close to the NCAA maximum of 95. This will make it even more difficult for freshmen to play.

“It’s very difficult for freshmen to come in to a Division 1 program and make an immediate impact,” Billick said.

The Aztecs, who were 4-7-1 last season, are in the fifth season of Scovil’s five-year rebuilding program. That means Scovil won’t hesitate to use anyone who can immediately help the team.

The players the Aztec coaches think are most likely to make immediate contributions are community college transfers.

--Junior defensive back David Price: A 6-foot 2-inch, 185-pounder from Santa Monica College. Price originally signed with the Aztecs out of Long Beach Poly High School and started against California his freshman season but left SDSU for personal reasons.

“He could make a definite impact,” Billick said. “He is an excellent athlete and a superior defensive back. I’d say he is as good a defensive back prospect as we’ve had here.”

--Junior tight end Robert Awalt: “He could possibly start,” Billick said of the Sacramento City College transfer. “He has good speed, is very intelligent, fluid and his strength is blocking.

“He’s a Hank Bauer-type guy. The only problem is he’s not the threat downfield we thought he would be.”

Billick expects Awalt, a 6-foot 5-inch, 240-pounder who played in a wishbone offense at Sacramento City, to challenge senior Jim Laughton, who caught 15 passes for 91 yards last season, for the starting tight end spot.

--Junior linebacker Kris Jensen: “Based on spring practice, he’s the player that has a chance to play the most this year,” Billick said of the 6-foot 3-inch, 240-pound transfer from Arizona’s Glendale College.

Billick said the freshmen players most likely to make the special teams are linebackers John Foster from Christian Bros. High and Sean Harper from Compton High, defensive back Lyndon Earley from Gardena High and John Wesselman from West Torrance High. Earley and Wesselman started in the defensive backfield in the Los Angeles Shrine All-Star game in July. Incoming defensive linemen or wide receivers have the best shot at getting playing time, according to Scovil. He singled out wide receiver Colin Sumner of Miramonte High in Orinda as having a chance at starting.

The only quarterback among the 30 incoming players is Rob Hawkins, who signed late out of Enid High in Oklahoma. The 6-foot 5-inch Hawkins, was all-state in basketball and football, and wanted to play basketball.

“He wasn’t getting the recognition from colleges in basketball,” Billick said, “and he realized bigger people wanted him as a football player. He played in a veer offense in high school, and is an extremely good athlete with good feet and a strong arm. He needs to be polished somewhat.”

Billick is hopeful Hawkins will become the team’s third-string quarterback, behind Todd Santos and Jim Plum.

“It’s a long shot and a lot to ask of a freshman,” Billick said, “but he would gain the experience of going to all the games.”

However, before the games start, the coaches and freshmen will undergo a transition period of getting to know one another.

“It’s a time to make them feel comfortable,” Scovil said. “We can go more slowly and teach them the system. We spend more time meeting than out on the field because you can only practice so long when you have 23 guys.”

When the players are not practicing, they are moving into dorms and getting acclimated to the campus and to San Diego.

“The players go through the typical inexperiences of youth,” Billick said. “Fortunately, the freshmen can get the kind of personal attention they won’t get when the other players come in. The race quadruples when the varsity comes in.”