Who's On First?

Nearly a dozen players switched positions for the Temple football team this spring. Which moves were temporary and which are going to stick? To some degree, that depends on the impact of Coach Al Golden’s new recruits. Here’s an educated guess at where the spring switchers will be playing this fall.

Marquise Liverpool (TB) – Now listed as the starting tailback, Liverpool’s lack of height seemed to limit his impact as a wide receiver. Can the former blue-chip recruit make it work at tailback? Consider this: He’s just as tall as former Owl tailback Tim Brown.

Don’t judge Liverpool by his numbers in the Cherry and White game (15 carries, 26 yards). With only four practice sessions under his belt, he wasn’t on the same page as quarterback Vaughn Charlton on multiple handoffs. Their timing was awful, which is something they discussed on the sidelines. But that will get better with repetition.

Liverpool has speed, he can avoid tacklers, and he has a burst. He could eventually help the team as a tailback or a wide receiver. His primary position probably depends on the impact of Joe Jones or one of this year’s tailback recruits. Until one or two of those guys prove themselves, look for Liverpool to stay at tailback.

Jason Harper (WR) – Essentially, the Owls pulled a switcheroo with Harper and Liverpool. With broad shoulders, a powerful stride, and a 5-9 frame, Harper just doesn’t look the part as a wide receiver. But he has proven himself a capable pass catcher (22 receptions last year).

With tremendous acceleration and the ability to make the first guy miss, Harper is an intriguing target in open space, as he demonstrated with a pair of big plays in the Cherry and White Game. The question remains: How many catches can he make against quality man coverage?

Furthermore, wouldn’t Harper help the team more if he was still playing tailback? Without him, the Owls have zero game experience in the backfield. Golden mentioned Harper’s ability as a blocker as an asset that he brings to the receiver position. Wouldn’t it help more to have an experienced blocker in the backfield? Maybe Harper was still fumbling too much in practice. Maybe the receivers, aside from Bruce Francis and Dy’Onne Crudup, are woeful blockers.

In many ways, this move defies explanation. Considering the tenuous nature of the tailback position, particularly for this team, it says here that Harper will migrate back to the backfield in 2008.

Andre Douglas (RG) – Expected to make an immediate impact at guard after transferring in from Rhode Island, Douglas played right tackle out of necessity last season, and his performance was rather ordinary. He did start every game (on the worst offensive line in the MAC). Still, there’s no reason to think he won’t flourish at guard in 2008. He’s big and strong and he can move.

With Derek Dennis joining Jabari Ferguson and Devin Tyler at the tackle spots, and at least two freshman tackles joining the team in August, it seems unlikely that the Owls will need to move Douglas away from his natural position.

Derek Dennis (LT) – Another much-hyped recruit, Dennis lived up to expectations, earning the starting right guard job as a true freshman. This spring, he moved to left tackle, where Ferguson and Tyler have traded responsibilities for more than a year. Dennis won the job.

Probably the most versatile starter on the OL, Dennis can’t match Tyler’s wingspan, but his strength and tenacity make him a perfect candidate to protect the quarterback’s blind side. The Owls are excited about this year’s new recruits and expect some of them (including Sean Boyle and Steve Caputo) to be playing sooner rather than later. So, eventually, Dennis might move back inside. But count on him staying at tackle this fall.

Daryl Robinson (CB) – There’s not much to analyze here. Robinson proved himself an effective tailback last season. But his potential at cornerback is sky-high. The question this offseason isn’t whether he’ll stay at cornerback, where he quickly earned a starting role, but how much he’ll be utilized as a two-way threat. Robinson lined up as a slot receiver on at least one occasion in the Cherry and White Game.

Wallace Bates (DE) – With every job available at linebacker last season, Bates didn’t play a down. The former Oregon State signee was injured, fell behind everyone else, and never caught up. This spring, the linebacking corps grew up, so Bates moved to defensive end. It’s the same move Junior Galette made a year ago.

Bates was credited with eight tackles and three sacks in the Cherry and White Game. Keep in mind, however, that he was matched up against the second-string and third-string tackle. He’s still got a long way to go to jump ahead of Galette, Morris Blueford, Brian Sanford, or Leyon Azubuike. But right now he looks like a heck of a third-stringer. There’s no way he’ll move back to linebacker.

Others: You can’t really classify new arrivals James Nixon and Jared Williams as position-switchers. They both got a look at wide receiver and tailback this spring. Look for Nixon at wideout and Williams at tailback when the Owls start preseason camp. Similarly, Crudup and Travis Shelton finished up as slot receivers this spring. Don’t expect to see Shelton back at running back, where he filled a specialist role last season. Crudup may return to an outside receiver position, depending on the progress of others. But what’s the difference, anyway? They all catch the ball.