By Tyler Wooten
GoSycamores.com
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – The heat of the Dog Days of August can only mean one thing: football training camp is here. Indiana State opened its own camp this past afternoon at a hot first day of practice for the 2016 season.
1. It was a fairly hot day at Memorial Stadium on Friday, but none of the devastating humidity of a couple weeks prior. Clouds rolled in late to help cool things off momentarily, but the Sycamores practiced in the sun for most of what turned out to be a beautiful, warm Friday afternoon.
2. Of course, the Sycamores aren't in pads yet and won't be until the end of their acclimation period. That said, Indiana State didn't waste any time. The pace and urgency of practice were both in midseason form, and should only intensify once the Sycamores pad-up.
3. One of the big questions heading into camp is who will start for the Sycamores at quarterback. Among the contenders are true freshmen Zach Larkin (6-5, 200, Hamilton, Ohio/Badin HS) and Cade Sparks (6-4, 195, Fontana, Calif./Summit HS), FBS transfer Aaron Young of Wyoming (6-2, 198, Sacramento, Calif/Vista del Lago HS) and returning letterwinner Isaac Harker (6-0, 195, Lebanon, Ind./Lebanon HS).
Not a whole lot to report on the quarterback battle this early in camp. All four received even snaps across the drills, and all four had solid days of work with their receivers.
4. Whoever wins the QB battle will have a legitimate NFL target to throw to in Robert Tonyan Jr. The senior wide receiver led all Sycamores in receiving in 2015 with 601 yards on 40 receptions and six touchdowns – which included a 117-yard, three touchdown performance that featured a SportsCenter Top-10 TD reception at Illinois State.
To scare opposing defenses even more, Tonyan appears to have had a very strong summer and looks poised for an excellent season.
5. However, teams probably won't be able to double Tonyan too much as the Sycamores will field a fairly deep wide receiver corps. Fellow senior Sampson Levingston also looks to have had a productive summer with a handful of spectacular catches on Friday. Other receivers teams will have to account for that impressed on Friday include Miles Thompson and newcomer Bob Pugh.
6. Senior Roland Genesy will shoulder a majority of the burden in the backfield following an unfortunate ACL injury to LeMonte Booker, but Genesy is no slouch. The senior transfer student from Glendale Community College led Indiana State in rushing last season with 582 yards on 117 carries and three touchdowns. Genesy was a bruising force for the Sycamores to combat Booker's quickness, and he proved very difficult to tackle at the line of scrimmage as he only lost five yards all season.
7. Until the Sycamores can truly start hitting each other, there isn't a whole lot to report on the defensive side of the ball. Indiana State loses some key difference-makers like Connor Underwood, Kendall Walker, Mark Sewall and Travis Starks, but return the likes of Jameer Thurman, Conlan Cassidy and Tsali Lough.
8. Another key piece of Indiana State's defense this season will be Lonnell Brown Jr. Brown played primarily as the nickelback in defensive coordinator Brian Cabral's scheme in 2015 and was a highly productive tackler and blitzer as a hybrid-type defender.
Anyone who is around on the sideline will immediately notice that Brown is one of the loudest and most consistent voices on the team. Some may label him a “smack talker,” but during camp at least it's more than that: he's trying to bring out the best in his teammates.
But when he has to show up, he can walk the walk as well. During 7-on-7 drills, after some mildly playful jawing with the receiver opposite him, Brown made a ferocious strip of the ball out of his hands and returned it all the way for a touchdown.
9. Single-game tickets for the 2016 season went on sale today. You can order them online HERE.
10. Training Camp picks back up tomorrow afternoon at 3 p.m. Stay tuned to 2016 Training Camp Central for more camp content on the Sycamores.
For the latest information on the Sycamore Football team, make sure to check out GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook and Twitter.
