AZTEC NOTEBOOK / SCOTT MILLER : Hammond Has Tools to Be SDSU’s Next Freshman Sensation

The plan was to keep the freshmen on defense as long as possible.

So on Saturday, the beginning of two-a-days for San Diego State football veterans, there was freshman Scott Hammond, working at wide receiver.

So much for defensive back.

And no need to explain that smile on the face of receivers’ coach Curtis Johnson.

“He’s a good player,” Johnson said. “Real fast. Good speed and a big, big target. He learns quickly. He’s a real smart young man.”

And another prospect who could make Johnson, 30, look like a smart young coach.

A Parade All-American from Lincoln High, Hammond visited Washington, Oklahoma and Fresno State before settling on SDSU for its proximity to home. He’s got both size (6 feet 3, 190 pounds) and speed. He ran a 10.55 in one 100-meter race last spring.

Last year, Marshall Faulk, Darnay Scott and Wayne Pittman stormed out of the redshirt area and into the Aztec starting lineup. Is Hammond preparing for a similar run?

“I haven’t really thought of it that way,” he said, smiling. “I feel if I perform good, I should be able to play. If I’m one of the best, I should be able to play.”

Hammond also worked as a punt returner in practice on Saturday, and his newfound prospects of working on offense have made him happy.

“I’m pleased with the move,” he said. “I didn’t ask--they just told me.”

Although Hammond said he hasn’t been told, he plans to remain on offense for a long time.

“I’m not sure, but I feel I’m here for the remainder of the year,” he said.

Part of the reason he was switched can be attributed to the play three fellow freshmen--Michael Driver (Point Loma High), Freddie Edwards (Antelope Valley) and Leonard Jones (Carver High in New Orleans).

SDSU Coach Al Luginbill thinks all three have a shot at what is the easiest position to break into this fall--the Aztec secondary.

“They all will be force-fed,” Luginbill said. “We’ll get them in pads and see what they can do. If they can’t hang mentally, we’ll back off.”

But Hammond’s own offensive ability--he caught 35 passes for a 23.3-yard average at Lincoln last year--also caught his coaches’ attention.

“After watching him for four days through conditioning, we felt he can help us at (wide receiver),” Luginbill said. “I don’t about this year, but certainly down the line.

“He’s got all the speed and athleticism you look for at that spot, plus size and excellent hands.”

Luginbill cautioned that it is still too early to decide as to whether Hammond can help the team this year or if the Aztecs will redshirt him.

“We still won’t know until he gets the pads on, that’s the key,” Luginbill said. “Can he handle the grind and the intensity?”

Hammond was noticeably worn down by the second practice on Saturday. He is not yet used to the precision routes that must be run at the college level or, for that matter, the extra intensity level.

“I’m going to go back to my room, ice my hamstrings and rest until morning,” Hammond said at the end of the day.

Same routine as he had in high school two-a-days, huh?

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “Didn’t have to then. Here, it seems kind of mandatory to get some rest.”

Fred Harris, SDSU’s prize recruit who learned last week he has not qualified for NCAA admission standards for a second consecutive year, has applied to SDSU under the Equal Opportunity Program (EOP), according to his coaches.

“If he gets in here, he’s going to school here,” said Johnson, who recruited Harris and has remained close to the Harris family. “If not, he’ll sit out another year.

“He wants to be here. He wants to play.”

Harris, a linebacker who was the high school player of the year in Lousiana two seasons ago, still cannot play this season even if he is admitted to SDSU under the program. Harris was discovered to have a learning disability last spring, according to Luginbill.

He had already been admitted to SDSU as a “special admit” in 1991 but decided to sit out last season when his ACT and SAT scores were not high enough to satisfy NCAA eligibility standards.

Camp Notes

The Aztecs have moved redshirt freshman Zach Patterson from outside linebacker to defensive line and are taking a look at redshirt freshman DeAndre Maxwell at H-back. . . . Junior H-back Will Tate sat out the rest of the day after re-injuring a knee in the morning practice. The Aztecs do not believe the injury is serious.