(Written by kencraw)

Here are some of the story-lines from practice since my last post:

1. The backup quarterback position still looks no more resolved than it did a week ago. If anything it’s more up in the air as Tedford has added Bryan Van Meter name to the list of possible backups. Van Meter is a junior and has been mostly overlooked ever since Longshore established himself as the best QB in 2005. When Longshore got hurt and “Booya backwards” took over, it cemented Van Meter’s spot in the back of people’s memory banks. Tedford definitely threw a wrench in everyone’s expectations by bringing his make into the discussion.
2. Two starters have been named on the defensive line. Rulon Davis got the spot many were thinking he’d take on the inside and Tyson Alualu although written in ink as a starter is only penciled in on the inside. Mika Kane, Tad Smith and Cody Jones look to be fighting for that last starting spot but will likely get plenty of playing time during the season as the coaching staff indicated that they will be rotating players in and out more this year. Overall things are looking up on the defensive line.
3. Along those lines, the defensive line has impressed some with their ability to get into the backfield, particulary in scrimages. From my vantage point I’m not sure if that’s a positive for the defensive line or an indication that the offensive line hasn’t gelled yet or is weaker than we fear. Generally speaking, its been very quiet on the news front for the offensive line. Again, I’m not sure if that’s a good or a bad thing.
4. Speaking of scrimages, to date the offense has been the better of the two units. This is really no surprise.
5. Although it is to be expected, the list of injuries continues to grow. The biggest hit is that starting fullback Will Ta’ufo’ou is going to be sidelined for about a month with a knee injury (MCL). It’s particularly worrisome because his backups, Brian Holley and Zack Smith, are pretty fresh and how long it can take knee injuries to heal. Most of the other injuries have either been minor in nature or to players that don’t figure into the mix much.
6. On the depth plus side, this year looks to have the highest number of true fresmen who won’t redshirt in Tedford’s tenure. As many as five will be playing this year including running backs Best and Shane Vareen, defensive end Cameron Jordon and cornerback Chris Conte who started in Syd’Quans spot as he sat out a day for a minor injury.
7. Finally, speaking of true freshmen, Jahvid Best continues to impress. His teammates have been calling him Jahvid the Jet and the coaching staff continues to rave about him making all of the comparisions to Lynch and even Reggie Bush that raise people’s eyebrows.