Fresno State quick hits: Questions at tackle, quarterback clearing
In rounding out an offensive line group to take into the season, Fresno State was stuck for a bit with its next tackle into a game behind starters Christian Cronk and David Patterson.
But third-year sophomore Nick Aibuedefe has moved up on a list of options that includes freshmen Syrus Tuitele and Quireo Woodley and junior college transfer Cody Pound, and could become a key piece on that line.
“Nick has done a really good job this camp and is in the mix,” coach Jeff Tedford said. “He’s tall, long-armed guy. We’re trying to keep some weight on him, but he’s athletic, which is what we like about him, and he’s smart. He has done a good job.”
Aibuedefe and Tuitele have been working with the No. 2 offense at left and right tackle.
Quarterback call – The Bulldogs have not announced a starting quarterback for their Sept. 2 opener against Incarnate Word. Chason Virgil, who started the first 10 games of the 2016 season, has taken the majority of reps with the No. 1 offense. But it would not be a surprise to see junior college transfer Jorge Reyna or Oregon State transfer Marcus McMaryion against the Cardinals, depending on how that game plays out.
McMaryion has been with the Bulldogs since Aug. 11 and in only 13 practices, but has enough of the offense to play.
“He could see time, for sure,” Tedford said. “But, again, that depends on how the week goes, how the game plan goes, how the game progresses and so on and so forth.”
High ceiling – Aibuedefe came to Fresno State as a walk-on and started his career on the defensive line, making the switch to tackle due to injuries on the offensive line. Weight has been an issue – Aibuedefe is 6-foot-4 and 270 pounds. But Tedford said there is a high ceiling there.
“If he keeps going and puts weight on, he’ll push to start one day,” Tedford said. “He has potential to do that.”
On Johnson – Tedford on cornerback Johnny Johnson, the Central High product and graduate transfer from UCLA: “He has been great, bringing the experience and knowledge that he has, his football savvy. He’s a great leader out there. He’s so instinctive out there. You can really tell that he has played a lot of football. He has been a great addition to our team in all kinds of ways. He’s a great leader, works really hard. He has been a real pleasure to have here.”
Shrinking into big role – Jeffrey Allison continues to rep with the No. 1 defense at Mike linebacker, and is another testament to the Bulldogs’ summer strength and conditioning program.
The sophomore had offseason shoulder surgery and did not go through spring practices or workouts and his weight shot up. He was, he said, 272 pounds at one point. By the time fall camp started he had cut about 25 pounds.
“Being out, it was kind of tough,” he said. “But my teammates really pushed me to get back in shape. I was working every day. They made sure I got back in the weight room, made sure my mind was straight. The coaches were making everything good, checking on me. Everything is good now.”
Robert Kuwada: @rkuwada
This story was originally published August 27, 2017 at 3:15 PM with the headline "Fresno State quick hits: Questions at tackle, quarterback clearing."