Inspecting the first official UTSA football roster

Usually seen as a team-killer, the majority of the attrition UTSA has "suffered" since the release of its first official roster has been a benefit. Following the sudden and mysterious departure of starting offensive tackle Drew Phillips, only 36% of those 69 players are still on the roster. Sure, the losses of dudes like Phillips and Marlon Smith hurt, but the overwhelming majority of losses are non-DI talent from the likes of undersized and slow walk-ons. Comparing walk-ons from two years ago to legitimate DI athletes like Aaron Grub and Jerry Bynum is pretty hard to do. Additionally, many of the players that have been dismissed were trouble-makers or suffered from poor attitudes. Team chemistry is always important, but incredibly more-so on a fragile start-up program.

Most interesting to me is some of the insane size changes these guys have seen. Defensive tackle Richard Burge has gone from 235 pounds to 275! Crosby Adams added an inch of height and 15 pounds. Cole Hubble is up 20 pounds. 25 pounds for Earon Holmes. The list goes on and on.

There were quite a few noticable position changes on the most current roster. Walk-on Cade Laufer has moved from QB to TE. Baylor transfer Robert Singletary will wisely try to see the field at defensive end next year. All-district Houston running back Jerry Bynum will join the Roadrunners as a wide receiver.

Side note: Noticed Jeremy Hall is missing from the roster and depth chart. Judging from his Twitter account, he still seems to be active on the team. If I were to guess he needs to pass a summer class to regain eligibility before he can get back on to the field, and that may be the case for several player. Hall's absence is good news for new comers like Maurice Poullard, Ja'len James, and Tre Rosser. Walk-on CB Godwin Wyche is also off the roster. Not sure if he's still playing or not. Those are precious reps for guys that need to prove their worth before the season starts.

Sit tight for another two weeks until summer classes end, and pray Drew Phillips is a temporary academic casualty.

Side note deux: Pfleugerville Connally LB Michael Egwuagu plans to commit to UTSA next week. Hat tip to Javi on that one.

Side note trois: PODCAST COMING BACK TOMORROW MAYBE


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UTSA Lands Three New Commits

In a huge recruiting weekend at a crucial point in the offseason, UTSA has landed three commitments to solidify, and nearly wrap up, the '12 recruiting cycle.

Image via Paris News

H.B. Rosser - Clarksville HS

Rosser was a Kansas commit up until yesterday. We reported him as on campus for an official visit this weekend, and according to Kenny Harrison, Rosser has committed to the Roadrunners. Rivals seems to show that Tre (H.B.) had his scholarship offer from KU pulled. Kansas message boards seems to show that the Jayhawks have no idea what happened. (EDIT: Apparently Rosser had a mutual parting of the ways with Kansas after their coaching change. Good call Tre.)

We can assume that Harrison and Rosser are pretty close, since they grew up playing ball with each other just a few towns away and I'm sure Coker set up one of the East Texas boys as Rosser's host for the weekend as well. Tre is a very dynamic player who stands at 5'10 and 170 pounds with a 4.5 second forty yard dash. Not sure what position the Roadrunners recruited Rosser for. Just know he is capable of playing cornerback, quarterback, safety, and wide receiver.

Armando Alvarez - Blinn

Maurice Poullard - Blinn

Finally, UTSA gets the JUCO offensive line help that they have so desperately sought after. Alvarez stands at 6'4, 300 pounds and is expected to come in and start at the offensive guard slot. Poullard was a bit of a late bloomer that developed into a strong defender at Blinn. His commitment gives UTSA three experienced and dependable options at cornerback (Brown, Starling, Poullard).

Be sure to read Dan McCarney's latest for more information on the two Blinn product's recruitment

EDIT: And in case you weren't on Twitter yesterday evening, we learned from our friends at Bobcatreport.com that the UTSA/TXST football game in the 'Dome this year is tentatively scheduled for Thanksgiving weekend. We're excited too, but keep your pants zipped up, please.

Official Visits 1/20

Official visitation season is upon us, and UTSA is hosting several athletes this weekend. I can confirm that, among others, Zach Conque, H.B. Rosser, Maurice Poullard, and Derrick Kindred are currently on campus.

H.B. Rosser has a verbal commitment to Kansas, along with offers from Arkansas and UTSA. He's a three star cornerback on Rivals but played many positions for Clarksville in high school, including an illustrious quarterbacking career. You can see some of his various talents on display in the video embedded above (Rosser is #2).

Maurice Poullard is a 5'10, 190 pound defensive back from Blinn via Dobie HS in Houston. Similarly, Derrick Kindred is a two star CB/OLB/RB from Wagner HS with offers from SMU, Iowa St., UNT, and Texas State. Kindred stands at 5'11, 190 pounds and shows great versatility.