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BALTIMORE, Md. (August 2, 2024) -- The unmistakable sign of fall's approach is the opening of college football fall camp. For Morgan State University, Thursday marked the first day of practice, signaling the start of the countdown to the highly anticipated season. With the return of experienced players and the addition of promising newcomers, the Bears are eager to build upon the momentum of last year's campaign.
As with any new season, there are uncertainties and position battles to be resolved. Damon Wilson's coaching staff will be closely evaluating players in various roles to determine their optimal fit within the team's schemes. These battles will not only shape the depth chart but also provide opportunities for players to showcase their abilities and stake their claim for starting positions.
The 2024 Bears worked out in shells and shorts for two hours. Below is a transcript of Wilson's comments following practice.
How has it been being back on the field for fall practice?
It was great. It was great just to be around the guys. And it was good to be around one another and work for a common goal for the 2024 season...And that's to win the championship.
How is it working with such a large group of quarterbacks?
Yes, we have five, which is good. And there's some great competition at that position. Tahj [Smith] is a guy that we're starting with, and the other guys are going to push him. It's been a long time since I've had that, because usually it's just one quarterback. So everybody has to be prepared to play and I think we have guys, a couple guys that are going to be able to do the job.
Where has Tahj made the most improvements?
His overall knowledge and confidence of the offense. He's a guy that we implemented for a new offense in February. So he went through spring ball and went through all summer running plays with the guys. So just understanding the ins and outs of the offense.
Can you tell me about the players who you expect to take the leadership role this season?
I think we have several, defensively. We want to start with Elijah Williams and Eric Hunter and call on these guys to kind of be our main face of defensive guys. Offensively, Da'Jour Dixon has had a great offseason and is leading the offensive linemen. We feel really good about what he's bringing to the table. Andre Crawley is another guy that we count on also for leadership, but I think we have a number of guys that have the ability to make plays and take advantage of things within those situations.
How much faster and stronger is this team?
I was really proud of these guys when Dr. [Tredell] Dorsey gave us the numbers after summer conditioning. A number of guys' bench press and power clean numbers went up. We had roughly 90% of our team around all summer long. So I anticipate that to show up at some point during the season when we need it.
Tell me a little bit about your group of running backs.
We have 10 in camp. We have some guys that have some experience. We also have some inexperienced guys, but I think all of those guys are talented. So it's wide open on who's going to be the guy, but we have several guys who feel really confident right now.
Who is the guy that is going to bring the most energy to the team?
Who's going to bring the most energy to the team? That's a great question. We don't have a whole lot of vocal guys. But I think all in all, we have a number of guys that bring energy every day. I'm bringing effort towards the noisiest guy...I guess that will probably be James Anthony. He's constantly running his mouth and guys feed off of that sometimes. So I think he'll bring some energy.
Tell me a little bit about your seniors this season.
We have a number of seniors. We have a number of guys who're already in graduate school and a number of grads that graduate after this fall semester. Those guys have done a great job in the classroom and those guys have done a great job of leading the program. So I'm really excited about those guys and the leadership people.
Aleshia Robinson contributed to his release.
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ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering nearly 140 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.
