SAN ANTONIO -- UTSA held its fourth session of the fall practice season on Tuesday morning at the UTSA Football Practice Fields.
It marked the first practice as a full team and the first in full pads, after the first three practices were divided into morning and afternoon sessions in a split-squad format.
"First day of the full team together," UTSA head coach Frank Wilson said. "It's good to see 110 men all working toward the same goals. In the previous days, we have had divided practices, so we had a chance to come together today to set the temperament of our team."
On Tuesday, Wilson praised each level of the defensive unit, while speaking highly of the progress of the offensive attack.
"Our defensive line was outstanding today," Wilson said. "Andrew Martel made several big plays throughout the day. Our secondary did a good job of swarming to the ball. Jaylon Haynes was very noteworthy today, disruptive, hard to block on this day. We did some things good offensively. Frank Harris threw and ran the ball well, and took care of it, while moving the offense up and down the field. I like our team. We are making the right strides, (but) still a lot of work to do."
UTSA will continue training camp throughout the week and will host media day on Saturday. The first chance for fans to see the Roadrunners will be Aug. 17 for Runners at the Park, presented by Methodist Texsan Hospital, at Park West Athletics Complex, which will feature an open practice and an autograph session.
The Roadrunners open the 2019 season on Aug. 31, hosting Incarnate Word at 5 p.m. at the Alamodome. For tickets, call or text 210-458-UTSA (8872) or visit goUTSA.com/tickets.
Martel headlines youthful linebacker unit
The Roadrunners must replace each of their top four tacklers from 2018, including starting linebackers Josiah Tauaefa (113 tackles, 11 TFL, 4.5 sacks) and Les Maruo (86 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 2 sacks). Tauaefa, who signed a free-agent deal with the New York Giants, was a three-year tackling machine for the Roadrunners, totaling 257 stops to rank second in school history.
"We have a lot of new faces there," Wilson said. "Andrew Martel is the guy that has stood out for us. We have some other guys, that have just come in, that are not at the speed we would desire for them to be, as could be expected because there is so much mentally. Physically, we have guys that we want all over the place, but there is a mental part of it that goes with it to unlock that physical attribute."
With the departure of a pair of stalwarts at the linebacker position, senior Andrew Martel's addition to the position group comes at a crucial time. He made the move from safety to linebacker prior to the start of spring practice.
"(Andrew Martel) brings a toughness," Wilson said. "He brings an intellect at a position where he is the quarterback of our defense. He can get us lined up. He knows what to do, but more importantly he knows how to do it."
A 6-foot-1, 220-pound native of Richmond, Texas, Martel made 45 tackles at safety in 2018, including four tackles for a loss and two sacks.
"I saw myself as a downhill safety, so moving to linebacker I'll be able to play more downhill," Martel said. "Everything is a lot quicker (at linebacker) then safety. You have to think quicker. That has been one of the hard adjustments for me. I like where I'm at right now and I'm continuing to learn it every single day.
"I just wanted to be on the field. Wherever I can be on the field, I just want to play football."
Martel is joined in the linebacker room by several fresh faces, including newcomers Ladrian McFarland, Dominic Sheppard, Trevor Harmanson, Ashton Merrett and Layton Garnett. Sophomore returnees De'Marco Guidry, Donovan Perkins and Tyler Mahnke give the Roadrunners some experience, albeit limited.
"These guys are young, some out of high school, some junior college, some transfers, but in our system, they are still relatively new," Wilson said. "They have done it in the classroom setting and walked through it, but live bullets at a tempo speed is a little different for them. They are a work in progress. They are growing."
"We have a lot of talented young guys and a lot of older guys who are sharing a lot of leadership," Martel said. "We come out every day to compete against and with each other."
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