Anthony Jones has won 49 games in six seasons at Alabama A&M.

July 7, 2008

By any measure, it would seem that Alabama A&M head football coach Anthony Jones has built a program that expects success in his six years at the helm of the Bulldogs. In each of those six seasons, A&M has won at least seven games and reached the SWAC Championship Game three times, winning the title in 2006.  Entering the 2008 season, the Bulldogs have plenty of reasons to believe the run of success will continue on “The Hill.”

Jones returns two All-America recipients in senior defensive back Al Donaldson, who led the nation in interceptions a year ago and earned first-team NCAA Division I-FCS honors from the American Football Coaches Association, and junior running back Ulysses Banks, who as a freshman led the nation in kickoff return average and earned All-America honors.  As a sophomore, Banks earned first-team all-SWAC honors as a first-year starter at tailback.

The Bulldogs are also deep in several areas on both sides of the ball. Four starting offensive linemen return, including two all-SWAC selections in senior Darius Turner and junior center Xavier Manuel.  Junior wide receiver Thomas Harris led the SWAC in receiving yards as a sophomore despite missing out on any post-season honors. The defensive backfield includes Donaldson and another all-SWAC performer, senior cornerback Frank Moore.  Junior defensive end Jeremy Maddox continued the Bulldogs’ strong tradition of speed rushers by leading the SWAC in sacks a year ago and earning first-team all-conference accolades.  The special teams are led by two all-conference kickers in junior punter Rashan Cylar and junior placekicker Jeremy Licea.

For an inside look at those answers, following is a position-by-position outlook at the 2008 Alabama A&M football team.

Quarterback – Sophomore Kevin Atkins is the only returning quarterback on the Bulldogs’ preseason roster.  He appeared in five games a year ago and did not complete a pass in just two attempts.  None of that, however, has Jones fearing the worst entering the season.  Still, the Bulldogs will rely on Atkins and a couple of true freshmen signees at the position.

“Our quarterback situation is what it is. When we recruited Kevin, the coaches thought he would be very capable of leading our team when it became his time.  Now is that time, and we have no doubt that he is ready for the challenge.”

Tailback – The Bulldogs are as deep at tailback as any position on the roster. Banks is the headliner, but he is spelled quite adequately by sophomore Anthony Green.  Banks finished the 2007 season with 887 yards on the ground and nine touchdowns.  He added another two touchdowns with his 20 pass receptions, including a season-long 70-yard scoring strike.  Green rushed for 449 and five scores.  Each averaged over five yards per carry.  Look for Sylvester Steward and Eric Hudson to also see time in the A&M backfield in 2008.

Fullback – Sophomore Roger Smith moved from the defensive line in the spring and made quite an impact as a good fit at the position.  Entering the season, he is the only fullback listed on the Bulldog roster.

Wide Receiver – Along with tailback, the Bulldogs are as deep at receiver as anywhere else on the field. Harris caught 50 passes for 916 yards and seven touchdowns in 2007.  Senior Gerald Stockdale is a steady receiver with size that caught 22 passes a year ago for 229 yards and three scores.  Sophomore Rashad Johnson had a breakout season in his rookie campaign as a big-play receiver.  He caught just 17 balls, but turned four of those receptions into touchdowns.  The Bulldogs also get back Anthony Mitchell, who missed the 2007 season, but caught 20 passes for 205 yards and three touchdowns in 2006.  Nate Baxter and Quintin Carlock are also young players who should break into the lineup in 2008.

Tight End – The Bulldogs have to replace more collective talent at tight end than anywhere else in the lineup. Gone are All-America Charles Moody and NFL prospect John Smith, who combined to catch 52 passes a year ago at the tight end spot.  The future looks bright with junior Todd Leichtfuss and sophomore Jeremy Cunningham.  Leichtfuss is a special teams anchor that has seen plenty of playing time at long snapper in two seasons, and Cunningham is a transfer from Mississippi State who now has a full year with the A&M program.

Offensive Line – Four starters return from a line that helped build an offensive attack that led the SWAC in total offense in 2007. Along with Turner at left tackle and Manuel at center, the Bulldogs return starters in junior right guard Charles Meade and sophomore left guard Russell Jackson.  Look for senior Anquez Jackson to fill the open starting spot left by the graduation of all-SWAC selection James Sanders at right tackle.  Listed on the preseason two-deep as well are Phillip Thomas, Emmett Williams, and Michael Johnson.

Defensive Line – Maddox solidifies the rushing attack for the Bulldogs at end finishing with 9.0 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss last season.  Senior Byron Wilson is listed at the top of the two-deep at the other end spot. He and Brian Christian, along with Justin Okpara are expected to see significant time in 2008.  Senior Whitney Garrett and junior Renaldo Askew enter the season as the top two tackles. Garrett finished with 8.5 tackles-for-loss and 4.0 sacks a year ago.  Frank Kearse and Marcus Powe lead a talented group of reserves heading into the season.

Linebacker – Of the three starters a year ago, gone are the two top tacklers on the team in Carlton Rice and Avery Moland, and the number five tackler in Antonio Nelson.  Still, the Bulldogs have options at linebacker entering the 2008 season. Senior Quinton Holmes steadily improved his game over the final portion of the 2007 season and will be looked upon to lead the linebacker corps. Sophomore Afu Okosun finished with 38 tackles, 5.0 tackles-for-loss, and 2.0 sacks last season as a back-up.  Senior Bobby McClain, who had 26 tackles a year ago, moves back to the weak side position and brings with him a wealth of talent and experience.  David Gaines and Justin Hammonds are also listed on the preseason two-deep.

Defensive Back – Donaldson is the headliner with his 51 tackles, 11 pass break-ups, and eight interceptions from a year ago.  Moore and junior Maurice Thomas are steady at cornerback.  Moore struggled last season, but earned all-SWAC honors with six picks in 2006.  Thomas was fourth on the team in tackles a year ago with 45.  Senior Darian Payne is the top returning player at strong safety.  He recorded 23 tackles last season.  Other Bulldogs in the mix for playing time are corners Korey Morrison and Chris Faush, and safeties Justin Borden, Marcus Thomas, and Julius Pruitt.

Special Teams – The Bulldogs return all-SWAC performers in Licea and Cylar.  Licea’s 76.2 field goal percentage (16-21) was tops in the SWAC a year ago.  He also hit 38 of 42 PAT attempts.  Cylar’s punting average (39.6) was only the fifth-best in the SWAC, but 19 of his 57 punts were downed inside the opponents’ 20-yard-line last season, including a long punt of 64 yards.