June 18, 2007

With the ring ceremony and pomp from the successes of the 2006 SWAC Championship season in the rear-view mirror already, Alabama A&M head football coach Anthony Jones and his staff are preparing for 2007 and what some call the toughest thing to do in sports - repeat as a champion.  If the Bulldogs are going to do so, they will have to rely on a mixture of returning talent and newcomers at key positions.  A&M returns 13 starters from the championship team, but also loses some big names among those nine starters lost to graduation.

"We are going to be very young in some key spots," Jones said.  "But we also have veterans returning that are going to lead this team in an effort to try and win another championship."

Gone are names like Johnny Baldwin, Marcus Black, and Kevin Lockhart on the defensive side of the ball, and Nic Luke, Ta'mar Scott, Kevin Francis, Chris Franklin, Jeffery Johnson, and Kristian Smith on the offense.  Waiting in the wings are capable replacements for these former Bulldog standouts, along with the big names that already held spots.  Following is a position-by-position look at the 2007 Alabama A&M football team.

Offense
Quarterback - Kelcy Luke, who in two years as a starter has led the Bulldogs to back-to-back SWAC Championship Games, including last year's title game victory, returns for his senior season as the Bulldogs' field general.  Luke owns NCAA I-AA school records for completions (377) and passing yards (4389) and has also rushed for 1227 yards in his career.  Stanley Allen, who proved a viable backup in the 2006 Championship Game leading the Bulldogs to the go-ahead touchdown after Luke was injured in the third quarter, will serve as Luke's backup to begin the 2007 campaign.  Kevin Atkins and Jared Loftin also benefited from their first year in the program in 2006.

Runningback - The Bulldogs have only one player, Kevin Mccants at fullback, who has ever carried a rushing attempt in his career, and that was one carry for four yards.  A&M lost to graduation both starters and backups at tailback and fullback.

"We are starting all over in the backfield," Jones said.

Ironically, the Bulldogs have an All-America sophomore and first-team all-SWAC player to feature at tailback.  Ulysses Banks, who earned those accolades as a freshman after touching the ball just 14 times in the season.  Those 14 touches were all kickoff returns, where he averaged an NCAA-best 34.3 yards per return with two touchdowns.  Anthony Green is also expected to share time at tailback.  McCants and Generion McWhorter are listed on the two-deep at fullback.

Wide Receiver - The Bulldogs' mixture of youth and talent is evident at this position more than any other place on the team.  Thomas Harris enjoyed a break-out season as a freshman with 27 catches for 327 yards and two scores.  He secured a starting role late in the season after Emmanuel Edwards was injured.  Anthony Mitchell and Gerald Stockdale also bring a wealth of experience to the position.  Among the newcomers on which Jones will rely are Nate Baxter, Paul Kellum, and Qunitin Carlock.

Tight End - Alabama A&M has more depth at tight end than any other position.  Charles Moody is a two-time all-SWAC selection and his backup, John Smith, has all-conference talent.  Todd Leichtfus, who is also the team's long-snapper, made strides as a tight end in spring drills.

Offensive Line - The interior three starters from 2006, all of which received All-America or all-conference honors during their career, will need to be replaced.  The starting tackles return from a year ago in James Sanders and Darius Turner to bookend Charles Meade, Russell Jackson, and Phillip Thomas, who are the leading contenders at guard, and Xavier Manuel and Darrius Martin at center.

Defense
Defensive Line - Look for the loss of Lockhart up front to be filled by Whitney Garrett or David Winston.  Justin Harper keeps his starting role at tackle.  The end slots will be filled by starters from last season in Christopher Traylor and Dominic Cummings.  No player has made more sacks and tackles for loss in the past three seasons than Traylor.  Last season, despite missing four games, Traylor still managed team leading totals with 9.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss.  Jeremy Maddox and Justin Okpara also made great strides as newcomers in 2006 and will battle for playing time.

Linebacker - Avery Moland and Jimmy Richardson lead a talented group that needs to fill a big void with the graduation of Baldwin.  Antonio Nelson, Bobby McClain, and Dorian Waluyn provide solid play at the will linebacker position.  Moland was the team's second-leading tackler a year ago with 66 knockdowns.  He also compiled 6.5 tackles for loss and four sacks to go along with a team-high seven quarterback hurries.

Defensive Backs - Frank Moore, Stephan Tucker, Al Donaldson, Jonathan McConico, Darian Payne, and Maurice Thomas all have extensive experience in the backfield for the Bulldogs.  Moore recorded six interceptions last season, which led the SWAC.  Donaldson was the fourth-leading tackler on the team in 2006 with 48, and the top returning tackler behind Moland.  He also recorded a team-high for passes defended.